Phil 2113: International and Biomedical Ethics

University of Minnesota, Morris
Professor Collier

Course Description: This course examines a series of ethical issues that arise in the context of international relations and biomedical technologies. Topics include: warfare, abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, patient autonomy, involuntary hospitalization, humanitarian intervention, organ donation, famine relief, and genetic enhancement.

Course Readings:

Beitz et al. (Eds.) International Ethics

(*) = available on Moodle

Class Reading Schedule:

Hobbes: Human Nature, Chapter 14 §2-14 and Chapter 15 §8-10 (*); Cohen: "Moral Skepticism and International Relations" (23-33)

Hume: Treatise of Human Nature, "Of the Origin of Justice and Property", §2-11 (*) and "Of the Laws of Nations" (*); Cohen: "Moral Skepticism and International Relations" (33-50)

Mavrodes: “Conventions and the Morality of War” (75-89); Nagel: "War and Massacre", § I, III, and VI (53-55, 56-59, 68-72)

Fullinwider: “War and Innocence” (90-97) and Alexander: "Self-Defense and the Killing of Noncombatants, A Reply to Fullinwider" (98-105) [CLASS DEBATE]

Tooley: "In Defense of Abortion and Infanticide" (37-50, 62-65) (*)

Marquis: "Why Abortion is Immoral" (183-192, 201-202) (*)

Thomson: "A Defense of Abortion" (*)

FIRST EXAM

Rachels: "Active and Passive Euthanasia" (*) and Nesbitt: "Is Killing No Worse Than Letting Die?" (*)

Brock: "Voluntary Active Euthanasia" (*) and Callahan: "When Self-Determination Runs Amok" (*)

Mill: On Liberty (*) and Dworkin: "Paternalism" (*)

Schwartz: "Autonomy, Futility, and the Limits of Medicine" (*) and Savulescu: "Rational Non-Interventional Paternalism: Why Doctors Ought to Make Judgments of What is Best for Patients" (*)

Mill: "A Few Words about Non-Intervention" (*) and M. Walzer: “The Rights of Political Communities” (172-182, 192-194)

Luban: "Just War and Human Rights" (207-216); Nussbaum: "Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism" (*)

SECOND EXAM

Kant: "Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals" (*) and O'Neill: "Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems" (*)

Singer: "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"

Rawls: "Justice as Fairness" (*) and Beitz: "Justice and International Ethics" (282-298)

Moss and Siegler: “Should Alcoholics Compete Equally for Liver Transplantation?” (*) and Cohen et. al: “Alcoholics and Liver Transplanation” (*) [CLASS DEBATE]

Harris: “Survival Lottery” (*)

Rachels: "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (*) and Midgley: "Trying Out One's New Sword" (*)

Nussbaum: "Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Genital Mutilation"

Sandel: "The Case Against Perfection: What's Wrong with Designer Children, Bionic Athletes, and Genetic Engineering" (*)

THIRD EXAM