Module manager: Sarah Carter-Walshaw
Email: S.Carter-Walshaw@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 Nov to 31 Jan View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module aims to provide philosophical basis for critically examining the moral issues at the beginning of life. It explores related background theory and theoretical issues in addition to applied issues in associated medical fields such as reproductive medicine and antenatal care.
This module aims to introduce you to several ethical issues and theories related the beginning of life and how this relates to the ethics of associated areas of medicine such as antenatal care and reproductive medicine. It also aims to give you a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments and accounts in this area, and to hone your evaluative and argumentative skills so that you can assess current debates in a thoughtful and well-reasoned manner.
The objectives will be fulfilled through independent study during which you are encouraged to read set texts and further readings critically and reflect on and analyse these arguments and concepts. They will also be fulfilled through seminar activity, where you will have the opportunity to explain and defend your own views on the topics and test these through discussion and critical reflection with other learners and academic staff.
On successful completion of the module, you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Apply core moral concepts and principles to ethical issues that arise at the beginning of life and in reproductive health care contexts.
2. Explain, evaluate and critique arguments for and against decisions made about ethical issues in reproductive healthcare and at the beginning of life.
3. Formulate and defend your own views regarding issues and arguments in the field of ethics at the beginning of life through reasoned arguments.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Reflect on, empathise and engage with a diverse range of perspectives. (Academic, Sustainability and Work Ready skill)
5. Communicate ideas in a clear and scholarly manner. (Academic and Work Ready skill)
6. Apply research skills and specialist knowledge in new contexts. (Academic, Work Ready and Enterprise skill)
7. Apply ethical perspectives to contemporary problems in reproductive medicine and health care. (Academic, Work Ready, Sustainability and Enterprise skill)
Topics May Include
- The value of life
- The right to life
- Moral personhood, including the moral status of human foetuses/embryos/gametes etc.
- Abortion and pre-natal screening
- Potentiality
- Reproductive rights
- Fertility treatment and reproductive technologies
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Private study hours | 134 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 16 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
In addition to the formative feedback available to students in student hours and seminar-based activities, each student is invited to complete ONE piece of formative work which will receive written feedback.
Students are given a choice of: essay plan; exposition of an argument; objection and reply.
To ensure that students get the formative feedback that they need, they are asked to read and reflect on (i) the feedback they received in previous summative assessments, (ii) the PRHS marking criteria and (iii) the specific guidance provided on the summative assessment in this module. This requires students to critically engage with previous feedback, current expectations, and play an active role in honing their knowledge and skill development. The short essay will also provide formative feedback for the longer essay.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Short essay | 40 |
| Coursework | Essay | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 22/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team