This course will provide an introduction to bioethics as an academic field of social, cultural and political significance. Beginning with its inception in the late 1960’s, this course will commence with a historical overview of the fields or disciplines development. Subsequently we will consider a number of substantive topics of bioethical concern, and do so from a range of disciplinary perspectives, thereby attempting to 'go beyond' the limits of applied bioethical thought. Concepts and definitions of life and death will be discussed in the context of contemporary bioethical discourse. We will then explore the phenomenon of medicalisation in which human conditions and problems come to be defined and treated as medical conditions. This will then be taken up in the context of bioethical speculations regarding ‘love drugs.’ Looking to the future, we will explore emerging bioethical challenges brought by rapid advances in technology and medicine as well as interrelated social changes and cultural developments. Having taken this course you will have a good grasp of bioethics as an academic field, as an influential mode of thought that not only shapes the way we understand the life sciences and healthcare but also contributes to the way we shape ourselves and our moral culture(s). You will also be in a position to appreciate the fact that our collective responses to these issues will fundamentally shape our future existence.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate an awareness of the historical and intellectual origins of bioethics and the benefits and limitations of an interdisciplinary approach.
- Define historical and current theoretical and conceptual definitions of life and death and their role within contemporary bioethical discourse(s).
- Demonstrate increased capacity to critically evaluate bioethical issues from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives as presented in academic and non-academic discourses.
- Review, appraise and critically engage with the phenomenon of bio/medicalisation and its relationship with the way human conditions, identities and behaviors are understood.
- Identify and reflect upon the bioethical challenges that result from rapid and unpredictable advancements in the biosciences, biotechnology and medicine and their influence on the (bio)political landscape.
- Discuss the (bio)political role of bioethics in regulating and governing biotechnologies, biomedical practices and critically reflect upon the way in which these forces shape the socio-cultural contexts we inhabit.
Indicative Assessment
- 1 x 1,000 word essay (30) [LO 1,2,3]
- Essay plan (800 words) (25) [LO 3,4]
- 1 x 2,500 word essay (45) [LO 3,4,5,6]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 12 x 3 hours seminars (composed of lecture and small group discussions) per semester (36 hours).
- Approximately 94 hours of self-study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions, as least some of which will be dedicated to developing the essay plan and final assessment.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Each week there will be one or two assigned readings and a number of additional readings that will provide a starting place for the assessment relating to that week.
Preliminary Reading
In each week there will be around 2 assigned readings. An additional number of suggested readings will also be provided so as to provide a starting point for those writing their essays on that weeks topic. The following references provide a sense of the underpinning literature:
Borry, P., P. Schotsmans, and K. Dierickx. 2005. ‘The Birth of the Empirical Turn in Bioethics.’ Bioethics 19(1): 49–71. [See also: Hurst, S.A. 2010. ‘What “Empirical Turn” in Bioethics?’ Bioethics 24(8): 439–44.]
Caplan, A.L. 1980. ‘Ethical Engineers Need Not Apply: The State of Applied Ethics Today’. Science, Technology & Human Values 6(33): 24–32.
Daniels N. 2000. Normal Functioning and the Treatment-Enhancement Distinction. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 9(3):309–22.
Earp, B., A. Sandberg, and J. Savulescu. 2015. ‘The Medicalization of Love’. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 24(3): 323–36. [See associated commentaries and response to critics in same issue, and Emmerich, (2016)]
Emmerich, Nathan. 2016. ‘Limitations in the Bioethical Analysis of Medicalisation: The Case of Love Drugs’. Social Theory & Health. 14(1): 109–128.
Fausto-Sterling A. 1993, The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are not Enough. The Sciences 33:20–24. (and: Fausto-Sterling A. 2000. The Five Sexes, Revisited. Sciences; 40:18–23.)
Fox, R.C., and J.P. Swazey. 1984. ‘Medical Morality Is Not Bioethics: Medical Ethics in China and the United States’. Perspectives in Biological Medicine 27(3): 336–60.
Giacomini M. 1997. A change of heart and a change of mind? Technology and the redefinition of death in 1968. Soc Sci Med 44(10):1465–82.
Jonsen, A.R. 1998. The Birth of Bioethics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kaufman, S.R. & Morgan, L.M. 2005. ‘The Anthropology of the Beginnings and Ends of Life’. Annual Review of Anthropology 34(1): 317–41.
Macklin, R. 2003. ‘Dignity Is a Useless Concept’. BMJ: British Medical Journal 327(7429): 1419–20.
Parens, E. 2013 ‘On Good and Bad Forms of Medicalizat
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4200 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4671 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | View |
