Philosophy and ethics in motor science

Teacher(s)

Schmutz Jacob;

Language

French

Main themes

Introduction to fundamental notions of philosophy and ethics linked to the sciences of motor skills in connection with 3 main themes:

• Definitions of health: can health and illness be defined objectively, or are they conditioned by historical and political values? Presentation of different ancient and contemporary conceptions of the relationship between the normal and the pathological, questioning the place of values and individual choice in the definition of health, and impact of these different conceptions on public policies.
• The relationship between the body and the soul in Western philosophy (ancient philosophy, Christianity, modern and contemporary philosophy), taking care to show that many ancient theories still resonate in our present day.
• Ethical reasoning: introduction to the major contemporary traditions of ethical reasoning (deontologism, consequentialism) in connection with specific issues in the sciences of motor skills (bioethics, care medicine vs. augmentation medicine, anthropotechnics, sports ethics, free disposal of body, etc.)

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Question the place of social, political, cultural and religious values in our conception of the body and health (2.1 - 5.1 - 9.3 - 9.4 Kiné 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 EP) Identify what, from the great conceptions of the relationships between the soul and the body in Western thought, continues to influence us today (5.1 - 9.3 - 9.4 Kiné - 7.1 and 7.4 EP) Defend a point of view when faced with ethical dilemmas in the field of sport or health (2.1 - 9.1 Physio – 4.1, 4.6, 7.1, 7.3 and 7.4 EP) Recognize the arguments that structure public health and physical activity and sports policies today (6.2 Kiné - 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 EP) Differentiate between ethics and professional conduct (2.1 - 9.1 - 9.3 Kiné - 7.1 EP) Construct an argument on the basis of justified theoretical choices on an ethical question (2.1 - 6.2 Kiné - 2.1, 4.1, 4.4 and 4.6 EP).

Content

This course will offer an introduction to philosophy specially intended for bachelors in motor sciences and bachelors in physiotherapy. The course will begin by defining philosophy in its relationship to other sciences, particularly medicine – many classical philosophers having also been doctors. We will then present the place given to the body and its properties in classical and contemporary philosophical systems. We will successively examine in detail some of the bodily properties which have most attracted the attention of philosophers: movement; the mechanisms of action; pleasure and pain, the interaction between body and soul; health and illness; normality and pathology. For each of these themes, we will present both answers from the classical tradition, but also the contemporary positions most discussed today. A final part of the course will be devoted to the presentation of the main ethical controversies which arise today around the question of the body.

Teaching methods

Masterful presentations in the audience.

Evaluation methods

Written exam based on four open questions, chosen from a list of 70 questions presented during the semester.

Other information

This course is reserved, among others, for FSM students. Outside of the program, access is possible to other UCLouvain students on the basis of a file to be given to the course coordinator.

Online resources

The slides presented during the course are available on Moodle.

Bibliography

Peter Adamson (dir.), Health. A History, Oxford University Press, 2019
Bernard Andrieu, Hélène Joncheray et Rémi Richard (dir.), Philosophie du sport. Olympisme et paralympisme, Paris: Vrin, 2024
Michel Dupuis, Philosophie et anthropologie du corps, Paris: Seli Arslan, 2015.
Marie Gaille (dir.), Philosophie de la médecine. Frontière, savoir, clinique, Paris: Vrin, 2011
Elodie Giroux, Après Canguilhem. Définir la santé et la maladie, Paris: PUF, 2010
Jean-Christophe Goddard (dir.), Le corps, Paris: Vrin, 2005
Chantal Jacquet, Le corps, Paris: PUF, 2001
Maël Lemoine, Introduction à la philosophie des sciences médicales, Paris: Hermann, 2015
Éva Lévine & Patricia Touboul, Le corps, Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 2015
Michela Marzano (dir.), Dictionnaire du corps, Paris: PUF, 2007
Michela Marzano, Penser le corps, Paris: PUF, 2002
Jacob Stegenga, Care and Cure. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Medicine, University of Chicago Press, 2018

Faculty or entity

> FSM