Theoretical Foundations of Bioethics I
- Course Number
- CHL3011H
- Series
- 3000 (Bioethics)
- Format
- Hybrid
- Course Instructor(s)
- James Anderson
Course Description
This introductory course focuses on the history and foundations of bioethics as a field of inquiry and practice, including key bioethics concepts, theories, methods of ethical reasoning, and applications in healthcare, health research and public health. Key theoretical approaches to be examined in this course include: utilitarianism (consequence-based theory), Kantianism (duty-based theory), virtue ethics, casuistry, principle-based approaches, and critical epistemologies in bioethics. Students will also explore the nature of ethical judgment, the basis of moral authority, the fundamentals of ethical argumentation and justification, critical thinking in bioethics analysis and inquiry, and the role and limits of theory in applied bioethics practice.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, you will have demonstrated your ability to:
- Describe the distinguishing features of key ethical theories
- Identify the strengths and limitations of bioethics theory in applied bioethics practice
- Apply critical thinking and philosophical ethical reasoning to analyze bioethics issues
- Assess the social and historical context of bioethics concepts, theories and approaches
Methods of Assessment
| Reading Responses | 20% |
| Topics of Interest Writing Assignment | 15% |
| Essay Outline and Annotated Bibliography | 30% |
| Final Essay | 35% |