Bioethics and Philosophy of Public Health

Course goals

Upon completion of this course participants have the ability to:
-be able to analyze and evaluate problems in health care ethics and philosophy of medicine;
-be able to critically review central arguments and theoretical approaches in bioethics;
-be able to analyze, criticize and apply relevant concepts, e.g. autonomy, fairness, competence, informed consent, paternalism, health & disease, etc.;
-be able to argue for particular points of view in concrete problem cases and to acknowledge the strength and weakness of relevant arguments;
-have improved independent learning skills, and presentation and writing skills.


 

Content

To what extent should governments aim to reduce health risks for citizens? How to evaluate technological medical innovations? And is euthanasia of demented patients in a progressed state morally permissible? Biomedical ethics is an interesting and complex branch of applied ethics. At the start of the course students will choose a specific ethical issue for an in-depth analysis. They will work during the course on this issue and scrutinize arguments in order to develop a well-argued viewpoint or position resulting in a paper. During the course we will study the theoretical approaches, concepts, arguments and methods in medical ethics and philosophy of medicine necessary to identify, analyse and understand ethical issues and to find justifiable approaches to these issues.

 

Additional information

You have to be enrolled for Applied Ethics. Other students need to contact the course coordinator: Sven Nyholm. 
The entrance requirements for Exchange Students will be checked by International Office and the programme coordinator. Therefore, you do not have to contact the programme coordinator yourself.

Career orientation: Students will learn what type of roles ethicists in the field of health care ethics play and the type of expertise needed. The achieved knowledge and skills are useful for a professional career in health care organizations as well academic ethics centers.