ISD II – Women’s Health
Ethics/Humanities/Health Law
Short Paper Topics
Those
of you who selected the option of writing short essays during the ISD I &
II course should submit your next essay by Feb. 10. Below are some possible
topics.
- The
idea of ‘personhood’ plays an important role in a number of areas of
medical ethics, including in the debates around abortion and
euthanasia. What is the correct
account of what it is to be a person?
[Note: If you choose to
write on this topic, be sure to focus on offering an argument in support
of your view, not simply expressing your view.]
- The Act
Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction, which is currently before
parliament, would make the following things illegal: reproductive cloning, creating a cloned
embryo for the purpose of destroying it in the process of research and
paid surrogate motherhood. Consider
one of these topics. How, if at all, should the government of
Canada
regulate this practice? Defend your
answer.
- In Winnipeg Child and Family Services v. D.F.G.,
the Supreme Court of Canada concluded that, under current Canadian law,
courts do not have the power
to detain or treat a pregnant woman against her wishes in order to prevent
harm to her unborn child. The court
further stated that if such a significant change were to be made to the
law, it should be made by Canada’s
provincial or federal governments (as appropriate), who are in a better
position to consider the conflicting policy choices and moral issues. Should Canadian governments pass laws to
allow for such mandatory detention and/or treatment? If so, in what circumstances? Give reasons for your position. [You may
find it helpful to review the full verdict in the D.F.G. case as it deals
with these issues at some length.
You can access judgments of the Supreme Court of Canada at http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/index.html.]
You may also write on a topic of your own choosing provided
it deals with one of the broad subjects covered in the ISD II course (i.e.,
neurology, gastroenterology, etc.).
Please see either John Crellin or Andrew Latus to discuss a topic.
Please note that topic #2 deals with material we will not
discuss in class until after the Feb. 10 deadline for the next short
paper. As such, essays on this topic
will be accepted for either the paper due on Feb. 10 or for the next short
paper (on May 30, 2003).