Philosophy 281Y
Bioethics
Fall 2003
1160 Bahen Centre Professor Gopal Sreenivasan
MW 2-3:
(416) 978-2824
There will be three course packages. The first package is now available at the U
of T Bookstore on College. It covers all
the readings through November 12. The other
packages will become available later.
Assignments
There will be four examinations and two essays (2000 words) over the course of the whole year, an essay and two examinations in each term. Each term there will be an in-class mid-term and an examination during the finals period.
The assignments will carry the following weights:
Essays: 20 % each.
Fall mid-term: 5 %.
Fall end-term examination: 12 %.
Spring mid-term: 10 %.
Final examination: 33 %.
Reading
Schedule
September 8 Introduction.
Medical
ethics
Physician/patient
relationship
S 10 Kass, “Is there a medical ethic?” Towards A More Natural Science
(1985), ch. 9.
Emanuel and Emanuel, “Four Models of the Physician-Patient
Relationship,” JAMA 267 (1992): 2221-26.
S 15 Katz, The Silent World of Doctor and Patient (1984), ch. 6.
Gawande, “Whose body is it, anyway?” Complications (2002): 208-27.
Paternalism
& Well-Being
September 17 Feinberg, Harm to Self (1986), ch. 17.
S 22 Parfit, Reasons and Persons (1984), Appendix I.
S 24 Brock and Wartman, “What happens when competent patients make
irrational decisions?,” N. Engl. J. Med. 322 (1990): 1995-99.
Feinberg, ch. 19.
Brock, “Paternalism and Autonomy,” Ethics 98 (1988): 550-65.
S 29 Field, Surrogate Motherhood (1988), Introduction and ch. 5.
Wertheimer, “Two Questions about Surrogacy and Exploitation,”
Philosophy
& Public Affairs 21 (1992):
211-39.
Informed
Consent & Autonomy
October 1 Berg et al., Informed Consent, 2 ed. (2001), chh. 3-4.
P.A. Singer (ed.), Bioethics at the Bedside (1999), chh. 1-2.
O 6 Faden and Beauchamp, History and Theory of Informed Consent (1986), pp. 274-87.
O 8 Mid-term examination. In class.
O 13 Thanksgiving. No class.
O 15 Benn,
“Freedom, Autonomy, and the Concept of a Person,” Proceedings
of the Aristotelian Society (1976): 109-30.
O 20 G. Dworkin, Theory and Practice of Autonomy (1988), ch. 7.
O 22 Brock, “Informed Consent,” Life and Death (1993): 21-36 and 43-54.
Refusal
of Treatment
O 27 Film, “Dax’s Case.”
Cowart and Burt, “Confronting Death: Who Chooses, Who Controls?,”
Arnold
and Menzel, “When Comes ‘The End of the Day?’,”
Center
Report 28 (1998): 25-7.
O 29 Annas, “When Suicide Prevention Becomes Brutality: The Case of
Elizabeth Bouvia,”
Annas,
“Elizabeth Bouvia: Whose Space Is This
Anyway?,”
Center
Report 16 (1986): 24-5.
Annas,
“Transferring the Ethical Hot Potato,”
(1987): 20-21.
Angell, “The Case of Helga Wanglie—A New Kind of ‘Right to Die’
Case,”
N. Engl. J. Med. 325 (1991): 511-12.
Miles, “Informed Demand for ‘Non-Beneficial’ Medical Treatment,” N.
Engl.
J. Med. 325 (1991): 512-15.
Quill, “Death and Dignity—A Case of Individualized Decision Making,”
N.
Engl. J. Med. 324 (1991): 691-94.
November 3 No class.
N 5 No class.
Competence & Surrogate Decision-making
N 10 Faden and Beauchamp, pp. 287-94.
Brock, “Informed Consent,” 36-43.
N 12 Buchanan and Brock, Deciding for Others (1990): 87-112.
First essay topics handed out.
N 17 Buchanan
and Brock, 112-151.
Distributive
Justice and Health Care
Universality
of Access
N 19 Williams, “The Idea of Equality,” Problems of the Self (1973), ch. 14.
Walzer, Spheres of Justice (1983), ch 3.
N 24 Rawls, Theory of Justice (1971), §§11-14.
N 26 Daniels, Just Health Care (1985), ch. 2.
First essay due in class.
December 1 Daniels, ch. 3.
D 3 Sreenivasan, “Health care and equality of opportunity.” MS.
End of Fall Term. Course
continues in January.
End-term
examination during Fall finals period (D 8-17).
Office
hours
Sreenivasan Mondays
4-5 and Tuesdays 2-3. Room
921,
I will also hold office hours by appointment.
TAs Office
hours to be announced.
Late
penalties
Essays submitted after the due date will be penalised one increment of a grade (e.g., from B to B-). Essays submitted a week or more late will be penalised a further increment for each week late.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. It comes in various forms, all of which carry grave penalties. If in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, ask. You should consult the Philosophy Department’s statement on plagiarism.
Writing help
Help in writing is available from the Philosophy Department’s essay clinic. You are also encouraged to consult the Department’s guide to writing a philosophy essay.
Course Web Page
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~gsreeniv/courses/281.htm