Thinking Critically and Ethically in Public Health

(1.5 Credits)

This course is an introduction to critical thinking, ethics, and writing for public health professionals, who need to communicate public health content and identify communication strategies for different audiences. At the heart of such communications is persuasive writing. The first module introduces students to core reasoning skills such as what counts as a good reason for one's belief, what is an argument, the difference between a deductive argument and an inductive argument, and so on. Public health professionals are also often involved in devising policies that should be guided by sound ethical principles. The second module introduces students to key ethical theories and ethical issues that illustrate how the promotion of public health can conflict with autonomy, privacy, and social justice.