Medical Ethics Initial Schedule

Check online for continuously updated schedule that supersedes this one. You need to use the online schedule to get the LINKS.

Date / Topics / Readings
Study aid: “How to Read a Philosophical Essay” (see link from online schedule) / Slides, Notes, Assignments
Study Guides (check online)
Introduction to Bioethics: Basic Concepts and Theories
W, 9/9
Attendance
and your
grade: see link from online schedule / Introduction to the course. / A case study illustrating and anticipating some core bioethical issues
M, 9/14 / Introduction to basic ethical concepts and theories / “Introduction to Bioethics”
Links to both of these are available on the online schedule.
The Caregiver-Patient Relationship: Autonomy vs Paternalism
W, 9/16 / Autonomy and the refusal of treatment
Video: Dax case / Cowart and Burt, “Confronting Death”
Baumgarten, “The Concept of ‘Competence’ in Medical Ethics”
Baumgarten,“The Concept of Autonomy”
M, 9/21 / Test 1 (20 minutes) on basic concepts and theories
The extent and limits of autonomy / Guiora, “Freedom of Information vs Freedom from Information”
Gewande, “Whose Body Is It, Anyway” / Link to study guide from online schedule
W, 9/23 / Informed consent: how much information? / Canterbury v Spence”
Brody, “Transparency…”
The Nature of Limits of Medicine
M, 9/28 / A conservative view of medicine / Kass, “The New Biology”
W, 9/30 / An expansive view of medicine / Munson and Davis,
Germline Genetic Therapy”
Article in 11/30/08 New York Timeswith my comment. Original source
M, 10/5 / Guest and campus lecture: Dr. Randoloph Nesse, “Darwinian Medicine,” 1030 CB. Time: 4:30-6 (our regular class time)
This lecture is part of the campus’s year-long series of events marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species.
Randolph Nesse is a professor of psychology and psychiatry and a leading figure on Darwinian medicine. His main theme is showing how understanding Darwinism can influence medical practice. You can learn more about him on his website.
Reading:
Nesse and Williams, “Evolution and the Origins of Disease”
The Caregiver-Patient and Caregiver-Caregiver Relationship: Various Issues
W, 10/7 / Confidentiality / Tarasoff
M, 10/12 / Caregiver rights and responsibilities / Kroeger-Mappes, “Ethical Dilemmas for Nurses
Conscientious objection
Euthanasia and End-of-Life Issues
W, 10/14 / The issue of euthanasia (introduction)
Active and passive euthanasia / Rachels, “Active and Passive Euthanasia”
Sullivan, “Active and Passive Euthanasia…”
Rachels, “More Impertinent Distinctions…” (first half)
M, 10/19 / For and against voluntary active euthanasia / Rachels, “More Impertinent Distinctions …” (second half)
Callahan, “When Self-Determination Runs Amok”
W, 10/21 / Planning ahead for end-of-life care / Battin, “The Least Worst Death”
“Your Life, Your Choice”
M, 10/26 / Decisions for the incompetent.
Origin and role of ethics committees
Deciding for a child: the case of Kenny. / Robertson, “Examination of Arguments…”
Engelhardt, “Ethical Issues in Aiding the Death of Young Children.”
W, 10/28 / Test 2: 45 minutes
(Time permitting)
Is there a duty to die? / Hardwig, “Is There a Duty to Die?”
Ackerman, “The ‘Duty to Die’ versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive” / Study guide forthcoming
Justice in the Use of Scarce Resources
M, 11/2 / Right to Health Care vs Rationing Health Care / UN, “The Right of Everyone…”
Singer, “Why We Must Ration Health Care”
Lamm, “Doctors Have Patients…”
W, 11/4 / Two opposing views on medical care / “Economic Justice and American Politics”
(unpublished, written by instructor)
Sade, “The Political Fallacy…”
Pellegrino, “Altruism…”
M, 11/9 / What moral obligation does government have to provide health care? / President’s Commission, “An Ethical Framework…”
W, 11/11 / Microallocation: Who Shall Live When Not All Can Live? / Rescher, “The Allocation of Exotic Medical Lifesaving…”
Childress, “Who Shall Live…”
M, 11/16 / Tough allocation decisions / Persad, Wertheimer, Emanuel, “Principles for Allocation…”
Cost-effectiveness analysis in the UK and US (two NY Times articles)
M, 11/18 / Age-based rationing? / “Even 90-year-olds are having open-heart surgery”: Link to very timely article in recent (11/11/08) NY Times on exactly this issue.
Alternate link to article as Word file
Callahan, “Aging and the Ends of Medicine”
Childress, “Ensuring Care…for the Elderly”
M, 11/23 / Voluntary risks to health / Cappelen and Norheim, “Responsibility in Health Care: A Liberal Egalitarian Approach
Cohen, et al, “Alcoholics and Liver Transplantation”
Genetics and New Reproductive Technologies
W, 11/25 / Genetic selection and screening. Is there a moral obligation not to have a genetically seriously disadvantaged child? / Purdy, “Genetics and Reproductive Risk: Can Having Children Be Immoral?”
“A modest proposal”: using genetic information to reduce health care costs
Kass, “Implications of Prenatal Diagnosis for the Human Right to Life” / Do you want to know your genetic profile? Two timely articles in The New York Times
You might want to look again at the article in 11/30/08 New York Timeswith my comment
M, 11/30 / Stem cells and “cloning for research” (sometimes called “therapeutic cloning”) / President’s Council Report
Kass, “The Wisdom of Repugnance”
“Strong, “The Ethics of Reproductive Cloning”
W, 12/2 / Surrogate motherhoood / Steinbock, “Surrogate Motherhood…”
Anderson, “Is Women’s Labor a Commodity?”
December 7 and 9: Student reports/panels, Review, and/or New Topics
W, 12/7 and 12/9 / Topics to be announced. Student reports may also come earlier and then the schedule for above topics will be revised
M, 12/14 / Final Test / Study guide forthcoming

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