 The neurobiological basis of aggressive behaviorFrancesco Orzi Chapter 10 in Research Handbook on Unethical Behavior, 2026, pp 158-169 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: Aggression is an innate behavior rooted in the subcortical brain areas. It is functional for survival and coexists, or conflicts, with innate pro-social behaviors like cooperation and empathy. While aggression, in various forms, is present across species, humans have evolved cortical brain functions allowing for the sublimation of aggression into symbolic actions that are ethically acceptable within specific social contexts. Clinical studies have demonstrated that cortical brain dysfunctions can contribute to impulsive acts of violence, suggesting a potential link between brain abnormalities and unwarranted aggression. These findings support a theoretical model positing that certain unethical behaviors, such as unjustified violence, may result from a failure of higher function cortical brain areas to inhibit or regulate underlying aggressive instincts, wired into deep brain areas. Thus, some behaviors, deemed unethical within specific socio-cultural contexts, may originate from dysregulated aggression. The ethical and legal implications on the role of personal responsibility are far-reaching. Keywords: Aggression; Cortical brain dysfunction; Programmed behavior; Emotion; Responsibility (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:22091_10 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
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