This module will introduce students to a wide range of philosophical questions that are raised by everyday medical practice and recent developments in biomedical science. It will show how the resources of moral philosophy and philosophy more widely can help us to develop a better understanding of these questions and enable us to critically assess the ways in which these issues are currently dealt with. The exact range of topics addressed will vary from year to year.
In this academic year, we will explore the following issues: the moral significance of health and the just allocation of medical resource (between patients and on the level of healthcare budgets; using the current pandemic as one of the case studies); the ethics of reproduction (e.g., surrogate mothering and sex selection), and the ethics of enhancement. Finally, this module will familiarise students with Foucault's notion of "biopolitics" and racism, to explore their relevance for developing a critical understanding of the wider context in which medical-ethical questions arise.
- Module Supervisor: Joerg Schaub