1. Philosophy 242 MEDICAL ETHICS
SUM2014, M-F, 9:40-10:40, SAV 156
INSTRUCTOR: BENJAMIN HOLE
OFFICE HOURS: M-F, 10:40-11 
Philosophy 242 MEDICAL ETHICS

2. Agenda Clicker Quiz What we’re doing and where we are
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion” by Pope John Paul II
Please set your Turning Technology Clicker to channel 41
Press “Ch”, then “41”, then “Ch”

3. Kantian Ethics Utilitarianism Hedonism None of the above
Which of the following theories best characterizes Pope John Paul II’s account of the personhood or moral standing (i.e., the features of a fetus that make it wrong to mistreat the fetus)?
Kantian Ethics
Utilitarianism
Hedonism
None of the above

4. Which of the following best characterizes Pope John Paul II’s argument against abortion?
A human fetus has a future like ours, and as such deserves the same moral protections as normal adult human beings
A human fetus from conception is an innocent human being, and thus has the same right to life as any other person
A human fetus from conception is a sentient creature, and thus has the same right to life as any other sentient creature
A human fetus has an immaterial soul about seven minutes after conception, and from then on has the same right to life as any other person.

5. the scientific confirmation that the fetus is most likely a person
Pope John Paul II claims that, even if it cannot be shown with certainty that a human embryo is a person, an “absolutely clear prohibition” on abortion can be justified by:
the “wisdom of repugnance” we feel from things like cloning, cannibalism, and abortion
the scientific confirmation that the fetus is most likely a person
our moral obligation to do what is in our own best interest
all of the above

6. Where we are and what we’re doing

7. Week
Required
June 22-26: Introduction to Bioethics in Philosophy
Benjamin Hole, Phil242 Syllabus and Course Website
Chapter 1 “Moral Reasoning in Bioethics” (3-32)
Chapter 2 “Bioethics and Moral Theories” (33-40)
June 29- July 3: Bioethics and Moral Reasoning
Writing Assignment due June 30
“Writing Philosophy” (PDF), Mark Woodhouse
“The Principle of Utility” (PDF), Jeremy Bentham
“Utilitarianism,” John Stuart Mill (52-54)
“The Moral Law,” Immanuel Kant (55-60)
July 6-10: Access to Healthcare
Chapter 11, “Dividing up Health Care Resources” ( )
“Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (PDF), Peter Singer
“Lifeboat Ethics” (PDF), Garrett Hardin
“The Survival Lottery,” (PDF) John Harris
July 13-17: Patient Autonomy and Informed Consent
Writing Assignment due July 14
Dax’s Case (in-class movie)
Chapter 3, “Paternalism and Patient Autonomy” (71-83)
Chapter 5, “Informed Consent” ( )
“Confronting Death: Who Chooses, Who Controls?” (PDF), Robert Burt and Dax Cowart
July 20-24: Disability and Culture
“Paternalism,” Gerald Dworkin (84-93)
Sound and Fury (in-class movie)
“Ethical Relativism in a Multicultural Society,” Ruth Macklin ( )
“Defending Deaf Culture,” (PDF) Robert Sparrow
July 27-31: Disability and Biomedical Enhancement
Writing Assignment due July 28
FIXED: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement (in-class movie)
“A Fatal Attraction to Normalizing” (PDF), Anita Silvers
“Ethical Issues in Human Enhancement” (PDF), Nick Bostrom & Rebecca Roache
August 3-7: Reproductive and Genetic Ethics
“Is Gene Therapy a Form of Eugenics?,” John Harris ( )
“Genetic Dilemmas and the Child’s Right to an Open Future,” Dena Davis ( )
“The Non-Identity Problem and Genetic Harms,” Dan W. Brock ( )
“The Wisdom of Repugnance,” Leon Kass ( )
August 10-14: Abortion
Writing Assignment due August 11
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion” (PDF), Pope John Paul II
“On the Legal and Moral Status of Abortion,” Mary Anne Warren ( )
“Why Abortion is Immoral,” Don Marquis ( )
“A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Thomson ( )
August 17-21: Paper Conference and Review
 Writing assignment 8/18, Final Paper due 8/20, Final Exam 8/21

8. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY Participation 10% Daily Quizzes 10%
Writing Assignments 25%
Final Exam 20%
Final Paper 35%
Total 100%
“EXTRA” CREDIT
Commentary for the Conference +5%
Total 105%

9. Final Exam (20%)
The final exam will be conducted on the last day of class, 8/21, and it will cover all of the course material. This includes lectures, handouts, discussions, and assigned readings. The point of the exam is for you to demonstrate that you are familiar with a broad range of concepts, skills, and views in ethical theory. Review for the final exam throughout the quarter by reviewing the weekly reading.
Review Clicker Quizzes
Review the Textbook’s Companion Website for Study Resources
Self-quizzes
Flashcards
Given all of the course material, what are things you have trouble explaining fully? Bring these questions to the in-class conference.

10. “The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
Pope John Paul II
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”

11. “The Wisdom of Repugnance” by Kass
unnaturalness
Cloning is repugnant
Repugnance is evidence of unnaturalness
The wisdom of repugnance: “the emotional expression of deep wisdom, beyond reason’s power to fully articulate it.”
Therefore cloning is unnatural.
If X is unnatural (in violating NLT values), then X is wrong.
X is unnatural
Therefore, X is wrong.
X: cloning, abortion, homosexuality, life extension, etc.

12. Pope John Paul II “The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
Two main components to the abortion debate:
Whether a fetus has moral standing.
How to treat people and things with moral standing.

13. A fetus has moral standing
Biological membership in the human species
Continuity argument: given biological membership, the only place where it makes sense to draw the line is at conception.

14. How to treat people with moral standing
teleology
NLT: “An action is right if and only if (and because) in performing the action one does not directly violate any of the basic values” (12):
Human Life
Human Procreation (which includes raising children)
Human Knowledge
Human Sociability

15. Pope John Paul II “The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
A fetus is a person with the right to life.
The human fetus from conception is “an innocent human being.”
Therefore, it “is to be respected as a person.”
Therefore, it has the same right to life (and in the same degree) as any other person.
It is morally wrong to kill a person with the right to life.
Therefore, it is morally wrong to kill a fetus. (Abortion is immoral.)

16. A fetus is a person with the right to life.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neutral
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

17. It is morally wrong to kill a person with the right to life.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neutral
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree