THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Course Syllabus
Montgomery County Center
Rockville, Maryland

410.637.71: Bioethics
Spring, 1995
Instructor: Evan G. DeRenzo, Ph.D.
Time: 6:00 -8:45 pm
Home Telephone #: (301) 279-0148
NIH Telephone #: (301) 496-2429

1. Purpose of Course

The primary purpose of this course is to provide a grounding, through readings and discussion, in
the basic principles and theories of bioethics. Secondarily, this course is designed to help
students develop systematic strategies for analyzing bioethical dilemmas and frameworks for
applying this knowledge. These goals will be met through examination of such bioethical
concerns as distinctions between subjectivity and objectivity, involvement of animals and
humans in research, issues of scientific integrity and the ethics of the business of science. These,
and other, bioethics issues will be considered against a background of classical and contemporary
readings in moral philosophy.

2. TEACHING METHODS

The teaching method for this course will be seminar format. That is, students will be expected to
have thoroughly prepared for class by having read the assigned material so that rigorous and
insightful discussion can occur during class. Also, consideration and discussion of assigned
readings will be augmented by audio-visuals, where appropriate.

3. Grading Policy

A) Assignments and Examinations:

a) Each student will write a 5-page, double-spaced, typed, research paper addressing a
point or issue that has been raised by material covered in the class.

b) Each student will make a 10 minute oral presentation connecting some point of class
discussion to a news item of relevance to course material.

c) There will be a two hour final exam.

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B) Grading Procedures

a) All assignments and the final exam will be graded A,B,C, or F. One grade will be
dropped, automatically, for any work turned in late without prearrangement.

b) Your papers will be handed back with comments/edits where appropriate. If you are
not satisfied with your grade, you may rewrite it in light of the comments/edits. The
higher grade will stand.

c) To increase objectivity in grading, please make certain to identify your paper and exam
by student number, only.

d) The final exam, which will be essay, will account for 50% of your final grade. The
paper and case presentation will account for another, approximately, 35%. The Quality
of your class participation, as well as your consistency in attendance, will account for
the remainder. Frequent absences of which I am uninformed will contribute negatively
to your final grade.

4. Class Schedule

Feb. 2: General introduction of students, instructor and semester's subject matter. Review
syllabus and cover housekeeping details. Sign up for oral presentations. Introduce basic bioethics
vocabulary.

Feb. 9: Consequentialism and Deontology: The Problem of Organ Procurement. Sommers &
Sommers, Chapt. 2, Bentham, Smart, Williams, Kant, Benedict and Hospers; Shannon, Chapts.
26 & 27.
Start reading Djerassi's Cantor's Dilemma.

Feb. 16: Virtue Ethics, Good and Evil: The Problem of Organ Procurement (cont'd): Sommers &
Sommers, Chapt. 1, Hallie, Nietzche; Chapt. 2, Hare; Chapt. 3, Aristotle, Mayo, McIntyre.

Feb. 23: Vice, Choosing Moral Conduct and Scientific Integrity: Sommers & Sommers, Chapt. 4,
Plutarch, St. Augustine, Abelard, Johnson, Fried; Chapt. 5, Plato, Singer; Bulger et. al., Part II.

March 2: Where Do We learn About Morality?; Reproductive Ethics: Sommers & Sommers,
Chapt 6, Aristotle, Kohlberg, Sher r,. Bennett, Gilligan, Duska, Bloom, Sommers; Shannon,
Chapt. 6.

March 9: Character and Self-Respect: Who Are We?; Genetic Ethics: Sommers & Sommers,
Chapt. 7; Shannon, Chapts. 7 & 8.

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March 16: Ethics at the End of life: Sommers & Sommers, Chapt. 10, T’ao Ch'ien, Tolstoy,
Camus, Nagel; Shannon, Part Two, Chapts. 9, 10, 14.

March 23: Research Ethics: Bulgar et. al., Parts III, IV & V; Djerassi.

March 30: Animals in Research: Bulgar et. al., Part VII, Part VIII, Chapts. 23 & 24. Case(s) to be
provided.

April 6: Human Subjects Research: Bulgar et. al., Part VI, Shannon, Part Three, Chapts. 16 & 19;
DeRenzo article to be provided. Papers due.

April 13: Objectivity and Subjectivity: The Ethics of Drawing Conclusions: Bulgar et. al., Part I;
Shannon, Part Two, Chapts. 11, 12, Part Three, Chapts. 17, 20.

April 20: The Ethics of the Business of Science: Bulgar et. al., Part IX. Case(s) to be provided.

April 27: Public Policy Issues: Bulgar et. al., Parts I H r,. H; Shannon, Part Four, Chapts. 23, 24,
30.

May 4: Final Exam

5. Required Texts

Bulgar, R.E., Heitman, E. [;- Reiser, S.J. (Eds.). (1993). The Ethical Dimensions of the
Biological Sciences. Cambridge University Press: NY.

