phil 233-bioethics rmnn'niwi syllabus · 2018-12-10 · phil 233-bioethics final exam (40%)....

Phil 233-Bioethics

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Phi l 233-Bioethics rmnn'niwi

ExamsMid-Term Exam (tocome)Final Exam (to come)

Syllabus

PHIL 233: Biomedical Ethics

Charlie Kurth362)

Email: ckurth [at] wustl [dot] edu

Office phone: 314-935-4753

Class: Tues/Thurs, 10:00-11:30 (McDonnell

Office Hours: Tues, 2:30-4:30pm, and by appointment

Office Location: Wilson 112

TA: Bryan Stagner

Email: bryan [dot] r [dot] stagner [at] wustl.edu

Office Hours: Tues&Thurs, 11:30am-12:30pm

Office Location: Wilson 116

Course OverviewOrgan transplants have proven to be a successful way of saving people's lives and improvingtheir well-being. But these procedures also raise serious questions that shape and challenge ourthinking across a range of ethical issues: When and by what means can we harvest organs fromothers? Given the scarcity of organs available for transplant, how should we decide who shouldget them? Given how risky and expensive transplant surgeries can be, should we even be doingthem in the first place? Are there ethical limits on what can be transplanted—for instance, is itpermissible to perform face transplants? In this course, we will take a close look at these andother issues as we examine the work of philosophers, doctors, and policy makers. Our aim willbe to get a better understanding of the ethics of organ transplantation. But, as we will see, theissues that we will investigate are also relevant to other areas of bioethics, and to moral andpolitical philosophy more generally.

TextsSelected readings available from the course web site

AssignmentsThis course will have three graded components:

■ Short writing assignments & participation (30%).You will be asked to complete six short writing assignments (1-2 double spaced pages).There will be one for each section of the course. These assignments are designed to allowyou critically engage with the readings and help prepare you for our class discussions.They will be evaluated for accuracy and effort (check plus, check, check minus). Theseevaluations will be combined with your class participation to determine your performancefor this portion of the course.■ You need to email a copy of your assignment to Bryan before the start of class on

the day that it is due (please type "Phil 233 Assignment #" in the subject line of youremail). You should also bring a hard copy of your assignment with you to class.

■ Mid-term exam (30%).The mid-term will be take-home exam covering material on sections 2 and 3 of the course.I will provide you with the questions approximately one week before they are due. Theexam will be due at noon on Monday, October 17.

https://sites.google.com/site/phil233bioethics/

Phil 233-Bioethics

Final exam (40%).The final exam will also be a take-home exam. It will cover material from sections 4-6 ofthe course and will be due at 6:00pm on December, 20. I will provide you with thequestions during the final week of class.

Advice and ResourcesMany of the reading assignments for this course are short. But don't let that fool you—philosophy is hard. How do you deal with this? Well, here are some suggestions: (i) Read thematerial more than once, (ii) After reading an essay, try and summarize the main claims andarguments in your own words—the will help you come up with questions and objections, (iii)Start the written assignments—especially the mid-term and final—early (doing this will help youreview your answers with a clear head), (iv) Most importantly, if you're puzzled or confusedabout something, ask questions!

PoliciesIn order to help ensure a successful class, please heed the following rules and policies:

■ Due Dates.Baring unusual circumstances, the due dates (especially for the mid-term and final) on thesyllabus are non-negotiable. If you think you have reason to miss an assignment, it is bestto inform me well in advance.

■ Classroom Environment.Please arrive to class on time. All cell phones must be turned off during class. Texting isnot permitted. Abuse of these courtesies may lead to penalties.

■ Statement of Academic Integrity.Students are expected to do their own work, as outlined in the University's AcademicIntegrity Policy. Violations will not be tolerated. You are responsible for familiarizingyourself with these policies. If you have any questions about them, feel free to contact me.

