Biomedical Ethics (Schedule #22259)
Philosophy 330 / Dr. Neuner
San Diego State University
Spring Semester 2013
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Peñafuerte-Neuner, prefer Dr. Neuner (noy-ner )
OFFICE HOURS
Mondays 1:15-1:45 pm and Tuesdays 10-11:30 am
LECTURE
Mondays and Wednesdays 12-12:50pm at SSE 1401
Fridays online classes or quizzes available by 12 noon
OFFICE
Arts and Letters 444
EMAIL
aneuner@att.net or aneuner1@mail.sdsu.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
In this course, we will study ethical issues in modern medicine. Medical ethics in particular
focuses on questions about how one should act in the context of patient care and the distribution
of medical resources: What makes clinical research on humans morally justified? How can we
justify human experimentation on vulnerable populations such as children and third world
residents? What obligations do doctors have toward their patients, patients’ families, and
society? Is abortion, in vitro fertilization or genetic engineering morally permissible? Should a
pregnant woman be punished for exposing her fetus to risk? Who has the right to life and does
such a right obligate others to provide medical care? Should gene doping, stem cell research or
human reproductive cloning be legal? Does a person have the right to know or to be ignorant of
serious genetic conditions? Are health benefits fairly distributed based on race/ethnicity, gender,
or sexual orientation? How do we distribute scarce resources such as organs for transplantation?
Does a person have a right, or even a duty, to die? Course objectives and goals:
 to interpret and analyze arguments from philosophical texts in biomedical ethics
 to understand the reasoning of others and to communicate well-formed objections
 to apply various ethical theories and moral principles to real life medical cases
 to contextualize controversies in medicine in light of historical and cultural conditions
 to approach complex medical problems which have a personal or global relevance from
multiple perspectives
 to recognize the debate between competing groups (multicultural, religion vs. science,
patient vs. researcher, adult vs. child) and try to negotiate a resolution
 to learn how to construct, communicate, and defend one’s own well-reasoned arguments
about contemporary moral issues in biomedical ethics
GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES
Philosophy 330 is an upper division course which fulfills General Education section IV, Explorations
of Human Experience. Philosophy 330 is aimed at “providing the breadth of knowledge necessary
for meaningful work, life-long learning, socially responsible citizenship, and intellectual
development. Through this course, “students gain intellectual and practical skills such as inquiry and
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analysis, creative and critical thinking, written and oral communication, etc.” Among the “seven
essential capacities” emphasized by San Diego State’s General Education program, Philosophy 330
develops in students the ability to
1. Construct, analyze, and communicate arguments;
2. Apply theoretical models to the real world;
3. Contextualize phenomena;
4. Negotiate differences;
5. Integrate global and local perspectives;
6. Illustrate relevance of concepts across boundaries;
7. Evaluate consequences of actions.
SPECIFIC LEARNING GOALS
This upper division GE course fulfills the goals for GE Courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts.
In particular, Philosophy 101 will promote student’s understanding of “human problems,
responsibilities and possibilities in changing historical contexts and diverse cultures.” Students
will gain the ability to identify and to evaluate belief systems and values. Students will acquire
“capacities for reflection, critique, communication, [and] cultural understanding.” Upon
completing this area of Foundations, students will be able to:
Goal 1: Analyze written, visual, or performed texts in the humanities and fine arts with
sensitivity to their diverse cultural contexts and historical moments.
Goal 2: Develops a familiarity with various aesthetic and other value systems and the ways
they are communicated across time and cultures.
Goal 3: Argue from multiple perspectives about issues in the humanities that have personal
and global relevance.
Goal 4: Demonstrate the ability to approach complex problems and ask complex questions
drawing upon knowledge of the humanities.
REQUIRED TEXT
Bioethics in a Changing World by Jennifer A. Parks and Victoria S. Wike
(a copy of this texbook will be placed in reserve in the library)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Date
Week 1, Jan 18
Topics/Readings
Online Introduction to the Class, Discuss Syllabus and Schedule
Chapter 4 Introduction: Experimentation and Research pp. 201-210
Week 2, Jan 23, 25
Miller and Brody, “A Critique of Clinical Equipoise,”
Rhodes, “A Novel Proposal,”
Doumbo, “It Takes a Village…Ethics in Mali,”
Zion, “HIV/AIDS Clinical Research. . .”
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pp. 219-227
pp. 228-231
pp. 232-235
pp. 235-237
Ramsey, “The Patient as Person . . .”
King, “The Dangers of Difference”
Buchanan, “The Case of the Human Radiation. . .”
Online Quiz #1
pp. 250-254
pp. 254-256
pp. 257-262
Week 4
Feb 4–8
Hellman, “Of Mice But Not Men: Problems . . .”
