Applied Ethics
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
Students will gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in an ongoing debate in applied ethics and moral philosophy more in general.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the ability to:
- critically analyse arguments in applied ethics and moral philosophy more in general;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in applied ethics and moral philosophy more in general;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical arguments, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses;
- take their own position in a philosophical debate and to put forward arguments in support of it;
- communicate the results of their research effectively, also using multimedia techniques to represent information with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative and organisational skills also in highly complex contexts and in the management of group work;
- transmit the skills obtained also in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own skills and evaluations;
- autonomously research the philosophical sources of a debate or a school of thought;
- independently investigate a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
- critically analyse arguments in applied ethics and moral philosophy more in general;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in applied ethics and moral philosophy more in general;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical arguments, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses;
- take their own position in a philosophical debate and to put forward arguments in support of it;
- communicate the results of their research effectively, also using multimedia techniques to represent information with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative and organisational skills also in highly complex contexts and in the management of group work;
- transmit the skills obtained also in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own skills and evaluations;
- autonomously research the philosophical sources of a debate or a school of thought;
- independently investigate a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
After a general introduction to applied ethics, some of the most relevant topics will be covered:
Abortion and infanticide
Euthanasia and assisted suicide
Conscientious objection in healthcare
Life extension
Surrogacy
Human enhancement
Abortion and infanticide
Euthanasia and assisted suicide
Conscientious objection in healthcare
Life extension
Surrogacy
Human enhancement
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites required
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading and discussion of readings, class debates, think-pair-share, writing a short essay. Some classes will be held online to facilitate the participation of international and national speakers.
Teaching Resources
All readings are available on the course's MyAriel website, which should always be checked for possible updates. The following are only a selection of readings and do not represent the complete list of course material
1) Abortion
1) Thomson, J.J., 1971. A defense of abortion. Philos Public Aff. I. (21 pp)
2) Finnis, J., 1973. The rights and wrongs of abortion: A reply to Judith Thomson. Philosophy & Public Affairs, pp.117-145. (30)
4) Don Marquis, Why Abortion is Immoral, The Journal of Philosophy (1989) (21 pp)
6) Tooley, M., 1972. Abortion and infanticide. Philosophy & Public Affairs, pp.37-65. (30)
7) Giubilini, A. and Minerva, F., 2013. After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?. Journal of medical ethics, 39(5), pp.261-263
8) Oakley, J., 2012. 'After-birth abortion and arguments from potential. Monash Bioethics Review, 30, pp.58-60.
9) Levy, N., 2013. The moral significance of being born. Journal of medical ethics, 39(5), pp.326-329.
Testi facoltativi per frequentanti e obbligatori per i non frequentanti
Singer,P., Practical Ethics, Chapter 6, "Taking life: the embryo and the foetus"
Testi facoltativi per tutti
McMahan, J., 2007. Infanticide. Utilitas, 19(2), pp.131-159 (29 pp)
Boonin-Vail, David. "A defense of" A defense of abortion": on the responsibility objection to Thomson's argument." Ethics 107, no. 2 (1997): 286-313. (29 pp)
2) Euthanasia
1) Thomson, Judith Jarvis. "Physician‐Assisted Suicide: Two Moral Arguments." Ethics 109, no. 3 (1999): 497-518.
2) Philippa Foot (1977) Euthanasia. Philosophy and Public Affairs 6, 85-112.
3) Bovens, L., 2015. Child euthanasia: should we just not talk about it?. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), pp.630-634.
4) Schuklenk, U., 2015. Physicians can justifiably euthanize certain severely impaired neonates. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 149(2), pp.535-537.
5) Kaczor, C., 2016. Against euthanasia for children: a response to Bovens. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(1), pp.57-58.
6) Schuklenk, U. and Van de Vathorst, S., 2015. Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and assisted dying. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), pp.577-583.
7) Blikshavn, T., Husum, T.L. and Magelssen, M., 2017. Four reasons why assisted dying should not be offered for depression. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 14, pp.151-157.
8) Dembo, J., Schuklenk, U. and Reggler, J., 2018. "For their own good": A response to popular arguments against permitting medical assistance in dying (MAID) where mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(7), pp.451-456.
9) Verhagen, E. and Sauer, P.J., 2005. The Groningen protocol—euthanasia in severely ill newborns. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(10), pp.959-962.
