PHIL 309: Bioethics

PHIL 309-001: Bioethics
(Fall 2019)

10:30 AM to 01:10 PM F

Section Information for Fall 2019

  • Fulfills the requirement for a course in ethics, social and political philosophy for the philosophy major.

In this course, students will learn about the most important bioethical issues faced across a human life span, from conception to death. At what point in development do human beings gain moral status? Is it ethical to select embryos that have genetic features of mental or physical superiority? How ought we treat pregnant people and their bodies? How do we know if an adult is mentally capable of making medical decisions? What and when is death? And, do we have an obligation to donate our organs after death? Diverse approaches to these questions will be considered with an emphasis on moral reasoning.

The course is recommended for students interested in careers in health care, or for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of philosophical issues in health care. No prior background in philosophy is assumed.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Examines some major moral issues involved in practice and research in medicine and health care. Topics to be chosen from medical experimentation, definition of death, physician-assisted dying, genetics and human reproduction, distribution of scarce resources, fertility, and organ transplants. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Synthesis
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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