ASAP NEED IT VERY SOON ABOUT HOUR OR TWO

Please answer all of the questions with at least 250-300 words.

QUESTION 1

Listen to the audio file in the following website. http://adamanddrdrewshow.com/029/

I think you have download it and listen to it.

2. After listening to the podcast, I'm sure you have some strong feelings! (positive or negative) The clip was selected to draw out some of your deep-seated political and moral values.

Question 2 is related to this audio file as well

For your first REQUIRED post, please answer the following:

What did you find most upsetting about the Education discussion? Explain why you are upset, not just "I feel they are wrong" or "I don't like what they said". Provide reasons why you feel this way. [Even if you found nothing upsetting in the clip, try to argue how someone might be quite upset.

Question 2

Do you believe that all people are equal? If YES, on what basis are you making this claim? Is it just because you want this claim to be true? How would you respond to the point that some people are "just better than others, so deal with it"?

If NO, should we then change some of our political messages and social policies that are based on the principle of equality? If people are not equal, does this mean we should change the way we treat people in society?

Question 3

What is the difference between ETHICS and MORALITY? (Please refer to the text, not just your opinions.)

Question 4

1. Define Ethical Relativism.

2. Are you an Ethical Relativist?

If YES, list its strengths (positives).

If NO, list is weaknesses (negatives).

Question 5

(Chapter 4)

1. Describe the Selfish-Gene Theory. What are some of its criticisms? What is your view of this theory?

2. Ayn Rand is a very controversial figure. Is she 'evil'? Is she right? Explain.

Question 6

On the issue of torture, how do Act utilitarians differ from Rule utilitarians? Explain this difference. Who do you agree with? 

Question 7

Applying Kant's teachings on rational beings, androids (AIs, or thinking computers) and aliens (outer space) would be members of the moral universe. Animals, however, are not. 

Explain how Kant would lead to this conclusion. 

Do you agree with this view? Explain. 

Question 8

Ronald Dworkin says the rights cannot be traded for benefits. 

In the past couple years, there has been much debate on the U.S. government's NSA (Prism) policy of surveillance. For this post, first read the following articles:

1st: http://www.wired.com/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/

2nd: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/07/nsa-verizon-surveillance-constitution

3rd: http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/06/07/nsa_prism_program_obama_isn_t_being_hypocritical.html?original_referrer=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F+

The first article is a pretty fact-based expose of the NSA data center. The second and third articles present certain (political, philosophical) points of view. 

After readings these articles, answer these questions in your post:

(1) Is the NSA program a violation of Dworkin's principle (that rights cannot be compromised for benefits)? How so (or not)? Do you agree with the NSA or Dworkin?

(2) Obama (a Democrat) has been criticized for his about-face on this issue. [To be fair, George W. Bush, a Republican, started this ball rolling with the Patriot Act; Obama advanced the government's power beyond the original Patriot Act.] Is Obama being morally hypocritical? But why is hypocrisy relevant in politics? Are those who criticized Bush's Patriot Act being hypocritical in defense of Obama's NSA? Conversely, are those who had defended Bush, but now criticizing Obama, hypocrites as well? 

(3) Polls indicate that a majority of Americans support the NSA. This means that most American citizens favor some compromise of their rights (here, the right to privacy) for benefits (here, the 'greater good' of national security). Is this, in your opinion, the wrong attitude for a free society to have? Explain.

Question 9

1. Read Man in full article.

It is located at the following link

http://www.si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1194725/1/index.htm

2. What elements of Virtue Ethics do you see in the story of Mike Powell? Provide specific examples.

Question 10

"Being virtuous makes you happy" (457)

Now that you have learned the moral theories of Kant and Aristotle, which view do you favor? Provide reasons for your view.

*Do you agree with Virtue Ethics (Plato, Aristotle) that it is natural for rational beings to desire happiness, and therefore, that the happy life is the good life? They make the stronger claim that the morally best person IS actually the happiest person; the most virtuous life IS the happiest life.

*Do you agree with Kant that happiness should NOT be the basis of morality? Kant says there is no necessary relationship between the happy person and the good person. For instance, a very bad person CAN be quite happy; conversely, a person deserving of happiness (a good person) can be, through no fault of her own, be miserable. Kant rejects the virtue tradition (as well as virtually all other ethical sytems) because he is not convinced that people who are encouraged to pursue the happy life willl necessarily pursue a good (moral) life. 

This disagreement comes down to how you answer one question: Does the happy life necessarily require moral virtue? (Is the happy person necessarily a good person?)