- Department of Philosophy of Law and Legal Ethics
12 Bracka Str.
31-005 Krakow
Poland - +48 12 4225111
Among all human practices, procreation seems the most paradoxical. It starts as a fully personal choice and ends with the creation of a new subject of rights and responsibilities. Advances in reproductive genetics pose new ethical and... more
Among all human practices, procreation seems the most paradoxical. It starts as a fully personal choice and ends with the creation of a new subject of rights and responsibilities. Advances in reproductive genetics pose new ethical and legal questions. They are expected to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases to progeny and also to improve genetically-endowed mental and physical attributes. Genetic selection and enhancement may affect a child’s identity, as well as the parent-child relationship. The authors are committed to a pluralistic approach that captures all aspects of this relationship in terms of moral virtues and principles. They elucidate that most of the conflicts between parental preferences and a child’s rights could be resolved with reference to the meaning and nature of procreation.
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This innovative book explores the role of utopian thinking in law and politics, including alternative forms of social engineering, such as technology and architecture. Building on Levitas’ Utopia as Method, the topic of utopia is... more
This innovative book explores the role of utopian thinking in law and politics, including alternative forms of social engineering, such as technology and architecture. Building on Levitas’ Utopia as Method, the topic of utopia is addressed within the book from a multidisciplinary perspective.
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Friedrich Nietzsche paid considerable attention to the significance of emotions in our lives. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct Nietzsche’s understanding of emotion from his varied writings and to investigate the relevance of his... more
Friedrich Nietzsche paid considerable attention to the significance of emotions in our lives.
The aim of this paper is to reconstruct Nietzsche’s understanding of emotion from his
varied writings and to investigate the relevance of his thought in the light of contemporary
mainstream conceptualizations of emotions. It is worth discussing Nietzsche’s approach
to emotions for at least two reasons. First, Nietzsche was a great advocate of passionate
life and passionate philosophy, which he defined by reference to emotions. Second, he also
provided many interesting insights concerning particular emotions, such as pity, envy,
fear, resentment, love, joy, and so forth. In my paper I will focus on Nietzsche’s approach
to emotion as such, leaving the studies of particular emotions aside since each of these
would require a separate study. Reading Nietzsche’s philosophy of emotions through the
lenses of contemporary theories of emotion helps to understand Nietzsche’s approach on
the one hand and elucidates its uniqueness and not fully recognized influence on the other.
The aim of this paper is to reconstruct Nietzsche’s understanding of emotion from his
varied writings and to investigate the relevance of his thought in the light of contemporary
mainstream conceptualizations of emotions. It is worth discussing Nietzsche’s approach
to emotions for at least two reasons. First, Nietzsche was a great advocate of passionate
life and passionate philosophy, which he defined by reference to emotions. Second, he also
provided many interesting insights concerning particular emotions, such as pity, envy,
fear, resentment, love, joy, and so forth. In my paper I will focus on Nietzsche’s approach
to emotion as such, leaving the studies of particular emotions aside since each of these
would require a separate study. Reading Nietzsche’s philosophy of emotions through the
lenses of contemporary theories of emotion helps to understand Nietzsche’s approach on
the one hand and elucidates its uniqueness and not fully recognized influence on the other.
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The notion “utopia” in the common usage of the term includes such elements as: 1) improvement of the human condition by human effort; and 2) attainability of a final stage of improvement. Soniewicka criticizes the idea of utopia in this... more
The notion “utopia” in the common usage of the term includes such elements as: 1) improvement of the human condition by human effort; and 2) attainability of a final stage of improvement. Soniewicka criticizes the idea of utopia in this meaning by highlighting the danger of transforming a utopia into an ideology. After rejecting the idea of utopia as a final stage of human perfection, she analyses the idea of utopia by means of a method introduced by Paul Ricœur and further developed by Levitas. Three main functions of utopia described by Ricœur – escape, critique, and reconstruction – can be useful in exercising social imagination. Building on this assumption, Soniewicka illustrates the idea of practicing utopia by the example of a Polish anti-communist artistic movement called the Orange Alternative which embodies the idea of prefigurative acts of social change.
