Narrative Ethics

BETH 721 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Narrative competence is fundamental to the ethical practice of medicine. This elective course focuses on narrative approaches to ethical issues in clinical medicine. Using literary narratives and poetry as the primary readings, the course methodology emphasizes the importance of particularity, contingency, change, voice, context, and time in recognizing, evaluating, and resolving moral problems. The course aims to develop skills in critical and reflective reading and writing that parallel skills needed for clinical ethics. Texts include fiction, essays, and poetry. Approximately two hours of reading is assigned for each class hour. The instructor provides necessary philosophic and literary context at the beginning of each class session; the balance is devoted to discussion. Students are expected to write five or six short essays that examine such areas as the meanings of illness, the moral role of the physician, and the relevance of emotions, culture, faith, values, social realities, and life histories to ethical patient care.