BIOETH-200: Introduction to Bioethics

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This introductory course provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to the field of bioethics, exploring the most difficult and fascinating moral challenges we face in health, medicine, and emerging technologies. Students will examine fundamental moral issues that arise across the lifespan—from the beginning of life to the end—and in broader contexts such as public health, biotechnology, and global health policy. The course is structured around five core modules: Foundations of Bioethical Reasoning; Bioethics at the Beginning of Life; Bioethics at the End of Life; Biotechnology and Human Enhancement; and Public Health, Justice, and Healthcare Policy. Students will engage with the four-principles framework of principlism (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice), informed consent, human dignity, and the ethical dimensions of clinical trials and resource allocation. The course emphasizes reflective, respectful engagement with polarizing issues and the development of skills in ethical reasoning and argumentation.

COURSE TEACHING OBJECTIVES

1. Analyze the foundational ethical theories and frameworks that underpin bioethical reasoning.
2. Apply the four-principles framework (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice) to clinical and research ethics dilemmas.
3. Evaluate the moral status of the fetus, reproductive technologies, and genetic interventions at the beginning of life.
4. Assess the ethical and legal dimensions of end-of-life decision-making, including withholding/withdrawing treatment, euthanasia, and physician-assisted dying.
5. Critically examine the distinction between therapy and enhancement, the ethics of CRISPR and germline editing, and emerging biotechnologies.
6. Synthesize ethical frameworks to address issues of justice in healthcare allocation, public health ethics, and global health disparities.

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Articulate the core concepts of bioethics, including dignity, autonomy, and informed consent.
2. Apply the four-principles framework to analyze a clinical ethics case.
3. Critically evaluate arguments concerning abortion, surrogacy, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
4. Analyze the ethical issues involved in defining death, withdrawal of life support, and end-of-life care.
5. Assess the ethical implications of gene editing, xenotransplantation, and human enhancement technologies.
6. Evaluate frameworks for allocating scarce medical resources and addressing health disparities.
7. Engage in reflective, respectful dialogue on polarizing bioethical issues.

ORGANIZATION OF COURSE STUDIES

The course is organized into five study periods (typically 2–3 weeks each, though self-paced). Each period includes intensive reading of the assigned textbook(s), viewing of the supplementary video(s), and a short response paper or reflective assignment (500–1,000 words) reflecting on the material and its application. Students must contact the instructor for feedback after each period.