Goering, “Women and Underserved Populations…”
EXAM ONE on Wed, Feb 6
pp. 268-272
pp. 273-276
Week 5
Feb 11-15
Chapter 5 Introduction: Health, Normalcy, etc.
Dreger: “Ambiguous Sex or Ambivalent Medicine?”
Liao, et.al.: “The Ashley Treatment: Best Interests. . .”
Cannold: “The Ethics of Neonatal Male Circumcision”
pp. 277-285
pp. 306-312
pp. 312-315
pp. 316-322
Week 6
Feb 18-22
Draper & Evans: “Transsexualism and GReS”
Chapter 6 Introduction: Beginning of Life
Marquis: “Why Abortion is Immoral”
Thomson: “A Defense of Abortion”
Warren: “On the Moral and Legal Status …”
Online Quiz #2
pp. 334-340
pp. 345-357
pp. 357-359
pp. 360-367
pp. 367-371
Minkhoff: “The Rights of Unborn Children . . .”
Purdy: “Women's Reproductive Autonomy …”
Steinbock: “Payment for Egg Donation …”
EXAM TWO on Wed, Mar 6
Seavilleklein & Sherwin: “Myth of the Gendered…”
Appel: “May Doctors Refuse . . . . to Gay Patients?”
Chapter 7 Introduction: Genetic Technologies
pp. 379-381
pp. 385-390
pp. 400-409
Week 3
Jan 28 – Feb 1
Friday, Feb 1
Friday, Feb 22
Week 7
Mar 4-8
Week 8
Mar 11-15
Week 9
Mar 18-22
Friday, Mar 22
pp. 410-416
pp. 417-419
pp. 435-445
Davis, “Genetic Dilemmas and the Child's Right…”
pp. 445-452
Steinbock: “Using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis..” pp. 459-460
Andorno: “The Right not to Know: An Autonomy…” pp. 468-473
Online Quiz #3
Week 10
Mar 25-29
Glover: “Questions about … Genetic Engineering”
Brownlee: “Gene Doping: Will Athletes go for…?”
Kass: “Cloning of Human Beings”
Strong: “Reproductive Cloning Combined with …”
PAPERS DUE
April 1-5
Spring Break!
Week 11
April 8-12
Chapter 8 Introduction: Organ Donation . . .
Rescher: “The Allocation of … Lifesaving Therapy”
Steinberg: “An 'Opting In' Paradigm for Kidney …”
Jansen, “Child Organ Donation, Family Autonomy …”
Week 12
April 15-19
Gordon, “What Race Cannot Tell Us about Access …” pp. 568-572
Wilkinson, “Racist Organ Donors and Saving Lives”
pp. 573-582
Annas, “The Prostitute, the Playboy, and the Poet …” pp. 564-568
Online Quiz #4
Friday, April 19
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pp. 483-490
pp. 500-503
pp. 508-511
pp. 511-516
pp. 517-524
pp. 524-531
pp. 545-548
pp. 560-564
Week 13
April 22-26
Spital & Erin: “Conscription of Cadaveric Organs…”
Fox, “An Ignoble Form of Cannibalism”
Truog, “The Ethics of Organ Donation by Living …”
EXAM THREE on Wed, April 24
pp. 548-551
pp. 552-556
pp. 556-559
Week 14
April 29-May 3
Chapter 10 Introduction: Issues at the End of Life
Dula & Williams: “When Race Matters” (Part I only)
Hardwig: “Is There a Duty to Die?”
Gay-Williams: “The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia”
Online Quiz #5
pp. 668-676
pp. 692-695
pp. 704-710
pp. 716-717
Week 15
May 8 -12
James Rachels: “Active and Passive Euthanasia”
Quill: “Death and Dignity: A Case of . . .”
Parks: “Why Gender Matters to the Euthanasia …”
pp. 718-721
pp. 732-735
pp. 742-748
Finals Week
FINAL EXAM or Paper on Friday, May 10, 1-3:00 pm
Friday, May 3
Exam dates are fixed. Except for exam and quiz dates, the course schedule is subject to revision.
Discussion of textbook articles may not be in the exact order as listed in the syllabus. Some
articles not included in the textbook may be added to our reading list but copies of these articles
will be made available online.
GRADES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Five out of the following six items will count toward your course grade.
The lowest or a missed assignment will automatically be dropped.
