question : If there is another pandemic of the magnitude (or worse) of COVID-19, should research laboratories disregard bioethical scrutiny to find vaccines as fast as possible? Refer to Pinker in our response.

Rationale: For the next 7 weeks of the course (weeks 6-12) each week’s lecture gives a contextual background to a set reading. That reading opens up a way of discussing many social issues where thoughtful moral reasoning could assist in finding a way forward. At the end of each lecture there will be a discussion question posted and your task is to compose an answer which critically engages with the reading, in a way which demonstrates your moral reasoning.

You do not have to use the concepts from week 1-5 as they have already been assessed, but you may. You will be marked on three key areas.

• Clarity of answer

• Familiarity and engagement with reading and lecture material

• Demonstration of moral reasoning

Task: After each lecture from weeks 6-12 a discussion question will be posted. You are to compose a 400-500 word response to that question and submit it to the appropriate Turnitin link within 1 week. (There will be 2 weeks for the first 2 tasks). Only your best 5 responses will count towards the final mark. That is, if you submit 7/7 responses we will mark them all and count your top 5, and if you submit 5/7 we will mark all of the submissions.

Drafting policy: If you book with your tutor to meet in their consult they can mark the first response you submit. The onus is on you to request the marking, and it can only be done in conversation in a consultation (whether that be online or in person). Otherwise, as a final piece of assessment grades are withheld until the university releases them (I can’t control that, it is Bond’s policy). You can seek advice from your tutor in consult, beyond that first marking, but your tutor cannot mark your draft. Rather consult could be used to brainstorm ideas, inquire into the meaning of a part of the reading, or seek clarification on some aspect of the content.

Weighting: 30% (6 marks for each response up to 5 responses)

Academic Integrity: Bond’s academic integrity policy applies. By submitting you are declaring that you are the sole author of the submission.