Maastricht, Netherlands

Medical Ethics - Moral Health Care Dilemmas and Choices From a European Philosophical Perspective

Those working in the medical professions are often confronted with decision-making procedures. These procedures go far beyond the mere technological aspects involved in the cases under investigation. Doctors and nurses are aware of the fact that their fields of operation are characterised by moral parameters as well and they know that ethical and philosophical reflection has to come in where scientific deliberation is no longer able to answer all the questions that are connected to the medical problems they have to deal with. This means that frequently, medical assessments require the assistance of an ethical and philosophical evaluation to cover completely the appraisal of a particular health situation and that doctors and nurses should be conscious of the moral status and implications of the conclusions they draw.
The aim of this course is to give students an introductory and philosophical investigation of the question if, when and how ethical and philosophical considerations can or must play a role in the practice of the medical professions. Topics that will be addressed are for example: euthanasia, embryo research, HIV and Aids, imperilled new-borns, gene therapy and cloning, involuntary psychiatric treatment, and allocation of limited medical resources.
It aims to make students aware of the fact that the health sciences are not operating in a moral or philosophical vacuum and that a good knowledge of both the older and recent ethical and philosophical debate in this particular field is of the greatest significance. There will be philosophical lectures, ethical discussions, and the study of practical cases (some with guest speakers from the field) that reflect the most important problems and topics that make up the moral and philosophical challenges of the medical discipline of today.

Course leader

Hubert Timmermans

Target group

Enrolled as an Undergraduate student or Undergraduate diploma

Course aim

Students will be trained in philosophical techniques that form the basis of sound ethical reasoning. After the course students will have a good working knowledge of the most important ethical and philosophical problems, questions, approaches, answers, and theories that are related to the fields in which medical professionals are working. They can give an independent ethical and philosophical analysis of a medical case or of a case which is related to this, and they will be able to properly justify the ethical and philosophical answers and solutions that are being looked for. They know how to present their findings both in a written and in an oral form.

Fee info

EUR 699: Tuition fee