Bioethics Meets Philosophy of Science

Call for Abstracts

Bioethics Meets Philosophy of Science

Kraków, 20-21 May 2022

Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics (INCET)

Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Rachel Ankeny, University of Adelaide

Sven Hansson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

The conference will explore practical, theoretical, and regulatory issues in biomedical research through the joint perspective of bioethics and philosophy of science. The solution to many biomedical questions often lies at the intersection of theory and practice. On the one hand, philosophy of science can inform bioethical and legal debates by advancing our theoretical understanding of biomedical issues, helping decide between alternative ethical positions, or even undermining a moral conjecture on an empirical basis. On the other hand, philosophy of science can benefit from a bioethical perspective, as many scientific debates and disagreements do not just depend on empirical results or theoretical aspects, but also require the analysis of moral, social, and political factors and values.

Typical questions involving this sort of interdisciplinary effort are, for instance: To what extent do ethical principles limit technological advancements and research, e.g., in case of human embryos or embryonic models? How do inclusion and exclusion criteria in clinical trials need to balance the trade-off between statistical inferences and ethical considerations? How can philosophical analysis of the genetic and epigenetic basis of human diseases reframe questions regarding reproductive decision and prevention? May work in philosophy of comparative psychology change the way scientists characterize, operationalize, and interpret cognitive similarities and differences among species? Can the acceptance or refutation of categories and concepts depend on ethical factors? Are there ethical reasons to revise concepts that are widely used in biomedical sciences, such as race, gender, sex, disease, normality, and dysfunction?

We seek contributions addressing philosophical, ethical, and regulatory problems, for example topics such as:

• Boundaries of human life
• Human subject/human tissue research
• Prenatal testing and reproductive decisions
• Preventive medicine
• Precision medicine, pharmacology, and human diversity
• Consciousness states and moral status
• Medical and psychiatric classifications and concepts
• Experimentation and animal models
• Public trust, scientific and medical communication

Practical Details

Abstract should be submitted by 31 January 2022. Decision on acceptance will be made by 20 February 2022. Presentations will be 50 minutes including the Q&A. The main mode of presentation will be in person, but virtual presentation will be possible in exceptional cases.

Please submit a short abstract sketching the main argument of the talk, conclusions, and major implications (max. 500 words excluding references) as an email attachment to incet[at]uj.edu.pl.

The email subject shall be “Bioethics Meets Philosophy of Science 2022 [SURNAME OF AUTHOR]”. Make sure that information on the identity of the authors (name, email address, and affiliation) are not included in the attachment, but only in the body of the email. The attachment should contain a blind version of the abstract for the sake of the double-blind review process, which will involve both external reviewers and the members of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Ethics (INCET). Contributions from members of underrepresented groups are especially welcome.

Financial support: Travel grants may be provided to early-career scholars (up to 4 years from the PhD) by the ERC-funded project “Deep uncertainties in bioethics: genetic research, preventive medicine, reproductive decisions” (BIOUNCERTAINTY). Please include a request for financial support in your application.

Organising Committee: Mariusz Maziarz, Maciej Piwowarski, Davide Serpico, Katarzyna Żebrowska, Tomasz Żuradzki.

For further information, please contact Mariusz Maziarz (mariusz.maziarz[at]uj.edu.pl) or Davide Serpico (davide.serpico[at]uj.edu.pl).

For information about the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics, see: https://incet.uj.edu.pl