230169 Basics of Bioethics (S) (SoSe 2014)

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, 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.
The earlier 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. Some of the topics to be covered are outlined day-by-day and on the seminar timetable.