10) Manninen, B. A. (2006). A Case for Justified Non-Voluntary Active Euthanasia: Exploring the Ethics of the Groningen Protocol. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(11), 643-651. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27719743
11) Jotkowitz, A., Glick, S. and Gesundheit, B., 2008. A case against justified non-voluntary active euthanasia (the Groningen Protocol). The American Journal of Bioethics, 8(11), pp.23-26.
Testi facoltativi per i frequentanti e obbligatori per i non frequentanti
Singer, P. Practical Ethics, Chapter 7 "Taking lives, Humans"
Conscientious Objection in Healthcare
1) Wicclair, Mark R. "Conscientious objection in medicine." Bioethics 14, no. 3 (2000): 205-227.
2) Card, R.F., 2007. Conscientious objection and emergency contraception. The American Journal of Bioethics, 7(6), pp.8-14.
3) Savulescu, J. and Schuklenk, U., 2017. Doctors have no right to refuse medical assistance in dying, abortion or contraception. Bioethics, 31(3), pp.162-170.
4) Minerva, F., 2015. Conscientious objection in Italy. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(2), pp.170-173.
5) Minerva, F., 2017. Conscientious objection, complicity in wrongdoing, and a not-so-moderate approach. Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics, 26(1), pp.109-119.
6) Giubilini, A., Schuklenk, U., Minerva, F. and Savulescu, J., 2025. Rethinking conscientious objection in health care.
7) Cowley, C., 2016. A defence of conscientious objection in medicine: a reply to Schuklenk and Savulescu. Bioethics, 30(5), pp.358-364.
8) Wicclair, Mark R. "Conscientious objection, moral integrity, and professional obligations." Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 62, no. 3 (2019): 543-559.
Letture facoltative per i frequentanti e obbligatorie per i non frequentanti
Giubilini, A., Schuklenk, U., Minerva,F. and Savulescu, J.. "Rethinking conscientious objection in health care." OUP 2025 (chapter 3)
Immortality and Cryonics
1) Williams, Bernard. "The Makropulos case: reflections on the tedium of immortality." (1973): 82-100.
2) Fischer, J.M. and Mitchell-Yellin, B., 2014. Immortality
1) Abortion
1) Thomson, J.J., 1971. A defense of abortion. Philos Public Aff. I. (21 pp)
2) Finnis, J., 1973. The rights and wrongs of abortion: A reply to Judith Thomson. Philosophy & Public Affairs, pp.117-145. (30)
4) Don Marquis, Why Abortion is Immoral, The Journal of Philosophy (1989) (21 pp)
6) Tooley, M., 1972. Abortion and infanticide. Philosophy & Public Affairs, pp.37-65. (30)
7) Giubilini, A. and Minerva, F., 2013. After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?. Journal of medical ethics, 39(5), pp.261-263
8) Oakley, J., 2012. 'After-birth abortion and arguments from potential. Monash Bioethics Review, 30, pp.58-60.
9) Levy, N., 2013. The moral significance of being born. Journal of medical ethics, 39(5), pp.326-329.
Testi facoltativi per frequentanti e obbligatori per i non frequentanti
Singer,P., Practical Ethics, Chapter 6, "Taking life: the embryo and the foetus"
Testi facoltativi per tutti
McMahan, J., 2007. Infanticide. Utilitas, 19(2), pp.131-159 (29 pp)
Boonin-Vail, David. "A defense of" A defense of abortion": on the responsibility objection to Thomson's argument." Ethics 107, no. 2 (1997): 286-313. (29 pp)
2) Euthanasia
1) Thomson, Judith Jarvis. "Physician‐Assisted Suicide: Two Moral Arguments." Ethics 109, no. 3 (1999): 497-518.
2) Philippa Foot (1977) Euthanasia. Philosophy and Public Affairs 6, 85-112.
3) Bovens, L., 2015. Child euthanasia: should we just not talk about it?. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), pp.630-634.
4) Schuklenk, U., 2015. Physicians can justifiably euthanize certain severely impaired neonates. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 149(2), pp.535-537.
5) Kaczor, C., 2016. Against euthanasia for children: a response to Bovens. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(1), pp.57-58.
