Week 9 DQ PHIL

Week 6 DQ

Description:

For this forum, choose one of the following topics to respond to for your initial post. When you respond to your peers please respond, if possible, to a learner who has posted a contrary view on the topic you selected and then, at a minimum respond to at least one learner who has posted on the topic you did not select.

Topic A: Physician Assisted Suicide

Some people promote the idea that humans should have the right to die with dignity (see https://www.deathwithdignity.org/ ). Several states have legalized physician-assisted suicide (PAS). However, others may argue that a doctor prescribing a deadly prescription violates that doctor's Hippocratic Oath or claim that suicide by any means is immoral. Doing research and taking into consideration the actual laws concerning when and how a confirmed terminal patient would be able to request PAS, make an argument that it is or is not a moral action. Also see if you can find Kant's famous argument on the immorality of suicide. Does he have a point or are there just some times when the morally right thing to do is to allow a person to end his or her suffering? 

Topic B: Categorical Imperative

For Kant, following a universalizable rule and respecting autonomy were paramount. As such, there were very few rules that qualified, truthfulness was one. Preserving life might be another one. Johnson and Cureton lay out the steps required for a moral rule to satisfy the categorical imperative as follows:

First, formulate a maxim that enshrines your reason for acting as you propose.

Second, recast that maxim as a universal law of nature governing all rational agents, and so as holding that all must, by natural law, act as you yourself propose to act in these circumstances.

Third, consider whether your maxim is even conceivable in a world governed by this law of nature.

If it is, then, fourth, ask yourself whether you would, or could, rationally will to act on your maxim in such a world. If you could, then your action is morally permissible.

Discussion Task: See what rule or rules you can suggest based on these four steps and then see if you can think of a justifiable reason to violate this rule (no, you cannot use truthfulness). If you are unable to develop a rule, then discuss why you found doing so impossible.

Johnson, Robert and Adam Cureton, "Kant’s Moral Philosophy", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edited by Edward N. Zalta 7 July 2016. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#ForUniLawNat 

Before you post, please thoroughly edit your writing to ensure it is professional and academic. For more details about how the initial post and peer replies are graded, see the "Discussion Guidelines" and "Grading Rubric" linked below.