Aim of the Course is to investigate ethical implications of the application of biotechnology in society. Contemporary societies are peculiar because we have the power to intervene on the "external nature" (the environment), and on the "internal nature" (the DNA, the biological structure of the human beings). The technological chances we have to intervene on the biological processes in the beginning of life (e.g. procreative liberty, genetic tests) and in the end of life (e.g. definition of death, advance directives) enlarge proportionally our responsibility of ethical decision-making, both as citizens and as professionals. Traditional ethical-political categories (nature/culture, public/private, action/omission) have been under discussion in the international philosophical debate, and new ones have been proposed (biology/biography, sanctity of life/quality of life, liberty/security).

Philosophical reflection on ethics. History of ethics. Practical ethics: feminists ethics, biomedical ethics, non human animals ethics, environmental ethics. Philosophical approaches to bioethics. Principles of biomedical ethics (autonomy, non maleficence, beneficence, justice), informed consent, ethics of disclosure of genetic information, abortion, assisted reproduction, end of life issues. Deontological Code of Engineers. Ethical decision-making in risk and in uncertainty (precautionary principle). Patents on living.

Philosophical reflection on ethics: virtue, deontology, utilitarianism.
Practical ethics: feminists ethics, biomedical ethics, non human animals ethics, environmental ethics.
Philosophical approaches to bioethics.
Principles of biomedical ethics: autonomy, non maleficence, beneficence, justice.
Informed consent.
Ethics of disclosure of genetic information.
Abortion, assisted reproduction, end of life issues.
Animal ethics.
Environmental ethics.
Ethical decision-making in risk and in uncertainty (precautionary principle).

ETICA:
EUGENIO LECALDANO, Etica, Torino, Utet, 1995
ARISTOTELE, Etica Nicomachea, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1991
JOHN STEWART MILL, Utilitarismo, Milano, SugarCo,1991 (1861); Saggio sulla libertà, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1993 (1859).
DAVID HUME, Ricerca sui principi della morale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1992 (1751)
MARTHA NUSSBAUM, Giustizia sociale e dignità umana. Da individui a persone, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002

BIOETICA:
E. LECALDANO (a cura di), Dizionario di Bioetica, Milano, Laterza, 2002
MAURIZIO MORI, Manuale di bioetica. Verso una civiltà biomedica secolarizzata, Firenze, Le Lettere, 2010
HANS JONAS, Tecnica, medicina ed etica. Prassi del Principio Responsabilità, Torino, Einaudi, 1997.
RONALD DWORKIN, Il dominio della vita. Aborto, eutanasia e libertà individuale, Torino, Edizioni di Comunità, 1994
JOHN HARRIS, Wonderwoman e Superman. Manipolazione genetica e futuro dell’uomo, Milano, Baldini & Castoldi, 1997
PETER SINGER, Ripensare la vita e la morte. La vecchia morale non serve più, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 1996

ETICA BIOMEDICA:
TOM BEAUCHAMP AND JAMES CHILDRESS, Principi di etica biomedica, Firenze, Le Lettere, 1999
JONSEN ALBERT R., SIEGLER MARK, WINSLADE WILLIAM J., Etica clinica. Un approccio pratico alle decisioni etiche in medicina clinica – quinta edizione, Milano, McGraw-Hill, 2003
GHISLENI M, Bioetica e informazione. Genetica e problemi etici, Genova, Name, 2006
GHISLENI M, Le prove e le scelte. Medicina delle prove di efficacia e bioetica, Genova, Name, 2007

ETICA AMBIENTALE:
SERENELLA IOVINO, Filosofie dell’ambiente. natura, etica e società, Roma, Carocci, 2004
MARIA CHIARA TALLACCHINI, FABIO TERRAGNI, Le biotecnologie. Aspetti etici, sociali, ambientali, Milano, Mondadori, 2004
VANDANA SHIVA, Biopirateria. Il saccheggio della natura e dei saperi indigeni, 1999

Text:
TONY HOPE, "Medical Ethics. A very short introduction", Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004
PETER SINGER, "Rethinking life and death. The collapse of our traditional ethics", St.Martin’s Griffin, 1996
J. S. MILL, "On liberty"
Council of Europe, "European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine", 1997
WMA, "Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects", 2013

Other learning resources:
J.J. Thompson, "A defense of abortion", Philosophy & Public Affairs, vol. 1, no. 1, 1971
James Rachels, "Active and passive euthanasia", The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 292, January 9, 1975

It is requested a regular frequency to lessons (at least 75%).
The examination will be oral, and will be on the following teaching material:
- Lessons: all the Slides will be put on the Course web-page;
- A text book on philosophical bioethics: MAURIZIO MORI , Manuale di bioetica. Verso una civiltà biomedica secolarizzata, Firenze, Le Lettere, 2010
Erasmus students, alternatively to the point (b), could study the following two books in english:
TONY HOPE, Medical Ethics. A very short introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004
PETER SINGER, Rethinking life and death. The collapse of our traditional ethics, St.Martin’s Griffin, 1996

It is strongly suggested the regular frequency to lessons.

The examination will be written, with 3 open questions on the following teaching material:

a) Lessons: all the Slides will be put on the Course web-page
b) J. S. MILL, "On Liberty"
c) MAURIZIO MORI , "Manuale di bioetica. Verso una civiltà biomedica secolarizzata", Firenze, Le Lettere, 2013

Erasmus students, alternatively to the point (c), have to study the following two books:
TONY HOPE, Medical Ethics. A very short introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004
PETER SINGER, Rethinking life and death. The collapse of our traditional ethics, St.Martin’s Griffin, 1996