Biomedical Ethics (Philosophy 156)				Spring 2010
 
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Instructor: Greg Frost-Arnold			Email: gfrost-arnold@hws.edu
Office Phone: 781.4509			
Office Hours: (Demarest 308) W&F 11:00-12:00, Th 10-11:30, & by appointment
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
This course examines ethical issues that arise in the practice of medicine, in the delivery of health care, and in biomedical research. Ethical issues arise in all areas of human activity, but they arise in medicine with special urgency and difficulty. Some reasons for this are the special nature of the physician/patient relationship, the importance of the matters of life and death involved, the difficulty in distributing health care in a fair manner, and the many recent technological advances in medical treatment that exacerbate all of these problems. Among the issues considered are informed consent, patient autonomy, the nature of the concepts of health and disease, genetic intervention, medical experimentation, reproductive control, and fair allocation of health care delivery.

COURSE GOALS: 
Students in this course will:
1. develop two essential philosophical skills: argument reconstruction and evaluation, and
2. apply these two skills to a variety of ethical issues in medicine.
	
TEXTS:  
There is only one required book in the bookstore, Bioethics: An Anthology, edited by Helga Kuhse and Peter Singer.  But there are two more sources for required readings: (i) writings freely available on the web, and (ii) items posted to Blackboard.  You must print out these internet-based texts and bring them to class.
 
GRADING & ASSIGNMENTS: 
There will be four 3 page essays during the term, the first worth 15% of your final grade, the next three worth 20% each.
	There are also five short written assignments, which check your comprehension of certain material.  These five together are worth 15% of your grade.
The final 10% of your grade comes from participation, which includes not only your comments and questions during class time, but also your contribution to the class discussion board on Blackboard.  To count, posts must be at least 80 words, and must be posted by 11PM the night before the class when the associated reading is due.  Each student will be assigned a regular day of the week to post (Sun., Tu, or Th).  We will begin with Feb. 1’s class.  Your lowest 2 scores will be dropped.  

CLASS POLICIES:  
Participation: You are allowed three unexcused absences.  After that, your final grade will suffer.  If you have a problem and must miss class, please inform me as soon as you can.  You must provide documentation (or other evidence) to be excused.  

Repeatedly engaging in activities that impair class function, such as talking to your neighbor, napping, or using your phone, will count against your participation grade.  No laptops are allowed in class, unless you give me a convincing reason why you need it.

A late paper will be penalized, one step (e.g. B+ to B) for each 24 hours it is late.

Cheating or plagiarism, in any form, absolutely will not be tolerated.  If this class is to succeed as a collaborative learning project for you and me, it must be based on respect and trust between us.  Anyone who abuses that trust will be punished to the extent that University policies allow; the usual penalty is failing the course. You are responsible for knowing HWS’s Principle of Academic Integrity (http://www.hws.edu/catalogue/policies.aspx).

If you have a documented disability, I will do everything I can to help you succeed in this class.  You need to contact the Coordinator of Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to obtain a letter stating exactly what special accommodations you receive, and then you and I must meet to discuss how best to meet your needs.  Disability related accommodations and services generally will not be provided until the registration and documentation process is complete. More information can be found at http://www.hws.edu/disabilities.  The CTL phone number is x3351 or TTY x4412, or you can email David Silver at silver@hws.edu.

Further information about the CTL: Hobart and William Smith Colleges encourage students to seek academic collaborations and resources that will enable them to do their best work.  Students who would like to enhance their study skills, writing skills, or other academic skills may visit the CTL website at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx.

Philosophy Teaching Fellows.  Assistance with course material is available through the Teaching Fellows program.  The Teaching Fellows program uses a collaborative approach to teaching and learning; fellows are nominated by department faculty, and selected jointly by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the department.  The Teaching Fellows, in turn, act as learning facilitators, helping their peers adapt to a subject’s discourse, offering support for many course levels, and promoting academic interaction between students and faculty as well as among students.  The Philosophy Teaching Fellows will usually hold hours in the evenings Sun-Thurs, 7-10PM, in Demarest 309.  If you have never written a philosophy paper before, they can be a tremendous help.

Turn off your phones, please.