Djerassi tries novel approach in teaching ethical discourse
BY KRISTIN WEIDENBACH
A new course, taught by chemistry professor and novelist Carl Djerassi, melds the teaching of ethics with the writing of short stories. "Ethical Discourse Through Science-in-Fiction" will be offered in the School of Medicine during winter quarter.
The unique element of this ethics course is the use of fiction as a format. "Teaching about ethics is much more easier done if one uses hypothetical examples," Djerassi said. "Whenever people ask, 'Is this based on this person or that person?' you can say, 'No, it is fiction. Don't worry about who it is. We're talking about the problem rather than the personalities.' "
Using this approach, Djerassi said, he hopes to explore ethical issues that students otherwise might not raise for reasons of discretion or fear of retribution.
Each student in the new course will compose a short story of 10 pages or less, in which the plot focuses on questionable ethical behavior in a scientific scenario. Fodder for story ideas will come from issues that arise in contemporary science, such as the "publish or perish" mentality, research competition among academics, training practices of novice scientists, and problems faced by women in a world traditionally dominated by men. Djerassi will then circulate the anonymous stories among the class, and students will discuss the ethical connotations in detail.
Djerassi hopes to attract a diverse range of medical and basic-science students to the course, each bringing his or her personal "voice" to the discussion. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are his primary target, he said people who have already spent time in research laboratories and who may have firsthand experience of ethical dilemmas.
Describing the new course as a "welcome experiment," Ernlé Young, clinical professor of medicine (ethics) and co-director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, said he endorses the concept of students raising their own ethical issues. Fiction is a useful tool in this process, Young said, because it "removes some of the responsibilities and provides [students] a shield of anonymity."
Current ethical issues, said Young, include the patenting of genetic information, falsification of data, and conflicts of interest arising when scientists straddle the academic and industrial worlds.
Fiction writing which comes to life through dialogue, imagery and emotions contrasts sharply with the formal academic writing familiar to most students in medical school. But worries about writing styles shouldn't deter anyone from entering the course, Djerassi said. The ethical issues, rather than the literary quality of the writing, will be the focus of class discussions.
"It is not a writing course; it is an ethics course. So, other than lousy spelling, I'll leave it up to them," he said.
On the other hand, if the course is successful and appeals to students, Djerassi said, he wouldn't discount the possibility of the stories eventually being published as a compilation.
Students interested in "Ethical
Discourse Through Science-in-Fiction" must complete a
pre-registration questionnaire and submit the first sentence of a
potential short story by Monday, Dec. 15. Enrollment is limited to
10 to 12 participants. For further details or to request a copy of
the questionnaire, contact Djerassi at djerassi@stanford.edu or 723-2783. SR