E7350 Christian Anthropology and Bioethics
This unit introduces the ethical issues involved in contemporary medicine and health care, with a view to moral decision making in keeping with Christian principles. It investigates philosophical and theological principles in bioethics; spirituality and the health care professional; theological understandings of life and death, the human person, human well-being and care; the proper goals of medicine and health care; beginning of life issues: reproductive technologies, abortion, disabled newborn; end of life issues: withholding and withdrawing treatment; euthanasia; terminal sedation; and special issues, including genetics, justice and resource allocation, organ transplantation, research, institutional ethics, and mental health.
| Study Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Christian Life and Ministry |
| Sub Discipline | Christian Ethics |
| Credit Points | 9 |
| Prerequisites | E7100 Sources and Principles of Christian Ethics or W7222 Moral Philosophy. |
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
- Identify and clarify the moral issues present in contemporary medicine and health care
- Critically expound the theological anthropology which underpins a Catholic approach to bioethics
- Describe and apply key Catholic ethical principles in relation to bioethical issues at the beginning of human life
- Describe and apply key Catholic ethical principles in relation to bioethical issues in relation to human aging and end of life care
- Develop an in-depth analysis of a contested contemporary bioethical issue.