BIOETHICS

The course is concerned with the analysis of the regulation of biomedical practices resulting from advances in knowledge and technology. In particular, the relationships between law and science, the bioethical status of the body (res, information, identity, energy), and the different qualifications of the subject of law (personal, narrative, social, managerial identity) are examined.

The course aims to accustom students to:

(a) examine the possible implications of an ethical problem and its legal implications;

(b) identify and distinguish different cultural premises;

(c) develop coherent and persuasive arguments.

Frontal/traditional teaching with the support of slides.

Equivalent teaching activities through video/movie screening and discussion of bioethics issues.

Optional. 

The exam program for attending students moves from what is presented in class and summarized in specific slides. The slides are posted on the "studium" platform sufficiently in advance to enable each student to attend class with a prior knowledge of the topics that will be covered.

During the lectures, outside experts will be heard on issues strictly pertaining to the practice of medicine, and films and videos dealing with the most dramatic bioethical issues will be shown.

Thus, attending lectures implies a different way of studying the subject than simply reading a text. It is a more problematic and critical study, with more reference to the contours of technoscience.

For attending students, the exam is partially different from the one that non-attending students will take, as is also evident from the reference texts.

Principles of bioethics: morality and morals

Deontology and fundamental rights

Law and science

Human identity and legal identity

Law and the body

The right to exist: assisted reproduction, cloning, eugenics.

The right not to exist: euthanasia and unwanted existence

Quantified Self

Neuroethics

Artificial intelligence

S. AMATO, Eutanasie, Il diritto di fronte alla fine della vita, Torino, Giappichelli, 2015, pp. 228

Nota: In conseguenza dell’entrata in vigore della legge in materia di consenso informato e disposizioni anticipate di trattamento, gli studenti devono sostituire l’ultimo capitolo del libro Eutanasie con lo studio della Legge 2017 n. 219 e della sentenza della Corte costituzionale 242/2019.

or

F. D’AGOSTINO, Bioetica Questioni di confine, Roma, Studium, 2019, pp. 219

or

S. AMATO, Biodiritto 4.0. Intelligenza artificiale e nuove tecnologie, Torino, Giappichelli, 2020, cap. I, III, IV, V, VI

OTHER TEACHING MATERIALS

Slides and other short texts to be read before class (e.g., chapters, articles, videos, news articles, debates, etc.), will be made available on the "Studium" platform well in advance.