Bioethics 101 Day 1

Our goals Recognize ethical questions Assess the facts and listen to multiple viewpoints Make a reasoned judgement

Classroom rules for discussions Be respectful listeners Consider others' viewpoints

What is bioethics? Ethics: a field of study that provides a systematic, rational way to work through dilemmas and to determine the best course of action in the face of conflicting choices. "Why do we act as we do?" "How do we decide what to do when people disagree about a complex issue?" Bioethics: ethics applied to life sciences

What is an "ethical question"? Usually involve "ought" or "should" Conflicting moral choices Underlying values of people involved may clash Multiple solutions No right or wrong answer that satisfies everyone Better or worse answers based on reasoned justification

Which are ethical questions? Is it legal to sell human kidneys in the US? How does a kidney function inside the human body? What does my religion say about whether or not it is acceptable to donate a kidney? Should individuals who donate a kidney choose who the organ goes to? What type of diet allows for the best athletic performance?

Which are ethical questions? (cont.) Is killing someone always illegal? Should people select the sex of their child in advance? Are same-sex marriages constitutional? What is the most appropriate way to worship? Do kidneys taste good?

What type of question is this? Who should be saved during a flu outbreak when there is not enough life-saving vaccine available for everybody?

Flu Pandemic! Please read the scenario in the workbook Make your individual choice about how the vaccine should be distributed Pay attention to HOW you make each decision We will talk through your choices in a moment

Common approaches ("societal standards") Save the youngest Draw straws Save the weakest Save the most useful Respect relationships

What are the facts of the flu scenario? The need for facts When considering any ethical question, it's important to examine the available facts and assess what additional information is needed. What are the facts of the flu scenario?

Does this change any of your answers? What if...? The senior citizen is primary caretaker for eight of her grandchildren. The mother refusing treatment is in her 60s. The son is in his 40s. The doctor is a podiatrist ("foot doctor") The woman who thinks she is pregnant has been married to the nurses aide for about a year. They have no children. Does this change any of your answers?

Ethical questions arise when... Individual Individual Individual Individual Individual Individual

Science has ethical implications Should parents be able to genetically select offspring that will be a perfect donor match (blood, bone marrow, etc) for other sick offspring? Should we allow embryos left over from in vitro fertilization clinics to be destroyed for stem cell research, if they would otherwise be discarded? Should people be allowed to use genetic engineering to choose favorable traits for their offspring? Should we clone human beings?

Our goals Recognize ethical questions Assess the facts and listen to multiple viewpoints Make a reasoned judgement

Homework Find a news article that involves ethics and science Identify and write down an ethical question Potential ideas stem cells GMOs human experimentation cloning