Ethics Committee:Justice and Healthcare

Reading Questions

Due before Friday’s class!

  1. First Article:
    1. Describe the main ethical problems (not just principles) in the first article.
    2. Which bioethical principles apply and (most importantly), explain how they apply. For your answers, be sure to make direct reference to the article. Avoid vague answers.
    3. Video clips:
      1. Describe the main ethical problems (not just principles) in the two video clips.
      2. Which bioethical principles apply and (most importantly), explain how they apply. For your answers, be sure to make direct reference to the videos. Avoid vague answers.

In-Class Discussion Questions

  1. Article
    1. Compile a list of all the ways in which bioethical principles were violated in the first article. Be sure to explain each assessment.
    2. Suppose you are an administrator at a hospital. After reading the first article, you decide to make some changes to how doctors are educated in order to address the various issues in the article. In your answer, be sure to (i) identify specific issues and give specific solutions. (ii) Explain how your solutions address the issues you identify. Be sure to take into account possible trade offs. Avoid overly general and vague answers.
  2. Video clips
    1. Compile a list of all the ways in which bioethical principles were violated in the two video clips. Be sure to explain each assessment.
    2. Suppose you are an administrator at a hospital. After reading the first article, you decide to make some changes to how doctors are educated in order to address the various issues in the article. In your answer, be sure to (i) identify specific issues and give specific solutions. (ii) Explain how your solutions address the issues you identify. Be sure to take into account possible trade offs. Avoid overly general and vague answers.
  3. Do you think the US health care system is just? Explain your answer by appealing to the various theories and arguments we have encountered in this unit. Do not give vague overly general answers. You may give original reasons and arguments but DO NOT ONLY give arguments or reasons that you could have given before ever attending this class. Do not write only a few sentences. You may argue for a nuanced view, that some parts of the system are just and some parts aren’t. You must specify which parts are just and why they are just and the same for the unjust parts.

Optional Questions (I.e., these might show up on Exam 2)

  1. Theories of justice:
    1. Explain the 3 main theories of justice.
    2. Explain how health care resources would be distributed under each system of justice.
    3. What is the basic argument people give for why there is a right to health care
    4. What is the Rawlsian argument for why there is a right to health care?