[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 1: There are a lot of people
who say that fetuses are humans too,
so abortion shouldn't be allowed.
SPEAKER 2: There are a
lot of situations where
a mother wouldn't be able to raise
her child based on her situation.
And it depends on the
father's situation too.
SPEAKER 1: But killing a baby
that's come out of a body
would be murder, right?
So, why is it not murder as
long as it's still inside?
How is it different from
a baby that's been born?
Are you saying that it isn't a human
as long as it's still inside a belly?
SATOSHI KODAMA: Have
you heard of bioethics?
Bioethics is a field of study that
deals with ethical and social issues
surrounding life
sciences and health care.
Bioethics concern every
aspect of your life--
indeed, your death as well.
Examples include such topics
as reproductive technologies,
like surrogacy or the
selection of a baby's sex,
abortion, but also euthanasia, organ
transplantation, and many more.
This course offers an
introduction to bioethics.
When you study bioethics, you will
need some imagination, though.
So, I'll be using manga to help you
think imaginatively about bioethics,
and also to make clear that such issues
are everywhere in our everyday life.
You will learn what kind
of ethical arguments
have been proposed on each topic,
and also what sort of regulations
are there in Japan and other countries
in relation to bioethical issues.
I hope that through this course, you
will better understand these issues
and will be able to clarify your own
thoughts about related arguments.
The most engaging part of
bioethics is discussing its issues.
Some of them are very serious, indeed.
But still, let's enjoy the discussion.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