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Th is paper provides a comparison of the regulation of the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland in order to determine whether a country with a high level of adherence to the rule of law in normal circumstances would also maintain this... more
Th is paper provides a comparison of the regulation of the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland in order to determine whether a country with a high level of adherence to the rule of law in normal circumstances would also maintain this adherence in exceptional circumstances to a greater degree than a country with an initially lower level of adherence. Th e central questions posed in the paper are the following: what is the role of the rule of law in regulating the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland? Is it true that the Dutch government was more successful in preserving legality than its Polish counterpart. By comparing the regulations in the two countries, the paper explores what role the rule of law-in particular, the principle of legality-may play in a crisis situation like this. According to Carl 1 Th e writing of this chapter was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, according to Decision no. 2017/27/B/HS5/01053. Th e description of the pandemic situation in the Netherlands and Poland was updated until 1st of June, 2022.
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The problem addressed in this paper is of the crucial difference between justice and revenge. Following the vivid images of revenge and justice present in literature, I argue that revenge is rooted in a reactive, backward-looking spirit... more
The problem addressed in this paper is of the crucial difference between justice and revenge. Following the vivid images of revenge and justice present in literature, I argue that revenge is rooted in a reactive, backward-looking spirit which is destructive for both individuals and the community. Justice, on the other hand, is rooted in an active, forward-looking spirit which is constructive and aimed at restoring order. I analyze the different functions of punishment which are based on payback and are thus focused on the balance of power and status which is more typical for revenge than justice. Punishment should be based on a normative balance rooted in norms and values, and which is aimed at promoting accountability. Anger transformed by justice should be focused on wrongdoing (the act), rather than the wrongdoer (person). Justice in its highest degree, when complemented by mercy, becomes ' justice as generosity' which is able to restore trust in social relations, fostering solidarity and reconciliation in society.
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W artykule przestawione zostały etyczne problemy zastosowania nowoczesnych technik ingerencji genetycznych w ludzką prokreację. W szczególności rozważone zostały krytycznie argumenty racjonalistyczne za ingerencjami genetycznymi, w tym... more
W artykule przestawione zostały etyczne problemy zastosowania nowoczesnych technik ingerencji genetycznych w ludzką prokreację. W szczególności rozważone zostały krytycznie argumenty racjonalistyczne za ingerencjami genetycznymi, w tym argument dotyczący neutralności etycznej technologii, liberalny argument swobody prokreacyjnej oraz argument dotyczący genetycznego ulepszania populacji. Analizie została również poddana negatywna reakcja emocjonalna w stosunku do inżynierii genetycznej, a celem artykułu było wydobycie z niej aspektów poznawczych, dotyczących szerszego rozumienia znaczenia prokreacji ludzkiej i wartości relacji rodzicielskiej.
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The paper poses the question, what kind of enhancement constitutes unfair advantage. To illustrate this problem such cases as the Pistorius case, the Tiger Woods case, the case of Kłobukowska and the case PGA Tour v. Martin are discussed.... more
The paper poses the question, what kind of enhancement constitutes unfair advantage. To illustrate this problem such cases as the Pistorius case, the Tiger Woods case, the case of Kłobukowska and the case PGA Tour v. Martin are discussed. It is argued that the problem does not depend on a questionable distinction between therapy and enhancement or a vague distinction between different kinds of enhancement. Even if a clear distinction between enhancement and therapy could be found, it would not provide an answer to the question of whether a particular enhancement or therapy in sport is fair or not. To answer this question we have to analyze the criteria of procedural fairness as well as the end of the sport activity to which they serve. The point is that we value talents and efforts in sport which constitute the internal good of sport, i.e. excellence. Thus, one may argue that in most of the cases enhancement should be eligible in sport on the grounds of procedural fairness, i.e. if everybody is equally enhanced. In some exceptional cases which are considered in this paper, one may argue for the eligibility of corrective enhancements which are necessary to allow an individual to participate in sport activity only if they promote skills and do not replace or overshadow natural abilities; and if they do not fundamentally alter the character of a discipline, but promote its aim.
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The term 'promissory' naturalism was borrowed from Karl Raymond Popper, who used a similar term in relation to materialism in one of his criticisms of this stance [1]. The subject of my reflections is the contemporary version of... more
The term 'promissory' naturalism was borrowed from Karl Raymond Popper, who used a similar term in relation to materialism in one of his criticisms of this stance [1]. The subject of my reflections is the contemporary version of materialism – reductionist naturalism in relation to morality which I call natu-ralism for simplicity [2]. With the use of the term 'promissory', I understand that the naturalistic concept of morality is the heir to ethical doctrines which it does not acknowledge, because it remains in an open opposition in relation to them, and it is built on this opposition. In other words, the naturalistic concept of morality contains hidden moral sources which naturalism itself can neither articulate nor derive from its assumptions. I will point out that the paradoxicality of reductionist naturalism in the matter of morality lies in the fact that it is a self-refuting doctrine.
