Biotechnology Policy and Ethics

Catalog description

Human reproductive cloning, genetic modification and alteration, personalized genomics, synthetic biology...these are only some of the areas of inquiry in the life sciences that have attracted public interest for their societal, ethical and policy implications. This course examines the political and ethical implications of selected areas of biotechnology that are now a part of the contemporary public debate with particular emphasis on the impact of these technologies on women. Some of the principles examined are legalistic, while others require ethical reasoning evaluating concepts such as human nature, personhood and autonomy. Key questions considered in this course include: Who benefits from these biotechnologies? Who are the primary actors engaged in policy creation? How can emerging technologies best be managed to balance individual freedom and scientific advancement with adequate protections for vulnerable classes? Finally, how do these technologies fit into our belief systems regarding the desirability of emerging biotechnologies in our individual lives and for society more generally?