400030 Basics of Bioethics (BS) (SoSe 2013)

Bioethics has been defined as the “systematic study of the moral dimensions – including moral vision, decisions, conducts and policies – of the life sciences and health care, employing a variety of ethical methodologies in an interdisciplinary setting”. It is a distinctive field of study and practice but in practice it involves a trans-disciplinary approach. While the core area has its background in medicine and life sciences, the bioethical discourse has links with law, public policy, historical and cultural studies, the popular media and the disciplines of philosophy, religion, literature, medicine, public health, biology, ecology; population studies and social sciences. The implication is that a number of fields need to make input to ensure adequate considerations of bioethical issues.

A previous conception of bioethics described it as a field that should serve as a bridge between science and human values; so that scientific practices and application of technological in life sciences and medicine will conform to human values without compromising the goals of human/scientific progress. This is why “doing good” and “avoiding harm” are core tenets in bioethics. One prime focus of bioethics therefore is to assert moral values and make moral judgments.

Following this background, this seminar is designed to introduce students to basic ideas in bioethics, to expose students to various issues of bioethical concern and how the discipline has progressed over the years to addressing them. The discourse will be discussed across cultures to understand the relative and particular contexts that inform moral values in different countries.

The language of instruction in this seminar will be English. This is to expand the language skills of the students. It will also provide training in the analysis, understanding and interpretation of bioethical discourse in different regions. More importantly, the examination of trans-cultural processes and circumstances will be the primary target of this course. The following thematic areas will be covered on the different days:
Day one: Introduction to bioethical perspectives
Day two: Ethics in the process of birth
Day three: Ethics in the course of life – medical enhancement
Day four: Ethics of end of life care