24.06J | Spring 2009 | Undergraduate

Bioethics

Calendar

This table provides information about both the lecture (L) and recitation (R) sessions.

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
Ending life
L1 Introduction to the course  
L2 From euthanasia to assisted suicide  
R1 Euthanasia  
L3 Killing for the greater good I  
L4 Killing for the greater good II  
R2 Killing vs. letting die  
L5 Withdrawal of life support  
R3 Withdrawal of life support and the ICU  
Beginning life
L6 Neonatal dilemmas Paper 1 due
L7 Are people organisms?  
R4 Neonatal dilemmas and personal identity  
L8 The ethics of abortion I  
L9 History and abortion  
R5 The morality and legality of abortion  
L10 The ethics of abortion II  
L11 Obligations of pregnancy Paper 2 due
R6 The obligations of pregnancy and Thomson on abortion  
Optimizing life
L12 Procreation and future people I  
L13 Procreation and future people II  
R7 The non-identity problem  
L14 Eugenics and its legacies  
L15 Genetic engineering Paper 2 rewrite due
R8 From eugenics to genetic engineering  
L16 Slippery slopes  
L17 Enhancing or cheating  
R9 Enhancing, treating, and cheating  
Valuing life
L18 The political economy of organs  
L19 Valuing lives I Paper 3 due
R10 The political economy of organs  
L20 Valuing lives II  
R11 Utilitarianism  
L21 Rationing health care  
L22 Valuing lives III  
R12 Rationing health care and valuing lives  
Regulating life
L23 Public health vs. individual rights?  
L24 Public health and individual responsibility  
R13 Rights, responsibilities, and public health  
L25 Self binding  
L26 Conclusions Final paper due

Course Info

Learning Resource Types
Written Assignments