Contemporary Ethical Issues
| Theme: | (Exploring) / Theological Ethics |
| ECTS: | 5 |
| Module Code: | HE 2332 |
| Contact Hours | 22 |
| Mode of Delivery | Lectures |
| Lecturer: | Professor Maureen Junker-Kenny |
Module Description:
The course analyses contemporary biomedical debates in their underlying philosophical and theological principles, values, and views of the human being.
The course examines the different Irish, European and international argumentations and legislations that these debates have produced. Issues at the beginning and at the end of human life, the possible conflict between parents’ and children’s perspectives, and the visions of society and humanity implied in positions on advance care directives, on the new reproductive technologies, genetics, healing, enhancement, and cloning will be discussed. Films and excerpts from (what used to be?) science fiction will provide additional avenues to the topics.
Indicative Bibliography:
Ammicht-Quinn, R. , Junker-Kenny, M., Tamez, E. (eds.), The Discourse of Human Dignity, Concilium 2003/2 (London: SCM Press, 2003).
Buchanan, A. and N. Daniels, et al., From Chance to Choice (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).
Habermas, J., The Future of Human Nature (London: Polity Press, 2003).
Hildt, E. and Graumann S. (eds.), Genetics in Human Reproduction (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1999).
Irish Council for Bioethics, “Opinion” on Advance Healthcare Directives (2007).
Law Reform Commission, Current Proposals Consultation Paper 51, “Bioethics: Advance Care Directives” (2008).
Mieth, D., “Bioethics, Biopolitics, Theology,” in M. Junker-Kenny (ed.), Designing Life? Genetics, Procreation and Ethics (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1999) 6-22.
O’Neill, O., Autonomy and Trust in Bioethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002).
Picoult, J., My Sister’s Keeper (London: Hoffer, 2005).
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- Distinguish social, individual, and professional ethical perspectives to biomedical ethics.
- Interpret the principles invoked, ‘dignity, ‘autonomy’, ‘embodiment’, ‘privacy’ within different schools of moral thought.
- Trace differences in European debate and legislations to two traditions of thinking about autonomy.
- Explain the empirical and the transcendental concepts of human dignity.
- Assess theological argumentations on God’s creation and human co-creation.
Methods of Assessment and Student Workload:
Annual examination and essay.