Monday, January 18, 2016

Introductions

We begin, as in all my classes, with an invitation: tell us who you are, and why you're here. We'll introduce ourselves in class and online (hit "comments" below). I'll start.

I'm the prof for this course, PHIL 3345, Bioethics. I hold degrees from the University of Missouri and Vanderbilt, and I'm here because the ethics of life and death is at the very heart of what philosophy, defined as the love of (and quest for) wisdom, is about. I'm still here in middle Tennessee, after relocating for Grad School, because I met my wife here and decided to stay.

I also teach courses on Atheism, Environmental Ethics, and Happiness, among others.

Enough about me.

Who are you? Why are you here? (Bear in mind, as you reply, that this is an open site. There's nothing preventing the world from reading what we post here, except of course the world's own distraction.)

30 comments:

  1. Bioethics is the study of the typically controversial ethical issues emerging from new situations and possibilities brought about by advances in biology and medicine. It is also moral discernment as it relates to medical policy and practice.

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  2. Hello All! My name is Maliyah Bass, and I am a junior here at Middle Tennessee. I am taking this class simply to expand my knowledge on ethical issues within healthcare. I am also taking this class to prepare for the Medical Admission's Test!

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  3. Hello everyone! My name is Christopher Adereti, and I am a senior here at MTSU. I am a biology major with a current focus in microbiology. I have decided to enroll in this course with the intention of delving and discussing further into modern issues that face our healthcare system and biomedical advancements. Additionally, I feel that the class will assist we with some aspects of the new MCAT.

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  4. Hello Everyone! My name is Madison Toney and I am a junior biochemistry major and Spanish minor here at MTSU. I hope to attend medical school after finishing my undergraduate degree and to do so I have to take the MCAT. I feel like this course will really help me prepare for the MCAT as well as medical school and in the healthcare profession. Taking this class is important to me because I feel like to be a respectable healthcare professional I need to be informed and have an opinion on the topics we will be discussing.

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  5. Hi there! My name is Sarah Bratcher and I am a junior biology major. I plan on going into the medical field after I graduate and feel like this class will help me later, as well as possibly help me if I choose to take the MCAT.

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  6. Hi. I'm Alexandria, and I'm here ("here" being my couch) because MTSU has had the first snow day of the semester. I don't know if that bodes well for us or not, though.
    P.S.--Sorry for the recycled joke, those of you sharing in the Atheism class with me.

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  7. My name is Michael Harber. I am a biochemistry major with plans of taking the MCAT. In addition, I hope to enrich myself in the issues and ethical practices in medicine.

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  8. Hello everyone. My name is Gavin Hillsman. I am a junior pre-med student here at MTSU majoring in biology and was interested in this class and also heard that it would help with the MCAT so i jumped at the next chance to take it.

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  9. Hello all,
    My name is Addison. I am a junior here at Middle Tennessee. The main reason that I am taking this class is to help me prepare for the MCAT.

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  10. Hi!
    My name is Kayleah Bradley and I am a sophomore. I am currently majoring in professional chemistry with a biology minor. I enrolled in this class because I thought it would be an interesting course, and I plan on taking the MCAT after graduate school.

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  11. Hello class!

    My name is Bell, I am a sophomore hoping to graduate with a bachelors of science in biology. I'm not quite sure what I want to do after graduation (whenever that is)but I sincerely enjoy taking philosophy courses and this class is a great excuse to take a "relevant" course for my major. I look forward to our discussions :)

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  12. Hi,this is Caroline from a biotech company. I hope to learn more information about Bioethics. I'm wondering if GMO is included in the topic?

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  13. Hi Everyone,

    My name is Darcy. I'm junior Biochemistry major and Pre-Med student. I look forward to getting a better grasp at different views on the ethics of life, that I can hopefully carry throughout my own life. All I know for sure right now about my future is that I want to be a physician, but I'm sure that will come eventually. I hope you all enjoyed this extra day off!

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  14. Hey everybody!
    My name is Jocelyn Grzybowski and I'm a junior currently double majoring in psychology and philosophy. As apparently is most of the group, I'm looking to take the MCAT in the future and hope this class will help in that regard.

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  15. Hi everyone,
    My name is LeAnna Certion and I'm a graduating senior majoring in Nutrition, with a minor in Health. I look forward to getting to know more about different aspects of the ethics of life other than my own. I am currently taking this class because it's a requirement for Baptist College of Health Sciences, where I will be a nursing student in the fall.

