Ethics in the Life Sciences (PHIL*3450)
Code and section: PHIL*3450*01
Term: Winter 2020
Instructor: Yussif Yakubu
Details
Virtually every human activity impacts other living things in some way. This course examines ethical concerns arising from human interactions with other living things. We shall discuss ethical theory and how to access ethical arguments. We shall then apply the ethical reasoning to address issues such as: The relative moral standing of ecosystems and future human generations; Our duties to aid the hungry in developing countries; Obligations to animals used in research and to produce food; Public policies to adjudicate conflicting rights-claims among urban consumers, environmentalists, and farmers over the use of water and land; The moral justifiability of genetic engineering as a whole and the patenting of life forms in particular.