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Naturalizm " zadłużony " : uwagi dotyczące źródeł moralnych Określenie naturalizm " zadłużony " zapożyczyłam od Karla Rajmunda Poppera, który użył podobnego terminu w odniesieniu do materializmu w jednej ze swoich krytyk tego stanowiska... more
Naturalizm " zadłużony " : uwagi dotyczące źródeł moralnych Określenie naturalizm " zadłużony " zapożyczyłam od Karla Rajmunda Poppera, który użył podobnego terminu w odniesieniu do materializmu w jednej ze swoich krytyk tego stanowiska 1. Przedmiotem moich rozważań jest współczesna wersja materializmu – redukcjonistyczny naturalizm w odniesieniu do moralności, który dalej dla uproszczenia nazywam po prostu naturalizmem 2. Przez " zadłużenie " naturalizmu rozumiem zaś to, że naturalistyczna koncepcja moralności jest spadkobierczynią doktryn etycznych, do których się nie przyznaje, ponieważ pozostaje w stosunku do nich w otwartej opozycji i na tej opozycji jest zbudowana. Innymi słowy, naturalistyczna koncepcja moralności zawiera w sobie ukryte źródła moralne, których sam naturalizm nie potrafi ani wyartykułować, ani wyprowadzić ze swoich założeń. Zwrócę uwagę, że paradoksalność redukcjonistycznego naturalizmu w kwestii moralności polega na tym, że jest to doktryna samoobalająca.
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The article provides an analysis of the concept of the dignity of the person in Polish legal culture. It begins with a brief description of the historical background in which the legal status of human dignity has been framed. Then it... more
The article provides an analysis of the concept of the dignity of the person in Polish legal culture. It begins with a brief description of the historical background in which the legal status of human dignity has been framed. Then it turns to the analysis of the philosophical doctrines which have shaped the concept, in particular those which influenced Polish legal scholarship to the highest degree. The subsequent section attempts to clarify the meaning of the concept, specifying its features and providing distinctions between dignity of the person and dignity of personage. Finally, the article presents the protection and respect of the dignity of the person in Polish legislation.
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The paper addresses the problem of the philosophical sources of the debate over moral human enhancement held between transhumanists and bio-conservatives. The paper is aimed at showing that the opposing positions in the debate are... more
The paper addresses the problem of the philosophical sources of the debate over moral human enhancement held between transhumanists and bio-conservatives. The paper is aimed at showing that the opposing positions in the debate are grounded in different philosophical traditions, namely naturalistic (Darwinian) and rationalistic (Kantian), which define human nature differently. Morality and moral improvement are also differently understood in these different traditions, thus the assumptions rooted in them lead to different conclusions concerning the idea of human moral enhancement and its justification.
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The article addresses the problem of disability in the context of reproductive decisions based on genetic information. It poses the question of whether selective procreation should be considered as a moral obligation of prospective... more
The article addresses the problem of disability in the context of reproductive decisions based on genetic information. It poses the question of whether selective procreation should be considered as a moral obligation of prospective parents. To answer this question, a number of different ethical approaches to the problem are presented and critically analyzed: the utilitarian; Julian Savulescu’s principle of procreative beneficence; the rights-based. The main thesis of the article is that these approaches fail to provide any appealing principles on which reproductive decisions should be based. They constitute failures of imagination which may result in counter-intuitive moral judgments about both life with disability and genetic selection. A full appreciation of the ethical significance of recognition in procreative decisions leads to a more nuanced and morally satisfying view than other leading alternatives presented in the article.
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The paper reviews the book written by F.M. Kamm, entitled Bioethical Prescriptions: To Create, End, Choose, and Improve Lives (published in Oxford: Oxford University Press in 2013, pp. 599). Kamm is one of the most prominent analytical... more
The paper reviews the book written by F.M. Kamm, entitled Bioethical Prescriptions: To Create, End, Choose, and Improve Lives (published in Oxford: Oxford University Press in 2013, pp. 599). Kamm is one of the most prominent analytical philosophers in moral philosophy, known from such works as Intricate Ethics (2007). She defends the rights-based approach to ethics and is also famous from constructing multilayered moral dilemmas. The review poses methodological questions, of whether scientific-like thought experiments performed in a moral lab, and the Method of Hypothetical Cases are able to transform our ethical dilemmas and provide any solutions. In the final part of the review, the first chapter of the book on Tolstoy’s essay (The Death of Ivan Ilych) is discussed in more detail.
