Summer 2018 Courses

Summer 2018 Courses: The Center for Bioethics is offering the following courses for Summer 2018, plus electives by advisement.

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6-8:30pm; Summer Session I; 5/21-7/1

Instructor: Chelsea Rosenthal

Description: This course examines the ethical foundations of public health and ethical issues that arise in the context of public health work. Topics will include, for example, balancing individual autonomy and community health, rights to health and healthcare, culturally respectful global health interventions, and the risk of generating stigma through public health campaigns.  We will also discuss the ethics of public health research, exploring topics such as privacy considerations in data gathering and informed consent in a community health context. 

 

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6-8:30pm; Summer Session II; 7/2-8/8

Description: In a democratic society, policy is set by the public and its representatives.  But making good policy sometimes requires scientificexpertise that the public lacks.  Certain contentious topics, such as climate change and evolution are marked by a significant gap between scientific consensus and public attitudes, with many people unwilling to trust scientific findings.  This course will begin with a brief exploration of core ideas from democratic theory, before focusing on tensions between the value of democracy and the value of scientifically-based policy.  Drawing on examples from recent U.S. politics, we’ll consider philosophical work on the possible sources of these tensions, individual responsibilities in light of them, and structural approaches to addressing them.