Issues in Bioethics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

Admission into the Master of Arts in Professional and Applied Ethics or MC-EMA Executive master of Arts or 344AB Master of Public Policy and Management or Masters by Coursework programme at the University of Melbourne with coordinator approval.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject explores ethical issues raised by current practices in medicine and by future developments in biotechnology and genetics. Among the issues that will be investigated are: controversial choices in medicine; abortion; euthanasia, assisted suicide and infanticide; in vitro fertilisation; preimplantation and prenatal genetic selection; life extension and cryonics; human enhancement; conscientious objection in the medical context; and human cloning.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• have developed a deeper philosophical and ethical understanding of a range of contentious issues in contemporary bioethics

• be motivated to draw connections between the philosophical and ethical dimensions of those issues and other issues in their personal and professional lives

One 5,000 word essay due at the end of semester (100%).

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject. Regular participation in class is required. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A booklet of readings will be available at the beginning of the semester

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.