Day: March 2, 2012

Euthanasia and abortion

 

It might seem strange to group these two together, but I do so for a variety of reasons. 1, the tutorials have already been done; 2, both positions have as their central foundation the validity of the principle of the intrinsic value of human life; and 3. both problems are best approached through a deontological/rights based approach as opposed to a utilitarian one.

 

We did not have time to truly discuss Hegel’s approach, but that is because we are early on in his thought.  There are two axes to be applied: what would the public judgement be concerning such problems; and what are the foundations of these judgements.  The rationality of one’s moral assertions are then twofold: in accordance with the public will and then whether the public will itself is rational.

 

Moral problems such as euthanasia and abortion question traditional principles such as the sanctity of life because new technology lays bare the foundations of our public reasoning about these subjects.

Famine

The first tutorial this term will be next week on the problems of famine.  I assume we all agree that famine is a bad thing, but why?  Famine also cannot be divorced from poverty. Poverty itself is a problem, but do you hgave an obligation to help somone who has less than you (if that is how we measure poverty).

You will need to read Singer and O’Neill who put forward a utilitarian and a Kantian persepctive respectively (both available on Blackboiard).  Also, before the dicusssion you need to consider Hardin’s analogy with the lifeboat (an extract is ion the tutorial booklet).