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.

 

  1. 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.]

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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).