Dignidade da pessoa humana e a tutela da autonomia cognitiva à luz dos neurodireitos

Abstract

This research explores neural rights in today's society, focusing on the central role of human dignity and how its meaning reshapes the way human rights are interpreted and applied. The discussion begins with the socio-philosophical perspective of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola in his 1486 work Oration on the Dignity of Man, where dignity is seen as an intrinsic quality of human beings—tied to freedom, autonomy, and the power of self-determination. This philosophical foundation supports a critical reflection on the ethical and legal challenges raised by the digital age, both in terms of how we understand human rights and how we apply them in practice. The integration of digital technologies into daily life has deeply changed how people interact, communicate, and access information. But with these shifts come complex ethical concerns—especially around the collection, use, and manipulation of neural data. In this context, so-called ‘neuro-rights’ have emerged as legal tools aimed at protecting mental privacy, cognitive autonomy, and psychological integrity in the face of technologies that can influence or even interfere with the human mind. Human dignity, as a guiding principle for legal interpretation, offers a meaningful framework for addressing these challenges. If mental freedom is understood as an extension of dignity, then human rights must be reexamined through that lens. Protecting the mind, the dissertation argues, goes beyond safeguarding physical integrity or general privacy—it requires specific attention to mental autonomy and personal identity, values that are increasingly at risk in a tech-driven world. The research takes a theoretical and conceptual approach, relying on the analysis of legal, philosophical, and interdisciplinary texts. The aim is to build a critical foundation for understanding how human dignity and human rights relate to emerging neurotechnologies and their ethical implications. Ultimately, the dissertation shows that the rise of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence doesn't just call for new legal categories—it demands a firm commitment to principles that put human beings at the center of legal and ethical decision-making. It argues that technological progress must go hand-in-hand with ethical responsibility, ensuring that freedom of thought, autonomy, and psychological integrity are not left behind. Neuro-rights, in this view, are not just new legal ideas— they are deeply rooted in the enduring value of human dignity, reinforcing the need to treat every person as a rights-bearing individual, never as a tool of technological experimentation