Dr. Kathleen Marie Dixon
Associate Professor, Philosophy

 

Fundamentals of Medical Ethics
Philosophy 780
Tuesdays 6-9:30 p.m.

This seminar introduces participants to the dynamic field of bioethics.  Participants will explore a rich, multidisciplinary literature, assessing the varied contributions and commitments of the professional cultures comprising bioethics.  We will trace conceptual and methodological transformations in the field, uncovering connections between theoretical structures, clinical and ethical perceptions, and mechanisms for the resolution of moral problems. 

The seminar integrates contributions from the medical humanities with critical analyses of health care delivery systems and professions offered by medical sociologists.  Phenomenological accounts of the lifeworlds of the ill and dying are used to enhance both moral perception and analysis. An environmental approach to an ethics of health care is deepened by sensitive attention to the demands of health care professions and institutions and the evolution of public policy governing health care.

The course explores classic themes of bioethics: health care provider-client relationships, informed consent, confidentiality, and end of life decision making. Careful analysis of the conceptual and experiential substrata of issues in bioethics will enable participants to do more than reconnoiter the currently available responses or positions.  We will attempt to better understand the forces that shape issues in bioethics, searching for tools—theoretical, narrative, and perceptual—that help us identify and meet underlying needs.

It would be impossible to conduct a detailed study of the mulitidisciplinary terrain of bioethics within the span of a semester.  While a central core of readings and themes for the seminar has been established, participants will collaborate in the identification and development of other topics for inclusion in the course.  Participants will also determine the nature of the graded activities they conduct for the course.  Those just beginning their studies in the field may wish to pursue a reading immersion experience on an area or issue, developing a rich research database consisting of careful Readers Logs or ‘Field Notes’ and presenting their findings to the seminar.  Other participants could pursue a focal interest, critically assessing key works by developing précis.  Clinicians or prospective ethicists could assemble a policy statement, protocol, or training program relevant to bioethics.  Other participants might wish to develop or refine a paper for submission to professional conferences or journals.  Finally, pedagogical options are also available for graded work.  Participants might choose to develop core components for related undergraduate coursework.

Texts for purchase include: Cassell, The Nature of Suffering; McGee, Pragmatic Bioethics; Hornblum, Acres of Skin; Chambers, The Fiction of Bioethics; Beauchamp and Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, and Nuland, How We Die.  Additional chapters and articles will be provided.