Living humanely: perspectives from law, morality and science

Posted on: 19 April 2018

The interaction between legal, moral and scientific issues in the context of major debates in current Irish society including the upcoming referendum on the 8th Amendment was explored at an event hosted by the Loyola Institute in Trinity College Dublin on Friday, April 13th, 2018.

Entitled ‘Living Humanely: Perspectives from Law, Morality and Science’ the event featured contributions from academics from the fields of law, theology, medicine, biology and philosophy.

Speaking at the event, Lisa Sowle-Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor, Boston College, addressed the topic from the perspective of theology; Neville Cox, Professor in Law, Trinity, spoke from a legal perspective and Joan Lalor, Associate Professor of Midwifery, Trinity, provided insights on the topic from clinical practice.

Also speaking at the event was Paula Murphy, Professor in Zoology, Trinity, who addressed the topic from a developmental biology perspective and Patrick Riordan SJ, Campion Hall, Oxford, who gave insights from the discipline of philosophy. The event was chaired by Shane Allwright, Fellow Emeritus, Public Health & Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin.

Speaking about the event, Dr Fáinche Ryan, Director of the Loyola Institute, commented: “The Loyola Institute seeks to enable theology to engage with, to inform, and be informed by society, culture and politics. In keeping with this mission we hosted this forum to allow for reasoned informed debate of the many issues that arise at the intersection between legal, moral and ethical issues, including the current debate in Ireland about the reform of the 8th Amendment.”