Tentative Schedule of Readings and Assignments

Section 1. Introduction

Tues, Aug 30:

■ Course introduction and overview

Thurs, Sept 1:

■ Read: syllabus, University's Academic Integrity Policy. Jim Pryor, "How to read aphilosophy article"

■ Harris, "New for Aspiring Doctors, the People Skills Test"■ Editorial, "The Value of Medicaid"" Short writing assignment 1

Section 2. Who is Dead?It seems like a simple question—who is dead? But, as we will see, this question proves to bevery difficult to answer. Moreover, how we answer it has significant implications for the supply oforgans available for transplant surgeries. So understanding the nature and ethics of death iscentral to debates about the permissibility of organ transplantation.


Phil 233-Bioethics

Tues, Sept 6:

" Harvard Medical School Definition of Brain Death ■■ Introduction to Presidential Commission Report [read pp. 3-12 only]

Thurs, Sept 8:

" Veatch. "The Whole-Brain-Oriented Concept of Death: An Outmoded PhilosophicalFormulation"

Tues, Sept 13:

" Singer, "Is the Sanctity of Life Ethic Terminally III?"

■ Short writing assignment 2

Thurs, Sept 15:

■ McMahan, "The Metaphysics of Brain Death"

Tues, Sept 20:

■ McMahan, con't

Thurs, Sept 22:

■ Veatch, "The Definition of Death: Problems for Public Policy"

Section 3. Ethical Issues in Organ ProcurementThe number of people in need of organ transplants greatly exceeds the number of organs that isavailable. In light of this fact, doctors, philosophers, and policy makers have consideredvarious—and morally contentious—ways of increasing the supply. For instance, is it permissiblefor people to ask others to donate their organs? Should we make organ donation compulsory?Should we allow the buying and selling of organs? What other options might there be?

Tues, Sept 27:

■ Veatch, "Gift or Salvage: Two Models of Organ Procurement"

Thurs, Sept 29:

■ Veatch, "The Myth of Presumed Consent"

Tues, Oct 4:

■ Spital & Erin, "Conscription of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation"

Thurs, Oct 6:

■ Kluge, "Organ Donation and Retrieval: Whose Body is it Anyway?"

" Short writing assignment 3

Tues, Oct 11:

" Matas, "The Case for Living Kidney Sales"

Thurs, Oct 13:

■ Caplan, "Transplantation at Any Price?"


Phil 233-Bioethics

■ Kahn & Delmonico, "The Consequences of Public Policy to Buy and Sell Organs forTransplantation"

Mon , Oct 17: Mid-term Exam DUE by Noon.

Section 4. Resource Allocation: Who Gets the Organs?Given the undersupply of organs available for transplant, we need to make decisions about whoshould get them. But we want to be able to do this in a way that is morally justifiable. In this partof the course, we investigate questions like the following: Should we give priority to the neediestpatients? Or should the probability of success be given greater weight? Should one's race orability to contribute to society matter? Should those who led unhealthy lives (e.g., alcoholics) begiven less priority? Is it appropriate to allow people to donate their organs only to a specificindividual (like their spouse)?

Tues, Oct 18

" Alexander, "Thev Decide Who Lives, Who Dies"

Thurs, Oct 20

■ Childress, "Putting Patients First"

Tues, Oct 25

" Moss & Siegler, "Should Alcoholics Compete Equally for Liver Transplantation?"

Thurs, Oct 27

■ Atterbury, "The Alcoholic in the Lifeboat"

Tues, Nov 1

" Murphy, "Would my Story Get Me a Kidney?"


Thurs, Nov 3

■ Kluge, "Designated Organ Donation"

Section 5. Resource Allocation: Transplants and Scarce ResourcesWhile transplant surgeries save lives, they are also risky and tremendously expensive.Moreover, there are other life-saving technologies that prove to be better with regard to bothsuccess and cost. In light of this, should we be allocating our scarce health care resources torisky and expensive treatments like transplants, or are there better ways to use these resourcesto provide medical services? In this part of the course, we look at both the theory and thepractice of allocating scarce resources and providing risky treatments.

Tues, Nov 8

■ Harris, "QALYfving the Value of Life"

Thurs, Nov 10

■ Lockwood, "Quality of Life and Resource Allocation" [focus on material in pp. 44-55]

Tues, Nov 15

• Bodenheimer, "The Oregon Health Plan: Lessons for the Nation"


Phil 233-Bioethics

■ Bennett "To the Editor" [starts at the top of column two, pg 642]


Thurs, Nov 17

■ Daniels, "Is the Oregon Rationing Plan Fair?"