Djerassi, C. (1989). Cantor's Dilemma. Penguin Books: NY.

Shannon, T.A. (Ed.). (1993). Bioethics: Basic Writings on the Key Ethical Questions that
Surround the Major, Modern Biological Possibilities and Problems. Paulist Press:
Mahwah, NJ.

Sommers, C. & Sommers, F. (1993). Vice & Virtue in Everyday life: Introductory Readings in
Ethics. Harcourt Brace College Publishers: Fort Worth, TX.

6. Suggested Readings

Addelson, K.P. (1991). Impure Thoughts: Essays on Philosophy, Feminism & Ethics.
Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Arras, J.D. (1989). Ethical Issues in Modern Medicine. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield
Publishing Co.
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Beauchamp, T.L. and Childress, J.F. (1990). Principles of Biomedical Ethics. New York: Oxford
University Press.

Beauchamp, T.L., Faden, R.R., Wallace, R.J., Walters, L. (1982). Ethical Issues in Social
Science Research. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Beauchamp, T.L. and Walters, L. (1989). Contemporary Issues in Bioethics. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Brazier, M. and Lobjoit, M. (Eds). (1991). Protecting the Vulnerable: Autonomy and consent in
Health Care. Routledge: NY.

Brody, B.A. and Engelhardt, H.T. Jr. (1987). Bioethics: Readings & Cases. Englewood Cliff, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Brody, E.B. (1993). Biomedical Technology and Human Rights. UNESCO Publishing: Paris,
France.

Brody, H. (1992). The Healer's Power. Yale University Press: New Haven, CN.

Bulgar, R.E. and Reiser, S.J. (Eds.) (1990). Integrity in Health Care Institutions. Iowa City, 10:
University of Iowa Press.

Callahan, J. (1988). Ethical Issues in Professional Life. NY: Oxford University Press.

Caplan, A.L. (1992). If I Were A Rich Man Could I Buy A Pancreas? And Other Essays On The
Ethics of Health Care. Indiana University Press: Bloomington & Indianapolis.

Card, C. (1991). Feminist Ethics. Lawerence, KS: University Press of Kansas.

Committee for the Protection of Human Participation in Research. (1982). Ethical Principles in
the Conduct of Research with Human Participants. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychological Association.

Cortese, A. (1990). Ethnic Ethics: The Restructuring of Moral Theory. State University of New
York Press: NY

Council for Responsible Genetics (1992). Genetic Engineering: Unresolved Issues. Council for
Responsible Genetics: Cambridge, MA.

Crittenden, P. (1990). Learning to be Moral: Philosophical Thoughts about Moral Development.

NJ: Humanities Press International, Inc.

Darr, K. (1987). Ethics in Health Services Management. NY: Praeger.

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Dudley, W. (1990). Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press: San Diego,
CA.

Edwards, R.B. and Graber, G.C. (1988). Bioethics. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
Publishers.

Feldstein, P.J. (1988). The Politics of Health Legislation. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Adminstration
Press Perspectives.

Fischhoff, B., Lichtenstein, S., Slovic, P., Derby, S.L., Keeney, R.l. (1981). Acceptable Risk.
New York: Cambridge University Press.

Flack, H.E. & Pellegrino, E. (1992). African-American Perspectives on Biomedical Ethics.

Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Forester, T. (1990). Computer Ethics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Fox, M. W. (1992). Superpigs and Wondercorn: The Brave New World of Bioetechnology and
Where it All May Lead. Lyons & Burford, Publishers: NY, NY.

Fox, R. (1989). The Sociology of Medicine: A Participant Observer's View. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice Hall.

Freedman, W. (1991). Legal Issues in Biotechnology and Human Reproduction: Artificial

Conception and Modern Genetics. Quorum Books: NY.

Garrett, T.M., Bailie, H.W., Garrett, R.M. ( 1993). Health Care Ethics: Principles and Problems.
Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Gendel, S.M., Kline, A.D., Warren, O.M., Yates, F. (1990). Agricultural Bioethics: Implication
of Agricultural Biotechnology. Iowa State University Press: Ames, IO.

Gilligan, C. (1982). In a Different Voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Ginzberg, E. (Ed) (1991). Health Services Research: Key to Health Policy. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.

Ginzberg, E. (1990). The Medical Triangle: Physicians, Politicians, and the Public. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.

Grodin, M. A. & Glantz, L.H. (1994). Children as Research Subjects: Science, Ethics & Law.
NY: Oxford University Press.

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Gruzalski, B. and Nelson, C. (1982). Value Conflicts in Health Care Delivery. Cambridge, MA:
Ballinger Publishing Co.

Harris, J. (1992). Wonderwoman and Superman: The Ethics of Human Biotechnology. NY:
Oxford University Press.

