Health Care Ethics and the Law (Fall 2000)

In this course, students will develop an understanding of health law and health care ethics, and of the relationship – and tensions – between law and ethics in the health care context. Topics covered will include allocation of health care resources, physician assisted suicide and euthanasia, human genetics, pregnancy and reproductive technologies, and research involving humans. Throughout the course, students’ attention will be directed to the tension between autonomy and paternalism that informs many of the issues that we will consider throughout the course. By the end of this course, students will be able to: - understand and explain the current legal status of a variety of contemporary issues in health law; - state and defend positions on a range of issues in health care ethics and law; - participate respectfully in discussions on controversial issues in health care ethics; and - articulate the major arguments about one specific issue in health care ethics and law, and adopt and thoroughly defend a position on that issue