MORAL PHILOSOPHY

The course is part of the course of study through critical confrontation with some of the fundamental issues and problems of moral philosophy, in relation to some of the crucial issues of the Western moral philosophical tradition and to the developments determined by the contemporary debate.

Upon completion of this course the students will be able to:

1)Identify, compare and critically analyze different ethical approaches;

2)Understand ethics’ place in relation to history, politics and culture;

3)Identify and describe the major features and the basic elements of western moral thought.

There are no specific prerequisites for course attendance.

The course will go through the history of moral philosophy pointing out a special moment, that is the passage from classical and medieval moral thought to modern and contemporary moral thought. More specifically we will linger on contemporary claim for moral self-determination. In this light we will analyse the philosophical roots of the radical and generalized contestation against the authoritarianism of social institutions, which characterized the second half of twentieth century. We will discuss and analyse the theorization of conscientious objection during the Vietnam War, the instances of feminist movements, the philosophical and political claims for sexual freedom during the Sixties.
In the second part of the course we will take into consideration the contemporary contestation of medical power and authority, in the name of patients’ rights to choose treatments and the consequent birth of bioethics. At the same time we will move from the description of some serious abuses in medical research, in order to explain the genesis of a new research ethics.
Finally, we will deal with the issue of justice and fair distribution of resources in health care, comparing the utilitarian principle of the greatest happiness with some libertarian perspectives.

F. Turoldo, A Short History of Bioethics,Linea Edizioni, Padova 2016; D. Edmonds, Would You Kill the Fat Man? The Trolley Problem and What Your Answer Tells Us about Right and Wrong, Princeton University Press, Princeton 2013; M. Sandel, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, Penguin Books, London 2010.

Public discussion. Optional oral presentations. A final written exam, to be completed in 30 minutes, with four open-ended questions, which allow to give a free-form answer.

Lectures and debates with students.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development