Bioethics and Human Rights
Lecturers Prof. dr. sc. Ksenija Turković (head-lecturer) Sunčana Roksandić Vidlička
Status of the subject Facultative – 5th year of graduate studies
Winter semestre Summer semestre
ECTS 4
Hours per semestre 30
Justification
The course Bioethics and Human Rights (UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum) sets out to introduce the bioethical
principles of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights to university students. This UNESCO Bioethics
Core Curriculum can provide an incentive to start introducing such teaching. Its contents are based on the principles adopted
in UNESCO. It therefore does not impose a particular model or specific view of bioethics, but articulates ethical principles
that are shared by scientific experts, policy-makers and health professionals from various countries with different cultural,
historical and religious backgrounds.
The UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum furthermore presents a core: it defines what should be regarded as the minimum
(in terms of teaching hours and contents) for appropriate bioethics teaching. It allows flexible application. It also invites
teachers and students to expand its contents and approaches in diverse directions.
Subject goals
The core curriculum should not be treated as a comprehensive curriculum in bioethics. UNESCO has taken measures to
ensure that the curriculum is sensitive to various social, cultural and economic contexts, Therefore the core curriculum is to
be a source of ideas and suggestions on how to approach bioethics teaching and learn most important bioethics principles.
core curriculum is meant to provide a way of getting students to reflect upon the ethical dimensions and human rights
considerations of medicine, health care and science, and that the Declaration approaches bioethics by going beyond the
usual individualistic perspective of ethics, widening the scope to include social and community issues.
Subject content (30 hours)
What is ethics?
What is bioethics?
Human dignity and human rights (Article 3 of Declaration)
Benefit and harm (Article 4 of Declaration)
Autonomy and individual responsibility (Article 5 of Declaration)
Consent (Article 6 of Declaration)
Persons without the capacity to consent (Article 7 of Declaration)
Respect for human vulnerability and personal integrity (Article 8 of Declaration)
Privacy and confidentiality (Article 9 of Declaration)
Equality, justice and equity (Article 10 of Declaration)
Non-discrimination and non-stigmatization (Article 11 of Declaration)
Respect for cultural diversity and pluralism (Article 12 of Declaration)
Solidarity and cooperation (Article 13 of Declaration)
Social responsibility and health (Article 14 of Declaration)
Sharing of benefits (Article 15 of Declaration)
Protecting future generations (Article 16 of Declaration)
Protection of the environment, the biosphere and biodiversity (Article 17 of Declaration)
Student obligations
Students should be able to reflect upon the ethical dimensions and human rights considerations of medicine, health care and
science, and that the Declaration approaches bioethics. Student knowledge will be checked through esseys and oral exam.
Literature
UNESCO Bioethics core curriculum - Section 1: Syllabus, Ethics Education Programme
UNESCO Bioethics core curriculum - Section 2: Study materials, Ethics Education Programme
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