2010 Course Handbook
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PHL260: Bioethics and Biotechnology
This unit introduces students to a selection of the most pressing ethical questions and concerns raised by current developments in biotechnology, especially in the sphere of genetic technology. The first section of the unit provides an introduction to ethical reasoning, to issues of social justice and to the relationship between social values and scientific enquiry in the context of biotechnology. The second section focuses on the ethics of gene technology in the spheres of human medicine and reproduction, including: genetic screening/testing; gene therapies (somatic and germline cell therapies); genetic enhancement; and therapeutic and reproductive cloning. In the third section we explore the impact of biotechnologies on other aspects of human, non-human animal and environmental well being, including: engineering of plants and animals (GMOs); nutrigenomics and biofortified foods; genetic testing for employment, policing and insurance purposes; and commercial exploitation of human genetic material.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | D2 - Day; Offered in the second half-year |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Mianna Lotz |
| Prerequisites: |
12cp or admission to GDipPhil or GradCertBiotech |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | CBMS807, ELS860, PHIL260 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy |
Timetable Information
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