2020-2021 Bioethics Project Theme: The Vision of Justice

The Vision of Justice: Preserving Human Dignity

2020 – 2021 Theme

image source: lawsociety.org/uk

This year the Bioethics Project will explore the Principle of Justice by learning from expert guest speakers, engaging in ethical discussions and case analysis, and conducting independent research on the following questions:

  • How do we determine who benefits from the distribution of a scarce resource? (Who gets the vaccine, or the ventilator, when the demand overwhelms the supply?)
  • Should “social utility” be a consideration in the allocation of a scarce resource?  Whom do we consider “essential” in society?
  • What are the ethical implications of differential access to medical testing and test results?
  • The ethics of “medical tourism:” Should people be allowed to travel country to country, or state to state, in order to receive the “best” medical treatment?  Who pays for the treatment?
  • What are the ethical implications of disparities in healthcare among socioeconomic groups? Identity groups?
  • What access should be given to prison inmates with regard to medical procedures and treatments?