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Masters in Liberal Arts, HUMN 6110 (1 credit), Summer 2002

This course will examine ethical issues raised by recent technological advances in medicine and biology, including embryonic stem cell research, cloning, organ transplantation, and medical prolongation of life. The one-hour seminar will engage students -- through reading, lecture, and seminar discussion -- in a discussion of the ethical considerations of technology that has blurred the “natural” boundaries of life. The objective is to raise awareness of the complexity of these issues and to weigh a variety of legal, ethical, theological, and practical arguments surrounding the uses and limitations of medical technology.

A. Text: We will use page proofs of the relevant parts of a soon-to-be-published medical-ethics reader (Steinbock, Arras & London, Ethical Issues in Modern Medicine, 6th ed. 2002), which may be purchased at the SMU Bookstore on Mockingbird for $39.30 plus sales tax.

Class One, July 11: Moral Reasoning in the Medical Context

A. Introduction: Steinbock, Arras & London 6th ed. [“SA&L”], Introduction
B. Autonomy, Paternalism & Medical Models: SA&L Part One, Section 1
C. Informed Consent: SA&L Part One, Section 2

Class Two, July 18: Defining Death, Forgoing Life-Sustaining Treatment & Euthanasia

A. Definition of Death and the Persistent Vegetative State: SA&L Part Three, Section 1
B. Decisional Capacity and the Right to Refuse Treatment: SA&L Part Three, Section 2
C. Advance Directives: SA&L Part Three, Section 3

Class Three, make-up class, date to be announced: Defining Death, Forgoing Life-Sustaining Treatment & Euthanasia (cont’d)

A. Choosing for Others: SA&L Part Three, Section 4
B. Euthanasia & Physician-Assisted Suicide: SA&L Part Three, Section 5

Class Four, July 25: Organ Transplantation and Justice

A. Justice, Health Care & Health: SA&L Part Two, Section 1
B. Methods and Strategies for Rationing Health Care: SA&L Part Two, Section 2
C. Equality and the Ends of Medicine: SA&L Part Two, Section 3

Class Five, August 1: Human Cloning and Stem Cell Research:

SA&L Part Four, Section 5

C. Make-up Class:  Because there's no class on July 4, we need to agree on a makeup date and time. I would like to squeeze it in between our July 18 and July 25 class meetings. It's unlikely that we will find a date and time that works for us all, but I would like to minimize the conflicts. Because I haven't heard from everyone on this, let's just table the question until our first class on July 11. Please be prepared to compare calendars that evening!

D. Grading:  Grading will be based upon short (5 pp. +/-) weekly essays (20%), a take-home final exam (70%), and class participation (10%). The short writings will consist of your response to a question that relates to that week's readings. No research (or bibliography or additional reading) will be required, expected, or necessary. The purpose of the essay will be to give you an opportunity to apply what you have read to a discussion question that I pose the previous week. We will begin the essay series with the first class, which means you can expect to hear from me with the topic of your essay sometime around the 4th of July. 

E. Essays:  Essays are intended to provide students an opportunity to think through and organize their thoughts about a discussion question in light of the reading for that week.