PHIL 237 Study Guide - Final Guide: Consequentialism, Fetus
Phil 237 Exam:
Not marked on originality, cite authors though.
One-page answers, make sure to cover each point
1. Idea of mental pleasures are superior to physical pleasures.
a. Test of competent judge, if someone experienced both prefer mental
b. Speciesist
i. Consider needs of other species as inferior to your own
ii. Violate principal of equal consideration of interest
iii. Why is he a speciest?
1. Competent judge preferring mental pleasures is a bias towards his
own species
2. Duty to not treat animals with cruelty because we need to cultivate moral feelings
a. Only rational beings have a moral status (rationality is most important)
i. Capacity to reflect on actions, desires, believes
ii. Aials hae desires/eliees ut a’t reflet o the
b. Indirect duties because we have duties to ourselves
i. Computer/book have no moral status but still a’t do whatever you want to
the ad ou hae duties to other idiiduals so a’t do hateer ou
want to their computer.
c. Endorse/Reject?
i. Rejet: Soe hua idiiduals also do’t ehiit rationality and they get
moral status, problem of marginal cases
ii. Endorse:
3. Being alive vs. having a life
a. If you have a life you have a right to it
i. Dolphin with life has a right to live same as human
4. People will have to justify themselves if they choose not to die
a. Old/expensive they will feel pressured for euthanasia
b. Erosion of trust in the doctor-patiet relatioship eause the hae poer to kill’
i. They already have this power so not huge change (passive euthanasia)
c. Phycological burden for doctors
d. Quality of care will diminish
e. If we legalize voluntary euthanasia we might soon legalize non-voluntary
i. Soe people a’t oset
ii. Dementia/coma
iii. They have right now to suffer
f. Are they good/bad reasons?
i. (Brock?) When we consider these things, we have to consider 2 things
1. How likely are these consequences?
2. How important/bad they are?
5. Liberal Position: The fetus is not a person so it has no right to life. Therefore abortion is
always permissible.
a. Five positions for status of infant
b. Sleeping man argument
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