Spring 2027

The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology

In-depth study of ethical issues from applying modern biotechnology to microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans, informed by empirical research and ethical theory.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 No instructors listed

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Robert Streiffer

The course required heavy reading, with pop quizzes testing specific details from over twenty pages of material.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Think critically about arguments.

  • Communicate precisely and concisely in both writing and speech.

  • Exchange reasons about controversial matters respectfully and with the aim of uncovering the truth.

  • Practice interpretive charity and intellectual honesty, which includes appropriate attribute to others of their ideas, and recognition and frankness about the limitations of one’s own ideas.

  • Independently locate and engage with the latest relevant empirical and philosophical research.

  • Exhibit substantial synthetic and analytic abilities by considering how an application of modern biotechnology ethically compares to the status quo and to other possible alternatives.

Source: UW Guide 1 UW Guide 2 UW Guide 3

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Junior standing

  • Junior standing
C&ESOC/MEDHIST/PHILOS 565

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Junior standing

Professors

Spring 2027

No instructors recorded for this selection.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

ROBERT K STREIFFER is recorded teaching in Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 300
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 300
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 300

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Robert Streiffer

Prof. Streiffer's enthusiasm made lectures feel like enjoyable open discussions with the whole class.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2020: 3.60 GPA, 80.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Fall 2021: 3.75 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=24 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.84 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=16 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Robert Streiffer

The course required heavy reading, with pop quizzes testing specific details from over twenty pages of material.

Past student reviews · Robert Streiffer

Students appreciated that Prof. Streiffer provided multiple topic options for assigned papers, ensuring at least one would spark interest.

Topics

  • Ethical issues in biotechnology applications to various organisms
  • Integration of empirical research with ethical and political philosophy

Skills

  • Critical thinking about arguments
  • Precise written and oral communication
  • Locating and engaging with empirical and philosophical research
  • Synthetic and analytic evaluation of biotechnology ethics

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
C&ESOC/MEDHIST/PHILOS 565 · Spring 2027

The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology

Recorded 2026-10-14
C&ESOC/MEDHIST/PHILOS 565 · Spring 2027

The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology

Recorded 2026-10-14
C&ESOC/MEDHIST/PHILOS 565 · Spring 2027

The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
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    "title": "The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology",
    "credits_min": 3,
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Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "4f1b3fe45fc795d26d6c8230e48b49dd5f1757ac47f9f536413da2167bb08d25",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
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}