Ateneo - UPO

The course introduces the main ethical and epistemological issues concerning responsibility in scientific research, with particular attention to the relationship between science, values, and society. Drawing on a number of emblematic cases—including the Manhattan Project and the figure of J. Robert Oppenheimer, biomedical and vaccine research, chemical and environmental sciences, and applications of artificial intelligence—the course critically examines the notion of science as a completely neutral or “value-free” enterprise. It will argue that science is never a purely neutral activity, but is inevitably shaped by values, choices, priorities, and responsibilities. The course will therefore explore how these values and responsibilities can be made explicit, subjected to critical debate, and reconciled with both the reliability of scientific knowledge and the goals of sustainability.

Maria Cristina Amoretti, Una scienza libera? Il ruolo dei valori nella ricerca scientifica, Torino, Rosenberg&Sellier, 2025
(Only the Introduction and Chapter 1)

Further materials (slides and handouts) will be provided by the lecturer at the end of the 4 lessons.

By the end of the module C (1CFU), students will be able to:
understand the debate surrounding the ideal of value-free science and the role of values in scientific research;
distinguish between epistemic and non-epistemic values, recognising their presence at different stages of the scientific process;
critically analyse historical and contemporary cases in which science is confronted with ethical, social, political and environmental responsibilities;
recognise the ethical significance of scientific choices in fields such as medicine, vaccine research and artificial intelligence.

No specific prerequisites

The module adopts a seminar-style teaching methodology, based on lectures, guided discussion of case studies and group analysis of short texts. Each session combines a theoretical component, devoted to introducing key concepts, and a practical component, focusing on historical and contemporary examples.
Particular attention will be paid to the active involvement of students, through guiding questions, brief classroom discussions and opportunities to debate controversial cases. The aim is to foster not only the acquisition of knowledge, but also the development of argumentative skills and critical judgement.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff "Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti", consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The assessment of learning for module C takes place through a written test which includes:

1. 7 multiple-choice questions, each evaluated 1 point, for a total of 7 points;

2. 1 open-ended question, evaluated up to 3 points.

The maximum score that can be achieved is 10 points. To pass the course, it is necessary to achieve an evaluation of not less than 6/10.

The Module is structured into four two-hour sessions.
Lesson 1 — “Science, Power, and Responsibility: The Oppenheimer Case”
The first lesson introduces the topic of scientific responsibility through the Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bomb. The Oppenheimer case provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between basic research, technological applications, political power, and the scientist’s moral responsibility. The lesson focuses on the following question: is the scientist responsible only for the production of knowledge, or also for the social and political uses of that knowledge?

Lesson 2 — “Can Science Be Value-Free?”
The second lesson introduces the philosophical debate surrounding the ideal of value-free science. Drawing on Maria Cristina Amoretti’s work, the lesson will discuss the meaning of “value-free science,” the distinction between epistemic and non-epistemic values, and the question of whether completely neutral science is genuinely possible or desirable. Examples will be examined concerning the selection of research topics, the formulation of hypotheses, the choice of methods, and the interpretation of data.

Lesson 3 — “Values, Risk, and Decision-Making: Medicine, Vaccines, and the Environment”
The third lesson examines the role of values in scientific and technical decision-making processes. Case studies from medicine, vaccine research, and environmental risk assessment will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which ethical, social, and economic values influence the definition of acceptable risk, the assessment of available evidence, and the public communication of science. These issues will be linked to sustainability and to responsibility towards the environment and future generations.

Lesson 4 — “Science, Sustainability, and Artificial Intelligence”
The final lesson connects the theme of scientific responsibility with the contemporary challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the automation of research, data management, and emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence will be presented both as a scientific and technological opportunity and as an “ethical wager”: a tool that requires transparency, oversight, fairness, accountability, and awareness of its social and environmental impacts. The lesson concludes by returning to the initial question: not so much how to make science free from values, but how to make it more transparent, responsible, and oriented towards the common good.

Students will acquire a basic understanding of the relationship between science, values, and responsibility, with particular reference to the ideal of value-free science, the distinction between epistemic and non-epistemic values, and the role of values in scientific practice.
Students will be able to apply the concepts acquired to the analysis of concrete cases, identifying the ethical and social implications of scientific and technological decisions in the fields of physics, medicine, environmental chemistry, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
They will also develop the ability to critically assess the idea of scientific neutrality and to discuss the role of scientific responsibility in contexts characterised by uncertainty, risk, value pluralism, and significant social impacts. Furthermore, they will be able to present the main ethical issues concerning scientific research in a clear and well-reasoned manner, using appropriate terminology and relating theoretical concepts to concrete examples.
Finally, but no less importantly, students will develop conceptual tools that will enable them to continue reflecting independently on the relationships between science, technology, the environment, and society, with particular attention to sustainability and the professional responsibility of scientists.