Bi0952 Bioethics - seminar

Faculty of Science
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/2/1. 3 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Petr Chlapek, DiS., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
RNDr. Petr Chlapek, DiS., Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: RNDr. Petr Chlapek, DiS., Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Bi9950 Introduction to bioethics || Bi0951 Basic Bioethics for Biologists || LF:CORE015 Bioethics I: Ethics of Life || LF:CORE021 Bioethics II: Borderline Opts || LF:BLET051p Health Care Ethics
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course is aimed at a development of a basic theoretical knowledge regarding bioethical issues. During this course, students should prepare their presentations of interesting cases including analyses of ethical argumentation; these cases should be discussed on site in the respective study group. An online discussion is also a mandatory part of this course: in this discussion, students should analyzed model cases presented by teachers.
Learning outcomes
The student will be able to identify ethical dilemmas in model case studies.
Syllabus
1. ANIMAL RESEARCH (choice of appropriate model object, 3R principle) - 2. RESEARCH ON HUMAN SUBJECTS (therapeutic and non-therapeutic research, clinical drug trials, observational and behavioural studies, participation of vulnerable groups) - 3. TRANSPLANTATION MEDICINE (resources of tissues and organs for transplantation, principle of presumed consent/dissent, principles of allocation) - 4. BIOBANKING (access to biological material for research purposes, issues of informed consent, banks of biological material and DNA samples) - 5. CELLULAR TECHNOLOGIES (embryo research, chimera creation, stem cells, cloning and the concept of reproductive freedom) 6. ASSISTED REPRODUCTION (availability of assisted reproduction methods, gamete donation, surrogacy, age and social limits) - 7. GENETIC DIAGNOSIS BEFORE BIRTH (pre-implantation diagnostics, prenatal diagnostics, issues of abortion for genetic indications vs. 8. POSTNATAL GENETIC DIAGNOSTICS (genetic screening, presymptomatic testing, testing for genetic predispositions to diseases) - 9. GENETIC TESTING FOR NON-MEDICAL PURPOSES (forensic genetics, paternity testing, "recreational" genetics) - 10. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (transgenesis for research and commercial purposes, GM foods and products) - 11. EUGENICS AND HUMAN ENHANCEMENT (eugenics and dysgenics, gene therapy vs. gene enhancement, non-genetic human enhancement) - 12. ETHICS IN SCIENCE (authorship and intellectual property, publication of results, expert activity)
Literature
    recommended literature
  • MURPHY, Timothy F. Case studies in biomedical research ethics. 1st ed. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2004, xvii, 340. ISBN 0262134373. info
  • PENCE, Gregory E. Classic cases in medical ethics : accounts of cases that have shaped medical ethics, with philosophical, legal, and historical backgrounds. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004, xviii, 470. ISBN 0072829354. info
Teaching methods
This course should be realized in two forms: 1) discussion seminars (2 h per week), in which students will prepare their own presentations of case studies on individual topics (the schedule will be specified at the beginning of the semester; 2) online subject discussion (1 h per week), where students will discuss case studies presented by the teacher.
Assessment methods
A prerequisite for successful completion of the course is the active participation of students in the discussion seminars and in the online course discussion. The course ends with a colloquium.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Výuka seminární skupiny bude realizována pouze v případě, že se do skupiny zapíše 9 až 12 studentů
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2026/Bi0952