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At 6d in Euthyphro, Socrates rejects his interlocutor’s definition of piety in the following way: “I did not bid you tell me one or two of the many pious actions but that form itself that makes all pious actions pious.” What does Socrates mean by “form itself” and what role does the notion of a “form” play in Socratic epistemology?
In Chapter 8 of our textbook David Chalmers (in “The Hard Problem of Consciousness” page 384) discusses ‘philosophical zombies’. What does he mean by this? Why do ‘zombies suggest that materialism must be false’?
Reflective summary of the book Developing Clinicians of Character by Terri Watson
1. What are the four main health care delivery systems?
2. List four facts regarding Integrated Delivery Systems?
Review W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief” (page 85 in our textbook) and address 1 of the following questions (in at least 250 words) –
What does Clifford say about our ‘right to believe’? Do you agree, why or why not?
In Clifford’s discussion of the shipowners – why is the second example of the shipowner (with the ship that arrived safely) blameworthy? Do you agree with him on this? Why or why not?
What grounds do we ever have for belief? Should we believe things we’re told (even by ‘authority’)? Why or why not? What about science, as an example? Does science tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Share your thoughts on the ‘problem of evil’. In our textbook Louise Antony’s work on “No Good Reason – Exploring the Problem of Evil” should give us a starting point to tackle this these.
Your initial thread should be at least 250 words (attention on grammar, please) and should reflect on the following elements:
What is the problem of evil?
Why do we suffer?
How might we ‘answer’ the problem of evil? (be creative in your thinking here – but please keep in mind that this is a sensitive topic and should be approached with kindness and open minded thinking).
Write a short essay on the chosen topic.
Topic: Explain the “principle of utility,” as Bentham and Mill present it. How does a person apply the principle of utility to determine whether a particular action is morally right or wrong? What do you think Kant would say about the principle of utility? why do you side with Kant, and why?
Return to the Brains On Trial series and reconsider the fictional events and actual research it discusses in light of what you’ve learned over the course of the semester. Your paper should address the central questions of the course:
1) What makes the defendant’s actions wrong?
Jimmy wasn’t found guilty of attempted murder by the jury, but what is it that makes Jimmy’s actions morally wrong (or right)? Argue for the right way of evaluating actions and demonstrate why this theory is superior to alternatives.
2) Was the defendant given a just punishment?
Jimmy is sentenced to several years in prison by the judge, but what is it that makes this a just or unjust punishment? Apply what you’ve learned about the moral justification for the death penalty and justice to defend your answer to the above question.
Explain the central claim of divine command theory. Outline each horn of the Euthyphro dilemma discussing why each horn poses a problem for the central claim of divine command theory. Explain why Wallis holds that the Euthyphro dilemma applies to all attempts to ground moral authority in the dictates of an authority. Be sure to include an example from the lectures.
Triage involves the rapid assessment and prioritization of patients. Compare the three-tiered system of triage to the Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) triage philosophy. Imagine that you are the Triage Nurse during an MCI. How will you categorize the following patients using the MCI triage philosophy? Explain your answer. Are there any ethical issues that should be considered?
• 10-year-old boy with massive head injury, no spontaneous breathing, BP 60 palp
• 22-year-old female with a close fracture of the left arm
• 60-year-old male with a laceration in the leg complaining of shortness of breath
• 15-year-old girl with glass embedded in the eyes
• 52-year-old male with a pulse of 30 and a blood pressure of 70/30
For your response, do you agree with your classmates’ opinions? What would you urge them to consider when making the triage determination?