Damage to the moral brain network
We have a ‘moral network’ in our brain made up of neurobiological building blocks that evolved step by step. First of all, we notice the emotions of other people through ‘mirror neurons’. Watching a hand movement by someone else stimulates the same brain cells to be activated when you make the movement yourself. Mirror neurons form the basis for learning by imitation.
This imitation behaviour largely functions automatically. Newborn human babies less than one hour old can already copy the movements of an adult’s mouth. Mirror neurons also work with emotions. They enable you to experience the emotions another person is feeling, and thus form the basis for empathy. Mirror neurons have been found in the prefrontal cortex, the foremost part of the brain, and in other parts of the cerebral cortex.