Issues in Bioethics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

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 Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://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 must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order 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.