Biosafety and Bioethics
Objectives
- To contextualize the ethical dimension of the life sciences and their applications;
- To promote an informed debate on the increasing importance of the life sciences and biotechnology in society;
- To debate to what extent science is neutral and the issue of the social responsibility of scientists;
- To develop the ability of students to contextualize and to debate scientific and ethical problems.
General characterization
Code
10653
Credits
3.0
Responsible teacher
Palmira de Jesus Fontes da Costa
Hours
Weekly - 4
Total - Available soon
Teaching language
Português
Prerequisites
Available soon
Bibliography
Textbook of the course:
Ben Mephan, Bioethics: An Introduction to the Biosciences, Oxford University Press, 2008.
Works with articles for the presentation of the students:
John D. Anas, Elizabeth Fenton, Rebecca Kukla (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Bioethics, Routledge, 2015.
Bonnie Steinbock (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Bioethics, OUP, 2007.
A few section readings:
Jeffrey R. Ryan, Jan F. Glarum, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, Containing and Preventing Biological Treats, Elsevier, 2008.
Complementaary works:
Humberto Rosa, Bioética para as Ciências Naturais, FLAD/NSF International Bioethics Institute, 2002.
Peter Singer, Ética Prática, Gradiva, 2000.
Palmira Fontes da Costa (ed.), Ciência, Ética e Cidadania: Reflexões de Cientistas Nobel, Lisboa, Ed. Autor, 2015.
Teaching method
Theoretical calsses; PowerPoint presentations; debate of case studies; role playing; documentaries; presentation and disucssion of a film and of a documentary related to the discipline; semminars.
Evaluation method
Theoretical classes:
Two written essays on Biosafety and Bioethics (50%)
Pratical Classes:
Oral presentation of an article, in grup (40%)
Case study in Biosafety or bioethics, in group (10%)
To be approved, it is necessary to attend two thirds of pratical classes.
Subject matter
1. Biosafety: and OGMs, in laboratories, Bioterrorism; and Bioacking, and Synthetic Biology, and Global Health.
2. The nature and scope of ethics and bioethics;
3. The emerge of Bioethics. Historical context;
4. The priorities of Bioethics according to Hans Jonas and Van Rensselaer Potter;
5. The Bioethics of Peter Singer;
6. ; Ethics and human experimentation;
7. Neuroethics;
8. Scientific conduct in research and publication of results;
9. Ethical issues in the beginning and end of life;
10. Ethical issues raised by Genetics and Biotechnology: Patents; Access to genetic information, Cloning and research with steam cells, gene teraphy, organ transplantation, new gene editing techniques, Human enhancement.
11. Ethics and global warming.