BIH513: Introduction to Applied Ethics and Bioethics

The module Introduction to Applied Ethics and Bioethics is compulsory and occupies a prominent position in the programme's content. Its aim is to familiarise students with one of the most rapidly emerging and developing interdisciplinary fields, within which extremely significant and novel questions are raised. These questions touch upon the everyday life of contemporary citizens around the world and require a complex approach, since they all depend on a variety of philosophical, ethical, legal, social and medical parameters. The module will highlight Applied Ethics as an important branch of Applied Philosophy, which is not only of concern to those who have pursued specialised philosophical studies, but on the contrary is directly relevant to all of society. Applied Ethics addresses questions of everyday life and is based on concerns shared by all people, regardless of their scientific and academic background. The instructors' objective is to demonstrate the practical character of this field, its necessity in modern globalised societies, and of course its contribution to the understanding and management of challenges that concern all citizens. Furthermore, the structure of the module aims at the cultivation of critical thinking and a variety of skills, as well as the improvement of professional performance and the enhancement of social awareness among public servants, physicians, nurses and other interested participants. As regards the content of the module, it will include a variety of specific topics, given that Applied Ethics and Bioethics, as a branch of the former, encompass many different areas of knowledge. Each teaching sub-unit will focus on a different topic, so that each week a self-contained lesson is taught and as many issues as possible are explored. In total, the module will highlight ten aspects of Applied Ethics and Bioethics, including business ethics, environmental ethics, the problem of the moral responsibility of scientists and the expansion of the power of science, among others.