Dr Ida Petretta

LAA3101 Law, Science and Technology (LST)

This module presents students with a selection of the most important contemporary debates in the interdisciplinary field of law, science and technology studies. The Law, Science and Technology module is an interdisciplinary module that introduces students to several interrelated fields including, law and anthropology studies that engage Science and Technology Studies (STS), the philosophy of technology, as well as the growing literature on law and technology. New technological advancements are transforming law and placing a demand on us to re-imagine it. The module engages with key texts from differing traditions to explore other possible ways of thinking about technology and new technologies and their relationship with law, as well as the role of experts and expertise in technology, law and democratic societies. The module will be critically engaging with recent examples, using the literature to not only frame debates but to find ways of challenging the dominant paradigm of technology. During this course, we will be taking a closer look at techno-regulation, discussing the possible opportunities and limits of the deployment of technology to solve problems traditionally dealt with by law. We will be exploring questions of objectivity and truth both in law and science, including whether STS can provide new insights in the `post-truth¿ age. We will be exploring key questions, e.g., what is the relationship between science and technology? Is technology merely the application of science? Can technology free us from law? Is techno-regulation better than law? What should be the role of experts in democracies? To help explore these questions will be examining several topical case studies in detail.