As a researcher

I started my research career in 1991 with a doctoral thesis on consequentialism and personal values thanks to a predoctoral fellowship. After my PhD, I am combining university teaching with research on specialized issues related to ethic consequentialism and applied ethics. I have participated in several national and international research projects and currently I am principal investigator in a project about moral enhancement and artificial intelligence. I have been visitor at the universities of Cambridge, East Anglia, Newcastle and Oxford

Research photo

Publications

Lara, F. & Rodríguez-López, B. (2024), Socratic nudges, virtual moral assistants and the problem of autonomy, AI & Society.

Lara, F. (2024), Genetically manipulated animals. In Flores Farfán, L. (coord.)(2024), Philosophical keys on the animal question. An initial lexicon, Akal.

Lara, F. & Deckers, J. (eds.) (2023), Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Springer.

Llorca Albareda, J.; García P. & Lara, F. (2023), The Moral Status of AI Entities. En Lara, F. & Deckers, J. (eds.) (2023), Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Springer.

Del Valle, J.I. & Lara, F. (2023), AI-powered recommender systems and the preservation of personal autonomy, AI & Society.

Lara, F. (2023), Neurorehabilitation of Offenders, Consent and Consequentialist Ethics, Neuroethics, 16 (4).

Lara, F. (2021), Moral Bioenhancements and the Future of Utilitarianism, Ethics & Bioethics, 11 (3-4). .

Lara, F. & Rueda, J. (2021), Virtual Reality Not for “Being Someone” but for “Being in Someone Else’s Shoes”: Avoiding Misconceptions in Empathy Enhancement, Frontiers in Psychology, 12.

Lara, F. & Savulescu, J. (2021). Más (que) humanos. Biotecnología, inteligencia artificial y ética de la mejora, Tecnos.

Lara, F. (2021). Biomejora moral de delincuentes psicópatas. Tecnologías y aspectos éticos, Criminal Policy, 16 (31).

Lara, F. (2021). Why a Virtual Assistant for Moral Enhancement When We Could have a Socrates? Science and Engineering Ethics, 27.

Rueda, J., García-Barranquero, P. & Lara, F. (2021). Doctor, please make me freer: Capabilities enhancement as a goal of medicine. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 24.

Rueda, J. & Lara, F. (2020). Virtual reality and empathy enhancement. Ethical aspects”, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 7: 506984.

Lara, F. (2020). Tom Regan. La ética del respeto incondicional a los animales. En Flores, L. & Linares, J. (coord.)(2021), Historia filosófica sobre los animales vol III: Pensamiento Contemporáneo, UNAM-Editorial Almadia (in press).

Lara F. & Moreno, M. (2020). Technologies and scopes of human bioenhancement: From gene editing to moral behaviour. Ramon Llull Journal of Applied Ethics, 11.

Lara, F. & Deckers, J. (2020). Artificial Intelligence as a Socratic Assistant for Moral Enhancement. Neuroethics, 13.

Lara, F. (2017). Oxytocin, Empathy and Human Enhancement. Theoria. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 32 (3).

Lara, F. (2017). Ethical Requisites for Neuroenhancement of Moral Motivation. Ramon Llull Journal of Applied Ethics, 8.

Lara, F. (2016). El imperativo ético de la mejora moral. Gazeta de Antropología, 32 (2).

Lara, F. & Campos, O. (2015). Sufre, luego importa. Reflexiones éticas sobre los animales, Plaza and Valdés.

Lara, F. (2013). Ética en la guerra: la distinción entre soldados y civiles. Revista de Filosofía, 38.

Lara, F. (2012). Ethical Analysis of the Embryonic Stem Cell Controversy. Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, 22.

Lara, F. (2012). Should We Sacrifice Embryos to Cure People? Human Affairs, 22.

Lara, F. (2011). ¿Consecuencias, de qué? Claves de la subsistencia del utilitarismo. Telos, XVIII, 1-2.

Lara, F. (2010). Inconsistencias del debate ético sobre células troncales embrionarias. En Moreno Múñoz, M. (coord.) (2010), Perspectivas en la investigación con células troncales. Aspectos científicos, éticos, sociales y legales, Editorial Comares.

Lara, F. (2010). Los toros y la legislación española. A propósito de la Sentencia del Tribunal Superior de Cataluña 854/2001 de 11 de julio. Doxa. Cuadernos de Filosofía del Derecho, 33.

Aguiar, F., Lara, F. & Lara, N. (eds.)(2009). Decicir en sociedad, Ediciones Chiryme-K.

