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World Religions and Ethics (B-KUL-A01B9B)

6 ECTSEnglish26 Second term
Broeckaert Bert |  Gil Alvarez Mar (cooperator) |  Lambaerts Jonathan (cooperator)
This course is taught this academic year, but not next year. This course is taught this academic year, but not next year.
Facultaire POC Theologie en Religiewetenschappen

Aims

At the end of this course:

- students understand the similarities and differences (values, norms, methodology,…) between world religions (focus on Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and/or Hinduism) in their ethical attitudes towards treatment decisions at the end of life (e.g. euthanasia, withholding or withdrawing lifesustaining treatment, pain control, organ donation, palliative care).
- students can demonstrate the ethical variety within each religious tradition.
- students are familiar with a comparative religious ethics approach and are able to apply it.
- students understand the differences and similarities between the different treatment decisions at the end of life.

Previous knowledge

General knowledge of Western ethics and elementary knowledge of world religions.

Is included in these courses of study

Activities

6 ects. World Religions and Ethics (B-KUL-A01B9a)

6 ECTSEnglishFormat: Lecture26 Second term
Broeckaert Bert |  Gil Alvarez Mar (cooperator) |  Lambaerts Jonathan (cooperator)
Facultaire POC Theologie en Religiewetenschappen

Content

This course, taking a comparative religous ethics point of view, discusses the way world religions approach end of life ethics. Though a few smaller traditions may be discussed, the course concentrates on the ethical thinking in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and/or Buddhism. After a general introduction in which the different terms and concepts (euthanasia, palliative care,...) are explained, we discuss end of life rituals, practices and beliefs in a small number of world religions. In the final and most important part of the course in a few world religions the following topics are addressed: euthanasia (voluntary, non−voluntary, involuntary), pain control, withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatment at the patient’s request, futile treatment, palliative care and/or organ transplantation. Each year the ethical views of two world religions (e.g. Islam and Judaism) are discussed in detail.

Course material

  • PPT
  • Personal notes, taken by the students during each class
  • Reader with the articles that will be studied (available on Toledo).

 

Format: more information

PPT will be used througout the course. At the same time student are expected to take notes throughout the course. Each class there will be time for interaction and questions. Whenever students have questions regarding the course when studying the course material or reviewing their notes, they can inform the professor via email. He will then answer these questions at the beginning of the next class.

Evaluation

Evaluation: World Religions and Ethics (B-KUL-A21B9b)

Type : Exam during the examination period
Description of evaluation : Oral
Type of questions : Open questions
Learning material : None

Explanation


Traditional oral examination (12 minutes). Students have 40 minutes of written preparation. Students receive two broad and general questions about two different parts of the course. Students are asked to give a well-structured, intelligent, coherent & to the point answer to each question in approximately 5 minutes. The mark given is based on the oral examination only; the written preparation, though collected by the professor (in order to make possible later feedback easier), serves only a preparatory goal. When during the oral examination extra questions are asked, they are always related to the original question. The fact that several or no additional questions were asked doesn't give any indication of the quality of the examination. When a student is unable to answer one or more of the two initial broad questions, under no circumstances alternate quesions will be given. Each question counts for half of the final exam result. If however a student receives a mark below 6/20 for any of these two questions, he/she fails the exam, whatever the result for the other exam question.