PHIL 322 — Medical and Bioethics
The course would explore ethical dilemmas that occur in the professional practices of medicine, biological research, nursing, public health, and the social and behavioral sciences. Its theoretical foundation is philosophical moral theory and its methodology emphasizes the philosophical skills of analysis, argument, and evaluation. The assessment of value involves critical scrutiny of medical practices and biological techniques, some historical, and some of which are unprecedented in human history. As a society, we continue to struggle with questions about what constitutes fairness and goodness in the pursuit of health, and we are on the cusp of developing medical techniques that promise to forever change our understanding of the good life. Emerging from the philosophical branch of ethics, and premised on the three moral principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, and justice, the aim of this course is to expose students to ethical debates in health care and biological research, and to help them assess moral dilemmas that occur in the practice of medicine and biological research.