Struggling to be Fit: Identity, Integrity, and the Law

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary analysis
• Legal philosophy
• Bioethics

Background:

• Personal identity and integrity are central to the concept of the person.
• Existing legal frameworks may not adequately capture the complexities of modern identity.
• Technological advancements, such as artificial limbs and digital avatars, challenge traditional notions of self.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and analyze the concepts of identity and integrity in relation to the person.
• To examine how legal regimes approach identity and integrity, particularly in technologically mediated contexts.
• To assess the adequacy of current legal engagement with personal identity and integrity.

Main Methods:

• Interdisciplinary analysis drawing on legal theory, philosophy, and ethics.
• Case study approach examining legal responses to artificial limbs and digital avatars.
• Critical review of legal scholarship and philosophical concepts of personhood.

Main Results:

• Legal regimes engage with identity and integrity to a limited and incomplete extent.
• Current legal approaches fail to fully encompass the multifaceted nature of personal identity.
• The law's engagement with the 'person' is deemed inadequate in its meaning-making capacity.

Conclusions:

• The law's current framework is insufficient for addressing the complexities of personal identity and integrity.
• There is a need for a more comprehensive legal understanding of the person in the context of technological advancements.
• Further interdisciplinary research is required to develop more adequate legal and ethical frameworks.