Applying Ethics

Preface. PART I: MORAL REASONING. 1. Moral Reasons. Moral Reasoning. Individual Morality and Social Morality. Ethical Relativism. Principles of Individual Morality. Principles of Social Morality. Summary and Conclusions. Readings: "Moral Virtue," Aristotle. "Respect for Persons," Immanuel Kant. "Utilitarianism," John Stuart Mill. "A Theory of Justice," John Rawls. "The Ethics of Care," Virginia Held. 2. Good Reasoning. Arguments. Evaluating Moral Arguments. Summary and Conclusions. PART II: ISSUES. 3. Sexual Morality. The Traditional View. The Libertarian View. Treating Sex Differently. Arguments for Sexual Libertarianism. Arguments against Sexual Libertarianism. Readings: "Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics," The Vatican. "Sexual Morality and the Concept of Using Another Person," Thomas A. Mappes. "Should a Feminist Choose a Marriage-Like Relationship?" Marjorie Weinzweig. "The Case for Lesbian and Gay Marriage," Richard D. Mohr. Case Presentations: Disease v. Promiscuity? Lawrence v. Texas: Private Rights and Public Morality. Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health: A Right of Gay Marriage. A Slippery Slope to Polygamy? 4. Abortion. Biological Background . The Moral Problem. The Ontological Status of the Fetus. The Moral Status of the Fetus. Pro-Life Arguments (against Abortion). Pro-Choice Arguments (for Abortion).Readings: "Why Abortion is Immoral," Donald Marquis. "A Defense of Abortion," Judith Jarvis Thomson. "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion," Mary Anne Warren. "Virtue Theory and Abortion," Rosalind Hursthouse. Case Presentations: Conceived in Violence, Born in Hate. Death in Pensacola. The Fight for Martina Greywind's Baby. Sex-Selection Abortions. 5. Euthanasia. Personhood. Death. Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Treatment. Killing vs. Allowing to Die. Meaning of Euthanasia: Narrow vs. Broad Interpretations. Voluntary vs. Nonvoluntary Euthanasia. Assisted Suicide. The Right to Refuse Treatment. Defective Newborns. Arguments for Voluntary (Active) Euthanasia. Arguments against Voluntary (Active) Euthanasia. Readings: "The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia," J. Gay-Willians. "Voluntary Active Euthanasia," Dan W. Brock. "Active and Passive Euthanasia," James Rachels. "Gender, Feminism, and Death: Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia," Susan M. Wolf. Case Presentations: "I Did It Because I Loved My Son." "A Choice Central to Personal Dignity." Legalized Assisted Suicide and Decriminalized Euthanasia. Terri Schiavo: Voluntary Euthanasia or Murder? 6. Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Research, and Human Cloning. How Cloning Works: A Brief History. Why Clone Humans? Moral and Legal Issues. Stem Cell Research. Arguments against Human Cloning. Arguments for Human Cloning. Readings: "The Case against Perfection," Michael J. Sandel. "Moral Status of Cloning Humans," Michael Tooley. "The Morality of Killing Human Embryos," Bonnie Steinbock. "Stem Cells, Biotechnology, and Human Rights: Implications for a Posthuman Future," Paul Lauritzen. Case Presentations: Recommendations of the President's Council on Bioethics. A Birth to Save a Life. Presidential Policy. Eight is Enough. 7. Capital Punishment. The Nature and Definition of Punishment. The Moral Acceptability of Punishment. Aims of Punishment. Retentionist and Abolitionist Defined. Capital Punishment as Deterrent. Abolitionist Arguments (against Capital Punishment). Retentionist Arguments (for Capital Punishment). Readings: "Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment," John Stuart Mill. "A Life for a Life," Igor Primoratz. "On Deterrence and the Death Penalty," Ernest Van Den Haag. "Capital Punishment and Social Defense," Hugo Adam Bedau. Case Presentations: Karla Faye Tucker and Stanley "Tookie" Williams: Rehabilitation on Death Row? A Failed Experiment? Warren McClesky. Punishing Child Rapists. 8. War, Terrorism, and Civil Liberties. Just War Theory. Preemptive Wars. Violence and Terrorism. Jihadism. Pacifism. Civil Liberties. Arguments for Trading Civil Liberties for Safety. Arguments against Trading Civil Liberties for Safety. Readings: "The Triumph of Just War Theory (and the Dangers of Success)," Michael Walzer. "Violence, Terrorism, and Justice," R.G. Frey and Christopher W. Morris. "Make Torture an Option," Alan M. Dershowitz. "Torture and the Ticking Bomb," David Luban. Case Presentations: Preemptive War. Driving While Veiled. Fear of Flying. The Geneva Conventions and Guantanamo Bay. 9. Globalization and Social Justice. Globalization. Distribution Justice. Equality, Need, and Merit. Libertarianism, Welfare Liberalism, and Socialism. Argument for Global Aid. Arguments against Global Aid. Readings: "What We Owe to the Global Poor," Mathias Risse. "Sweatshops and Respect for Persons," Denis G. Arnold and Norman E. Bowie. "Illegal Immigrants, Health Care, and Social Responsibility," James F. Dwyer. "Female Genital Circumcision and Conventionalist Ethical Relativism," Loretta M. Kopelman. Case Presentations: Stopping the Sweatshops. Is There a Right to Health Care? Do Illegal Immigrants Have a Right to Education? Yearning to Breathe Free. 10. Discrimination. Discrimination: Its Nature and Forms. Evidence of Discrimination. Affirmative Action: Preferential Treatment? Arguments against Affirmative Action. Arguments for Affirmative Action. Readings: "The Justification of Reverse Discrimination," Tom L. Beauchamp. "A Defense of Programs of Preferential Treatment," Richard Wasserstrom. "Reverse Discrimination as Unjustified," Lisa Newton. "Class, Not Race," Richard Kahlenberg. Case Presentations: Proposition 209. Grutter v. Bollinger: Taking Race into Account. Reparations: An Overdue Debt to African Slaves in America? Friendly Sexual Harassment? 11. Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics. What Do We Owe Nonhuman Animals? What's Wrong with Speciesism? Environmental Ethics. Environmental Problems. The Moral Issue. Why Environmental Ethics? Arguments for Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Environment. Arguments Against Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Environment. Readings: "All Animals Are Equal or Why Supporters of Liberation for Blacks and Women Should Support Animal Liberation Too," Peter Singer. "The Case for Animal Rights," Tom Regan. "Do Animals Have Rights?" Carl Cohen. "The Ethics of Respect for Nature," Paul W. Taylor. Case Presentations: Animal Liberators. Religious Sacrifice. A Metaphor for the Energy Debate. The Spotted Owl. 12. Computer Ethics and the Internet. What Is Computer Ethics? Issues in Computer Ethics. Arguments in Favor of Ethical Conduct With Computers and the Internet. Arguments against Ethical conduct With Computers and the Internet. Readings: "The Constitution in Cyberspace: Law and Liberty Beyond the Electronic Frontier," Laurence H. Tribe. "Free Speech in Cyberspace," Richard A. Spinello. "Is it Moral to Make Copies of Software for My Friends?" Bernard Gert. "Cyberstalking, Personal Privacy, and Moral Responsibility," Herman T. Tavani and Frances S. Grodzinsky. Case Presentations: Ticketed for Obscenity on the Information Superhighway. A Chill in Cyberspace. Censoring Political Speech. Pirates of the Campuses. AFTERWORD. GLOSSARY. INDEX.