HNUH268A

Both American law and conventional morality support the view that human beings have bodily rights - ones we can waive by giving another person our consent to do what would otherwise be a rights violation. Yet, debate about the sovereignty of an individual's body and the potential rights of others--including the state--over our bodies lies at the core of some of the most contentious issues facing us as a society. This class will investigate the thorny debates that pertain to consent in sexual relations, medicine and research, and bodily markets. What types threats, offers, or cognitive incapacities undermine true consent? How do we evaluate the moral or legal significance of bodily rights when they come into tension with the government's interest? After evaluating arguments, exploring distinctions, and using philosophical tools to arrive at reasoned conclusions about consent, students will learn to apply these conceptual tools to cases from fiction and current events. Restricted to University Honors students matriculating in Fall 2020 and later. This course is the required I-Series class in the Body Politics cluster. Body Politics courses will be offered through Spring 2023."