Tues, Nov 22

■ Daniels, "Rationing Fairly"

Thurs, Nov 24

■ No Class—Thanksgiving Break

Tues, Nov 29

■ Fleck, "Just Caring"

Section 6. Face Transplants: Medicine, Well-being, and IdentityDoctors in France recently performed the first complete face transplant on a 38 year-old womansuffering from a severe deformity that resulted from a genetic disorder. This surgery raised aseries of ethical questions that have led some to conclude that such procedures are not morallyjustified. Consider: Since the procedure is life improving (rather than life saving), why should weaccept the costs and the risks that it brings? Who should be eligible for such surgeries? Giventhat faces are so central to how we recognize one another, are these transplants fair to thedeceased donors (and their family and friends)?

Thurs, Dec 1

■ Wiggins, et. al., "On the Ethics of Face Transplantation Research"■ Butler et. al.. "Face Transplantation: When and for Whom?"

Tues, Dec 6

■ Freeman et. al., "Justifying Surgery's Last Taboo: The Ethics of Face Transplants"


Thurs, Dec 8

■ TBD

Tues, Dec 20, 6:00pm: Final Exam DUE

Attachments (32)BAtterbury-Alcoholic in Lifeboat.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 i 6:1 5 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)

304k Download

BlBennett-Editorial.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:1 5 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)52Sk Download

BlBodenheimer-OregonPlan.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:1 6 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)70k Download

BButler-FaceTransplants-WhenForWhom.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 1 6:16 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)74k Download

P|Caplan-Tran5plantation at Any Price.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:16 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)38k Download

Jchildress-Putting Patients First.pdf- on Aug 28, 2011 6:17 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)3GGk Download


Phil 233-Bioethics

I Daniels-Is Oregon Plan Fair.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:17 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)79Sk Download

| Daniels Rationing Fairly.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:17 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)59Sk Download

(Fleck-JustCaringOregonPlan.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:18 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)1 0 3 3 k D o w n e d

|Freeman- LastTaboo-FaceTransplants.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:18 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)156k Download

|Harris- QAtYfying the ValueofLife.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:18 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)1291k Download

lHarvarddefinition.pdf on Aug 28, 2011 6:18 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)2432k Download

|Kahn&Delmonico Consequences ofSales.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:18 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)4 5k Download

lKluge-DirectedOrganDonation.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:19 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)2027k Download

|Kluge-Donation&Retrieval.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:19 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)1620k Download

|Lockwood-Quality of tife.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:19 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)6295k Download

|Matas-Case for Living Kidney Sales.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:56 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)102k Download

J McMahan Metaphysics of BrainDeath.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 1 6:19 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)2133k Download

(Moss&Siegler Alcoholics and Livers.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:1 9 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)7S2k Download

lMurphy-KidneyStory.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:19 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)223k Download

|New for Aspiring Doctors-NYT.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 7:07 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)SSk Download

IPresCommissionl981-DefiningDeath.pdf- on Aug 28, 2011 6:20 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)2S35k Download

(Singer-Sanctity of Life.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:20 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)936k Download

JSpital-Organ Conscription.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:20 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)1219k Download

|Value ofMedicaid.pdf- on Aug 28, 2011 6:21 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)I 94k Download

| Veatch-Chl0.pdf - on Aug 28, 201 I 6:21 AM by Charlie Kurth (version I)2508k Download

jVeatch-Ch4.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:21 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)1 1684k Download

|Veatch-Ch5.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:21 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)7735k Download

|Veatch-Ch9.pdf- on Aug 28, 2011 6:21 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)S926k Download

| Wiggins-Ethics of FaceTransplants.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:22 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)130k Download

| Writing assignment 1 .pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:22 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)5Sk Download

(Writing assignment 2.pdf - on Aug 28, 2011 6:22 AM by Charlie Kurth (version 1)57k Download

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phil 233-bioethics rmnn'niwi syllabus · 2018-12-10 · phil 233-bioethics final exam (40%)....

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