PHIL 165.001 – Bioethics

Instructor: Zach Ferguson. This course meets MTWRF 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. via remote synchronous (RS) instruction.

Bioethics is the part of moral philosophy concerned with the ethical dimensions of medicine and the life sciences. In this course, we will discuss controversial contemporary topics involving reproductive ethics, rationing scarce medical resources, bodily autonomy, and more. Our goal will be to think carefully about these difficult questions using the tools of philosophy. We will learn to evaluate arguments for and against different ethical positions by reconstructing them charitably and developing lines of criticism. Possible topics for discussion include:

Should some medical procedures, like vaccines, be legally required?
Do we have a duty to genetically enhance ourselves or our children?
Should you be allowed to sell your organs?
Is abortion permissible, and if so, under what circumstances?
Is it wrong to use non-human animals in ways that harm them for food or research?
Do we have a right to die?