Public Health & Ethics - HEA00031M

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
B Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

  • To understand and apply moral theory relevant to ethical evaluation of public health initiatives.
  • To understand and apply political theory relevant to ethical evaluation of public health initiatives.

Module learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the moral and political issues raised by public health initiatives.
  2. Apply moral and political theory to public health initiatives.

Module content

The module covers eight topics, of which the following are indicative:

Topic 1: Utilitarianism and refusing to treat recalcitrant smokers

Topic 2: Kant on treating people as mere means, and Down’s Syndrome screening

Topic 3: Kant on universalisable maxims, and voluntary non-immunisers

Topic 4: Virtue ethics and harm reduction strategies

Topic 5: Principlism and SARS

Topic 6: The harm principle and the ban on smoking in public places

Topic 7: Conceptions of freedom and health behaviour modification

Topic 8: Communitarianism and teen pregnancy strategies

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) 100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) 100.0

Module feedback

Written feedback for summative assessment is provided on the standard proforma, within the timescale specified in the programme handbook.

Indicative reading

  • Holland, S. (2014). Public Health Ethics (2nd Edn). Cambridge: Polity.