1.  If you had any problems in writing your first essay, it may be a good idea to read through the handout "Writing a Good Ethics Essay"  - which is also available on the Philosophy 1100 Honors web site:

2.  The main points to keep in mind are summarized on the "Essay Checklist and Cover Sheet".  This is to be attached to the front of your essay, and before doing the final draft of your essay, you should go through your essay carefully to see whether your essay is satisfactory in the relevant respects.
 
 

Due Date:    Friday, December 7

Length:  Approximately 4-5 double-spaced, typewritten pages
              (about 1200-1500 words in length).
 
 

1.   If a person is not suffering from an incurable illness, is suicide ever morally permissible?

2.   Discuss the claim that, provided that one has no special obligations to others - such as one's family - suicide is never morally wrong in itself.

3.   Set out, and then evaluate, the most important theological argument (or arguments) against suicide.

4.   What questions arise concerning the morality of assisting someone to commit suicide, and what answers would you defend?

5.  In his essay "The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia," in a section entitled "1.  The Argument from Nature," J. Gay-Williams offers an argument in support of the claim that "euthanasia is inherently wrong."  Carefully set out his argument in a step-by-step fashion.  Then discuss which steps in his argument are most open to question, and whether they can be sustained.

6.  Taking into account the essays by James Rachels and Philippa Foot, discuss the question of whether there is an intrinsic difference (as contrasted to a difference in consequences) between killing and letting die.

7.   Set out, and then evaluate, the empirical version of the wedge (or slippery slope) argument against voluntary active euthanasia.

8.   Aside from the wedge argument, what is the most important non-theological argument against voluntary active euthanasia?  Carefully evaluate that argument.

9.   Set out, and then evaluate, the most important theological argument (or arguments) against voluntary active euthanasia.

10.   Should voluntary active euthanasia be prohibited by law?

11.   It is often held that voluntary passive euthanasia is morally acceptable, but that voluntary active euthanasia is not.  Discuss this view.

12.   Is non-voluntary euthanasia morally acceptable in cases of the Karen Ann Quinlan sort?

13.   Under what conditions, if any, is non-voluntary, active euthanasia morally permissible?

14.   What is the most important argument either in support of the view that at least some non-human animals have a right to life, or in support of the view that no non-human animals have a right to life?  Can the argument in question be sustained?

*********************************************************************************
NOTE

        The following topics are all on abortion.  Past experience with papers in this area  supports a rather unhappy generalization - namely, that regardless of what position a person is defending, the average grade tends to be substantially lower than on papers on other topics.

        The main reason for the lower grades is that people are often tempted to rely upon popular discussions of abortion, and, unfortunately, the authors of such discussions are usually quite unaware of the relevant philosophical arguments.  In the case of abortion, in contrast to other topics - such as euthanasia - there is an enormous gulf between popular discussions and philosophical discussions.

        If you do decide to write an essay on one of the following topics, it is crucial, then, to work through very carefully both all of the assigned readings on abortion, and all of the class notes.  The latter are available at the following location on the course web site:

        http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/NotesforEssays1100.html

*********************************************************************************

15.  Carefully set out, and then evaluate, Judith Jarvis Thomson's defense of abortion.

16.   Set out, and then carefully evaluate, either the strongest argument in support of the view that potentialities suffice to endow human fetuses with a serious right to life, or the strongest argument against that view.

        The notes at the following address are very important for this topic:

        http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/ClassNotesforAbortion5.html
 

17.   What is the most plausible view concerning which non-potential property suffices in itself, and independently of any relation to other properties, to give something a right to life?  What is the most important objection to that view?  Can the view be sustained?

18.   It may be that all members of the biologically defined species, Homo sapiens, possess some property in virtue of which they have a serious right to life.  But does membership in the biologically defined species, Homo sapiens, by itself, and independently of its relation to other properties, suffice to endow an individual with a right to life?  Set out, and then carefully evaluate, the most important arguments bearing upon this issue.

        Especially important for this topic are the notes at the following address:

         http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/ClassNotesforAbortion4.html