Ethics and Morality
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Ethics is a difficult subject - everyone tends to have opinions on different ethical and moral questions, but rarely can they agree with on another. There are ethical dilemmas in politics, science, medicine, religion - everywhere that more than one human being interacts with another. Moral questions come up in a lot of different specific issues - and you can make your opinion known by voting in some of the polls.
Should Condemned Prisoners be Kept Alive Before Execution?
Sometimes condemned prisoners waiting on death row to be executed suffer from injury or illness. Some even
try suicide. Usually the prison stops this and tries to save them - but why, if they are only going to be
executed later anyway? Is it really that important that the state do the killing, not cancer or suicide?
Can Television Shows or Movies Promote Stereotypes?
Some have complained about television shows like 'The Sopranos' because it portrays Italians as mobsters.
This, people argue, only perpetuates negative stereotypes about Italians. Others have made similar claims
about other shows and movies. Are such complaints valid? Should stereotypes be avoided?
Can People be Trusted to Know what the Want?
Do you really know what you want? Most probably assume that one knows one's desires and that one's desires
are always 'true' - but that is arguably false. If desires are dependent upon what we know, and if what we
know can be mistaken, then perhaps our desires can also be mistaken and be corrected.
Can Doctors Refuse Objectionable Procedures?
Sometimes doctors are faced with medical procedures which they can perform, but which they find ethically
objectionable - for example abortions or 'female genital mutilation.' Should doctors be permitted to refuse
procedures like this, or would it be a violation of their ethical duties?
Cloning Animals for Human Organs?
It may be technological possible (someday) to create animals better suited to provide
replacement organs for humans (xenotransplants). We could, then, clone the same pig over and
over in order to create replacement livers for people. Is this wise, given the possibility of
diseases crossing the species barrier? Is it ethical?
Quality of Life vs. Length of Life?
Modern medical technology has been able to extend life a great deal - but a longer life is not always the
same as a better life. Many people are concerned that when death draws near, it will be painful,
debilitating, or otherwise miserable. Some would rather die a bit sooner than face that. Would you?
Is Torture Justified in Extreme Cases?
The sight of Iraqi prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib by American prisoners has intensified the debate
over whether torture is ever justified, even if done to get information that would save many innocent lives.
Would you approve the use of torture or even engage in torture yourself?
When Would Torture Be Justified?
Some people argue that while torture is wrong, in extreme cases it would be justified to use torture in order
to get information that would save large numbers of people. But how many innocent people would have to
be at risk - one? A dozen? A thousand? A million? Where do you draw the line?
Was the Abu Ghraib Abuse Justified?
Many have expressed revulsion over how Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib were treated. Others have argued
that the actions of American soldiers were either justified or simply weren't all that bad. Which of the two
positions do you find most persuasive?
Threat Posed by Anti-Abortion Protestors
Anti-abortion protestors are a common sight at abortion clinics around the nation. Unfortunately,
anti-abortion violence is also somewhat common - several doctors have been killed, in fact. Are the
protestors a threat to doctors and women seeking abortions?
Pharmacists Refusing to Dispense Medication
Sometimes medical professionals, like pharmacists, have religious or other ethical objections to dispensing
certain medications. One of the most common things refused is the 'morning after pill' that prevents
pregnancies after rapes. Should they be allowed to refuse to hand such things out?
Persistent Vegetative State: A Reason to Die?
There are some who, after an illness or an accident, end up in a 'persistent vegetative state,' with no hope
of recovery. All higher cognitive functions are gone and there is no reason to think that they will come back.
Would you want to continue in such a state, or would you rather die?
Should Selling Human Organs Be Legal?
Some people think that if it were legal for people to sell their organs, or for a person's estate to tell a dead
person's organs, then there would be more organs available for transplant. Others, however, say that
pieces of human beings shouldn't be treated as commodities. What do you think?
Public Financing vs. Private Patent Protection
When private universities develop some new product or method for doing things, they common file for
patent protection and thereby make a lot of money. Much of their research, however, is paid for with
public financing from the government. Is this an unethical situation?
Should the Death Penalty Exist?
Capital punishment has been a type of criminal punishment in probably every human society that has
ever existed. Some, however, have argued that the death penalty cannot be applied fairly and is immoral.
Should criminals be executed for certain crimes or not?
Should Doctors Be Able to Use Fetal Tissue for Research?
There is a lot of promising research that could be done using fetal tissue - stem-cell research is just one,
although it is the best known. But would that simply encourage more abortions? Would it encourage
an attitude of treating the fetus as more like an object - dispensable, disposable?
Should Parents Choose their Child's Genetic Makeup?
The ability to manipulate a person's genetic code is increasing and soon parents may be able to choose
their child's genetic makeup - taller, faster, smarter, more resistant to disease, etc. But should they be
allowed to? Aren't their risks? Can people be trusted to make good choices?
Drug Companies Influencing Doctors
Drug makers admit that they pay insurance companies to increase the use of their products. They admit
that they give rewards to pharmacists and doctors for switching patients to their products. They admit
that they provide all sorts of gifts to doctors. Can you trust that your doctor writes a prescription based
only on your best interests as a patient?
What's the Best Method of Capital Punishment?
There are a lot of different ways that a person can be executed: electrocution, hanging, firing squad, and
lethal injection are a few common methods. Assuming that capital punishment is legal and moral, what
is the best means for carrying out a death sentence?
Should Partial-Birth Abortions Be Banned?
An important issue for the Christian Right in America is the effort to ban 'partial-birth abortions. They think
that this will be easier than banning all abortions, but it's also regarded as a step towards that ultimate
goal. Are they right that partial-birth abortions are like infanticide, or should they remain legal?
Should We Be Taking Pills to Make Us Happy?
The benefits of antidepressants have been receiving more and more press coverage during
recent years. If they are so great at improving a person's mood, why don't we all take them? Is there
anything wrong with 'normal' people taking pills to improve mood and productivity?
Should the Mentally Retarded be Executed?
Some of those who commit heinous crimes suffer from mental retardation or other mental disabilities.
Almost by definition, they suffer from a diminished capacity to understand what they have done. Some
states, however, allow them to be executed - but is capital punishment appropriate for someone who is
mentally retarded?
Should Prostitution be Legal?
Prostitution has been called the oldest profession in the world and it seems likely that humans
have always traded whatever they had in exchange for something they needed - and the one thing
that a human always has is their own body. Everyone trades something about their body, so why
not sexual activity as well?
Should Gay Marriage be Legalized?
There are fierce debates over whether same-sex couples should be allowed to have the same marriage
rights and privileges as straight couples do. Some argue that this would undermine the institution of
marriage, but other say that it's simply a matter of civil and equal rights.
Genetically Modified Pets: Wave of the Future or GM Horror?
Scientists can now genetically modify our pets - the first is a zebra fish called Night Pearl
that glows in the dark because of the addition of jellyfish genes. Is this a good idea? What do
you think about the ability to genetically modify pets like cats, dogs, and fish? Is this the
way our future is headed?
Affirmative Action: Racial Discrimination or Needed Remedy?
Affirmative Action is a moral and political question which seems to divide Americans
more than it unites them. On the one side are those who regard it as a type of program
designed to rectify racism and reverse the effects of both past and present
discrimination; on the other side are those who simply see it as another form of
discrimination, giving one group extra advantages based upon nothing but their skin color.
Should Abortion be Legal?
Abortion is a contentious issue in American society. Although it is currently legal, many still think that
it should be a criminal offense, arguing that killing a fetus is the same as murder. Others believe that
women should have the right to choose abortion if they want.
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