Call for papers: Lex Humana issue 3 of 2025

Call for Papers – Lex Humana

Title of the Dossier:
Neuroethics, Criminal Behavior, and the Law: Philosophical and Legal Perspectives on Moral Decision-Making

Guest Editor:
Gabriel Tănăsescu
Faculty of Law, University of Craiova
gabriel.tanasescu@edu.ucv.ro
ORCID
ResearchGate

Justification and Objectives:

This dossier aims to explore the intersection of neuroethics, criminal behavior, and legal theory, shedding light on the neurocognitive processes underlying moral decision-making and deviant conduct. By integrating insights from cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and law, the dossier will examine the implications of neurobiological factors in criminal responsibility, punishment, and rehabilitation. Special emphasis will be given to the philosophical and legal challenges posed by emerging neuroscientific findings in criminal justice, including discussions on free will, moral agency, and the limits of legal culpability.

Suggested Subtopics:
  • Neurocognitive Foundations of Criminal Behavior: Examination of neurological and psychological determinants of criminal conduct, including the role of trauma, impulse control, and cognitive deficits.

  • Moral Reasoning, Free Will, and Legal Responsibility: Philosophical and legal analyses of moral decision-making, questioning how cognitive neuroscience challenges traditional notions of accountability and intentionality in crime.

  • Aggression, Violence, and Neurolaw: Exploration of the neuroscientific bases of aggression, antisocial behavior, and their legal and ethical implications in criminal sentencing and rehabilitation.

  • Ethical and Legal Dilemmas in the Application of Neuroscience to Law: Discussion of how emerging neuroscientific technologies, such as brain imaging and neurostimulation, influence criminal justice policies and human rights.

Proposed Schedule:
  • Article submission: March 15 – May 15, 2025

  • Evaluation by dossier organizers and referees: May 2025

  • Notification to authors: June 2025

  • Editing phase: July 2025

  • Planned publication: Issue 3 of 2025 (July–September edition)