Outline for Tuesday, April 7, 1998

(Return to) Kant
 

Epistemology/metaphysics (handout)

How to understand and apply the categorical imperative (1st formulation)

The categorical imperative (2nd formulation)

Discuss (dyads):

311, # 2, 3 (a / b)

319, # 3, 4

The problem of abortion: do we have any duties to protect the life of the unborn?

Cases? (teenage pregnancy, rape, fetal deformation...

what is your personal response to these cases?

what arguments can you develop to support your response?

given these arguments - what assumptions underlie your position?

what ethical guidelines regarding these cases can we develop using

ethical egoism

utilitarianism (Mill)

Kantian deontology?

how do these guidelines fit or square with your own position as developed in Question 1?

Assignment for Thurday, April 9, 1998

Web resource:

PLEASE NOTE! The web address I gave you in class will not work directly (isn't technology wonderful...)
INSTEAD you must first go to the Academic Dialogue on Applied Ethics:
http://www.lcl.cmu.edu/CAAE/Home/Forum/ethics.html
Once here - select the "Religious Perspectives on Abortion Link" under the Background Materials column (on the far right).

Writing:

[322f., #'s 1, 2: NOTE - for "2," choose three of the case studies for reflection]

330f., #'s 1, 2, 5

336, #'s 1, 4, 5, 6

OPTION: 339, #'s1, 2