ABSTRACT
Neuroeconomics has been naturally developed as an extension of behavioral economics, which is not necessarily materialist. Determining the different positions in the philosophy of neuroscience constitutes a fundamental step to figure out whether the determinism-freedom tension is present in neuroeconomics. In his article "The Metaphysics of Neuroeconomics", Michiru Nagatsu maintains that "metaphysics is an indispensable part of scientific practice that provides scientists with worldviews and directions in research". According to Marchionni and Vromen's classification – type of neuroeconomics, Neurocellular Economics, advocated by Don Ross, and assumes that the brain's internal logic is the neoclassical economic logic. Consequently, neuroeconomics seems plagued by paradox. Its goal is to open the black box of preferences – a worthy endeavor as part of efforts to learn more about choice causes and its processes as well as the ends of economic agents. Neuroeconomics intends to replace economics' typical "as if" or ceteris paribus assumptions with realistic "as is" observations.
