International/Biomedical Ethics

This course examines a series of ethical issues that arise in the context of international relations and biomedical technologies. Topics include: warfare, terrorism, abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, patient autonomy, humanitarian intervention, organ donation, famine relief, and genetic enhancement.

Introduction

Abortion

Tooley: "In Defense of Abortion and Infanticide" (37-50, 62-65)

Abortion II

Marquis: "Why Abortion is Immoral" (183-192, 201-202)

Abortion III

Thomson: "A Defense of Abortion"

Abortion IV

Hursthouse: "Virtue Theory and Abortion"

Suicide

Hume: "Of Suicide"

Euthanasia

Rachels: "Active and Passive Euthanasia"

Nesbitt: "Is Killing No Worse Than Letting Die?"

Euthanasia II [Class Debate]

Brock: "Voluntary Active Euthanasia"

Callahan: "When Self-Determination Runs Amok"

First Exam

Moral Relativism

Rachels: "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (§2.1-2.6, §2.8)

Benedict: "A Defense of Cultural Relativism"

Moral Relativism II

Rachels: "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (§2.7)

Nussbaum: "Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Female Genital Mutilation"

Justice

Hobbes: Leviathan, Chapters 13-15 (selections)

Cohen: "Moral Skepticism and International Relations" (23-33)

Justice II

Hume: Treatise of Human Nature, "Of the Origin of Justice and Property" §2-11

Hume: "Of the Laws of Nations"

Cohen: "Moral Skepticism and International Relations" (33-50)

Just War Theory

Valls: "Can Terrorism Be Justified?"

Just War Theory II

Mavrodes: “Conventions and the Morality of War” (75-89)

Just War Theory III [Class Debate]

Fullinwider: “War and Innocence” (90-97)

Alexander: "Self-Defense and the Killing of Noncombatants, A Reply to Fullinwider" (98-105)

Paternalism

Mill: On Liberty (Selections)

Dworkin: "Paternalism"

Paternalism II

Schwartz: "Autonomy, Futility, and the Limits of Medicine"

Savulescu: "Rational Non-Interventional Paternalism: Why Doctors Ought to Make Judgments of What is Best for Patients"

Second Exam

Interventions

Mill: "A Few Words about Non-Intervention"

Walzer: “The Rights of Political Communities” (178-194)

Interventions II

Luban: "Just War and Human Rights" (195-202, 207-216)

Walzer: "The Moral Standing of States" (217-224, 231-235 up to "military transactions")

Luban: "The Romance of the Nation State" (238-243)

Distribution of Resources

Kant: "Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals"

O'Neill: "Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems"

Distribution of Resources II

Singer: "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"

Distribution of Resources III

Rawls: "Justice as Fairness"

Beitz: "Justice and International Ethics" (282-298)

Distribution of Resources IV [Class Debate]

Moss and Siegler: “Should Alcoholics Compete Equally for Liver Transplantation?”

Cohen et. al: “Alcoholics and Liver Transplantation”

Distribution of Resources V

Harris: “Survival Lottery”

Genetic Manipulation

Glannon: "Genetic Enhancement"

Final Paper Workshop

Third Exam