College of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences
PHIL220-001, Biomedical Ethics (3,0)
Spring 2013
3 credits
Prerequisites: ENGL 111
Instructor:
Dr. Jason K. Swedene
Office location and phone number: Arts Center 223 (phone: 635-2122)
e-mail: jswedene@lssu.edu
Website: www.lssu.edu/faculty/jswedene/humanities
student hotline for school/ class cancellation: 635-2858
Monday
8:30-10:30 am
Tuesday
8:30-10:30 am
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
3:50-4:50 pm
and by appointment see website for the latest information
Required Texts:
1)
Steinbock, Bonnie, John D. Arras, Alex John London, Ethical Issues in Modern Medicine (New York:
McGraw Hill, 2013). 8th ed. ISBN 978-0-07-353586-9
+ any readings linked to this syllabus
Course Description:
--Survey of contemporary issues in medical and research ethics. Topics could include abortion, euthanasia,
genetic testing, reproductive technologies, doctor-patient relationships, conflicting imperatives on
confidentiality and disclosure, social consequences or drug development and widespread use, concepts of
health and disease, gender and medical practice, the distribution of medical resources, and the medicalization
of various forms of social deviance.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of PHIL 220 students will:

Be able to identify the theoretical and practical concerns of the stakeholders of medicine.

Be able to apply the principles of ethical theory to biomedical cases.

Be able to understand a variety of positions pertaining to complex problems.

Be able to articulate in writing and in speech one’s own position in the discourse.
Grading Scale and Policies:
Calculating the final grade:
College of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences
PHIL220-001, Biomedical Ethics (3,0)
Spring 2013
3 credits
2
1.
There will be one midterm and one final. These exams are each worth 20% of your final grade
for the course.
2.
Students will participate in a debate on a timely and important ethical topic in modern medicine.
Students will choose debate topics and theses. Some of the many possible categories from which to glean topics
and theses include: the professional-patient relationship, informed consent issues, conflicts in medicine
(between doctors-doctors, doctors-HMOs, nurses-doctors, nurses-families, etc.), social justice and health care
distribution, physician assisted suicide, abortion, reproductive decisions and liberties, genetic and stem-cell
research, and ethics in the laboratory. This debate participation grade accounts for 20% of your final grade for
the course. Please note that your participation in other debates (i.e., your comments and questions) will
influence your debate participation grade. Course lectures and assigned readings are somewhat flexible
depending on the debate schedule. I will post a tentative session-by-session meeting itinerary on the website as
soon as the debate schedule and topics are finalized.
3.
There will be 4 group quizzes and each is worth 5% of your final grade.
4.
There is a final essay of between 6-8 pages due the last Monday of classes. This is an
argumentative essay based on the content of this course, and it is worth 20% of your final grade.
TEST 1TEST 26-8 PAGE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Debate and Participation
Quizzes
20 %
20 %
20 %
20 %
20 %
=100%
Final grades are converted to letter grades using the scale (below).
97-100 (A+)
93-97 (A)
90-93 (A -)
87-90 (B +)
83-87 (B)
80-83 (B-)
77-80 (C+)
73-77 (C)
70-73 (C -)
67-70(D+)
63-67 (D)
60-63 (D -)
0-60 (F)
Ground Rules:
1) You must attend class regularly and participate in all class activities. You will lose considerable grade points
of up to 3 percentage points per class for excessive unexcused absences above beyond two. Please let me know
via e-mail if you plan to miss a class.
2) All assignments for a given day must be done before class.
3) Students are responsible for the assignments outlined on this syllabus and the course website. Absence at a
previous class is not an acceptable excuse for not completing assignments on time.
College of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences
PHIL220-001, Biomedical Ethics (3,0)
Spring 2013
3 credits
3
4) It is worth noting that each individual test will be curved upwards if the class average for that test is below a
C. It is also worth noting that final averages will not be curved upwards.
5) Use of headphones, cell phones and hats during exams is prohibited.
6) Cell phones must be turned off for all class and lab sessions. If the cell phone is on and rings, the student will
be asked to leave the class for the day and this will count as an absence.
University Policies and Statements:
The Americans with Disabilities Act & Accommodations
In compliance with Lake Superior State University policies and equal access laws, disability-related
accommodations or services are available to students with documented disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and you think you may require accommodations you must register with
Disability Services (DS), which is located in the KJS Library, Room 130, (906) 635-2355 or x2355 on campus.
DS will provide you with a letter of confirmation of your verified disability and authorize recommended
accommodations. This authorization must be presented to your instructor before any accommodations can be
made.
Students who desire such services should meet with instructors in a timely manner, preferably during the first
week of class, to discuss individual disability related needs. Any student who feels that an accommodation is
needed – based on the impact of a disability – should meet with instructors privately to discuss specific needs.
IPASS (Individual Plan for Academic Student Success)
If at mid-term your grades reflect that you are at risk for failing some or all of your classes, you will be
contacted by a representative of IPASS. The IPASS program is designed to help you gain control over your
learning through pro-active communication and goal-setting, the development of intentional learning skills and
study habits, and personal accountability. You may contact 635-2887 or email ipass@lssu.edu if you would like
to sign up early in the semester or if you have any questions or concerns.
Cheating Policy:
Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in certain disciplinary action, which might include failure of
specific project and/or failure of the complete course. Cheating includes (but is not limited to) the use of any
unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; dependence upon the aid of sources beyond
those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other
assignments; or, the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member
of college faculty or staff. Quotations must be used when the words are not your own and citations must
accompany the use of others’ ideas, even if you paraphrase their wording. Failure to do so is plagiarism.
------------------------------------ Topics List---------------------------------------------------------A.
B.
C.
D.
Moral Reasoning in the Medical Context (pp. 1-20)
Moral Reasoning in the Medical Context, part II (pp. 20-42)
Oaths, (pp. 59 – 71; 76 – 85)
Consent, (pp. 85 – 101)
College of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences
PHIL220-001, Biomedical Ethics (3,0)
E. Conflicts, (pp.101 – 118; 126 – 134)
F. Justice, (pp. 167 – 188)
G. Rationing, (pp. 233 – 240; 254 – 277)
H. Equality Issues, (pp. 277 – 289; 289 – 294)
I. Choosing for Others, (pp. 325 – 343; 369 – 383)
J. Patient Rights, (pp. 343 – 355; 355 – 369)
K. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Death, (pp. 417 – 421; 429 – 437; 437 – 455;)
L. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Death, (pp. 483 – 493; 493 – 502)
M. Review for test one
N. Test One
O. Death, (pp. 517 – 543)
P. Abortion, (pp. 543 – 556; 564 – 575)
Q. Embryonic Stem-Cell Research, (pp. 575 – 585)
R. Procreative Responsibility, (pp. 595 – 609; 619 – 631)
S. Assisted Reproduction, (pp. 641 – 669)
T. Reproductive Cloning, (pp. 669 – 696)
U. The Origins of U.S. Research Ethics, (pp. 711 – 741)
V. The Ethics of Randomized Clinical Trials, (pp. 741 – 753)
W. Deprivation and Less Than the Best Standard of Care, (pp. 753 – 766; 771 – 786)
X. Behavioral Genetics, (pp. 799 – 815)
Y. Enhancing Humans and Remaking Nature, (pp. 815 – 843)
Z. Against Aging (link)
AA. Neuroethics, (pp. 843 – 849)
BB. Test Two
Websites of interest:
President's Council on Bioethics
Spring 2013
3 credits
4