This is a challenging and difficult topic. The question of what it means to be human and how we relate this to neuroscience are some of the most profound, troubling and complex issues of all. The brain is often said to be the most complex item in the entire universe. There are not any nice, slick, simple answers – in fact, one could summarise this lecture by explaining that human identity is a bit of a mystery.
In March 2019, I delivered a public lecture at the University of Hull on this. You can watch it below: