Bioethics is a special branch of ethics applied
to the realm of medicine and biomedical research.
It is, in the words of one of its experts, “the
response of traditional ethics to particular stresses
and urgencies that have emerged by virtue of new
discoveries and technology”. Its aim is to
provide answers to the moral questions posed by
new developments in bio-technology in the context
of value pluralism. These developments require
us to resolve the conflict between old beliefs
and ideas of human well-being and the new ideas
and values made possible by new technologies. The
biomedical realm affects the quality of human life,
birth and death; therefore, it must be of utmost
importance for us to take decisions about how to
act with respect to these issues. The mission of
bioethics is to enable us to make such decisions.
The ultimate goal of this seminar is to expose
students to the complexity of the issues that bioethics
grapple with and to afford them a first-class understanding
of the issues. Seminar participants will have an
understanding of the history of bioethics and the
various landmarks in its development. Seminar participants
will be able to discuss the important topics in
bioethics: ethical theory and principles of bioethics,
physician-patient relationship, justice and allocation
of health care resources, technology and the human
control of life, euthanasia and physician assisted
suicide, and cross-cultural bioethics, among others.
Seminar participants will discuss and analyze sample
cases to ascertain their understanding of the issues.
