Common Course Outline

Course discipline/number/title PHIL 1135: Bioethics

Catalog Description

Credits 3
Hours/Week 3
Prerequisites (Course discipline/number) None
Other requirements None
MnTC Goals (if any) Goal 6/The Humanities, the Arts, Literature, and Philosophy, Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

Course Description

This course provides background ethical theories, principles and concepts necessary to grasp the ethical issues in life, death, health care, biotechnology and the life sciences. Specific attention will be given to the social context of ethical decisions and there will be an emphasis on critical reasoning and justification, and on reading and responding to philosophical works about medicine and biological research. We will examine multiple fields of applied ethics in health care, biotechnology, and the life sciences. College level reading and writing is recommended.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

February, 2026

Outline of Major Content Areas

  1. Background Ethical Theories and Concepts
    1. Consequentialism/Utilitarianism
    2. Deontology/Kantian Ethics
    3. Feminist/Care Ethics
    4. Principles-Based Ethics
    5. Casuistry
  2. Critical Concepts
    1. Autonomy/Competence
    2. Voluntary Informed Consent
    3. Rights
    4. Interests
    5. Distributive Justice
  3. Areas of Applied Ethics (may include but are not limited to):
    1. Truth Telling and Confidentiality
    2. Paternalism and Patient Autonomy
    3. Death and Dying
    4. Clinical Trials/Human and Animal Experimentation
    5. Abortion & Reproductive Technology
    6. Social Justice, Public Health, and Fair Allocation of Limited Resources
    7. Genetic choices, cloning, stem cells
    8. Biotechnology

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify and explain the major areas of ethical inquiry with regard to life, death, health care, biotechnology and life sciences.
  2. Understand logical forms of justification.
  3. Analyze moral concepts, principles and theories.
  4. Explain major bioethical concepts and terminology.
  5. Identify conclusions and premises of professional, moral arguments.
  6. Apply ethical theories to concrete situations.
  7. Formulate their own moral positions and justify them in written arguments.
  8. Appreciate multiculturalism and other world views.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

Goal 6/The Humanities, the Arts, Literature, and Philosophy

The student will be able to:

  1. Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social context.
  2. Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.
  3. Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities.
Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

The student will be able to:

  1. Examine, articulate, and apply their own ethical views.
  2. Understand and apply core concepts (e.g. politics, rights and obligations, justice, liberty) to specific issues.
  3. Analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of legal, social, and scientific issues.

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Critical Thinking
Students will think systematically and explore information thoroughly before accepting or formulating a position or conclusion.

Special Information (if any)

None