Biomedical Ethics
Philosophy 330 / Dr. Neuner
San Diego State University
Spring Semester 2011
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Peñafuerte-Neuner (prefer Dr. Neuner)
OFFICE HOURS
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:30 am
and Mondays 2:30-3:30 pm
OFFICE
Arts and Letters 444
EMAIL
aneuner@att.net
COURSE OBJECTIVES
In this course, we will study ethical issues in modern medicine. Ethics addresses questions
about how one should act in a given situation. Medical ethics in particular focuses on such
questions in the context of patient care and the distribution of medical resources, and seeks
to determine which options in medical practice are obligatory, which permissible, and
which impermissible. Are experiments that combine animal and human genes ethical?
How do we distribute vaccinations in the face of pandemic flu? Should a pregnant woman
be punished for exposing her fetus to risk? Should prisoners be allowed to participate in
research? Should mistakes made by physicians be revealed to their patients?
We will begin by exploring interesting case studies about current, real-life events involving
bioethical issues and debate these issues by analyzing contradictory positions. We will
then discuss theoretical perspectives including utilitarian, Kantian, feminist, virtue and
communitarian ethics to give us a more critical framework for analyzing these key issues
and problems in medicine.
TEXTBOOK 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
Topics
Readings
Week 1
Jan 25 & 27
Chapter 4 Experimentation and Research
1. Clinical Research and Medicine
2. Developing Countries
pp. 201-210
pp. 219-231
pp. 232-240
Week 2
Feb 1 & 3
3. Vulnerable Populations
4. Clinical Trials
pp. 250-262
pp. 268-276
Week 3
Feb 8 & 10
Chapter 5 Health, Normalcy, etc.
pp. 277-295
Exam One: Chapters 4-5 on Tuesday, February 8
Week 4
Feb 15 & 17
Chapter 5 Health and Normalcy, etc.
1. The Body
2. Sexual Identity
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pp. 306-322
pp. 331-340
Week 5
Feb 22 & 24
Chapter 6 Beginning of Life
1. Abortion
2. Ethical Dilemmas in the Care of
Pregnant Women
pp. 345-357
pp. 357-374
pp. 379-382
Week 6
March 1 & 3
3. Medical Control of Pregnancy & Childbirth pp. 383-399
Exam Two: Chapters 5-6 on Thursday, March 3
Week 7
March 8 & 10
Chapter 6 Assisted Reproductive Technologies pp. 400-418
Chapter 7 Genetic Technologies
pp. 435-445
1. Testing and Screening
pp. 445-459
Week 8
March 15 & 17
2. Genetic Knowledge
3. Therapy and Enhancement
4. Stem Cells
Week 9
March 22 & 24
5. Human Cloning
pp. 508-516
Exam Three: Chapters 6- 7 on Thursday, March 24
March 28-April 1
Spring Break!
Week 10
April 5 & 7
Chapter 8 Organ Donation and Transplantation pp. 517-524
1. Scarcity and Allocation
pp. 524-539
2. Allocating Organs
pp. 564-588
Week 11
April 12 & 14
Chapter 9 Aging
1. Aging and the Ends of Medicine
2. Ethical Issues in Long Term Care
Week 12
April 19 & 21
3. Ethics and Alzheimer's Disease
pp. 634-646
Exam Four: Chapters 8 & 9 on Thursday, April 21
Week 13
April 26 & 27
Chapter 10 Issues at the End of Life
1. End-of Life Decisions for the Vulnerable
2. The Dying Process
pp. 668-676
pp. 677-691
pp. 692-710
Week 14
May 3 & 5
3. Active and Passive Euthanasia
4. Physician-Assisted Suicide
pp. 716-730
pp. 732-755
Week 15
May 10
Review for Final Exam
Optional Presentations
FINAL EXAM
Thursday, May 19, 10:30am-12:30pm on Chapter 10
pp. 468-479
pp. 483-502
pp. 503-507
pp. 589-596
pp. 597-603
pp. 604-633
The course schedule is subject to revision. Please refer to weekly updates and announcements for
additional details and changes in the schedule. Unless there are unexpected emergencies, we will keep the
exam and quiz dates fixed, but adjust course materials as needed.
ASSIGNMENTS
Five Exams
Value
20% each
2
Paper/Presentation (due on Week 14 )
Value 20%
This last assignment is optional. Students who missed an exam or did not do well on a particular
exam may complete this assignment in place of the missed or low-scoring exam. The paper and
presentation topic will be related to a case study (see pp. 787-797) involving the particular chapter
that the missed or low-scoring exam covered.
EXAMS: Students should complete five exams valued at 20% each. Toward the end of the
semester, students can opt to turn in an assignment Exams will consist of scantron, short answer
and essay questions covering text readings and lecture material.
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-
MAKEUP EXAMS
If a student can offer good reason for missing an exam (documentation needed), then a makeup
exam will be given to him or her sometime during the semester. As a rule, makeup exams will be
different in format from the exam taken by the rest of the class and will consist of written questions
rather than scantron questions. Makeup exams will probably be more difficult than the regular
exam, but students will be given additional time to prepare for it.
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. If a student must
miss a class for good reason, then an appointment may be made with the instructor for explanation
of missed lecture material and exercise answers. 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 in their exams and papers. No extra credit will be offered any time during or
after the semester.
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. TA’s and Dr. Neuner may confiscate cell
phones or electronic devices that should not be used by students during class. PLEASE RESPECT
OTHER STUDENTS by not chatting with one another during class. Certain students may be asked
to leave the lecture hall due to their disruptive behavior.
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.
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LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES, ATHLETICS, ETC.
By the end of the second 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 two weeks in order to
be excused from scheduled tasks on scheduled days. If student athletes wait until after the 14 Sept
deadline, faculty members are not obliged to accommodate their requests for extensions, make-ups,
etc. Please notify me if you plan to be absent for religious observance, athletics, etc. and I will
make appropriate accommodations.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is considered a serious offense in academic institutions. In this class, a paper containing
plagiarism will receive an F. Plagiarism occurs when a person refers to somebody else’s words or
ideas without properly citing the source. Even summarizing or paraphrasing another person’s
original ideas can count as plagiarism when one fails to acknowledge one’s source. You do not
have to cite a source when using “common knowledge” or generally accepted facts. When in
doubt, a student ought to cite the source. In place of a more formal footnote/endnote system,
students in this class may cite sources by using an internal citation and bibliography system:
Internal citation and bibliography - After each quotation or summary in the text
include in parentheses the last name of the author, the date of the publication, and the
page number of the citation, e.g. (Thomson, 1984, 7). Then at the end of the work
include an alphabetized bibliography of works cited. Students may refer to the CMS,
MLA or APA systems for proper punctuation of bibliography.
The
library
has
a
module
available
to
help
writers
avoid
plagiarism:
http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism. In addition, the library also has a site about citing sources:
http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/styles/cite/shtml.
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