Nazi Science: Human Experimentation vs. Human Rights PSYC/ANS0 2000 Instructor: Dr. Linda M. Woolf Office Hours: By appointment; 301 Webster Hall. Phone: 968-7062 or 968-6970 E-mail: woolflm@webster.edu Woolf Web Page: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/

Texts:

• Michalczyk, J. J. (1994). .Medicine, ethics, and the Third Reich: Historical and Contemporary Issues. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward.

• Selected readings to be provided or placed on e-reserve in the library - each noted below.

Course Description:

• The Nazi euthanasia project

• Mengele's twin studies at Auschwitz

• Nazi sterilization experiments

• Dachau hypothermia and high altitude experiments

• Buchenwald biological warfare experiments

• Nazi medicine's role in genocide

These atrocities will be evaluated within the context of necessary fundamental human rights using the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1947 Nuremberg Code, the Declarations of Helsinki, the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles in the Conduct of Research With Human Participants, and other documents pertaining to human rights and human experimentation. We will also examine:

• The hiring of Nazi scientists by the United States following the war based on their wartime research

• Recent human rights violations in the name of science (for example, the Tuskegee Studies)

• Ethical questions concerning the use of unethically obtained data and human specimens

An International Studies Certificate and International Human Rights Certificate.[VAL]

Course Objectives and Outcomes:

1. Objective: To examine the concept of human rights and understand these rights as outlined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2. Objective: To become familiar with the essential features of the Nuremberg Code, the Declarations of Helsinki, and other documents as they relate to human rights and research.

3. Objective: To understand the relevance of the Holocaust to current research and bio-medical issues.

4. Objectives: To examine the healing-to-killing road of Nazi medicine; from theories of racial hygiene to euthanasia and sterilization to the Holocaust.

5. Objective: To examine the various experiments conducted within the concentration camps using prisoners as subjects.

6. Objectives: To examine the fundamental process by which these experiments violated basic human rights using the Nuremberg Code, the Declarations of Helsinki, and other documents as references.

7. Objective: To examine other abuses of human experimentation that occurred during and after World War II.

8. Objective: To address the issue of the use of data or specimens obtained unethically for research and writing today. In other words, should we use Nazi data as source material or human specimens preserved from Nazi science in research?

9. Objective: To examine the relevance of Nazi science to research today.

Class Meetings:

The class will meet on Thursdays from 5:30 - 9:30. Attendance is strongly recommended as class discussion will greatly enhance your understanding of the material presented in this class. Also, material will be presented that is not in any of the books.

This course will be challenging for several reasons. First, it entails a fair amount of reading. If this is to be a good class, it is essential for everyone to do the reading, come to class, and be prepared to participate in the discussion. Second, this course is difficult because of its almost unrelieved concentration on human suffering and extreme, deliberately inflicted cruelty; the information presented in this class is difficult to read and difficult to discuss. There will be opportunities for class members to discuss thoughts and feelings that arise during the course.

Course Requirements:

All grades will be assigned on a scale of 0 - 10 with:

90 - 100	A-,A	Excellent
80 - 89	B-,B,B+	Above Average
70 - 79	C-,C,C+	Average
60 - 69	D-,D,D+	Below Average
Less than 60	F	Failing

Percent of Grade:

Examinations	75%
Term Paper	15%
Essay	10%

Examinations: The exams are designed to test for an understanding of the terms, theories, ideas, and historical events related to Nazi science and human rights as presented in text, readings, lecture, and discussion. The exams will include multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay. Exams will be worth 75 percent of your final grade.

Policy: All exams must be taken on the date scheduled. In case of an emergency, the instructor must be notified. No make-up exams will be give if you fail to notify and discuss your situation with the instructor. It is up to the instructor's discretion whether to offer or not offer a make-up exam. Please note that no extra credit work will be make available to make-up for a poor test grade.

Note: These deadlines are not suggestions; papers accepted following the deadline will experience a drop in grade(s) except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor.

Essay: Students will be required to write an essay concerning the use of Nazi science data or human specimens in research today. Additional details concerning the essay will be discussed in class. Essays will be due the last day of class and no late essays will be accepted. The essay should be submitted electronically in Word format to woolflm@webster.edu. Hard copies of the essay will not be accepted. The essay will be worth 10 percent of your final grade.

Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact me or the Director of the Academic Resource Center, as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion.

Policy Statements:

Plagiarism (attempting to pass off the work of another as one's own) is not acceptable and will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment and will be turned over to the appropriate university source for disciplinary action. In addition, cheating on exams will also result in the same fate.

It should be noted that, as is common in many university courses, little time will be spent lecturing on topics adequately addressed by the text. Students are expected to arrive at class meetings having already read the material assigned, and to ask questions to clarify any areas that remain unclear. While every attempt will be made to explain or expand upon particularly difficult areas, the primary purpose of classroom lecture is to enhance, rather than to duplicate, the textbook material.

Late withdraws from this class will not be approved by the instructor except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor. No late withdraws will be approved on the basis of poor class performance.

This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor's discretion. All changes concerning course requirements will be provided in writing. Changes concerning exam dates may be made at the instructor's discretion and communicated verbally to the class.

It is understood that remaining in this course (not dropping or withdrawing from this course) constitutes an agreement to abide by the terms outlined in this syllabus and an acceptance of the requirements outlined in this document.