Lara, F. (2009). El lugar del consecuencialismo en la ética contemporánea. En Aguiar, F., Lara, F. & Lara, N. (eds.)(2009). Decicir en sociedad, Ediciones Chiryme-K.

Lara, F. (2007). El valor de los animales y la utilidad de los derechos. En García Gómez-Heras, J.M. & Velayos, C. (eds.) (2007). Responsabilidad política y medio ambiente, Biblioteca Nueva.

Lara, F. (2006). Sentidos y retos del consecuencialismo de la regla. En Barragán, J. y Salcedo, D. (eds.)(2006). Las razones de los demás. La filosofía social de John Harsanyi, Biblioteca Nueva.

Lara, F. (2006). La entidad moral de los animales y nuestras obligaciones con ellos. Signos Filosóficos, VIII.

Lara, F. (2005). Cuando dar la vida y quitarla es una cuestión de cálculo utilitario.Telos, XIV.

Lara, F. (2004). The weak evidence of moral weakness. Episteme NS, 24.

Lara, F. (2004). Animal rights and utilitarianism. Telos, XIII.

Lara, F. and French, P. (eds.)(2004). Ethics without dogmas. Rationality, consequences and well-being in contemporary utilitarianism. New Library.

Lara, F. (2004). A morality for saints. On the demands of consequentialism and agent-centered options. In Lara, F. and Francés, P. (eds.)(2004). Ethics without dogmas. Rationality, consequences and well-being in contemporary utilitarianism. New Library.

Lara, F. (2002). Should we always promote good? In Bermudo, J. and Lavado, M. (eds.)(2002). Challenges of practical reason. University of Barcelona.

Lara, F. (2000). Can a consequentialist be loyal? Telos, IX.

Lara, F. (2000). On the reasons for expanding the moral community. Limbo, 9.

Lara, F. (1995). Consequentialism and evaluative relativity. Revista de Filosofía, 8.

Lara, F. (1995). Consequentialist ethics versus personal values. University of Granada.

Lara, F. (1993). Animals and ethics. In Garrido, F. (ed.)(1993). Introduction to political ecology. Comares.

Lara, F. (1992). The consequentialist justification of loyalties. Telos, I.

Lara, F. (1991). A reply to 'The consequentialist structure of loyalties'. Revista de Filosofía, 4.

Lara, F. (1988). Towards a moral theory of animal rights. Magazine of the Faculty of Law of the University of Granada, 16.

Research projects

2023-2026 Artificial intelligence and human autonomy. Towards an ethics for the protection and improvement of autonomy in recommended systems, social robotics and virtual reality. AUTAI Project (PID2022-137953OB-I00). Ministry of Science and Innovation. Government of Spain. Principal investigator: Francisco Lara

2021-2023 Moral improvement and artificial intelligence. Ethical aspects of a Socratic virtual assistant. SocrAI3 (B-HUM-64-UGR20). Junta de Andalucía-FEDER Funds. Principal investigator: Francisco Lara.

2020-2023 Digital ethics. Moral improvement through the interactive use of artificial intelligence. EthAI+3 (PID2019-104943RB-I00). Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Government of Spain. Principal investigator: Francisco Lara

2020-2022 Genetic technologies in assisted human reproduction: access to health and the benefit of scientific advancement. (IG300520). UNAM (Mexico). Principal investigators: Mª Jesús Medina y Gustavo Ortíz

2017-2021 Stakeholder-informed ethics for new technologies with high socio-economic and human impact (Swafs-18-2016). European Commission. Principal Investigator: Philip Brey

2017-2019 Iartificial intelligence and moral enhancement biotechnology. Ethical aspects (FFI2016-79000-P). Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Government of Spain. Principal investigator: Francisco Lara

2013-2016 Ethics and politics of biomedical advances in human enhancement (FFI2012-32565). Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Government of Spain. Principal researcher: Francisco Lara

2007-2010 Biotechnological interventions in humans: obtaining and using stem cells. Scientific, legal, philosophical and social aspects (SEJ-1558) Call for Projects of Excellence of the Junta de Andalucía.
Main researcher: Javier Rodríguez

2007-2010 Ethics, citizenship and democracy (P06-HUM-01691) Call for Projects of Excellence of the Junta de Andalucía.
Main researcher: José Rubio

2004-2007 Utilitarianism as the basis of applied ethics (HUM2004-05983-C04-02 / FISO). Ministry of Education and Science. ERDF funds.
Principal investigator: Francisco Lara