History of Bioethics

Catalog description

This course will take an historical approach to the emergence of modern bioethics, the study of ethical issues in medicine and the life sciences. The course will consider pre-20th century medical ethics; the scandals, tragedies and controversies that motivated the modern field; the institutionalization of bioethics in the academy, government, industry and the military; and the recent growing emphasis on ethics in basic life sciences research and development, including genetics, stem cell biology and neuroscience; and the role of bioethics in the rules-based global order. Recurring themes will include physician-patient relations, the ethics of human experimentation, military medical ethics, and human rights theory.