Social/policy issues

Philosophy 240 – Ethics

Fourth paper topics and instructions

4-6 pages

For this paper you will select one from among the social/policy issues on the list below. Try to pick something that both interests you and about which you have a position, even if it’s not very well formulated at all. I think this will make it easier to write. What you’ll need to do in this paper is the following:

• In the introduction, briefly describe the social issue you’re going to discuss and the two sides of the issue (if there are more than two, you can discuss these as well, but you don’t have to). And make clear what side you’re going to defend.
• Apply act or rule utilitarianism to the issue – i.e., explain how either version of utilitarianism would determine which side is right. You can use both act and rule UT if you want to.
• Apply deontology (Kantian moral theory) to the issue. You can use either version of the categorical imperative we studied, or both.

• Explain which theory you believe comes up with the best answer for the issue – that is, explain which one agrees with your stance and why. As a part of this step also at least briefly (but substantively) explain why the other theory doesn’t do as good a job.

Research

You may need to do a little research for the issue you’re going to write about. For example, you might find that a good overview of the issue needs some facts and statistics. But that is not required, and this is not a research paper. So, limit this sort of thing to a few paragraphs.

List of Approved Topics

If there is an issue you want to write about that’s not among these, please ask me about it first.

Personal Liberties Issues

• Is suicide morally permissible for a person who is not suffering from a terminal medical illness?
• Is it ever permissible to censor art?
• Should hate speech be protected?

Medical Ethics

• Are euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide permissible for patients that are NOT terminally ill?
• Is there ever an obligation to die?
• Can we permissibly involuntarily hospitalize people that are mentally ill?

• Should we pay people for organ donations? Or have an opt-out donor program?

o   More than 123,000 men, women and children currently need lifesaving organ transplants. An average of 21 people die every day because an organ was not made available for transplant. Only about 30% of Americans are donors. Why not incentivize donations with tax rebates, or a check?

o   Right now donor programs are opt-in: you must take steps to become an organ donor. But why not change the policy to opt-in? This program would assume everyone (over 18) is an organ donor unless they take steps to opt-out of the program.

• Is it permissible for health care workers to lie to patients?

Morality, Religion and Law

• When (if ever) is civil disobedience permissible?
• Is there a moral obligation to vote?

o   In the recent U.S. mid-term elections voter turnout was under 50%. Are those who fail to vote being immoral in some way?

• Should there be a legal requirement to vote?
• Should there be Bad Samaritan laws?

o   Should there be laws that make it criminal and punishable to stand by and do nothing to help a person in serious need of help? A famous law professor once described existing law this way: “The expert swimmer, with a boat and a rope at hand, who sees another drowning before his eyes, is not required to do anything at all about it, but may sit on the dock, smoke his cigarette, and watch the man drown.” Should there be laws that would punish this person for not helping?

Family

• Should prospective parents be licensed?
  • o In the U.S. driving is considered a serious responsibility, and the state has an interest in regulating who drives. Isn’t raising a child at least as great a responsibility? Why not also regulate parenting in a similar way?
• Is sex selection morally permissible?
• What obligations do we owe to future generations?

Business Ethics

• Is it wrong for advertisers to target children?
• Is deceptive advertising morally permissible?
• Is deception in business deals morally acceptable?
• What are the ethical obligations or salespeople?

o   Does a salesperson have an obligation to tell you about problems with the product that you don’t ask about?

• Are random workplace drug tests permissible?

• Are employment-at-will contracts just?