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c . [ adae | ‘Ge Joseph P. Kennedy, Fr. “Foundation

1701 K STREET, NORTHWEST, SUITE 205
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006
(202) 331-1731

September 20, 1974 a
Joshua Lederberg, Ph.D.

Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Laboratories
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford Medical Center

300 Pasteur Drive

Palo Alto, California 94305

 

 

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

More and more the scientist and the clinician are being
asked by society to make decisions which are based upon ethical
considerations in addition to scientific ones. Likewise,
students of medicine, particularly those concerned with problems
involving the central nervous system, are demanding greater
exposure to the principles underlying ethical decision-making.
Politicians also are looking to the academic and scientific
community for assistance in developing ethical guidelines
concerning the care of patients and experimental subjects.

Although there has been an explosion of interest in the
teaching of ethics in medical schools just as occurred with
genetics a decade or two ago, there still exists an enormous
gap between the clinician-scientist and the scholar-ethicist.
The physician trained in the scientific method finds himself
in unfamiliar territory unless he reasons in terms of non-moral
consequences. Likewise, the ethicist sometimes finds it diffi-
cult to offer assistance in specific problem cases.

For these reasons the Kennedy Foundation has decided, in
collaboration with The Joseph and Rose Kennedy Institute for
the Study of Human Reproduction and Bioethics at Georgetown
and the Kennedy Interfaculty Program in Medical Ethics at
Harvard, to sponsor an intensive mini-semester, total-immersion
course in ethics related to medicine. The dates for this course
or seminar are January 2 to 12 inclusive. The course content
will parallel that of the formal course given by Arthur Dyck
at Harvard University and will be the equivalent of a full
22-hour, 3-credit college course. In addition, the lectures
and readings will be supplemented by small discussion groups
chaired by doctoral candidates at Harvard and Georgetown and other
Kennedy Medical Ethics Scholars (post-graduates and professors)
concerned with the ethical analysis of complex medical cases.

 
The daily format of the course will consist of two 1l-hour
lectures given by such ethicists as Arthur Dyck, Richard McCormick,
Paul Ramsey, Leon Kass and others, followed by long reading

eriods for which selected reprints and articles will be provided.
Bues tion and answer periods and small discussion groups tackling
clinical problems will complete the daily program. *

Living and dining arrangements have been planned at
Georgetown to facilitate communication and interchange between
young scholars in ethics and leaders in medicine.

The cost of the total program at Georgetown, including
meals and lodging, will be borne by the Kennedy Foundation,
but transportation costs to Washington will not be provided
for other than the young scholars since the invitees are of
sufficient stature to command travel funds.

Mrs. Shriver and I cordially invite you to participate.
We hope this brief but intensive program will have an impact on
some of the leaders of American medicine and assist all of us
to deal more effectively with the difficult moral problems
developing in medical practice and research. Although the period
of time may seem inordinately long or short depending upon one's
perspective, we are assured by the faculty organizers that an
effective, worthwhile introduction to ethics can be provided.

Unfortunately all the invitees cannot be accommodated
and we will have to assign the limited number of places (40)
on a first reply basis. There is a card enclosed for your
response. Please respond with your suggestions even if you
cannot come, Details of ground transportation, room assignments,
etc., will follow upon your reply.

Sincerely, ,
a Shu
Sargent Shriver

RSS/ke

Enclosure

*Academic appointments of these men are as follows:

Arthur J. Dyck, Ph.D. Paul Ramsey, Ph.D.

Mary B. Saltonstall Professor Harrington Spear Paine
of Population Ethics Professor of Religion

Harvard Divinity School Princeton University

Richard A. McCormick, S.M., STD Leon Kass, M.D.

Rose Kennedy Professor of Joseph Kennedy Professor of Ethics
Christian Ethics The Joseph and Rose Kennedy Inst.

The Joseph and Rose Kennedy Inst. Georgetown University
Georgetown University