| Course title | |||||
| 生命倫理 [Bioethics] | |||||
| Course category | general education courses | Requirement | Credit | 2 | |
| Department | Year | 3～ | Semester | 3rd | |
| Course type | 3rd | Course code | 01SD0108a | ||
| Instructor(s) | |||||
| 植草 弘美 [] | |||||
| Facility affiliation | Graduate School of Agriculture | Office | afjgxte/L1151 | Email address | |
| Course description |
|
Bioethics started in 1960’s as a part of “applied ethics”. Bioethics was required acutely at that time because there was a severe problem how we can and should deal with a drastic change of our view of life associated with the development of science and technology, especially with the rapid progress of medicine. Our aim is to think about the various specific problems under debate within bioethics so that we can recognize the importance of bioethics in modern society. This course is designed as one of the courses for 'Science, Technology and Society' in General Education curriculum. |
| Expected Learning |
|
1) Recognize the essential features and significance of bioethics. (2) Raise a critical mind about the serious problems caused by the scientific progress. (3) Make mature judgements based on the diversity of our values and the plurality of our faith. |
| Course schedule |
|
1. Learning the essential features of bioethics and reconsidering the possibility and the limitation of utilitarianism. 2. Learning why bioethics is necessary and what its role is in modern society referring to the unpredictable influence of scientific development. 3. Ethics at the beginning of life (1): The ethical problems of using human fertilized eggs and embryos for research. 4. Ethics at the beginning of life (2): The ethical validity of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion. 5. Ethics at the beginning of life (3): The ethical problems raised by surrogate mother and other reproductive technologies. 6. Considering the ethically valid standards under which physicians are permitted to withhold treatment to neonates born with congenital diseases. 7. Searching for the cause of child abuse or neglect and reconsideration of the desirable relationship between individuals and society. 8. Considering the ethical problems of “enhancement” and “genome editing,” which artificially promote human ability “beyond therapy”. 9. Arguing how to distribute the limited medical resources based on the critical situation of the health insurance system in Japan. 10. The ethical problems of welfare policy: its necessity, “Moral Hazard” and the society which is tolerant of the weak. 11. Ethics at the end of life (1): Reconsideration of the justifiability and the moral ground of death penalty referring to the criticism of the global community for “punishment against humanity”. 12. Ethics at the end of life (2): Arguing about the ethical validity of “euthanasia” by reviewing the meaning of life, the priority of QOL and the extent of the right of self-determination. 13. Ethics at the end of life (3): Discussing whether a brain-dead person is “truly dead as a human being” and reconsidering the definition of human death. 14. Ethics at the end of life (4): Risk-benefit evaluation and the ethical dilemma of organ transport and the future of regenerative medicine. 15. Summary and guidance for the final examination. |
| Prerequisites |
| In addition to 30 hours in the classes and time required for preparation of course works, students are recommended to prepare for and review the classes, spending the standard amount of time as specified by the University. |
| Required Text(s) and Materials |
| No designated textbooks. |
| References |
| Introduced as necessary. |
| Assessment/Grading |
|
Final examination (70%): Evaluate the accurate understanding of the important themes of bioethics and the objective verification of their own views from a broad perspective. Others (30%): Evaluate the deeper understanding of bioethical issues through positive remarks during lectures and voluntary reports after lectures. |
| Message from instructor(s) |
| Let’s wrestle with “questions without the right answer” together. |
| Course keywords |
| Office hours |
| ・Wednesday, 10:00〜10:30 ・Please ask questions during the breaks before and after classes ・Please email me to (address) for questions and appointment request |
| Remarks 1 |
| Remarks 2 |
| Related URL |
| Lecture Language |
| Japanese |
| Language Subject |
| Last update |
| 3/3/2020 1:51:55 PM |