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  16. Hello! My name is Jesse Brandon. I am a lifelong resident of Tennessee -24 years to be exact- and a soon-to-be graduate of MTSU; I’m majoring in integrated studies and minoring in fine art.
    As for, "why am i here;" enrolled in Bioethics this semester? I would initially attribute much of my decision to my recently, renewed avidity for philosophy; which subsequently led me to enroll in more philosophy courses, Bioethics, this semester. More to the point, I chose to take Bioethics because i am interested in, but, more importantly, concerned about, many of the topical projects and issues surrounding the field. In any event, -whether i have to chance to make a difference or just put my two-sense in- i feel i should be more informed/educated about these matters, and their details, if i am to feel so passionately about the implications of decision made concerning bioethics; so as to not make rash, uneducated assumptions and conclusions. As Harlan Ellison says, "you are not entitled to your opinion, you are entitled to your informed opinion!"

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  17. Hello! My name is Jesse Brandon. I am a lifelong resident of Tennessee -24 years to be exact- and a soon-to-be graduate of MTSU; I’m majoring in integrated studies and minoring in fine art.
    As for, "why am i here;" enrolled in Bioethics this semester? I would initially attribute much of my decision to my recently, renewed avidity for philosophy; which subsequently led me to enroll in more philosophy courses, Bioethics, this semester. More to the point, I chose to take Bioethics because i am interested in, but, more importantly, concerned about, many of the topical projects and issues surrounding the field. In any event, -whether i have to chance to make a difference or just put my two-sense in- i feel i should be more informed/educated about these matters, and their details, if i am to feel so passionately about the implications of decision made concerning bioethics; so as to not make rash, uneducated assumptions and conclusions. As Harlan Ellison says, "you are not entitled to your opinion, you are entitled to your informed opinion!"

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  18. Hello Everybody! My name is Heather Deal. I am currently a Sophomore with a major in Biochemistry. I am taking this class in order to better prepare myself for the MCAT, but also to learn more about the ethical side of medicine. Hopefully this class will offer better insights to issues surrounding the medical field, and will further expand my knowledge on the subject.

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  19. Hi everyone! My name is Shivan Berwari and I am a sophomore currently majoring in Biology. I have lived in Nashville for fifteen years, but I am originally from Duhok, Kurdistan. I am taking this class because I am interested in this topic and because it will help me prepare for the sociology section of the MCAT. Hope we have an effective and great time together!

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  20. Hi everyone! My name is Shivan Berwari and I am a sophomore currently majoring in Biology. I have lived in Nashville for fifteen years, but I am originally from Duhok, Kurdistan. I am taking this class because I am interested in this topic and because it will help me prepare for the sociology section of the MCAT. Hope we have an effective and great time together!

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  21. Hello, all. My name is Caleb as you can see from above. I am a pre-med senior pursuing a degree in Biology. I am in this class mainly because I needed the hours for scholarships and am interested in the subject. Hopefully it helps me on the MCAT as well. It sure sounds like it will.

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  22. Hello, my Caleb is name, and I also like to party.

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  23. Hi everyone, im Rezhna Ahmad. Im a Pre-med with a biology. Im a senior and im taking this class to help me with the MCAT.

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  24. Hello everyone. My name is Nick Strukov. Originally from the Russian speaking part of Ukraine (which is now actually part of Russia).
    I'm a Political Science/Pre-Law major and am planning on going to law school after graduation this semester. I moved to Nashville from Sevastopol',Ukraine about 13 years ago, and have been here ever since. Hiking and traveling would definitely be my favorite hobbies.

    I took this class as I am a Philosophy minor and it sounded like an interesting subject.

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  25. Hello I am Lee Gish I signed up Tuesday night so that is why you did not see me last class. I am taking this class because as a future biology teacher it would be preferable to able to discuss the ethical implacations of the concepts I will be teaching.

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  26. My name is Phillip Shackelford. I am a senior Biology student. I am taking this course to help prepare myself for the MCAT. I have never taken any courses of this type and hope that that this will be a good experience.

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  27. What's happening everybody? My name is Robby Sabir, and I am majoring in biology with the hopes of pursuing a career in medicine. My reason for taking this particular class is to aid in my general understanding of how certain issues are treated and dealt with in the general field of medicine. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I am an expert in McDonald's (I'm lovin' it)!

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    Replies
    1. more like an an addict to their food lol

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    2. more like an an addict to their food lol

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  28. Greetings,
    This piece of life is called Brennen Davidson, and I'm interested in moral philosophy simply because I am. I'm not taking this course for any particular reason, but to engage in discussion concerning problems I've been interested in for a long time, such as the way in which we treat terminally ill patients and whether we should establish an Institute of Creative Dying for those who wish to cross the yawning grave in style. Why should death be a gloomy exit? If we saw death as an intermediate stage, a necessary interval to existence, then we would "exit" not in grief but in joy for living a beautiful life. A beautiful life is a beautiful death. This subject of moral philosophy touches the heart of a diamond for me. I'm very interested in that which all religions have attempted to point to, each in a different way. As all light shines radially from a center, all religions, all words, all teachings, all wisdom, all paths, all roads will lead you back to Source, what in Buddhism they call the Self, who you really are! Writing this out now I find I cannot talk about this subject without referring to the very rhythm of being itself. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the course.

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