The Baby Wars: who should control our ability to reproduce -- the mother, the state, the fetus?

Catalog description

We will use science, from both a historical and modern perspective, as a lens to investigate the ongoing legal decisions and ethical debates surrounding fetal life: Should an embryo in a dish have the same rights as a child? When does life begin or when does a fetus become a person? How does abortion save lives? Is birth control abortion? Should we genetically engineer our children? What is an extrauterine child? In this course you will be tasked with thinking deeply about these, and many other, questions and will gain two critically important skills: 1. A deep understanding of reproductive biology and 2. The ability to use science to guide legal, ethical and moral dilemmas. These two skills are critical toward framing your own perspective of reproductive justice and will allow you to fully engage in the modern discourse.