“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy.
All the rest…comes afterwards.” (Camus)
Phil 335 - Syllabus (now available)
Required Books:
Lewis Vaughn, Bioethics - Principles, Issues, & Cases (Oxford UP, 2009), ISBN: 0195182820
Oxford University Press has set up a website with Student Resources
Additional Required Readings will be posted on Blackboard [BB].
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Announcements and Other Stuff:
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1)Deadlines to have in mind: Last day to drop w/out W (1/14), Last day to reg/add classes (1/16), Last day to withdraw from classes (2/24)
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2)Martin Luther King Holiday (1/21) - No Classes Held.
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3)Midterm Papers are due on Friday, February 8th before 4pm in the main Phil Office (PLC).
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4)Final Papers are due on Friday, March 15th before 4:30pm in the main Phil Office (PLC).
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Extra-credit Opportunities:
Each EC paper will count as 1.25% towards your final grade. In order to get this credit, you have to go to one of the lectures (see list below), write 1p (single spaced) about the lecture (summary), and send it to me (via email) before the end of the term - by Sunday, 03/17 @ 5:00 pm.
The Extra-Credit is limited to 4 short papers/ term.
NEW: Lecture - Jonathan Moreno, University of Pennsylvania
Title: Human Experimentation for National Security Purposes
Link - available on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkpkBUg8rmU
NEW: Movie
Title: Escape Fire - The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare
It will be broadcast on CNN - on Sunday, March 10th at 8:00pm ET (re-air at 11pm ET).
Another opportunity to see the movie, it re-airs on March 16th at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET & PT on CNN/US.
January 24, 2013 - Ira Byock, Mortality, Morality, and the Meaning of Life
Handouts available here (3 articles about Dying with Dignity).
February 14, 2013 - Dolores Huerta, Social Justice, Real Justice
February 15, 2013 - Cornel West, Social Justice, Real Justice
February 26, 2013 - John Kaag, The Moral Hazard of Drones: Ethics and Armchair Soldiers
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Invited Guests: Topic: Death with Dignity (week 8)
Susan Smith, Compassion and Choices for OR - February 25th
Kenneth Stevens, Physicians for Compassionate Care - February 27th
Required Assignments:
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1)The NYT has an interesting review of the movie (required - and available on reserve at Knight Library) - How to Die in Oregon - (HBO documentary) by Peter D. Richardson. See also, the review from Salon.
Along with Vaughn’s chapter (V 526-542),
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2)James Rachels, Active and Passive Euthanasia (V 580-584)
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3)Dan Brock, Voluntary Active Euthanasia (V 545-556)
For Dr. Stevens’ visit, please read also (available on BB):
4) G & C Hamilton, Competing Paradigms of Response to Assisted Suicide Requests in Oregon.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005.
5) E. Emmanuel, Four Myths about Doctor Assisted Suicide
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Additional suggested readings/podcasts - every week I will be posting materials related to our course here. Please take advantage and read/listen/watch them.
Week 1 - In addition to our readings for the first week of class, I encourage you to read Ch. 1 “Bioethics: The Science of Survival” (pdf) from Van Rensselaer Potter’s Bioethics: Bridge to the Future (Prentice-Hall, 1971). This is the book where the very concept of bioethics was first coined.
Week 2 - Bioethicist, Arthur Caplan, wrote an article about Ava Worthington’s case. She died in 2008 from a bronchial pneumonia and blood infection (problems that could easily be treated with antibiotics) because her parents refused to give her medical care (choosing prayers instead).
Week 3 - Peter Singer raises here an interesting argument against the sanctity of life view. See, “Sanctity of Life or Quality of life?”, Pediatrics, 72(1983):1, p.128-129
Week 4 - This year is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas and Lynn Paltrow have discussed with Bill Moyers & Co about Abortion Rights Activism.
Week 5 & 6- Nick Bostrom, Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University talks about the Status-Quo Bias in relation to genetic enhancement.
Bioethicists hold public debate ban on genetically engineered babies. More details from GenomeWeb.com
Week 7 - we talked about Lewontin’s work in biology and the role of science in defining the non-moral descriptive premises of moral arguments. More on the role of science, and how it can become ideology, listen to Lewontin’ s Massey Lectures.
Week 8 - The story of the twins, Eddie & Marc Verbessem (Belgium) raises some moral concerns. More details on Bioethics Forum.
Week 9 & 10 - Peter Singer wrote a great article in 2009 for the New York Times “We We Must Ration Health Care”
On the question of rationing scarce medical resources and justice - Reuters recently published an article called, “More Hispanics Die Waiting for a Heart Transplant”.
End of Course: The Meaning of a Liberal Arts Education - David Foster Wallace’s
Commencement Speech - Kenyon College 2005 - in his own words.
