Roberto Mordacci – författare

This book presents a historically informed, theoretically systematic, and critically articulated theory of respect that challenges many of the presuppositions of the current debate in ethics and politics. It develops a theory of respect as the rule of power relations, which draws connections between Kant’s critical philosophy and Critical Theory.The concept of respect is the foundation of normative theory. Any human practice is subject to a judgment in terms of respect, and a comprehensive theory is needed to critically assess our individual and social practices. This book elaborates an uncommon understanding of respect through a historical reconstruction of the practices of respect and a theoretical analysis of the limits of current theories of respect. Power is the fundamental force at work in social relations, and respect is the recognition of power with a critical stance that defines how power is to be used and regulated. A close confrontation with Hannah Arendt’s and Michel Foucault’s conceptions of power offers the opportunity to clarify in which sense respect is the rule of power relations. This also helps to overcome the anthropocentric bias inherent in many theories of respect. It is important to recognize that living beings and nature possess power, and that we must acknowledge this and understand the limitations of our power over them.Respect and Power will appeal to researchers and graduate students working in moral and political philosophy, political theory, critical theory, and the social sciences.

Genetic information plays an increasingly important role in ourlives. As a result of the Human Genome Project, knowledge ofthe genetic basis of various diseases is growing, withimportant consequences for the role of genetics in clinicalpractice, health care systems and for society at large. In theclinical setting genetic testing may result in a better insightinto susceptibility for inheritable diseases, not only before orafter birth, but also at later stages in life. Besides prenataltesting and pre-conceptional testing, predictive testing hasresulted in new possibilities for the early detection, treatmentand prevention of inheritable diseases.However, not all inheritable diseases that can be predicted onthe basis of genetic information can be treated or cured.Should we offer genetic tests to people for untreatablediseases? Should we test every individual who wants to knowhis or her genetic status? Should we inform family membersabout the results of genetic tests of individuals, even whenthere are no possibilities for treatment? What, in such cases,is the role of the "right-not-to-know"? Should we informfamily members when there is only an increased risk of adisease? This book deals with the ethical issues of clinicalgenetics, as well as ethical issues that arise in geneticscreening, the research of populations, and the use of geneticinformation for access to insurance and the workplace.