Is euthanasia morally permissible? What is the relationship between patient autonomy, competence, and informed consent? When, if ever, is paternalism morally justified? Under what circumstances, if any, is abortion morally wrong? Is it morally permissible for women to obtain and for doctors to provide medically unnecessary Caesarean sections? Should doctors provide alternative, unproven therapies to their patients who request them? When, if ever, is two-tier health care just? What, in general, makes an act morally right or wrong, a person virtuous or vicious, a policy just or unjust? In this Distance Education section of Philosophy 333, we will explore answers to these questions from a variety of perspectives. We will, in short, critically examine some leading philosophical theories, and some important, and difficult, ethical issues in health care.
Successful students in this course will learn a fair bit about normative ethical theories. They will also gain a critical grasp of some of the leading philosophical arguments on selected moral problems in health care. Students will develop their writing and critical reasoning skills. They will learn to think more carefully about arguments in general, so that they can develop and deepen their own arguments.