What is Kant’s argument against lying? What is problematic about it, and what happens when it comes into conflict with other absolute rules?.
1. Discuss the example of Harry Truman dropping nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the context of the Utilitarian and Kantian principles. Also include a discussion of Elizabeth Anscombe’s critic of Truman.
2. Describe the Categorical Imperative. Be sure to include a description of how Kant derives the principle from an understanding that Morality is a matter of reason not emotion.
3. What is Kant’s argument against lying? What is problematic about it, and what happens when it comes into conflict with other absolute rules?
4. How do Kant’s core values cause him to embrace retribution, and reject rehabilitation?
5. What are the Utilitarian arguments for the implementation of retribution?
6. Discuss Kolberg’s six stages of moral development. Include in your discussion the examples of Amy and Jake, and how their different approaches to a moral dilemma would be understood in the context of Kohlberg’s theory.
7. Discuss Giligan’s Objection to Kolberg’s labeling of Amy and Jake. What are the differences between the way men and women approach moral dilemma’s according to Giligan?
8. Discuss the ethics of care. How does it differ from the pre-dominantly male oriented approaches to morality that have been discussed?