6) Schuklenk, U. and Van de Vathorst, S., 2015. Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and assisted dying. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), pp.577-583.
7) Blikshavn, T., Husum, T.L. and Magelssen, M., 2017. Four reasons why assisted dying should not be offered for depression. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 14, pp.151-157.
8) Dembo, J., Schuklenk, U. and Reggler, J., 2018. "For their own good": A response to popular arguments against permitting medical assistance in dying (MAID) where mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(7), pp.451-456.
9) Verhagen, E. and Sauer, P.J., 2005. The Groningen protocol—euthanasia in severely ill newborns. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(10), pp.959-962.
10) Manninen, B. A. (2006). A Case for Justified Non-Voluntary Active Euthanasia: Exploring the Ethics of the Groningen Protocol. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(11), 643-651. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27719743
11) Jotkowitz, A., Glick, S. and Gesundheit, B., 2008. A case against justified non-voluntary active euthanasia (the Groningen Protocol). The American Journal of Bioethics, 8(11), pp.23-26.
Testi facoltativi per i frequentanti e obbligatori per i non frequentanti
Singer, P. Practical Ethics, Chapter 7 "Taking lives, Humans"
Conscientious Objection in Healthcare
1) Wicclair, Mark R. "Conscientious objection in medicine." Bioethics 14, no. 3 (2000): 205-227.
2) Card, R.F., 2007. Conscientious objection and emergency contraception. The American Journal of Bioethics, 7(6), pp.8-14.
3) Savulescu, J. and Schuklenk, U., 2017. Doctors have no right to refuse medical assistance in dying, abortion or contraception. Bioethics, 31(3), pp.162-170.
4) Minerva, F., 2015. Conscientious objection in Italy. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(2), pp.170-173.
5) Minerva, F., 2017. Conscientious objection, complicity in wrongdoing, and a not-so-moderate approach. Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics, 26(1), pp.109-119.
6) Giubilini, A., Schuklenk, U., Minerva, F. and Savulescu, J., 2025. Rethinking conscientious objection in health care.
7) Cowley, C., 2016. A defence of conscientious objection in medicine: a reply to Schuklenk and Savulescu. Bioethics, 30(5), pp.358-364.
8) Wicclair, Mark R. "Conscientious objection, moral integrity, and professional obligations." Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 62, no. 3 (2019): 543-559.
Letture facoltative per i frequentanti e obbligatorie per i non frequentanti
Giubilini, A., Schuklenk, U., Minerva,F. and Savulescu, J.. "Rethinking conscientious objection in health care." OUP 2025 (chapter 3)
Immortality and Cryonics
1) Williams, Bernard. "The Makropulos case: reflections on the tedium of immortality." (1973): 82-100.
2) Fischer, J.M. and Mitchell-Yellin, B., 2014. Immortality
Assessment methods and Criteria
Assessment consists of two compulsory components: a written essay (intermediate assessment) and an oral exam (final assessment).
Duration/format: The essay (max. 2,000 words) must be submitted by a set date during the course, on a topic chosen by the student from those proposed or agreed with the lecturer. The oral exam lasts approximately 30 minutes.
Weighting: The essay accounts for 25% of the final grade, the oral exam for 75%. The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale
Evaluation criteria:
Essay: ability to independently locate and use relevant philosophical sources; clarity and coherence of argumentation; ability to develop and defend an original position; quality of writing and structure.
Oral exam: ability to critically analyse the arguments covered; ability to discuss and compare different philosophical positions; ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an argument; ability to take and argue for a position.
Duration/format: The essay (max. 2,000 words) must be submitted by a set date during the course, on a topic chosen by the student from those proposed or agreed with the lecturer. The oral exam lasts approximately 30 minutes.
Weighting: The essay accounts for 25% of the final grade, the oral exam for 75%. The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale
Evaluation criteria:
Essay: ability to independently locate and use relevant philosophical sources; clarity and coherence of argumentation; ability to develop and defend an original position; quality of writing and structure.
Oral exam: ability to critically analyse the arguments covered; ability to discuss and compare different philosophical positions; ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an argument; ability to take and argue for a position.
Modules or teaching units
Parte A e B
PHIL-03/A - Moral Philosophy - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Parte C
PHIL-03/A - Moral Philosophy - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
make an appointment via email
Online on Microsoft Teams or in my office