I am currently doing research along these lines and I have found opposition both from both communitiesi. I wholeheartedly agree that Cognitive neuroscience “can complement and illuminate our social theories to a new level.”

One issue I have with the disciplines attempting to explain human nature is the notion that if scientists can find universals they are inherently “good”, and if social processes run contrary they are bad. What is natural is not necessarily what is good (which runs into the whole is/ought debate). Also we must embrace the fact that we are in a constant state of change, are nature is evolving albeit at a much slower rate than our culture.

We must also realize that if an actor is compelled (presumably by human nature) to perform an action, they may also feel the action is bad because of social constraints. Socialization may serve to as an over-ride to primitive natural processes, or simply cause an identity crisis!

But I agree that unless we take a more holistic view of the individual we will never “finding the exact level at which causality occurs”

Great post!