Description:
Are you prepared for a brave new world? Some say that the age that will come after the information age will be known as the age of biology. Already, we hear about euthanasia, stem cells, genes, genomes, and health care in the news almost nightly. The ethical issues that accompany these new technologies force us to reexamine what words like “humanity”, “person”, “respect”', “fair”, “justice”, and “benefit” mean.
This is a survey course covering various contemporary topics in bioethics, focusing on issues encountered in biomedicine, genetics and research. Areas to be studied include assisted reproductive technology, end-of-life decision making, gene therapy, genetically modified organism, stem cells and animal and human research. We will examine these issues from many sides, weighing the reasons people have for believing them with a mind towards forming a well-supported position and creating a brave new world in which we can all live in the age of biology. |