Drew University Caspersen School of Graduate Studies - Fall 2015
Bioethics and the Holocaust – 10885 MDET 822-S
Stacy M. Gallin, DMH
Hall of Sciences S3A
Thursdays, 4:30 – 7:00 PM
Course Description:
This course will focus on the abrogation of biomedical ethics in World War II Germany, demonstrating
how the Holocaust is a unique example of medically sanctioned genocide. The biomedical ethical
considerations brought to light as a result of the alliance between medicine and the Nazis remain
relevant for current medical and scientific practice. Eugenics, disability studies, end-of-life care, genetic
testing, and human experimentation are all topics that are vital to the history as well as the future of
bioethics. Exploring the pivotal role played by science and medicine in the labeling, persecution, and
eventual mass murder of those deemed “unfit” is essential to preventing other instances of human rights
abuses in modern society.
Academic Accommodations:
Students who require accommodations are instructed to contact the Office of Accessibility Resources
(formerly Office of Disability Services), BC 119C, 973-408-3962, for a private, confidential
appointment. Accommodation Request Letters (ARL) are issued to students after documentation,
written by a qualified professional, is reviewed and accommodations are approved by OAR.
Accommodations are implemented by faculty only after the student presents the ARL by OAR. Letters
should be presented to the faculty at least one week before the accommodation is needed. No
accommodation can be implemented retroactively. Requests for accommodations for Fall 2015 should
be submitted to OAR by September 15, 2015, but ideally within the first two weeks of class.
Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students are expected to adhere to the Academic Honesty Policy of the
University. The CSGS standards of Academic Honesty will be enforced fully. For more information,
please read The Regulations of The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies’ Guidebook.
Contact Information:
Each student is asked to submit an e-mail address and phone number to facilitate communication. Dr.
Gallin may be contacted via mobile phone at (973) 479-5875 or e-mail, stacygallin@yahoo.com.
Appointments can be set up for a mutually convenient day and time.
Class Cancellation:
The number for school closings is (973) 408-3872. Every attempt will be made to reschedule classes
cancelled for any reason.
Course Requirements and Grading Policy:
Class Attendance and Participation
15% of final grade
Attendance is mandatory, and participation is strongly encouraged. If you have to miss a class for any
reason, you must notify Dr. Gallin as soon as possible. Repeated absences will affect your grade.
Please complete all reading assignments prior to the designated session, and be prepared to discuss your
thoughts and opinions regarding each week’s topic.
Debate and Position Paper (7-10 pages)
25% of final grade
One of the most controversial issues surrounding Biomedical Ethics and the Holocaust revolves around
the moral implications of using data obtained from Nazi experiments. Using the writings of scientists
arguing for the invaluable nature of this information for current medical practice and the testimonies of
survivors who suffered at the hands of Nazi “medicine,” you will debate this issue in teams. You will
also present your argument in written form, with an accompanying position paper to be handed in on the
day of the debate.
Oral Presentation and Class Facilitation
20% of final grade
Each student must choose a topic to present in class. You will give a brief summary of the issue (10-15
minutes) and lead the class in a discussion. A list of topics will be provided during the first class.
Final Paper (12- 15 pages)
40% of final grade
Write a paper on a topic chosen from the course work during the semester. Each student’s topic must be
reviewed and approved prior to submission. It is best to choose your topic early, as each student’s thesis
statement must be unique. Your paper should demonstrate your understanding of the selected topic and
the way in which it applies to the overall field of Bioethics and the Holocaust, including the historical
context, present application or examples, and future impact on the field of bioethics.
Course Materials:
There are four books required for this course which can be purchased through the University bookstore
or online. Additional readings may be assigned from outside sources and will be distributed in class or
via e-mail approximately one week prior to the class session in which they will be covered. The four
required texts are:
 Caplan, Arthur L., ed. When Medicine Went Mad (abbreviated as WMWM)
 Rubenfeld, Sheldon, ed. Medicine After the Holocaust: From the Master Race to the Human
Genome and Beyond (abbreviated as MATH)
 Proctor, Robert N. Racial Hygiene: Medicine Under the Nazis
 Michalczyk, John J., ed. Medicine, Ethics, and the Third Reich: Historical and Contemporary
Issues (abbreviated as METR)
Class Schedule:
September 3, 2015: Bioethics and the Holocaust: An Introduction
 Caplan, Arthur L. “The Stain of Silence: Nazi Ethics and Bioethics,” MATH 83-92.
