M5A1 Answers

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Indian River State College *

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2013

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Philosophy

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Dec 6, 2023

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Module 5: Chapter 6 Reading Questions (M5A1) Please do each of the following items. Write your answers under each heading here and submit this whole document. Where needed, please number your answers and separate them with spaces. A. Answer the Review Questions at the end of Chapter 6. 1. The significance is that right actions have moral value only if they are done with a good will. 2. “A hypothetical imperative tells us what we should do if we have certain desires,” while “A categorical imperative tells us that we should do something in all situations regardless of wants and needs.” 3. That an action is right if you could will the maxim of an action to become a moral law applying to all people. 4. Perfect duties are duties that have no exceptions while imperfect duties do have exceptions. 5. Kant distinguishes this by saying treating someone as a means is ok as long as you also treat them as a ends. Treating someone as merely a means would be wrong because you are not treating them as an ends as well. 6. The absolutism leads to judgements that conflict with moral common sense by stating that there are no exceptions to the principles. Moral common sense is flexible and does not always make sense so some categorical imperatives might not always be the best thing to follow in some instances. 7. It can lead to the sanctioning of heinous acts when you personally would not want to live in a world that conforms with the universal moral rules in place. 8. Natural law theory are the moral principles that we can read clearly in nature. 9. According to them, nature can reveal things about morality because it is rationally ordered, and goal directed with every part of it having a purpose. 10. It is the good of human flourishing and well-being. 11. They are universal because general principles of right and wrong do not vary, but they are also objective because the dynamics of each situation could change how a principle is applied. 12. This is the principle that performing a good action may be permissible even if it had bad effects but performing a bad action to achieve good is never permissible. 13. It can lead to moral judgements that conflict with moral common sense because some things that are absolutely wrong to the natural law theory could be the only plausible option in some situations.
B. See Kant’s paper in the Readings at the end of the Chapter. Read Kant's 4 examples, which appear on pages 152-153. They are numbered 1-4. Here Kant attempts to explain how to apply his theory and the categorical imperative to specific cases. His four cases are: (1) suicide, (2) lying promises, (3) not developing one's talents, and (4) not helping others. For each case, do the following . Explain each case. You should also state the maxim in each case. (For instance, state the maxim of the person who wants to commit suicide. Kant gives it.) Also explain what Kant says about each maxim. Does Kant think the maxim can be universalized, or become a universal law of nature, as the categorical imperative requires? Finally, explain what Kant concludes about each case. (For instance, does Kant conclude that it is ever morally permissible to commit suicide or not?) Use a separate paragraph for each case. C. Give your own critical evaluation of each of Kant's 4 examples. Do you agree with Kant's conclusion about each case or not? Explain why you agree or disagree with Kant. Use a paragraph for each case. D. Read the "Trolley Problem" on page 142 in the "Critical Thought" box. As completely as you can, explain what you think is the morally right thing to do if you were in that situation (in the Trolley), and explain why. E. Explain what the doctrine of double effect would say about turning the wheel in the Trolley Problem example. Does the doctrine of double effect permit it? Explain by going through and applying each of the 4 criteria of the doctrine of double effect to this case where you turn the wheel. (See page 140 for the doctrine of double effect.) F. Assuming natural law theory, apply the doctrine of double effect (page 140) to the following case. A woman has cancer, but she is also pregnant. We want to save her life, and we can cure her cancer and save her life with chemotherapy. But the chemotherapy will kill her unborn child. Assume natural law theory, which says that directly killing the innocent is always morally wrong. According to the doctrine of double effect, is it morally permissible to give the woman chemotherapy? Explain what each of the 4 criteria of the doctrine of double effect would say about this case. Answer- This doctrine forbids infliction of harm, as well as the intentional infliction of harm to a greater good. G. Read over the evaluations of Kant's theory and natural law theory in Chapter 6. After reading over these evaluations, which theory do you think is better if you had to choose between them? Explain why one is better than the other. If you think they are equally good (or equally bad), then explain why you think that. Answer- The origins of natural law ethics and justice theories can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, and there are many variations within this tradition. Natural law theories, on the other
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