Bioethics (PHIL 165)

The goal of this course is develop critical thinking skills while investigating the intersection between moral philosophy and the biological sciences, in particular human healthcare. We will begin with an investigation into how it is that we value human lives and how we ought to live and treat ourselves and one another. This will inform our discussion as we look at particular debates within contemporary bioethics. Topics will include: euthanasia, assisted suicide and end of life treatments; abortion, contraception and reproductive technologies; ethics and research subjects (animal and human); healthcare policy and social justice; patient welfare and autonomy. The goal is to aid students in appreciating the moral and philosophic complexity of these issues and to enable them to formulate their own well-reasoned, logically consistent positions.

Dana Falkenberg’s webpage