Exam 8: Morality and the Good Life

One implication of Kant's moral philosophy is that morality must be the same everywhere.

What is autonomy?

Applied ethics or moral philosophy is the employment of moral reasoning,often aided by moral theories,to solve real-life ethical and moral problems.Focusing on one of the contemporary moral issues listed below,or on a different moral issue of your choice,write an essay in applied ethics. First,define what the issue is: What is at stake? Who is affected? Second,take the measure of your own "intuitions," that is,what do you think the best solution might be? To help you dig deeper into your intuitions,ask yourself: "Why do I think this is important?" Third,apply three of the moral theories in attempt to resolve to the issue you have picked: Duty-defined morality (use one formulation of Kant's categorical imperative); Conseqeuntialism; and Aristotle's ethics of virtue. Be sure you explain each approach before you apply it. Fourth,discuss the results of this application: Do the theories converge on a single solution to the issue? Which of the theories makes the most sense to you as you apply it,given your intuitions,and why? What conclusions do you draw? Issues:Torture; The Death Penalty; Euthanasia; Affirmative Action; the Legalization of Drugs; Performance enhancement drugs (e.g.,steroids,doping,cognitive enhancers).

Aristotle's virtues seem to share the common thread of being

According to Kant's moral theory,actions are to be judged by their

Distinguish psychological and ethical egoism.

List six of Aristotle's virtues.

Some who believes that morality originates from a morally good God still faces the question whether one should follow God's laws just because they are God's commands or

Distinguish between cultural relativism and ethical relativism.

Most people live as hedonists,most of the time.