History and Theory of Medical Ethics (P00931)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : MED-P-P00931

This course will introduce students to the basic concepts of medical and health care ethics and to methods of moral argument. The first half of the course will examine significant historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to ethics, including virtue, deontological, utilitarian, and hermeneutic. The second will focus on the development of professional medical and health care ethics from the Hippocratic Oath to contemporary declarations of Human Rights, with particular reference to the Four Principles approach and its critics, and to questions of autonomy, consent and trust.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Introduction to Research Methods and Ethics

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Public Health Research, (Medicine, Schedule R)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Block 2 only

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 5 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	11:10	13:00	Med+Vet

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will:
- gain knowledge of major historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to ethical issues, with particular reference to those raised by the practice of medicine and in the context of health care.
- develop an understanding of the scope, constraints and possibilities of moral argument in medical ethics.
- develop skills of moral reasoning, in particular those of identifying, articulating and analysing ethical arguments and counterarguments.

Assessment Information

Seminar presentations are a requirement for satisfactory completion of the course. Formal assessment will be by a written examination to include questions on both philosophical and professional aspects of medical ethics.