This is a team-taught Babson-Olin-Wellesley course. This course investigates the ethics of biological science, technology, and innovation. Topics include: the costs and benefits of scientific progress, recombinant DNA and DNA sequencing, the ethics of clinical trials, trust relationships between scientists and their communities, and the intersections between science and non-human animals/the environment. We will examine these topics through both biological and philosophical lenses, develop an understanding of core principles of biology in context, and use the concepts of agency, trust, and progress to shape our discussions. Our guiding questions include: What is the relationship between a scientific innovation being technically feasible and morally permissible? What if anything do scientists owe the public? Is a person’s tissue still theirs even if it has been removed from their body? How much modification of our genetic code is morally permissible? Is the suffering and death of non-human animals an acceptable cost of doing scientific research? What are the moral responsibilities of the scientists and engineers who develop and build new technologies?

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Crosslisted Courses:

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Walsh, Jean Huang (Olin, Biology)

Distribution Requirements: REP - Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy; NPS - Natural and Physical Sciences

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: This course can fulfill the elective course requirement for the BISC major, but does not fulfill the core 200 level course requirement for the major.