Islamic Bioethics

How does a world religion like Islam engage with the moral questions and challenges posed by modern biomedical advancements? Who contributes to the Islamic discourse on bioethical issues, like the beginning and end of human life, abortion, human milk banks, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), palliative care, brain death, euthanasia, pandemics like the recent COVID-19, etc.? How are diverse bioethical perspectives deliberated and how are mainstream positions developed? When do Islamic bioethical deliberations interact, agree or disagree with parallel discussions from outside the Islamic tradition and why?

Such questions are thoroughly addressed throughout this ten-week course. As outlined in the Introductory Video, the course will do justice to the complex character of these questions. Thus, rather than providing only simple answers, the focus will be on explaining well-argued insights, understanding the diversity within the Islamic discourse, and showing how disciplines from inside and outside the Islamic tradition contribute to, and shape, the field of Islamic Bioethics.

Module 1: Classical Islamic Bioethics

Module 2: Contemporary Islamic Bioethics

Module 3: The Beginning of Human Life

Module 4: Beginning of Human Life - Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

Module 5: Beginning of Human Life - Human Milk Banks

Module 6: End of Life and the Concept of Brain Death - When Does Human Life End?

Module 7: Organ Donation

Module 8: End-of-Life Care (EoLC): Life-Sustaining Treatments (LSTs) and Euthanasia

Module 9: Ethics of Pandemics and Covid-19