PHIL 165H.001 – Honors: Bioethics

Instructor: Christopher Howard. This course meets TR 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. in PE 216.

Bioethics is a species of practical ethics that investigates the various ethical issues that emerge in the arenas of clinical medicine, biomedical research, and public health. This course explores a small sampling of traditional and contemporary bioethical questions central to the field’s focus. We’ll begin with some ethical questions that arise in the context of a doctor-patient relationship—questions involving autonomy, paternalism, and consent. Next, we’ll cover some specific issues in bioethics: abortion and disability. Finally, we’ll consider some political and economic issues of bioethical relevance, with a particular focus on issues surrounding health care (in)equality, privatization, and biomedical markets at the margins.