99744 - Applied Ethics. Ethics in the Professions

Learning outcomes

We intend to reflect on the current issue of the relationship between ethics and the world of work and the professions. The increased complexity of the world and, consequently, of the knowledge around it has led to an ever-increasing functional specialization of labor, so much so that today we are witnessing a hyper-specialization in the various sectors of culture by an apparatus of professionals who act as intermediaries between it and citizens, exponentially increasing their responsibility linked to the role they play. The course will start from the concept of social role and continue with an analysis of the essence of social responsibility, focusing on the legal professions, specifically the judiciary and lawyers.

Course contents

- The concept of role
- Social responsibility
- Professional and social responsibility
- Historical models of the judiciary
- The evolution of ethical principles in the judiciary
- Judiciary and mass media
- The role of the lawyer between functionalist and conflictualist perspectives
- Advocacy and process
- Lawyers and the "grey zone". Ethics as a levee tool
- Ethics in empirical research
- Ethics applied to complex social phenomena

Readings/Bibliography

S. Pellegrini, Professione giustizia. Giuristi tra etica professionale e responsabilita' di ruolo, CEDAM, 2013.

Teaching methods

The course comprises face-to-face lectures and will be held in the first semester. Students are invited to consult www.giuri.unibo.it for class times and locations.

Assessment methods

Assessment Methods

The examination will be conducted exclusively in oral form, with the aim of verifying the student's adequate acquisition of knowledge in accordance with the learning objectives of the course.

Furthermore, the assessment of the examination will take into account:

• knowledge of the institutional aspects of the subject;
• the ability to analyse case law and scholarly (doctrinal) orientations;
• the ability to draw connections between the different parts of the syllabus;
• the ability to develop critical arguments;
• the structure and organisation of the oral presentation;
• the accuracy of the exposition;
• precision in the use of context-specific terminology.

FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:

The final grade, expressed on a thirty-point scale (out of 30), will be assigned on the basis of the following assessment criteria:

• knowledge and understanding of the notions, principles and legal institutions covered by the examination questions, and the depth of study demonstrated (50%);
• the ability to draw connections between the different parts of the syllabus and to critically analyse the topics addressed in the examination questions (20%);
• appropriate use of sociological, technical and legal terminology; the candidate's expository skills; the ability to analyse and evaluate the relevant sources; and the acquisition of a sound study method (30%).

Registration for the final examination must be completed through the Almaesami platform (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm ).

FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS:

Attending students will be asked to prepare a concept map, starting from the professional experience that most impressed them and tracing it back to the theoretical concepts addressed during the course, all within an ongoing dialogue with the lecturer.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities:

Students are advised to contact the relevant University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will propose any appropriate adjustments to the students concerned; such adjustments must in any case be submitted, at least 15 days in advance, for the approval of the lecturer, who will assess their suitability also in light of the learning objectives of the course.

Final Dissertation (Thesis)

Students wishing to request a dissertation in one of the disciplines pertaining to the Chair are asked to attend office hours — the only means of formalising the assignment of the final dissertation — no less than 8 months in advance. Formal admission to the dissertation work is conditional upon the submission of a preliminary outline (table of contents) accompanied by an essential bibliography on the topic, whether proposed by the student or suggested by the lecturer and/or her collaborators. Graduating students will be provided with a detailed handbook (vademecum) on dissertation writing.

Teaching tools

Original documents and Power Point slides will be used to support teaching activities.


Distribution lists will be used for communication and dissemination of material. At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with the list name and access password.


Students who, for reasons dependent on disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), require compensatory tools may inform the teacher of their needs so that they can be referred to the contact persons and the most appropriate measures can be agreed upon.

Office hours

See the website of Stefania Pellegrini