The moral argument only 'works' in the framework of practical reason. Critically discuss the meaning and implications of this claim. Immanuel Kant was instrumental in demolishing the traditional philosophical arguments for God's existence. In Critique of Pure Reason (1781) ,his ...

In the preface of Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant declares that all moral philosophy rests entirely on its pure parts. With this premise, an acknowledgment that he is unconcerned with a teleological approach to morality, Kant tethers the moral philosophy he is about to erect....

The debate on whether abortion is right has remained a longstanding source of contention among members of the various fronts of our society. On one hand, proponents claim of the view that making abortion illegal is a contradiction to the ability by women to enjoy their right to life and freedom of c...

In dealing with the question "should we always seek to maximize utility", it is important first to define the term "utility" and in so doing begin to identify some of the prominent arguments both for and against utilitarianism. Morally right actions produce the most good and goo...

1) What is ethics? What are some common ethical types? Why do business people need it? Can ethics be taught to people? Ethics is a study of morality, stems from the ancient Greek "ethos" meaning custom or habit. It is a study of theories concerning what is good and evil in human conduct. T...

In contemporary American society, a general topic for moral discussion is euthanasia, the act of painlessly ending the life of a person for reasons of mercy. This is usually done in cases in which the person is hopelessly sick or injured. Although by this definition euthanasia may clearly seem to ...

Animal Rights Throughout recent history, although mostly in contemporary American society, a general topic for moral discussion is the ethical treatment of animals. Much debate has resulted from this topic, with the major question being, "should animal life be given the same respect as hum...

Sophocles' play "Antigone" illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus' two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus' brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He ...

To Hume, the concept of morality was not a universal concept, but a human construct founded on reason and human sentiment. The fact that individuals dispute whether an action is right or wrong and use a rational form of discussion to reach a conclusion is strong proof in favor of morality being foun...

I grew up in a time and place where faith existed but was never questioned. After all, when you're a kid, adults tell you that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and God are all real. And that believing in them would get you gifts, baskets of candy, money, and someone who could help you...

Ethics of Abortion The debate over abortion has been constantly raging since the day it was legalized. It is a debate that sees large amounts of supporters that are both for and against it. In our society moral applications of certain ethics vary throughout. This is the case for philosophers Joh...

The issue of abortion and its' morality is no doubt one of great controversy. Is there any morally defensible point in a pregnancy where abortion is wrong afterwards but permissible before? In this paper I will argue that, yes, abortion is permissible but only to a certain extent. First we sh...

Evil, a God which is omnipotent and a God which is morally perfect; the problem of evil is the problem that revolves around the co-existence of the above. Arguably, when any two of these exist, it would be impossible for the third to co-exist. For if God is morally perfect, he would have created a w...

Part I: The ethical valuation of euthanasia has been hotly contested within both the judicial and ethical arena for the past two decades. Philosophers and politicians alike stand on either side of the debate without a clear view of the future ahead. Euthanasia itself is a term that needs furth...

Chapter two of Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mills essentially runs through the basic tenets and definitions of Utilitarianism, and also addresses some important objections and misconceptions of the philosophy. Sadly, although Mills tries to rescue much of the vocabulary of Utilitarianism from publi...

After a 1997 experiment in which a sheep was cloned, the argument of cloning humans came up. The argument surrounding cloning pits the views of two different groups against each other. Similar to the pro-life activists in the abortion argument there is the conservative wing who claim the utilization...

In today's society, there are many dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life. ...

To help or not to help? Hunger is a very pressing issue and with 24,000 people dying daily it should be. (HS) Unfortunately, it is more than just a moral question of should we help. It is a much more complex question that incorporates political and economic connotations as well. We also have to co...

The Justification of a Life-Centered Perspective Santa Cruz is a city known for its beach access and huge redwoods. These redwoods have lately come into an environmental debate regarding their co-existence with the lime kiln, and the subsequent new growth dominance of the redwoods over the kil...

Law and Morality It is not an everyday occurrence that someone must decide the fate of another's life. The dilemma of making a decision that someone must die in order for the others to survive, can obviously be troubling. The process in which the termination of one's life may be easy to m...

Capitalism and Government Spending When economic times are good it is easy for many of us to forget the important part government has played in these economic game. In times of economic crisis many people look to government for assistance, many times blaming it for not being more involved before...

Moral Relativism At first glance, moral relativism appears to be an appealing, well though out philosophical view; the truth of moral judgments is relative to the judging subject or community. The basic definition of moral relativism is that all moral points of view are equally valid; no single ...

Discussion of end of life issues can be quite complex. Arguments on both sides of the issue can be extremely passionate due to the presence of deeply held emotional beliefs among opponents. This characteristic of the debate is fully inescapable in instances such as these. Despite the natural ...

Early in 1997, Scottish scientist Dr. Ian Wilmot revealed to the world that he had successfully cloned an entire adult sheep. Dolly was the young clone's given name. With this announcement, the world made a collective gasp at the realization that no longer was cloning a "pipe dream" or an ...

Euthanasia continues to be an extremely controversial issue in society, and there are many opposing viewpoints concerning this specific subject. The case of Sue Rodriguez versus the province of British Columbia, is one that demonstrates the high degree of debate over such a sensitive topic, as e...