Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar By Jenell Johnson, Departments of Communication Arts

In the late 1960s, increased research on the neurobiology of violence & the renewal of interest in psychosurgery led to controversy in the U.S. that culminated in congressional hearings, the formation of a federal commission, & legislation to outlaw the practice. This talk explores the campaign of psychiatrist Peter Breggin to curb the use of psychosurgery & looks closely at how Breggin's arguments drew on the collective memory & fear of lobotomy to make his point.