Courses

What does it mean to die well? This course explores the medieval Ars moriendi tradition in its historical, literary, and cultural context and how this tradition can help us recover the human side of dying within contemporary society’s medicalized approach to the end of life.

An exploration of the principles and approaches of the hospice-palliative care movement as it was developed by its founders in the 20th century and as applied today. Topics may include the principles of pain and suffering management, holistic care of patients and their families, value of life at all stages, and integrating palliative care into mainstream medicine.

What options does a person reaching the end of life have and how can they best be cared for? How can we balance patient autonomy with the expertise of the health-care provider and the demands of the health-care system? This course will help students think philosophically and critically about issues like these in their cultural, historical, and legal context. Specific topics may include consent, human dignity, euthanasia, refusal or withdrawal of treatment, palliative care and holistic patient care, pluralism and diverse understandings of dying, and treatment of the elderly.