(in Polish) Ethics, war, and medicine

elective seminars
general courses

Proficiency in English, spoken as well as written

Classroom

The seminar explores the ethics of war, especially the just war theory – its philosophical, normative, and practical aspects – and the ethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research. Its primary goal is to acquaint students with the basic issues and problems of war ethics and bioethics. Secondarily, it is designed to help students develop analytical and argumentative skills necessary for identifying, examining and resolving ethical dilemmas which emerge in modern armed conflicts.

Despite our wish to the contrary, armed conflicts continue to be the feature of contemporary world. These paradigmatically high stakes affairs feature a multitude of complex ethical dilemmas – basically every instance of activity or inactivity within the scope of armed conflict is potentially morally problematic and deserves ethical scrutiny. Some decisions shape the fate of individuals, some of millions or whole nations. While pretending to have all the right answers related to these dilemmas is impossible, it is equally impossible to maintain that some historical and current answers are not markedly better than others.

Ethics of armed conflict and bioethics both explore the ethical minefields of life-or-death decisions, making their pursuit equally consequential. As our recognition of the vitality of moral insight into such situations grew, both these subfields of practical ethics skyrocketed in practical importance and the amount of academic attention granted them. Beyond the gravity of their subject matter and the speed with which they have developed in the last fifty years, they are also practically intertwined. Where there is war, medicine follows. Medical professionals face extreme scenarios that sometimes also inform bioethical thinking in peacetime; military professionals strive to respect the integrity and universal utility of the medical enterprise as much as is feasible.

The seminar explores the ethics of war, especially the just war theory – its philosophical and normative underpinnings and its real-life applications, and the ethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research. Its primary goal is to acquaint students with the basic issues and problems of war ethics and bioethics. Secondarily, it is designed to help students develop analytical and argumentative skills necessary for identifying, examining and resolving ethical dilemmas which emerge in modern military conflicts. The course covers following topics:

Part 1. Just and Unjust Wars.

1. Introduction. Outlining Ethics of War and Peace.

2. “Realist”/Amoralist Challenge to Just War Theory.

3. Pacifist Challenge to Just War Theory.

4. Just Peace as the goal of Just War. Political legitimacy, ius ante bellum and ius post bellum.

5. Just and Unjust Wars. Ius ad Bellum in historical examples.

6. Humanitarian Intervention – Just War ideal or just another crusade?

7. Does service in the Wehrmacht make Hans a bad person? Walzer vs. the Revisionists on ad bellum culpability of rank-and-file troops.

Part 2. Ethics of Conduct in War.

8. Sparing Civilians. Introduction to Ius in Bello and the Laws of Armed Conflict.

9. Soldiers, Civilians, Insurgents. Non-combatant protections and how to earn them.

10. Staying on Target – All Feasible Precautions.

11. Price of a Mile – the Principle of Proportionality.

12. Nuclear Weapons – are they bad?

Part 3. Bioethics, medicine, and armed conflict

13. Ethical dilemmas in battlefield medicine

14. Ethics of military biomedical research

15. Ethics of military enhancement

Main sources of readings (in alphabetical order); the final readings list will be provided at first seminar meeting.

- Annas G.J., Worst Case Bioethics: Death, Disaster, and Public Health, Oxford University Press 2010.

- Fabre, C., Cosmopolitan War, Oxford University Press 2012.

- Gross M.L., Bioethics and Armed Conflict: Moral Dilemmas of Medicine and War, MIT 2006.

- Maxwell J. Mehlman & Stephanie Corley (2014) A Framework for Military Bioethics, Journal of Military Ethics, 13(4): 331-349.

- Orend, B., The Morality of War, Broadview Press 2013.

- Pattison, J., Humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect: who should intervene?, OUP Oxford, 2010.

- Walzer, M., Just and Unjust Wars: a Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations, Basic Books 1977/92.

Knowledge

At the end of the course, the student has knowledge and understanding of:

- the role of philosophy and ethics in war, armed conflicts, battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- main issues and problems of ethics of war and bioethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- multi- and interdisciplinary terminology used in war ethics and bioethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- the importance of socio-cultural, historical, political and economic factors in the debates on war ethics and bioethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research.

Skills

At the end of the course, the student is able to:

- identify and analyze philosophical and ethical problems raised by wars, armed conflicts, battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- critically examine views and arguments developed by other authors, including other students, or presented in the seminar readings;

- prepare a critical written assignment on the subject of the seminar;

- prepare and deliver oral presentation on the subject of the seminar.

Social Competences

At the end of the course, the student is able and ready to:

- critically evaluate the quality of received or acquired information;

- recognize the importance of philosophical and ethical reflection for solving problems brought wars, armed conflicts, battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- engage in developing war ethics and bioethics of battlefield medicine and military biomedical research;

- recognize ethical problems and challenges related to his or her own research and professional activity, to promote relevant ethical standards.

The final grade will be based on:

(1) student’ preparation and activity (insightful participation in the seminar discussions and class group works) – 40%;

(2) oral presentation on a seminar topic – 30%;

(3) short written assignment on a seminar topic – 30%

Final grades will be assigned on the following percentages:

100-90% – 5,0; 89-85% – 4,5; 84-75% – 4,0; 74-70% – 3,5; 69-60% – 3,0; 59-0% – 2,0

Acceptable number of missed classes without formal explanation: 2