Ethics of Medicine and the Sciences

Catalog description

This course examines several contemporary ethical problems that arise within the context of medicine and scientific research. Some of the problems that may be examined include: the social responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies, the role of the family in medical-decision making, cognitive enhancement, the proper payment for research participation, direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs, empathy and medical professionalism, and the permissibility of religious conscientious objection. Students will gain an understanding of the nature and historical origin of these problems and learn to critically evaluate possible solutions to these problems. prereq: 1441