PHL B09 – Biomedical Ethics
An introductory ethics course with a focus on questions pertaining to medical practice and research, health policy, and biotechnology. Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field that draws from biology, legal theory, philosophy, and health-care practice— this course is similarly oriented toward students with widely varying academic backgrounds and interests. Topics covered will include randomized clinical trials, research on human embryos, informed consent, procreative obligations, and the right to health-care. This course will draw connections where relevant to the Canadian legal context.
PHL B05 – Social Issues
This course examines philosophical challenges to ordinary, often unquestioned, social practices. Our focus will be ethical, i.e. how ought we (as individuals or society) to act? We examine how philosophical thinking might lead us to revise our beliefs about procreation, the permissibility of drugs, the justification of punishment, the duty to alleviate poverty, and the role of the state in restricting the freedom of individuals.
PHLC07 – Death and Dying
This course examines some of the unique philosophical contributions to our understanding of death and dying. We begin with foundational questions concerning the definition of death: “what is it to die?” and relatedly “is it possible to survive death?”. This metaphysical discussion sets the stage for the remainder of course, which will focus on the moral significance of death. Given how we conceptualize death, can death be bad or harmful (if so, is it always bad and to what extent?)? We conclude with applied questions pertaining to death. Is it ever permissible to hasten the death of others, and how should we respond to individuals who wish to die or attempt to hasten their own death? Special attention will be given to how these questions arise in the context of medical decision-making.
PHLC10 – Topics in Bioethics
This year the course will focus on Reproduction and Research Ethics. While certain questions of reproductive ethics are longstanding and familiar (e.g. the ethics of abortion), technological advances have introduced a slate of new issues. To what extent are we permitted or required to employ reproductive technology to select for beneficial genetic traits in our offspring (or to select against harmful traits)? Should we assist others in reproduction? To what extent does assisted reproduction challenge our notions of parenthood (e.g. should sperm donors or surrogates be considered parents?). The second major theme of the course will pertain to questions in research ethics. Our focus here will be on a narrower (but no simpler) set of issues: when and why is running a clinical trial ethically permissible?