Hitt, W.O. (1990). Ethics and Leadership: Putting Theory into Practice. Columbus, OH: Battelle
Press.

Jacobs, P. (1991). The Economics of Health and Medical Care. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Press.

Katz, J. (1972). Katz, J. (1972). Experimentation with Human Beings. NY: Russel Sage
Foundation.

Kelly, E. (1988). Professional Ethics in Health Care Services. Washington, D.C.: University
Press of America.

Kuhn, T. S. (1977). The Essential Tension: Selected Studies in Scientific Tradition and Change.
The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL.

Kuhn, T.S. (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago
Press.

Levine, R. (1986). Ethics and Regulation of Clinical Research. Baltimore, MD: Urban &
Schwarzenberg.

Mappes, T.A. and Zembaty, J.S. (1991). Bioemedical Ethics. New York: McGraw-Hill.

McMullin, E. (1992). The Social Dimensions of Science. The University of Notre Dame Press:
Notre Dame, IN.

Medawar, P. (1984). The Limits of Science. Oxford University Press: NY.

Panel on Scientific Responsibility and the Conduct of Research, Committee on Science,

Engineering and Public Policy. (1992). Responsible Science: Ensuring the Integrity of the
Research Process. National Academy of Science Press: Washington, D.C.

Porter, R.J. & Malone, T.E. (1992). Biomedical Research: Collaboration and Conflict of
Interest. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD.

Rest, J.R. (1986). Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory. New York: Praeger.

Rivlin, A.M. & Timpane, P.M. (1975) Ethical and Legal Issues of Social Experimentation.
Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution.
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Robinson, D.N. (1988). Psychology & Law: Can Justice Survive the Social Sciences? New York:
Oxford University Press.

Rohr, J. (1989). Animal Rights: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, I nc.: San Diego, CA.

Ross, J.W., Glaser, J.W., Rasinski-Gregory, D., Gibson, J.M., Bayley, C. (1993). Health Care
Ethics Committees: The Next Generation. Chicago, Il: American Hospital Association.

Rothenberg, K.H. & Thomson, E.J. (1994). Women and Prenatal Testing: Facing the Challenges
of Genetic Technology. Ohio State University Press: Columbus, OH.

Rothman, D.J. (1991). Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics
Transformed Medical Decision Making. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Satris, S. (1992). Taking Sides: Clasing Views on Controversial Moral Issues. Guildford, CN:
The Dushkin Publishing Co.

Shannon, T.A. and Manfra, J.A. (1982). Law and Bioethics: Texts with Commentary on Major
US Court Decisions. NY: Paulist Press.

Sieber, J.E. (1992). Planning Ethically Responsible Research: A Guide for Students and
Institutional Review Boards. Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 31. Newbury
Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Smith, G.P., Ethical, Legal and Social Challenges to a Brave New World. Volumes 1 & 2. Palo
Alto, CA: Associated Faculty Press, Inc.

Smith, G.P., (1989). The New Biology: Law, Ethics and Biotechnology. NY: Plenum Press.

Sram, R.J., Christen, l.P. (Eds.).( 1991). Ethical Issues of Molecular Genetics in Psychiatry. NY:
Springer-Verlag.

Stanley, B. &- Sieber, J.E. (1992). Social Research on Children and Adolescents: Ethical Issues.
Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Tong. R. (1993). Feminine and Feminist Ethics. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Van Wyk, R.N. (1990). Introduction to Ethics. NY: St. Martin's Press.

Veatch, R.M. (ed.).( 1989). Medical Ethics. Boston: Jones and Barlett Publishers.

Veatch, R.M. (1987). The Patient as Partner: A Theory of Human Experimentation Ethics.
Indiana University Press: Bloomington, IN.

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Webber, O.J. (1990). Biotechnology: Assessing Social Impacts and Policy Implications. Policy
Studies Organization Series, Nos. 260. NY: Greenwood Press.

Weisz, G. (Ed.) (1990). Social Science Perspectives on Medical Ethics. Dordrecht, Germany:
Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Wheale, P. & McNully, R. (1990). The Bio-Revolution: Cornucopia or Pandora's Box? London,
UK: Pluto Press.

Wilkinson, S.L. & Perry, S. (1991). Biotechnology and the Diagnosis of Genetic Disease: Forum
on the Technical, Regulatory and Societal Issues. Final Report of the Program on
Technology and Health Care. Washington, D.C.: Department of Community and Family
Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center.

Williams, C.W. (1932). (1984 Edition Compiled by Robert Coles). The Doctor Stories. NY: New
Direction Books.

Williams, P .J. (1991). The Alchemy of Race and Rights. Harvard University Press: Cambridge,
MA.

Wright, A.A. (1987). Human Values in Health Care: The Practice of Ethics. New York:
McGraw-Hill.