Syllabus

Course Description

This course is an introduction to biomedical ethics. The first part of the course provides an introduction to basic ethical theory, which is intended to serve as a background aid for thinking through the particular issues discussed in the remainder of the course. Specific topics to be discussed include confidentiality and truth-telling in the doctor/patient relationship, medical experimentation and informed consent, abortion, treatment decisions for seriously ill infants, physician assisted suicide, and health care reform.

Course Objectives

• The students will develop an understanding of a number of the most important ethical questions in contemporary medical practice.
• The students will develop their ability to recognize the connections, both philosophical and legal, between a number of issues in medical practice that are often treated as if they were unrelated.
• The students will be able to reflect critically on the readings for the course and its subject matters and themes.
• The students will develop their ability to express their critical reflections in clear and precise prose.

Prerequisites

None.

Required Textbook

Ronald Munson. Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics, 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2007.

Grading