The contemporary debate in applied ethics is most heated in the area of bioethical and life issues. These debates are not just theoretical, but have great impact and influence on public policies and laws. It is therefore very beneficial for students to grasp the different ethical theories and their epistemological and anthropological presuppositions, and critically contrast them with the natural law Aristotelian-Thomistic approach of personalist bioethics. By reading the prominent exponents of these different approaches, students are exposed to leading secular authors of bioethics. The areas of contention in bioethics are not only centered on life issues, but also regard views of science and technology, faith and reason, politics and culture.