Biopolitics and Biotechnology - PHIL2422

   
   
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
 
 
Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: 6 units of credit in level 1 Philosophy and 36 units of credit overall
 
 
Session Offered: See Class Timetable
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 

Description


Examines contemporary texts in ethical and political theory that critically interrogate recent developments in biotechnology, focusing on questions about power, subjectivity and materiality. Introduces emerging literature on the concept of biopolitics, and several influential approaches to technology, and critically examines the usefulness of these for analysing the social, political and ethical implications of biotechnologies. Contemporary ethical and political issues posed by advances in biotechnologies examined include the human genome project and new genetics, bio-terrorism, and bio-risk. Philosophical texts to be used include works by Foucault, Agamben, Arendt, Heidegger, Latour, Habermas and Haraway.