07654 - BIOETICA

Learning outcomes

This course is aimed to understand the main issues and arguments at the heart of the contemporary bioethical-legal debate, to this end taking an interdisciplinary approach that draws on methodologies in the intersection of science, ethics, and law. More to the point, we will be exploring the main normative ethical theories (principles, values, and moral standards) in bioethics and in the case law and statutory law bearing on bioethical issues, so as to work out the main ethical-legal implications raised by innovations in biomedicine and biotechnology. In addition, we will survey the main literature relevant to the study of bioethics and its legal regulation, learning to address these problems critically, with an awareness of the biases and argumentative fallacies that can affect decision-making processes.

Course contents

The course is an introduction to the fundamentals of bioethics both in relation to the most relevant moral theories in contemporary debate and in relation to normative criteria applied to specific and interdisciplinary contexts. The course is divided into a theoretical and a practical level. On the theoretical level, the aim is to delve into the main philosophical-legal and ethical concepts needed to form a properly constructed or at least critical judgment on bioethical issues. The student is introduced to the field of philosophical-normative reflection on issues of public relevance, related also to biotechnological innovation. On the practical level, the most relevant cases in the current bioethical debate are examined with regard to issues of the beginning of life, care, medical genetics, clinical trials, end of life, right to health and distributive justice, gender medicine, artificial intelligence, and digital medicine.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students:

The student can choose option (I) or alternatively option (II) or option (III):

Option (I)

Beginning of life, clinical trials, genetic research

- P. Borsellino, Bioetica tra "morali" e diritto, Raffaello Cortina, New ed. update, Milano 2018, chapters 1-2-7 (just pp. 303-312)-8-9.

- C. Faralli, Bioetica e biodiritto. Problemi, casi e materiali, second Ed., Giappichelli, Torino, 2018 (available in E-book PDF format here: http://www.giappichelli.it/bioetica-e-biodiritto,3484973, pp. 6-97.

Option (II)

Right to health, distributive justice, doctor-patient relationship, clinical trials

- P. Borsellino, Bioetica tra "morali" e diritto, Raffaello Cortina, New ed. update, Milano 2018, chapters 1-2-3-4-5 (ch. 3 or ch. 4 or ch. 5 may be replaced by ch. 7. pp. 263-303).

- C. Faralli, Bioetica e biodiritto. Problemi, casi e materiali, Second Ed., Giappichelli, Torino, 2018 (available in E-book PDF format here: http://www.giappichelli.it/bioetica-e-biodiritto,3484973 ), pp. 98-173.

Option (III)

End of life issues, gender medicine, digital medicine and artificial intelligence

- P. Borsellino, Bioetica tra "morali" e diritto, Raffaello Cortina, New ed. update, Milano 2018, chapters 1-2-10-11-12.

- C. Faralli, Bioetica e biodiritto. Problemi, casi e materiali, second Ed., Giappichelli, Torino, 2018 (available in E-book PDF format here: http://www.giappichelli.it/bioetica-e-biodiritto,3484973 ), pp. 174-249.

Non-attending students:

The student has to choose at least two of the three options  above.

 Additional materials such as slides, handouts and articles on the topics covered in class will also be available online on the course's website (Virtuale).

 

In order to deepen the topics of the course, it is suggested to consult:

M. Reichlin, Fondamenti di bioetica, il Mulino, 2021.

F. Fossa, V. Schiaffonati e G. Tamburrini (a cura di), Automi e persone. Introduzione all'etica dell'intelligenza artificiale e della robotica, Carocci, 2021.

M. Balistreri, G. Capranico, M. Galletti, S. Zullo (eds.), Biotecnologie e modificazioni genetica. Scienze, etica, diritto, Mulino, Bologna, 2020.

D. Canale, Conflitti pratici. Quando il diritto diventa immorale, Laterza, 2017.

F. Poggi (ed.), Diritto e Bioetica, Carocci, Roma 2013.

C. Casonato, Introduzione al biodiritto, Torino, Giappichelli, 2012.

E. Lecaldano, Dizionario di bioetica, Laterza 2007.


N.B. This programme is also valid for Erasmus students.

Teaching methods

The course consists of twenty-four lessons, two hours each, for an overall forty-eight hours. Lectures will be held in the first semester. Students are invited to consult the website www.giuri.unibo.it for class times and locations.

The course will include, as mentioned above, a theoretical part and a practical part centered on the discussion of most relevant cases. Each lecture will consist of the presentation of a topic, followed by an open discussion in which students will be asked to apply the theory to specific cases.

Assessment methods

There will be an oral final exam aimed both to check the knowledge acquired by the student and to evaluate the student's degree of achievement of the course objectives, in particular as regards the students' critical skills.

Graduation of the final grade:

Preparation on a very limited number of topics; analytical skills emerging only with the help of the teacher; overall correct language → 18-19.

Preparation on a limited number of topics; limited analytical skills; correct language → 20-24.

Preparation on a large number of topics; analytical skills above average; mastery of specific terminology → 25-29.

Exhaustive preparation; analytical skills above average; full mastery of specific terminology; autonomous argumentation skills → 30-30L.

Teaching tools

Jurisprudential materials and in-depth handouts with reading and commentary on the texts. All information relating to the course and any communications from the lecturers, as well as any supplementary teaching materials, will be available online on the course's website (Virtuale).

Students who, for reasons dependent on disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), need compensatory tools can inform the teacher of their needs in order to be directed to the contact persons and agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Zullo