Ethics

Book: Ethics Theory and practice 11^th edition. Jacques Thiroux.

1. Discuss the extent to which you think the rule “Rape is always wrong” is an absolute. Can there be any exceptions to this rule? Give reasons?
2. Discuss the extent to which you believe the rule “Adults should never sexually molest children” is absolute. Do you think it is right to violate this rule? If so under what conditions and why?
3. Under the moral system espoused by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, property was stolen and destroyed, countries were invaded, looted and pillaged and millions of innocent people were raped, mutilated, experimented upon, tortured and murdered. Discuss whethersuch a system is moral or immoral according to you, basing your answer upon whether you feel morality is relative or absolute.
4. Analyze any act that you have committed about which you have strong feelings (e.g. of target or of pride) To what extent do you believe that this act was freely done by you or determined by forces working within or outside you?
5. When you analyze the world around you, to what extent do you believe that human beings are subject to the same types of determinism as plants and animals are? Explain your reasoning.
6. When you have had an occasion to distribute good or bad to others, what were these situations and what made you opt out for a particular way of dealing with them?
7. What method of reward and punishment is used in your family, and how does it fit with the three theories? Does it work? Be specific?
8. To what extent is the purpose of punishment to (a) protect society, (b) punish criminals, or (c) rehabilitate and reform criminals? Why do you think so? Be specific.
9. Analyze any group or institution of which you are or have been a member ( e.g. Church, school, the military, sports team, or honorary club or society in school or out of it), and describe what theories are or have been used in distributing good and bad and in rewarding and punishing. Do you believe that those methods were fair and just? Why?
10. To what extent do you feel that America’s Judicial and penal systems are effective in punishing or rehabilitating criminals?
11. To what extent do you feel that as a country and its citizens we should take care of our less fortunate and “needy” members, and why? How should this be done- through private donations, government support, or both? Explain
12. In his historic acceptance of his party’s nomination for president of the united states, Sen. Barack Obama stated that it is every American’s birthright to have a college education. Is this a basic human right? What basis can Obama cite for such a claim?