Diritti umani, valori e nuove tecnologie. Il caso dell’etica della robotica

In the European debate about science and technology, human rights are an inescapable reference point. Many ethical analyses of emerging technologies build on the principles and values expressed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The Chart represents a very flexible and effective tool for all that European ethical reflection, whose primary aim is to provide useful guidelines for regulating technology. This reference, though, poses several theoretical and methodological difficulties, starting from the gap between a declaration of principles and their actual fulfillment. On the one hand, the philosophical investigation on the principles and their meaning is missing; on the other hand, the ethical analysis remains superficial. Considering the example of robotics, this work discusses pro and contra of an ethical analyisis of emerging technologies which is centered on human rights. Furthermore, it argues for an integration of such approach with a phenomenological approach that takes into account the mutual interaction of values and social practices.