 Hentoff, Nat. “Contested Terrain: The Nazi Analogy in Bioethics,” METR 16-18
 Pellegrino, Edmund. “When Evil Was Good and Good Evil: Remembrances of Nuremberg,”
MATH 11-16
September 10, 2015: Eugenics: The Pseudo-Scientific Foundations of Genocide
 Racial Hygiene- Chapter 1: The Origins of Racial Hygiene
 Racial Hygiene – Chapter 2: Neutral Racism
 Kass, Leon R. “A More Perfect Human: The Promise and Peril of Modern Science,” MATH
107-122
September 17, 2015: The International Eugenics Movement
 Kuhl, Stefan. The Nazi Connection: Eugenics, American Racism, and German National
Socialism. Chapters 1 – 4
 Watson, James D. “Genetics and Eugenics: A Personal Odyssey,” MATH 71-81
September 24, 2015: The Biological State: Eugenics in Germany
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Racial Hygiene – Chapter 3: Political Biology: Doctors in the Nazi Cause
Müller-Hill, Benno. “Eugenics: The Science and Religion of the Nazis,” WMWM 43-52
Müller-Hill, Benno. “Human Genetics in Nazi Germany,” METR 27-34
Proctor, Robert N. “Nazi Biomedical Policies.” WMWM 23-42
October 1, 2015: German Medicine and the Nazi Doctors
 Racial Hygiene- Chapter 6: Anti-Semitism in the German Medical Community
 Racial Hygiene – Chapter 8: “The Organic Vision” of Nazi Racial Science
 Grodin, Michael A. “Mad, Bad, or Evil: How Physician-Healers Turn to Torture and Murder.”
MATH 49-65
 Haas, Peter. “The Healing-Killing Paradox.” METR 19-23
 Kater, Michael. “An Historical and Contemporary View of Jewish Doctors in Germany.”
METR 161-166
October 8, 2015: A Method Behind the Madness: How Nazi Ideology Became National Policy
 Racial Hygiene- Chapter 4: The Sterilization Law
 Nadav, Daniel. “Sterilization, Euthanasia and the Holocaust—The Brutal Chain.” METR 42-49
 Proctor, Robert “Racial Hygiene: The Collaboration of Medicine and Nazism.” METR 35-41
October 15, 2015: Euthanasia and The Final Solution
 Racial Hygiene- Chapter 7: The Destruction of Lives Not Worth Living
October 22, 2015: Nazi Medical Experiments
 Berger, Robert. “Nazi Science—The Dachau Hypothermia Experiments.” METR 87-100
 Katz, Jay and Robert S. Pozos. “The Dachau Hypothermia Study: An Ethical and Scientific
Commentary.” WMWM 135-140.
 Pozos, Robert S. “Scientific Inquiry and Ethics: The Dachau Data.” WMWM 95-108
October 29, 2015: Nazi Medical Experiments Debate
 Freedman, Benjamin. “Moral Analysis and the Use of Nazi Experimental Results.” WMWM
141-154.
 Konopka, Gisela. “The Meaning of the Holocaust for Bioethics.” WMWM 15-20.
 Mozes-Kor, Eva. “Nazi Experiments as Viewed by a Survivor of Mengele’s Experiments.”
WMWM 3-8.
 Seiler-Vigorito, Sara. “A Profile of Nazi Medicine: The Nazi Doctor—His Methods and Goals.”
WMWM 9-13.
November 5, 2015 – The Nuremberg Trial: The Birth of Bioethics
 Annas, George J. “The Changing Landscape of Human Experimentation: Nuremberg, Helsinki,
and Beyond.” METR 106-128.
 Annas, George J. “The Legacy of the Nuremberg Trial to American Bioethics and Human
Rights.” MATH 93-105.
 Grodin, Michael A. “Historical Origins of the Nuremberg Code.” METR 169-194.
 Katz, Jay. “Abuse of Human Beings for the Sake of Science.” WMWM 233-270.
November 12, 2015 – Guided Tour of the Special Collection of Holocaust-related materials,
including testimony from the Nuremberg Trials, housed at the Methodist Archives
November 19, 2015- Current Ethical Implications: Beginning of Life Care
 Annas, George J. “The Human Genome Project in Perspective: Confronting Our Past to Protect
Our Future.” WMWM 301-319
 Haas, John M. “Science, Medicine, and Religion in and after the Holocaust.” MATH 163-170.
 Greely, Henry T. “From Nuremberg to the Human Genome: The Rights of Human Research
Participants.” MATH 185-200.
 Katz, Jay. “Concentration Camp Experiments: Their Relevance for Contemporary Research
with Human Beings.” METR 72-86.
November 26, 2015 – THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS
December 3, 2015 -- Current Ethical Implications: End of Life Care
 Macklin, Ruth. “Which Way Down the Slippery Slope? Nazi Medical Killing and Euthanasia
Today.” WMWM 173-200.
 Neuhaus, Richard John. “The Way They Were, The Way We Are.” WMWM 211-230.
 Smith, Wesley J. “Is Physician-Assisted Suicide Ever Permissible?” MATH 135-151.
 Tucker, Kathryn L. “What Does ‘Medicine After the Holocaust’ Have to do with Aid in
Dying?” MATH 123-133.
December 10, 2015 – Medicine After the Holocaust: The Future of Bioethics
 Greenberg, Irving. “Why Science and Religion Need to Cooperate to Prevent a Recurrence of
the Holocaust.” MATH 171 – 179.
 Grodin, Michael A., George Annas, and Leonard Glantz. “Medicine and Human Rights: A
Proposal for International Action.” METR 199-212.
 Roelcke, Volker. “Medicine During the Nazi Period: Historical Facts and Some Implications for
Teaching Medical Ethics and Professionalism.” MATH 17-28.