Bioethics OpenCourseWare: A Free Online Undergraduate Course on Bioethics by MIT

Published Jan 30, 2009

RSS Feed

Study scientific issues that are debated for reasons of ethics and morality in this free OpenCourseWare offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 'Bioethics' addresses issues, like euthanasia, abortion and genetic engineering. This course has no prerequisites but will be of most interest to students seeking a Science or Technology degree.

Bioethics: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Bioethics: Course Description

Learn the history of euthanasia, the debate surrounding it, issues with it and reasons for and against it as seen through the eyes of various medical professionals. Other issues regarding life are also covered, including life support, abortion and neo-intensive care because people use ethical judgments and philosophies to determine how to handle them. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences offers this course about moral dilemmas in biology and other sciences to students seeking a Science or Technology degree. Students discuss the future of genetic optimization and genetic engineering. This discussion includes the expectations and concerns of society and medical professionals as the ability to use this technology becomes more prevalent. The course looks at these and other bioethical issues in the light of public health and individual human rights. MIT Professors Caspar Hare and David Jones teach this course about recognizing moral issues in science and medicine while handling them productively.

Course readings, some assignments and some additional resources are available for free online to enhance the learning process. To take this course or to learn more, visit the Bioethics course page.

Featured School Choices: