Applied Ethics and Bioethics

Watch

• What are stem cells? - Craig A. Kohn ↗TED-Ed
• How Ethics Can Help You Make Better Decisions | Michael Schur | TED ↗TED
• The ethical dilemma of designer babies | Paul Knoepfler ↗TED
• 21. The Tuskegee Experiment ↗YaleCourses
• Relational Moral Psychology ↗Experimental Psychology Dept, University of Oxford

Read

• Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? ↗An engaging primer that navigates complex moral dilemmas, from price gouging to affirmative action, illuminating the major ethical traditions with clarity.Michael J. Sandel
• Principles of Biomedical Ethics ↗The definitive text that established 'principlism' as the dominant framework for ethical decision-making in medicine, offering a robust guide for practitioners and policymakers.Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress
• Practical Ethics ↗A provocative and influential exploration of contemporary moral issues, from animal rights to global poverty, argued with rigorous utilitarian logic.Peter Singer
• A Defense of AbortionA seminal essay that employs ingenious thought experiments to challenge conventional arguments against abortion, profoundly reshaping the debate.Judith Jarvis Thomson
• The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double EffectThis foundational paper critically examines the moral distinction between intending harm and merely foreseeing it, a concept crucial for understanding ethical dilemmas in medicine and war.Philippa Foot

Voices to follow

• Peter Singer ↗A provocative utilitarian, he has reshaped debates on animal welfare, global poverty, and the moral obligations of the affluent.Philosopher, Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University
• Martha Nussbaum ↗Her influential capabilities approach provides a compelling framework for understanding human flourishing and addressing injustices in development and gender.Philosopher and Classicist, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago
• Julian Savulescu ↗A prominent advocate for 'procreative beneficence' and the ethical use of genetic technologies to enhance human lives, often sparking vigorous debate.Philosopher and Bioethicist, Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford
• Ezekiel Emanuel ↗A pragmatic voice in healthcare ethics, he offers critical perspectives on medical decision-making, end-of-life care, and the future of health policy.Bioethicist and Physician, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania

Glossary

• AutonomyAutonomy means having the freedom and ability to make your own choices and decisions about your life, without being controlled by others. It's about self-governance. For example, a patient's autonomy means they have the right to decide whether or not to accept a medical treatment, even if doctors recommend it.
• BeneficenceBeneficence is the principle of acting in a way that benefits others or does good. It means actively trying to help and promote the well-being of people. For example, a doctor practicing beneficence would always try to provide treatments that they believe will improve their patient's health.
• ConsequencesConsequences are the results or effects of your actions. When you make a choice, there will always be consequences, whether good or bad, for yourself and others. For example, if you choose to study hard for a test, a good consequence might be getting a high score.
• Ethical DilemmaAn ethical dilemma is a tough situation where you have to choose between two or more actions, and each choice seems to have both good and bad ethical reasons. It's not clear what the "right" thing to do is. For example, if you see your best friend cheating on a test, you face an ethical dilemma: do you report them or stay silent to protect your friendship?
• EthicsEthics is about figuring out what's right and wrong, and how we should act. It's like a set of rules or ideas that guide our choices. For example, deciding if it's okay to copy homework, even if everyone else is doing it, involves thinking about ethics.
• JusticeJustice is about fairness and ensuring that everyone is treated equally and given what they deserve. It involves making sure resources and opportunities are distributed fairly. For example, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have access to quality education is an act of justice.
• MoralityMorality refers to a person's own beliefs and actions about what is good or bad. It's often shaped by your family, culture, and personal experiences. For example, your personal morality might tell you it's wrong to lie, even if it's a small lie.
• Non-maleficenceNon-maleficence is the principle of "do no harm." It means avoiding actions that could cause injury, pain, or suffering to others. For example, a scientist designing an experiment must ensure that their methods do not harm the participants.
• PrinciplesPrinciples are fundamental rules or beliefs that serve as a basis for how you behave or make decisions. They are like guiding statements. For example, the principle of "treat others as you want to be treated" guides many people's actions.
• ResponsibilityResponsibility means having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone. It's about being accountable for your actions and their outcomes. For example, if you borrow a friend's book, you have the responsibility to return it safely and on time.
• RightsRights are things that people are morally or legally allowed to have or do. They are often seen as basic entitlements that protect individuals. For example, the right to education means every child should have the chance to go to school.
• ValuesValues are the important beliefs and ideas that you hold dear and that guide how you live your life. They are what you consider truly important. For example, if you value honesty, you'll try to always tell the truth, even when it's difficult.

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Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Scarcity & Trade-offs Economics

  How much do we owe people who won't be born for a hundred years? That huge moral question gets quietly crammed into one tiny number economists pick, the discount rate, which decides how much a future life is 'worth' today. A whole ethics of the future hides inside a single dial on a spreadsheet.

• Climate Change Science

  The nastiest fight in climate economics is over one boring-looking number called the 'discount rate.' It decides how much we should care today about people suffering a hundred years from now. Hidden inside that dial is a giant moral question, dressed up as math: is a future kid's pain worth as much as ours?

• Markets, Competition & Firms Economics

  Some deals would make everyone involved better off, selling a kidney, selling your vote, paying for a baby, and yet almost every society bans them. Why? A gut feeling of disgust, what economists call 'repugnance,' overrides the pure math of a good trade. It's proof that markets aren't free to sell everything; our sense of 'that's just wrong' is a real economic force.