Period 4 Bioethics

Bioethics Curriculum

2008-2009

One Semester Course

Dr. Christine Rogers

In this class, a lot of reading has to be done and students are asked to write essays on their opinions regarding some of the issues presented. The requirements to pass this class are attendance and proper preparation to the various discussions in class. Each movie will be accompanied by a question sheet to be filled during or after the movie. These sheets will be graded and count as test grade. Essays will be done in class on some of the topics approached. Participation is responsible for 50% of the grade. Students will be required to present individually or in groups a particular aspect of biology where ethics applies. They will chose among a list of topics. They will receive a bonus of 5 points on their presentation grade if they chose to work individually.

My role is not to impose my personal opinion on others, but to allow all opinions and ideas to be expressed equally and respectfully by all. Each student will be given equal opportunity to participate and discuss their ideas in a non threatening environment. Every cultural, religious or political opinions expressed by students will be accepted as long as they are based on appropriate arguments, facts and are respectful of everyone in the room. However, any comment made in hateful, sarcastic or disrespectful manner will be strongly sanctioned and will lead to proper disciplinary action from the administration.

Week 1 and 2

• Characteristics of Life. What is the definition of life?
• Alive versus Conscious- Life and Consciousness- What are the differences and how differentiating being alive from being conscious is important for medical and biological practice.
• Reading:  Life on other planets? How do we know? How do we define it, if it is so different that we cannot imagine it?
• Forms of consciousness in lower animal species? Is being conscious the same as being intelligent?  What does it mean to be aware?
• Mini-lab: Optical illusions and sensory illusion. Is reality only a perception of our senses? Then what is reality?
• Movie: “Awakenings” with Robin Williams.
• Discussion on the movie: What is consciousness? How do we consider mental patients with impaired consciousness?
• Reading: “The Panther” Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Week 3

• What does it mean to be human? Is it a matter of consciousness, intelligence?
• Reading: What does make “humanity”? Various readings from philosophers.
• Movie: “Bicentennial Man” with Robin Williams.
• Discussion on the movie: what makes an individual human?

Week 4 and 5

• The practice of medicine.
• Disease and the disabling effects of disease.
• Importance of compassionate medical care.
• Movie: “Patch Adams” with Robin Williams.
• Documentary: Meeting the real Patch Adams.
• Reading: the Hippocratic Oath.
• Discussion:  What does it mean to be a doctor? The Hippocratic Oath and its application in today’s medical care.
• Discussion: What is transference? Discussion on the benefits and dangers of transference.

Week 6 and 7

• What is the definition of “medical treatment”?
• What is death and how do we deal with death?
• Society’s history on dealing with death. How civilization has dealt with death over time an centuries.
• What are a “DNR” and a “Proxy”? Decisions to take when entering a hospital and decisions to make when you or a relative is seriously sick.
• Clinical research and correct protocols regulating clinical research. Ethical uses of placebo in clinical research and how it is done to benefit the patients. When does one decide to withdraw clinical research? Criteria used to test new procedures and medications.
• Movie: “Wit” with Emma Thomson. Some students may have the option against watching this very difficult and emotional movie on cancer, if they chose to. In this case they will be assigned a reading on a related topic in the library.
• Discussion of the movie “Wit”. Extension of the discussion: When does one decide to stop an unsuccessful treatment?  Death and acceptance of death, medical treatments and medical research on patients.

Week 8 and 9

• Clinical research on epidemics.
• Viruses and major illnesses in the world today. HIV and other viruses.
• Bird flu and various epidemics in the world. What do you do to stop epidemics? How are we willing to go to stop it and what are the precautions we should take in case of any outbreak.
• Mini-lab: Spreading germs.
• Readings: Spreading of Aids in third world countries. Threats of bird flu.
• Movie: “Outbreak” with Dustin Hoffman (permission form signed by parents, required for this movie rated R for some inappropriate language)
• Discussion of the movie “Outbreak”.

Week 10, 11 and 12

• Genetic counseling and testing for diseases prior pregnancies or in unborn children.
• Discussion on genetic testing.
• Movie: CSI “Heat” (a case involving the death of an infant with Tay-Sachs Disease)
• Genetic engineering, stem cell research and cloning.
• Biological techniques involved in genetic engineering
• Reading: Current laws regulating stem cell research and cloning.
• Movie: “Gattaca” Ethan Hawke.
• Discussion on the movie: How does genetic engineering affect your life today? How will it affect your future?

Week 13

• Plagiarism in today’s world.
• Influence of the world wide wed on the availability of information.
• Reading: NY Times series of articles on plagiarism and cheating.
• Movie: “The Emperor’s Club” with Kevin Kline.
• Discussion on the movie: Is it worth cheating?

Week 14

• Compassion. Helping others in the modern society.
• Movie: “Pay it forward” with Helen Hunt
• Discussion on the movie. What is empathy and what is compassion? Are those feelings based on morality or are they wired inside our brains?
• PBS  “Nova” documentary on Mirror Neurons: Extended discussion on Mirror Neurons and how modeling is at the base of our society moral values and learning systems.

• Wrap up and final comments and discussions.
• Presentation of individual/group presentations.

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