Exam One
20%
Exam Two
20%
Exam Three
20%
Four Quizzes
20% total, 5% each (best four out of five quizzes count)
Midterm Papers
20%
Final Exam or Paper
20%
GRADING SCALE
The grading scale:
89.9%-87%
100%-94% A
86.9%-84%
93.9%-90% A83.9%-80%
B+
B
B-
79.9%-77%
76.9%-74%
73.9%-70%
C+
C
C-
69.9%-67%
66.9%-64%
63.9%-60%
D+
D
D-
SDSU Grading Guideline
A – Outstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment.
B – Praiseworthy performance; above average work.
C – Average; awarded for satisfactory performance.
D – Minimally passing; less than average achievement.
F – Failing.
I – An incomplete grade will only be granted for extenuating circumstances.
EXAMS AND QUIZZES
Students course grades will be based on five of the six assignments listed above. If a student
completes all six assignments, then the lowest score will automatically be dropped. A student
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may opt not to complete one of the following: take an exam, write the midterm papers, or
complete four Friday online quizzes.
Exams and quizzes will consist of multiple choice questions and short answer questions.
Students will be given a study guide about one week before every exam informing them of the
type of questions to be expected on their exams and the articles to be covered. Exam grades will
follow the above grading scale, but the instructor may choose to curve exams in case the average
of a given exam falls below reasonable expectations. In most cases, exams and quizzes are not
cumulative.
ONLINE QUIZZES
Quizzes will cover material since the last quiz and no study guide will be provided for them.
Quizzes are open notes and open book, but students should not ask others, TA’s or instructors for
help. If two students share a number of similar quiz scores and their quizzes reveal a common
string of incorrect answers, then they may be questioned and investigated for cheating on the
online quizzes.
Quizzes will be available on certain Fridays (see scheduled dates), by noon, and students will
have 24 hours to turn in their answers electronically (Saturday by noon). 12:00 noon is the
official deadline for submission of quiz answers; however, we will instruct the computer to accept
late answers until 1pm. If students submit their quizzes between 12:01 to 1:00 pm, the quizzes
will be accepted but the instructor or TA will probably apply a late penalty of half grade or a full
grade off. No quizzes will be accepted after 1pm Saturday, unless by some electronic or human
failure on our part or blackboard, the quizzes are not available online by Friday noon and the
class was not given 24 hour access.
Electronic failure or human error on the student’s part is not a legitimate excuse for missing or
late quiz submissions. Neither is a conflict with work schedules or being in Mexico or on a car
trip where internet access failed an acceptable excuse. Because computer crashes or internet
disconnection is a possibility, we will allow three chances for a student to submit their quiz
during the 24 hour period. Only the last quiz submission will count, not the best of three
submissions. Also, after each submission of a quiz, a student will not immediately be told their
score or whether their answers are correct or incorrect. Answers will be made available online by
Sunday morning and quiz scores will be calculated within five days of quiz submissions (sooner
if the quiz has no/less written component).
MAKEUPS AND LATE WORK
If a student can offer good reason for missing an exam or quiz (evidence or documentation
needed), then a makeup exam or quiz will be given during the semester. As a rule, makeup tests
will be different in format from those taken by the rest of the class and will consist of written
questions rather than scantron questions. Due to the format, makeup tests will probably be more
difficult than the regular exam, but students needing makeups will have been given additional
time to prepare for it. Makeup tests can be deferred until the end of the semester, if students want
to see how well they do with their other scores before determining whether a makeup test (for an
excused, legitimate absence approved by the instructor) is necessary.
PAPERS
The midterm papers will comprise of two short essays approximately 3pages each in length.
Students will be asked to apply ethical standards or moral principles related to a textbook article.
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Students will be given the choice at the end of the semester to take a final exam in class or to
write final papers due during finals week. Papers are expected to be well-written with careful
attention to grammar and spelling. Papers may be turned in via email (email address of teaching
assistant will be provided later in a more detailed paper prompt). Each page of the essay should
have a student’s name on it and all the pages should be mechanically attached by paper clip or
staple. Papers are due by the end of the class on the deadline date, whether they are printed or
electronic. A late penalty will be applied to papers turned in after the deadline date/time unless
waived by the instructor. The instructor reserves the right not to accept very late papers without
good excuse.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
All students are expected to follow the administrative rules and standards of conduct detailed in the
San Diego State University catalog. Students are expected to submit only their own work on papers
and examinations. While you may discuss the assignments with others in the class, collaboration on
the preparation of a paper is not permitted. Unless the assignment specifically directs otherwise,
papers should be based entirely on your own study of the assigned material and not on secondary
sources of any kind.
Turning in someone else’s work, whether from printed sources or material available electronically, as
if it were your own constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is an act of intellectual dishonesty. The
academic consequences of plagiarism range from failure for the tainted assignment to failure for the
course, depending on the seriousness of the offense. All such offenses are reported to the college
dean, who will impose additional administrative consequences, which can include suspension or
expulsion from the university.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to the following: turning in another student’s
paper as if it were your own; collaboration with another student in writing the paper; quoting,
paraphrasing, or borrowing ideas from published or unpublished material written by someone other
than yourself, without specific acknowledgment of the source.
