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Could an Electronic Person Exist? Robots and Personal Responsibility

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The Logic of Social Practices

Part of the book series: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics ((SAPERE,volume 52))

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Abstract

The recent developments in robotics claim for a philosophical approach to the current and future relationship between persons and robots. Our aim is to look for some hints in the facets of the debate in order to define the ontology of these entities which in the long run could make decisions or act autonomously. First, we will question which features human beings and artificial beings share, focusing on the concepts of ‘person’ and ‘legal personality’, investigating the philosophical work of thinkers as Kelsen, Scarpelli, Radin, Wolff and Nèkàm. The urgency of the (philosophical) matter is confirmed by the concept of “electronic person” proposed in the motion that the Committee on Legal Affairs presented for a European Parliament resolution with recommendations to the Commission on Civil Law Rules on Robotics in order to establish rules to arrange the relationship between robots and human beings.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The term ‘person’ is not present in the Code Napoléon, but one can find it in the common law, as it shows the Judicial Dictionary by Stroud [18].

  2. 2.

    Translation from the Italian: H. Kelsen, Reine Rechtslhere, 1960, trad. it. La dottrina pura del diritto, Torino, Einaudi, 1952, p. 193.

  3. 3.

    Translation from the Italian: La dottrina pura del diritto, Torino, Einaudi, 1952, p. 198.

  4. 4.

    Translation from the Italian: U. Scarpelli, Contributo alla semantica del linguaggio normativo, Milano, Giuffrè, 1959, p. 142.

  5. 5.

    Translation from the Italian: G. Capograssi, Il problema della scienza del diritto, n. ed. ac. P. Piovani, Milano, Giuffrè, 1962, p. 81.

  6. 6.

    Translation from the Italian: Il problema della scienza del diritto, n. ed. ac. P. Piovani, Milano, Giuffrè, 1962, p. 82.

  7. 7.

    Link: http://www.carscoops.com/2016/12/teslas-autopilot-anticipates-huge-crash.html.

  8. 8.

    Link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/juri/subject-files.html?id=20170202CDT01121.

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Author notes

  1. The authors have equally contributed to the ideas and content of this article. Claudia Stancati is responsible for Sects. 2 and 3. Giusy Gallo is responsible for Sects. 1, 4 and 5. The first version of this text has been presented at AISB 2017 Convention and it has been published in AISB 2017 Proceedings.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Humanities, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Claudia Stancati & Giusy Gallo

Authors
  1. Claudia Stancati
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  2. Giusy Gallo
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Correspondence to Giusy Gallo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Social Ontology and Social Epistemology, Faculty of Philosophy, Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, Italy

    Raffaela Giovagnoli

  2. Division of Cognition and Communication, Department of Applied IT, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Robert Lowe

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Stancati, C., Gallo, G. (2020). Could an Electronic Person Exist? Robots and Personal Responsibility. In: Giovagnoli, R., Lowe, R. (eds) The Logic of Social Practices. Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics, vol 52. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37305-4_8

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