General Catalog 2024-25

Lecture, three hours. Should one be allowed to choose sex of babies or whether they will be tall enough to be next basketball star? Should terminally ill be helped to die? Do human embryos have moral status? Examples of ethical questions that arise in light of dramatic advances of biomedicine in 21st century. While new knowledge and biotechnology give rise to great possibilities for improving care and finding cures, they also create new moral dilemmas and challenge us to redefine what is good life or family. Introduction to field of bioethics, with focus on case studies that rely on contemporary essays in philosophy and material from contemporary media. Letter grading.