The Quandaries of Biotechnology: Theory and Practice – Session 2

“Our Biotechnologies, Ourselves: Reflections on Innovation, Identity, and Culture” – Lesley Rice (Pontifical John Paul II Institute)

“Beyond Ethics: A Humanities Perspective on (Bio)technology” – Silvianne Aspray (Cambridge University)

Q&A, Moderated by Jeffrey Bishop (Saint Louis University)

How are new developments between biotechnology and big data including gene editing, brain-computer interfacing, and artificial intelligence changing our vision of what it means to be human? How does this bear on the ethical practices of medicine and research at the lab bench and at the bedside? How might an integrative vision of ethics contribute to this conversation? In this day-long spring symposium, scholars from the University of Chicago and Chicagoland area discussed how biotechnology shapes anthropology and whether the application of new biomedical technologies reflects an adequate understanding of human personhood.

This event was sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute, the Program on Medicine and Religion at the University of Chicago, and the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University. This event was made possible, in part, through the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Presented March 22, 2024 at the University of Chicago.