It is your responsibility to know and observe all the SDSU rules concerning academic integrity and
plagiarism. You should familiarize yourself with SDSU Academic Senate Policy on Plagiarism
(http://its.sdsu.edu/turnitin/pdf/Plagiarism_AcadSen.pdf). If you have any questions about what
constitutes plagiarism, how to credit the work and ideas of others properly, how to evaluate sources
for quality and reliability, or any other related issues, please feel free to see me to discuss the matter.
PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE
It is recommended that students attend all classes and participate occasionally. Students who
miss class are responsible for acquiring the material and keeping pace with the course. Although
regular attendance and keeping up with the reading does not count as part of a student’s final
grade, students will find that these things have a positive impact on their exams and papers. No
extra credit will be offered to just a single student any time during or after the semester.
POWERPOINT SLIDES
Much, but not all, of the lecture material will be contained in powerpoint slides; some concepts
introduced in class will be written on the white board, printed in handouts or explained verbally.
All the powerpoints as shown during Monday and Wednesday classes will NOT be made fully
available. However, review slides will be uploaded into blackboard by Friday mornings. These
slides will contain much of the concepts that were shown in the class powerpoints, but they will
be simpler and probably contain mostly text and few pictures. We had in past semesters not made
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any class powerpoint slides available and offered lecture notes instead. This semester, we will
adopt the policy of offering review slides available by the end of the week and see how this
policy affects attendance and class morale. These review slides are plainer for three reasons: (1)
attending lectures is more of a visual experience which should belong to those students who
choose to go to class; these students should have a slight advantage over those who do not attend;
(2) plainer slides make for easier printing; and (3) engaging in philosophy involves understanding
complex ideas and arguments; this often entails interpreting the text and grappling with the
written word. Flipping through colorful powerpoint slides is a short cut that discourages deeper
philosophical investigation of the issues; however, it is a crutch which we will use during class to
allow for the expedient communication of ideas in a short amount of time.
READINGS
This class will require roughly 15-20 pages of difficult reading each week. Although students
may opt to read the assigned articles before or after the classes in which they are discussed,
students should try to complete a substantial amount of their readings per week. Waiting until an
upcoming exam or quiz to cram one’s reading will probably lead to poor understanding and
retention of the material. As a consequence, one’s test performance and grades will likely suffer.
Just as some test questions will cover only concepts presented in class, some questions on an
exam or quiz will be based on material only presented in the reading assignments.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
Use of lap top computers in class is allowed for the purposes of note-taking only; other computer
activities can prove distracting. Students should also refrain from any behavior that may be
disturbing to other students who are making the effort to be attentive. Cell phones and other
electronic devices should be turned off and stored away. PLEASE RESPECT OTHER
STUDENTS by NOT TALKING to one another during class. Certain students may be asked to
leave the lecture hall due to their disruptive behavior or technological devices may be taken away.
Students should try to be punctual, but are encouraged to show up to class even if they may be a
little late due to unforeseen circumstances. The instructor will never keep the class beyond the
allotted class period and requests that students wait until class has been dismissed before they
begin closing notebooks and packing away their school gear. If class must be cancelled on a
given date, an announcement will be made by the instructor or a note will be posted on the
classroom door or via Blackboard. If the instructor is more than 15 minutes late, please assume
that the class is cancelled and that advance notice was not possible.
DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES
If you have special needs due to a learning disability, please avail yourself of the resources in the
Student Disability Services in Calpulli Center, room 3101 (594-6473). The CSU Office of the
Chancellor defines a learning disability as “. . . a generic term that refers to the heterogeneous group
of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking,
reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. These disorders occur in persons of average to
very superior intelligence and are presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction. Even
though a learning disability may exist concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g.,
sensory impairments) or environmental influences (e.g., cultural/language difficulties), it is not the
direct result of these conditions or influences.” If you think something might prevent you from doing
well in this course, you should discuss this with me so that proper arrangements may be made to
accommodate your needs.
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RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES, ATHLETICS, ETC.
By the end of the first week of classes, students should notify the instructor of planned absences for
religious observances. The above also holds for student athletes and supportive groups (like the
marching band, not fans). They must inform faculty members within the first week in order to be
excused from scheduled tasks on scheduled days.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
January 31 is the last day to drop classes. No drops are allowed after 11:59 pm on this date. Last day
to add classes or change grading basis is February 4, by 11:59 pm.
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