Neurointerventions—interventions that physically or chemically modulate brain states—are sometimes imposed on criminal offenders for the purposes of diminishing the risk that they will recidivate, or, more generally, of facilitating their rehabilitation. One objection to the nonconsensual implementation of such interventions holds that this expresses a disrespectful message, and is thus impermissible. In this paper, we respond to this objection, focusing on the most developed version of it—that presented by Elizabeth Shaw. We consider a variety of messages that might be expressed by nonconsensual neurointerventions. Depending on the message, we argue either that such interventions do not invariably express this message, that expressing this message is not invariably disrespectful, or that the appeal to disrespect is redundant.

神经干预——以物理或化学方式调节大脑状态的干预措施——有时会强加于犯罪分子，目的是降低他们再犯的风险，或者更一般地说，促进他们的康复。对未经同意实施此类干预措施的一种反对意见认为，这表达了一种不尊重的信息，因此是不允许的。在本文中，我们回应了这一反对意见，重点讨论了伊丽莎白·肖提出的最完善的版本。我们考虑非自愿神经干预可能表达的各种信息。根据所传达的信息，我们认为这样的干预措施并不总是表达这种信息，表达这种信息并不总是不尊重，或者诉诸不尊重是多余的。