Read Chapter One and draft thoughtful responses to the following short answer (min 500 words each) questions. Submit your responses
James Rachels discusses the myth of the ring, a thought experiment taken from Plato’s Republic. The philosopher Glaucon argues that no one could resist the temptation to use the ring to his own advantage. What does this claim say about morality, generally? About psychological egoism? What does this claim say about ethical egoism?
Explain both the divine command theory (as discussed by Arthur) and the theory of natural law (as discussed by Aquinas). On what grounds does Arthur reject the divine command theory? (Be sure to discuss the Euthyphro dilemma.) On what grounds does Hume reject the theory of natural law? (Be sure to discuss the “is/ought” objection.)
John Stuart Mill argues that people sometimes become addicted to what he described as “inferior pleasures.” What did Mill mean by “inferior pleasures,” and how did he account for people’s “addiction” to them?
Immanuel Kant argued that “the greater part of mankind… protect their lives in conformity with duty, but not from the motivation of duty.” What did he mean by this? What does “duty” mean for Kant, and in what way is this relevant to his theory of ethical action?
Explain John Rawls’ conception of justice as fairness. Specifically, what does he mean by the expression “veil of ignorance”? What principles does Rawls formulate from this perspective?
Sample Solution
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