https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/W_MASP_PBH3The student will: 1. acquires knowledge of diverse systems of healthcare 2. acquires knowledge of factors influencing costs of health care and strategies of cost containment 3. acquires knowledge of theories of justice—both distributive and allocative—in healthcare 4. acquire knowledge of different views about the appropriate role of markets in health 5. understands how different definitions of health have different implications for healthcare systems and theories of justice in healthcare 6. understands how different views about legitimacy, liberty, and paternalism inform public health policymaking 7. acquires knowledge of core concepts and debates within public health ethics (in particular in relation to codes of conduct) 8. improves their ability to explain definitions, concepts, and theories relevant to the philosophical problems we discuss. 9. improves their ability to reconstruct philosophical arguments in speaking and writing 10. improves their ability to identify key assumptions in philosophical arguments 11. improves their critical thinking by identifying objections or additional supporting reasons for arguments we consider 12. improves their ability to construct original arguments related to the problems examined in the course.This course focuses on ethical and political questions about health and healthcare policy. The course places a special emphasis on population health (and public health ethics) rather than the clinical or research context (and clinical or research ethics). The first part of the course will ask questions about justice in health. For instance, what are the implications of different theories of justice for different healthcare systems? What's the fair way to allocate scarce medical resources? Do global inequalities in health constitute an injustice, and if so, what obligations do individuals or governments have to respond to such inequalities? The second part of the course will ask questions about legitimacy in public health. For instance, do governments have the right to enact paternalistic legislation—such as cigarette bans or motorcycle helmet mandates? To what extent may governments interfere with individual liberty and bodily integrity in order to protect the population from outbreaks of infectious disease?The course will be given in the form of lectures; study of literature; assignments; group discussion; simulation meeting advisory committee standard package health care; training quality policy and implementation; training interactive development of healthcare policy.Assignment(s) during the course 1. Presentation (40%) (Objectives 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) In groups of 2-3, students will give a 10-12 minute presentation on the reading. They will also provide a (maximum of 800 words, 2 pages) handout that will help the rest of the class follow the presentation. 2. Final Exam (50%) (Objectives 1-12) A cumulative in-class examination. Students will have to demonstrate familiarity with the material and display the skills they've learned in short answers and two short essays. 3. Attendance and Participation (10%) (Objectives 8-12) There will be plenty of opportunities for students to discuss material during class. The quality of contributions matters more than the quantity of contributions for this assessmentwill be specified in the course manual and on Canvas andwill be distributed, if possible, via Canvas too.Master students of Philosophy 2 year, Track Philosophy, Bioethics andHealth.Students should have completed their first-year PBH coursework an "the Philosophy of Life, Mind, and Death" before taking this course.