This unit begins with a brief exposition of some key concepts: subjective and objective aspects of the human person as a morally responsible agent with a rational and social nature, the meaning of ethics, ethical reasoning in the light of what is the good of and for persons; the relevance of secular and traditional criteria for determining morally good and bad actions vis-à-vis the Christian tradition and sound reasoning.  This part concludes with the role of conscience in decision-making.

In the light of the above foundation concepts and the relevant scientific and/or medical facts, consideration is given to ethical issues in health care selected from the following: the duty of reasonable care of health and life with its stages from conception to death: responsibilities of all involved in health care; ordinary and extra-ordinary means of  medical treatment for sickness and diseases  from  before birth to  palliative care at the end of life; human reproductive technology and embryo research.

Prerequisites

none

Prohibited Combination

this unit is not available to students who have previously completed DM208/308 or DM432

Requirements

3 hours per week

Assessment

Bibliography

• Ashcroft, Richard E., and Raanan Gillon, eds. Principles of Health Care Ethics. 2nd ed. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2007.
• Ashley, Benedict M., Jean DuBlois, and Kevin D. O’Rourke. Health Care Ethics: A Theological Analysis. 5th ed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2006.
• Bass, Madeline. Palliative Care Resuscitation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2006.
• Beauchamp, Tom L., and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001
• Ford, Norman. The Prenatal Person: Ethics from Conception to Birth. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.
• John Paul II. Evangelium vitae. Encyclical Letter. 1995.
• Kuhse, Helga, and Peter Singer, eds. Bioethics: An Anthology. 2nd. ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.
• O’Rourke, Kenan D., ed. A Primer for Health Care Ethics: Essays for a Pluralist Society. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2000.
• Singer, Peter. Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of our Traditional Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
• Taylor, Carol R., and Roberto Dell’Oro, eds. Health and Human Flourishing: Religion, Medicine and Moral Theology. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2006.