Suggested topics
Ethical issues can be integrated into traditional biology curricula in
many ways. The following list provides some ideas to get you started.
- Organ Transplantation: Which of several matched donors should receive
a particular organ?
- New Reproductive Technologies: In vitro fertilization, Surrogacy,
RU-486, pre-implantation embryo screening, cloning. Is there a significant
difference between cloning sheep for pharmaceutical production and cloning
humans?
- Human Genome Project: Should employers be able to screen job applicants
for specific genetic conditions? Who should have access to this information:
family members, lawyers, insurance agencies?
- Gene therapy: What are the potential ramifications of somatic and germ-line
gene therapy?
- Fetal Tissue Transplantation: Does a fetus have rights? If so, what
are they and who is responsible for representing the interests of the fetus?
- AIDS: issues involving disclosure, privacy, discrimination, insurance
coverage
- Euthanasia: What is the right to die? How does withdrawing or withholding
treatment differ from physician assisted suicide?
- Health Care Allocation: How do we decide who gets access to health
care, particularly expensive equipment and therapies?
- Environmental Issues: How do we decide between conservation and economic
interests, for example, in the Pacific Northwest? Is a "Land Ethic"
viable in the face of scarce resources?
Go Back to Teaching Bioethics
Go on to Syllabus for a Course in Bioethics
|
Teaching & Learning Index