Science, technologies and society impact (+CILS)

23.02, 02.03, 09.03, 16.03, 23.03, 27.04, 04.05, 11.05, 18.05.2017, from 10:15 to 12:00

Prof Y. Kalia, professeur associé, Section des sciences pharmaceutiques, Université de Genève

Pr. Samia HURST (Director Institute of Ethics, History, Humanities - IEH2 - University of Geneva) Dr. Christine CLAVIEN (Senior Lecturer, IEH2, University of Geneva)

Description

In this course we will review new fields of scientific knowledge and explore their implications for ethics.

· For centuries, philosophers have discussed the link between ethics and natural facts, especially those that pertain to human nature. These debates are presently taking a new turn, as neuroscience, genetics, evolutionary modeling, and cognitive sciences provide fresh insights into the biological basis of human cognition, emotion, and decision-making. Thus scientific knowledge becomes increasingly relevant to our understanding of moral judgements and behavior.

· Simultaneously, new discoveries in neuroscience and genetics raise unprecedented ethical issues: e.g. related to the use of technologies and drugs that alter human cognition or character, or related to the relevance of scientific expertise for judicial decision making.

Along a series of invited conferences, the students will learn how ethics is transformed by scientific progress.

Learned skills and content

· Transpose knowledge and results from scientific fields to philosophical debates

· Understand the impact of empirical discoveries in genetics, neuroscience and medicine on classical philosophical debates (e.g. free will, mind-body problem)

· Understand the contribution of evolutionary biology and neuroscience to a descriptive understanding of human moral behavior

· Develop a critical view on the relationship between empirical knowledge on humans (e.g. brain mechanisms, behavioral tendencies) and the moral foundation of norms and values

Explore the practical ethical implications of new scientific and medical discoveries (social implications, legal issues, emergence of new moral responsibilities, etc.).

CMU , Building C, 7th floor, Room nb C07-1732.a (old room nb = 7001)

Exam: Oral exam on one article randomly selected among the mandatory reading list.

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