Transcript Pope John Paul II

SUM2014, M-F, 9:40-10:40, SAV 156
INSTRUCTOR: BENJAMIN HOLE
OFFICE HOURS: M-F, 10:40-11
EMAIL: [email protected]
Philosophy 242
MEDICAL ETHICS
Agenda
1.
Clicker Quiz
2.
What we’re doing and where we are
3.
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion” by
Pope John Paul II
•
Please set your
Turning Technology
Clicker to channel 41
Press “Ch”, then
“41”, then “Ch”
Which of the following theories best characterizes Pope John Paul
II’s account of the personhood or moral standing (i.e., the features
of a fetus that make it wrong to mistreat the fetus)?
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Kantian Ethics
Ka
A.
Which of the following best characterizes Pope
John Paul II’s argument against abortion?
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A human fetus has a future like ours,
and as such deserves the same moral
protections as normal adult human
beings
A human fetus from conception is an
innocent human being, and thus has the
same right to life as any other person
A human fetus from conception is a
sentient creature, and thus has the
same right to life as any other sentient
creature
A human fetus has an immaterial soul
about seven minutes after conception,
and from then on has the same right to
life as any other person.
A
A.
Pope John Paul II claims that, even if it cannot be shown
with certainty that a human embryo is a person, an
“absolutely clear prohibition” on abortion can be justified
by:
the “wisdom of
repugnance” we feel from
things like cloning,
cannibalism, and abortion
B. the scientific confirmation
that the fetus is most likely
a person
C. our moral obligation to do
what is in our own best
interest
D. all of the above
A.
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Where we are and what
we’re doing
Week
Required
June 22-26: Introduction to Bioethics in 
Benjamin Hole, Phil242 Syllabus and Course Website
Philosophy

Chapter 1 “Moral Reasoning in Bioethics” (3-32)

Chapter 2 “Bioethics and Moral Theories” (33-40)
June 29- July 3: Bioethics and Moral

“Writing Philosophy” (PDF), Mark Woodhouse
Reasoning

“The Principle of Utility” (PDF), Jeremy Bentham

“Utilitarianism,” John Stuart Mill (52-54)
Writing Assignment due June 30

“The Moral Law,” Immanuel Kant (55-60)
July 6-10: Access to Healthcare




Chapter 11, “Dividing up Health Care Resources” (681-695)
“Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (PDF), Peter Singer
“Lifeboat Ethics” (PDF), Garrett Hardin
“The Survival Lottery,” (PDF) John Harris
July 13-17: Patient Autonomy and
Informed Consent




Dax’s Case (in-class movie)
Chapter 3, “Paternalism and Patient Autonomy” (71-83)
Chapter 5, “Informed Consent” (180-185)
“Confronting Death: Who Chooses, Who Controls?” (PDF), Robert Burt and Dax Cowart
July 20-24: Disability and Culture




“Paternalism,” Gerald Dworkin (84-93)
Sound and Fury (in-class movie)
“Ethical Relativism in a Multicultural Society,” Ruth Macklin (164-174)
“Defending Deaf Culture,” (PDF) Robert Sparrow
July 27-31: Disability and Biomedical
Enhancement



FIXED: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement (in-class movie)
“A Fatal Attraction to Normalizing” (PDF), Anita Silvers
“Ethical Issues in Human Enhancement” (PDF), Nick Bostrom & Rebecca Roache




“Is Gene Therapy a Form of Eugenics?,” John Harris (571-577)
“Genetic Dilemmas and the Child’s Right to an Open Future,” Dena Davis (553-562)
“The Non-Identity Problem and Genetic Harms,” Dan W. Brock (567-570)
“The Wisdom of Repugnance,” Leon Kass (483-498)




“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion” (PDF), Pope John Paul II
“On the Legal and Moral Status of Abortion,” Mary Anne Warren (333-342)
“Why Abortion is Immoral,” Don Marquis (317-328)
“A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Thomson (307-316)
Writing Assignment due July 14
Writing Assignment due July 28
August 3-7: Reproductive and Genetic
Ethics
August 10-14: Abortion
Writing Assignment due August 11
August 17-21: Paper Conference and
Review
Writing assignment 8/18, Final Paper due 8/20, Final Exam 8/21
ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

Participation 10%
“EXTRA” CREDIT

Daily Quizzes 10%


Writing Assignments 25%
Commentary for the Conference
+5%

Final Exam 20%

Total 105%

Final Paper 35%

Total 100%
Final Exam (20%)

The final exam will be conducted
on the last day of class, 8/21, and
it will cover all of the course
material. This includes lectures,
handouts, discussions, and assigned
readings. The point of the exam is
for you to demonstrate that you
are familiar with a broad range of
concepts, skills, and views in
ethical theory. Review for the final
exam throughout the quarter by
reviewing the weekly reading.

Review Clicker Quizzes

Review the Textbook’s Companion
Website for Study Resources


Self-quizzes

Flashcards
Given all of the course material,
what are things you have trouble
explaining fully? Bring these
questions to the in-class
conference.
Pope
John
Paul II
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
“The Wisdom of Repugnance” by Kass
repugnance
unnaturalness
1.
Cloning is repugnant

2.
Repugnance is evidence of
unnaturalness
If X is unnatural (in violating NLT
values), then X is wrong.

X is unnatural

Therefore, X is wrong.

X: cloning, abortion,
homosexuality, life extension, etc.

3.
The wisdom of repugnance:
“the emotional expression of
deep wisdom, beyond
reason’s power to fully
articulate it.”
Therefore cloning is
unnatural.
Pope John Paul II
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
Two main components to the abortion
debate:
1.
Whether a fetus has moral
standing.
2.
How to treat people and things
with moral standing.
A fetus has moral standing

Biological membership in the
human species

Continuity argument: given
biological membership, the
only place where it makes
sense to draw the line is at
conception.
How to treat people with moral
standing
NLT:
“An action is right if and
only if (and because) in
performing the action one does
not directly violate any of the
basic values” (12):
1.
Human Life
2.
Human Procreation (which
includes raising children)
3.
Human Knowledge
4.
Human Sociability
teleology
Pope John Paul II
“The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion”
1.
A fetus is a person with the right to
life.
•
The human fetus from conception is
“an innocent human being.”
•
Therefore, it “is to be respected as a
person.”
•
Therefore, it has the same right to life
(and in the same degree) as any other
person.
2.
It is morally wrong to kill a person
with the right to life.
3.
Therefore, it is morally wrong to
kill a fetus. (Abortion is immoral.)
A fetus is a person with the
right to life.
Neutral
E.
Somewhat
Disagree
F.
Disagree
G.
Strongly Disagree
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It is morally wrong to kill a person
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Neutral
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