philosophy assignments
The Dip Discussion (Discussion 7)
4
4 unread replies. 4
4 replies. Due Date
Purpose:
The purpose of this discussion is for you to think critically about what make actions right or wrong, why do people's intuitions about similar cases seem so different. This will help you make better explanations of your actions in the future and also, if you find that you have done wrong, make better excuses.
Case:
In some Inuit cultures, there is a common practice know as ‘the dip’ (my translation). When a child is born in the dead of winter, it is common for the mother to carve out a hole in the ice and place the child in the water. This kills the child instantly (infanticide). This is done purely at the parents’ discretion and there is no negative stigma about it. Old people also, when they became too feeble to contribute to the family, were left out in the snow to die.
You may remember this case from the pages of the module.
Task:
1. For your initial post, you need to: 1. Think carefully about the dip. Are the cultures which do
this doing something morally wrong? What reason can you think of for them killing babies? Do they value human life?
2. Say why you think that. As always these cases, you should not say merely that this is how you feel, but rather explain why you have that feeling.
3. Say how you think another student may reply to your stance.
2. Reply to 2 other students in this class who have opposing views to you or take on the role as the devil's advocate and object to them. If possible, avoid replying in the way that they thought someone might reply.
To Succeed:
1. Make sure you are clear about your stance, that you do not devolve into name-calling and uncivil behavior.
2. Debate and replies to replies are encouraged as this is practice for real-world debates.
3. Make sure that you have all of the above points in your posts.
4. I will comment replies if the post is very off-the-mark in the interpretation of the case, if it is unduly inflammatory, or otherwise not appropriate.