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Przedmiotem rozważań w artykule jest problem roli, jaką mogą odgrywać przedsiębiorstwa w realizowaniu celów społecznych na przykładzie globalnego przemysłu farmaceutycznego. Artykuł podejmuje problem pomocy w kontekście dostępności tanich... more
Przedmiotem rozważań w artykule jest problem roli, jaką mogą odgrywać przedsiębiorstwa w realizowaniu celów społecznych na przykładzie globalnego przemysłu farmaceutycznego. Artykuł podejmuje problem pomocy w kontekście dostępności tanich i bezpiecznych leków w krajach rozwijających się, co jest jednym z aspektów realizacji prawa do ochrony zdrowia. Analizowana jest tu kwestia, czy mechanizmy wolnego rynku oraz działania filantropijne firm farmaceutycznych wystarczą, by zagwarantować niezbędne do życia leki najbardziej potrzebującym mieszkańcom świata. Postawione zostanie pytanie, czy międzynarodowe koncerny farmaceutyczne oprócz obowiązku gwarantowania (przestrzegania) praw człowieka są odpowiedzialne również za dostarczanie praw człowieka, w tym wypadku prawa do zdrowia. Ukazany jest tu konflikt interesów pomiędzy kierowanym zyskami przemysłem farmaceutycznym a kierowanym zasadami etycznymi zdrowiem publicznym. W artykule postawiona jest teza, że wolny rynek sam nie może naprawić swoich wad (takich jak niedobór innowacji, niedobór mało opłacalnych leków, monopolizacja rynku i zawyżanie cen), do czego potrzebne są odpowiednie regulacje prawne oraz działania instytucji publicznych o zasięgu lokalnym i globalnym. Ani wolny rynek, ani dobroczynne działania pomocowe firm farmaceutycznych nie są w stanie rozwiązać problemu opieki zdrowotnej w krajach rozwijających się, gdzie brak leków jest jedynie niewielkim aspektem dużo większego i bardziej skomplikowanego problemu ubóstwa i słabości instytucji państwowych, które nie są responsywne względem podstawowych potrzeb swych obywateli.
The paper poses a question about the role of private companies in fulfilling social aims on the example of a global pharmaceutical industry. The paper addresses the problem of aid in the context of availability of affordable and safe... more
The paper poses a question about the role of private companies in fulfilling social aims on the example of a global pharmaceutical industry. The paper addresses the problem of aid in the context of availability of affordable and safe medicines in the developing countries, which is one of the aspect of fulfilling the right to health. The analyzed question is, whether the mechanisms of free market and philanthropic actions of pharmaceutical companies are sufficient to guarantee essential medicines to the most vulnerable inhabitants of the world. The paper poses a question, whether international pharmaceutical concerns are obliged to guarantee human rights only or to deliver human rights, in particular the right to health, as well. The paper presents the conflict of interests between profit-driven pharmaceutical industry and ethically-driven public health, which can be fully addressed only by certain legal regulations. The thesis argued in the article is that free market itself cannot solve its failures (such as undersupply of innovations, undersupply of non-beneficial medicines, monopolistic policies and pricing); to solve the problem it is required to set up public institutions and legal regulations of both local and global scope. Neither free market, nor benevolent aid actions of pharmaceutical companies are able to address the problem of health care in the developing countries, where the lack of medicines is a small aspect of a much broader and intricate problem of poverty and the weakness of state institutions which are not responsive to the basic needs of its citizens.
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Research Interests: Political Philosophy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Accountability, Regularization (Analysis), Discourse, and 10 moreMultinational Enterprises, Justice, Legal Philosophy, Development, Contestation, Institutionalization, Managment of Discontent, Antipolitics, Managerial Culture, and Corporate Participation
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This paper provides a comparison of the regulation of the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland in order to determine whether a country with a high level of adherence to the rule of law in normal circumstances would also maintain this... more
This paper provides a comparison of the regulation of the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland in order to determine whether a country with a high level of adherence to the rule of law in normal circumstances would also maintain this adherence in exceptional circumstances to a greater degree than a country with an initially lower level of adherence. The central questions posed in the paper are the following: what is the role of the rule of law in regulating the pandemic in the Netherlands and Poland? Is it true that the Dutch government was more successful in preserving legality than its Polish counterpart. By comparing the regulations in the two countries, the paper explores what role the rule of law – in particular, the principle of legality – may play in a crisis situation like this. According to Carl Schmitt, in a state of emergency, order has to be restored first before a return to the ‘normal’ legal order is possible. Does the regulation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the two c...