paper work. on philosophy

Intro to Philosophy (Online)

Professor LaMendola

Paper Topics

Choose one of the following questions to respond to for your paper topic:

1. Consider the scenarios involving the unwilling moral agents of Jim and George in

Bernard William’s “Utilitarianism & Integrity”. Describe the events that occur in each

scenario (Be detailed your descriptions.) Explain how these events relate to the Brain in a

Vat scenario in Robert Nozick’s “The Experience Machine”. Additionally explain how

the thought experiments in each article exemplify objections regarding consequentialist

judgments. Finally, using the selection from Mill’s Utilitarianism to demonstrate how

these objections might be unwarranted. Provide a detailed scenario that demonstrates

your formulation of the unwarranted objections.

2. Describe Kant’s line of reasoning in which he arrives at the Categorical Imperative. (Simply stating the Categorical Imperative is not enough to satisfy this question.

Describe Kant’s reasoning to the best of your ability. Citing outside sources may be

necessary to do this.) What does this imply that all agents must have access to? Is this a

reasonable constraint on moral agency and moral decision making? Additionally consider

the Case of the Inquiring Murder once more. Provide a scenario in which it would be in

accordance with laws of your country to tell the Inquiring Murder which way the victim

went. Describe how this might be in accordance with the Categorical Imperative.

3. Consider Thomas Nagel’s article, “Moral Luck”. State the Control Principle. State the

conditions for moral luck and how moral luck results from the Control Principle.

Describe Nagel’s four kinds of moral luck. Give examples for how each of these would

violate the Control Principle. When viewing Nagel’s position as a response to Kantian

ethics, what is the most fundamental way in which we should evaluate moral judgments?

Moreover, how does moral luck affect consequentialist judgments? Provide scenarios for

instances in which moral luck might complicate both Kantian and consequentialist

judgments (Make sure your scenarios include resolutions.)