In this paper, we highlight several historical developments in the neuroscience of ethics as well as
recent advances that forecast the experimental research to come. We argue, in particular, that
our understanding of the moral brain will benefit from the further use of a formal, mathematical
approach to the construction and testing of alternative theories, such as that found in the field of
neuroeconomics. The use of economic modeling to understand the psychological processes
underlying distributional preferences and charitable giving is reviewed to illustrate this potential.
We also consider some obstacles to such an approach, notably the challenge of capturing
substantive moral values within a mathematical model.
