Medical Ethics Final Test Study Guide

The final will contain about five questions that need to be answered in a paragraph each. You should be able to:

1. Describe the three definitions of 'normal' that Resnik discusses and why he thinks that each of these definitions can not be used in order to make an ethically significant therapy/enhancement distinction.

2. Describe the goals of medicine as discussed by Resnik, and explain why he believes that enhancement procedures can fit under these goals.

3. Describe how widespread use of enhancement procedures could lead to a number of inequalities in society based on class.

4. Describe Kass's "three obvious objections" to pursuing perfection through biomedical enhancement.

5. Describe how limitation, suffering, and the awareness of death can actually enhance our existence and prepare the way for future generations to take our place.

Environmental Ethics Final Test Study Guide

The final will contain five questions that will need to be answered in about a paragraph each. You shouldbe able to do the following:


1. Compare and contrast the Greco-Roman creation mythology with the Judeo-Christian mythology and explain why White thinks that the Greco-Roman mythology is more environmentally friendly.

2. Explain Moncrief's argument against White's claim that Christianity is the primary cause of the environmental crisis, based on the fact that many early cultures interfered technologically with nature.

3. Explain Moncrief's view that the combination of both democracy and the industrial revolution was a large cause of the environmental crisis. Be prepared to explain how both democracy and the the industrial revolution played a role.

4. Be able to describe each of Moncrief's "three factors" that have led to the failure of the United Stated to be good caretakers of the environment. Basically, this is question six from the reading questions.

5. Be able to compare modern economics with "Buddhist economics" and explain why Buddhist economics is more sustainable. You should know the basic goals of each economic system and what each says about the purpose and value of work.

Environmental Ethics Reflective Essay #2

Directions: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement:

"Knowing what I know now, I am morally obligated to become a vegetarian."

Express your agreement or disagreement in a 1 to 1 and 1/2 page reflection essay. Your introduction should state your position and should also mention the reasons that you will develop in support of your position in the body paragraphs. Your body paragraphs (2 to 3) should each defend a distinct argument in defense of your position. You can assume that the reader has read what you have read this semester.

Medical Ethics: Reflective Essay #2 on the Therapy/Enhancement Distinction

Directions: Respond to the statement written below in 1 to 1 and 1/2 pages. Use standard 12 point font, double-spacing, and 1 inch margins. This essay is very brief, and hence you do not need an introduction of more than two or three sentences. In your introduction you should state whether you agree or disagree with the following statement, and briefly list the reasons that you will develop in defense of your position in your body paragraphs. Your body paragraphs should be roughly five to six sentences a piece and each one must develop one of the arguments in defense of your position that you have mentioned in the introduction. A conclusion is not necessary.

"It is unethical to devote a significant portion of our countries medical resources to the enhancement (as opposed to therapy) of our mental and physical abilities."

Kass on Ageless Bodies and Happy Souls: Reading Questions

The following questions come from pp. 9-16 of the Kass article. Email me your answers by Monday 11/21. The reading might be a bit difficult so take it slow and try to completely grasp the main idea of each paragraph before moving on to the next one.


1. On pages 9 and 10 Kass introduces his topic. (a) What are some possible bad uses of biotechnology? (b) What particular question will be the main focus of his essay? (c) In the last paragraph of the first section (p.10) he notes something significant about medical advances that have already been achieved. According to Kass, have these advances promoted happiness? Why or why not?

2. On p. 12, in the section entitled, "The Problem of Terminology" Kass expresses his own concerns about the ethical significance of the therapy/enhancement distinction. (a) What are some of his concerns? They may overlap what Resnik has said.

3. In the section entitled, "Three Obvious Objections" he states three reasons why one should be concerned about new technologies that enhance the bodies abilities and produce content and happy states of mind. (a) What are these three objections? (b) Regarding the third issue, which concerns freedom and coercion, Kass lists several ways in which the pursuit of perfection can lead to various forms of coercion. What are some of these ways?

Medical Ethics:The Moral Significance of the Therapy/Enhancement Distinction

Introduction: A common concern with genetic engineering is that there is something unethical about attempting to modify the human genome so that humans with "better than normal" characterists (e.g. strength, I.Q., etc.) are produced. In comparison, genetic therapy for the purpose of treating, disease, illness, and various dysfunctions and disorders is considered to be morally legitimate. This article begins with an examination of the difficulties that are involved in making the therapy/enhancement distinction due to the difficulties that surround the project of defining an illness. The author (David Resnik) then questions the view that enhancement is unethical. Answer these questions and mail them to my inbox by Monday the 7th.

1. On page 210 in the section entitled, "The Concepts of Health and Disease" Resnik discusses several approaches to defining what is normal and healthy and what is diseased, abnormal, or unhealthy. In the paragraph that begins "The bioethics literature...." two definitions of normal are given. (a) Describe each of these views. Also, try and provide an example that illustrates each definition. (b) In the following paragraph a further approach to defining "normal" is described. Try and put this view in your own words. The rest of this section offers criticisms of these three definitions. We will look at some of these objections in class.

2. In the section entitled, "The Goals of Medicine", Resnik looks at attempts to argue that enhancement is unethical because it violates the goals of medicine. Several goals of medicine are listed. (a) What are some of these goals? (b) Can various forms of enhancement fit under of these goals? If yes, provide examples.

3. In the section entitled, "Our Humanness" Resnik looks at several ethical theories and concludes that none of them entail that it is wrong to tamper with human nature as it is presently constructed. In the last paragraph of the first column of p. 213 Resnik argues that both a utilitarian ethic and a Kantian ethic allow for at least some genetic enhancements. (a) How is utilitarianism defined in the text? (We have discussed this theory twice in class) (b) Why would a utilitarian be in favor of at least some genetic enhancements? (c) What is a Kantian concerned with violating according to this paragraph? (d) What are some alterations that a Kantian would object to?

4. In the last paragraph of p. 213 another argument is given against tampering with the human genetic code. (a) What is this argument? (b) How does Resnik respond to this argument? On page 214 Resnik states a common religious or theological objection to tampering with the human genetic code. (c) What is the argument? (d) How does Resnik respond to it?

"Goodbye Dolly" reading questions

Dear Medical Ethics Class,

Answer the following questions by Thursday, Oct. 20th and email them to my LaGuardia inbox.
These questions concern the article "Goodbye Dolly" which is the third article in your coursepack. Only part of this article is covered by these questions. This is because I only want to cover a part of the article before your midterm.

Questions

1.(a) In the section entitled, "Individuals, multiples, and genetic variation" Harris compares clones to identical twins. Are twins identical copies of the same person. If not, what do twins have in common? (b) Do you think that there any strong moral reasons to oppose cloning by cell-mass division (see the section entitled, "cell mass division") for the purpose of treating infertility"? (c) Does Harris think that cloning for the purpose of treating infertility is immoral or not? What is his main argument for his position?

2. Read the section entitled, "Nuclear Substitution: the birth of Dolly." (a) Describe the method by which Dolly was cloned? (b) Was the worldwide reaction to this event mostly positive or negative? (c) Do you think that cloning an adult human would violate "human dignity"? What is human dignity and what does it mean to violate a person's dignity? (d) Read the section entitled, "Human Dignity". Kant's principle that " a person should never be thought of as a means, but also as an end" is cited as a principle of human dignity that renders it unethical to clone an adult human so that the clone can be used for therapeutic purposes and killed. How does Harris criticize this principle?