Check Out Philosophy

Chapter 2

1. Go online to research honor killing. (Some starting points: CBSNews.com, CNN.com, USAToday.com, and WashingtonPost.com.) What do you think a cultural relativist might say about the morality of honor killing? How about a moral objectivist?

2. Do a web search on "universal human rights" and look closely at some of the official and unofficial perspectives on the subject from the United Nations and various member nations. The UN officially endorses the doctrine of universal human rights, and many nations embrace this moral perspective without reservation. Nevertheless some countries reject international criticism of the abuses of human rights within their own borders, declaring that their countries cannot be judged by a universal standard but by their own, individual moral norms. Do you agree with this view? That is, do you accept the notion of universal human rights or do you favor a form of cultural relativism, as some countries apparently do?

Chapter 3

1. Check the letters to the editor in your local newspaper (including college or university paper) and find at least two examples of moral arguments. Identify their premises and conclusions, decide whether the arguments are good or bad, and give reasons for your judgment.

2. Go online to find newspaper editorials that discuss moral issues. (Try CNN.com, USAToday.com, NYTimes.com, and townhall.com.) Select one of the articles and identify the premises and conclusion of its main argument. Is the argument valid? Is it cogent?

Chapter 4

1. Check the letters to the editor in your local newspaper (including college or university paper) for moral arguments. Identify at least one argument that appeals to the consequences of particular actions or policies, and identify at least one argument that appeals to the form or nature of actions or policies.

2. Do a web search for articles advancing moral arguments for or against abortion (start by checking the Ethics Updates site at http://ethics.SanDiego.edu/). Select an article you like and determine to what moral theory the writer seems to be appealing.

Chapter 5

1. Do an online search on Peter Singer, the famous utilitarian philosopher, and learn about his views on abortion. Do you think his ideas on this issue are plausible or mistaken? Why?

2. Do an online search for articles that explicitly mention utilitarianism or utilitarian considerations and that use the theory to defend a particular position on a moral issue. Briefly summarize the main argument. Do you think it is a good argument? Why or why not?

Chapter 6

1. Go online to find news articles about physician-assisted suicide. (See WashingtonPost.com, CNN.com, USAToday.com, and NYTimes.com.) Select a specific case. How might a natural law theorist judge the rightness or wrongness of the actions involved?

2. Go to USAToday.com or CNN.com to select a news article about capital punishment for minors (those underage when they committed capital crimes) or for people with mental disabilities. Select a particular case. Would Kant approve of the actions in that case? Why or why not?

Chapter 7

1. Visit Wikipedia (www.Wikipedia.org) and read about the lives of the following historical figures: the Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa. Using the textbook's discussion of virtue ethics as your guide, which of these people strikes you as the most virtuous? Why?

2. Do a web search on the subject of research in humans, paying particular attention to the issue of performing experiments on people without their knowledge or consent. Briefly explain what you think an act-utilitarian might say about doing extremely promising research on humans (research that could result in amazing cures) without their consent. Then briefly explain what you think a virtue theorist might say about the same issue. Which view seems clearest to you? Which more workable?