The topics assigned below are designed to be presented in an open discussion forum. I use the word "debate" occasionally here, but you should not necessarily think of this assignment as entirely combative or essentially competitive. Your assignment here is to present a range of material, which will include arguments and objections to others, in as accurate, clear and enlightening a fashion as possible. I will not measure this like a traditional debate where one side is declared the victor and the other is sent home, cap in hand; the depth of the material you present and how convincingly you present it will be the measure of your performance.

The expectation here is that each person will present for 8 to 10 minutes - this is about three or four pages written out and spoken SLOWLY. After you finish, members of the class will be free to ask questions, and I may do so as well. Generally, it is probably a good idea to divide the work and have one person from your group do a general introduction to your view, define some key terms and explain the general features of your argument, then let the other person do the work of giving more subtle and complex sorts of details, arguments and rebuttals. How you actually decide to do this is up to you.

I should also stress that this assignment is slightly unconventional in that I fully expect you to work together as a group, but I will grade you individually. This is so that no one will be left carrying the weight of their group members and no one will have the luxury of riding on someone else's coattails. The level of work here should be commensurate with a 5-page paper, since you will be writing about that much and preparing to answer questions as well. So there will be four actual requirements for this assignment:

1. A one-on-one meeting with me during regular office hours to discuss your progress.
2. A second meeting with all the members of your group during regular office hours to discuss your progress.
3. A rough draft of what you will say, due on the Monday of the week that you will make your presentation.
4. The presentation itself.

You will also want to consult the following list of secondary sources.  Remember that your work should include consideration of the arguments and interpretations of other sources as well as your own.  Though I will not impose a formal requirement here, I would be suspicious of any paper that did not make reference to at least two or three other sources.

(Click here for additional web resources)

The topics are as follows...

April 26 - Informed Consent and Disclosure
The excerpt from Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California offers details of a case in which a family filed suit against the University of California because a psychologist at Cowell Memorial Hospital, owned and operated by the University of California, did not inform Ms. Tarasoff of the fact that a patient had had a conversation with a psychologist in which he said he would kill Ms. Tarasoff. When he did, her parents filed the suit, asserting that confidentiality did not protect the psychologist or the university from liability. Discuss the arguments against confidentiality offered here, as well as arguments for it as a practice.

May 10 - Genetics
We will see several arguments for and against cloning research and the practice of cloning, as well as several arguments for its continuation. Argue for a very conservative policy (little or no cloning at all) and for a very liberal policy (lots and lots of cloning) and consider what sorts of arguments proponents of each would make against proponents of the other.

May 24 - Euthanasia
Discuss the Oregon policy on physician-assisted suicide and offer both criticisms and defenses of the program. It will be important in this case to have precise documentation, both on what the law explicitly says and what the empirical facts about its practice are.

June 7 - Justice and Distribution
Discuss any one of the recent "Patients' Bill of Rights" bills brought up before Congress. Again, having copies of at least some of the real documentation for these is important. Consider the pros and cons of the bill with respect to the justice of its formulation and its outcomes.