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 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...

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...

The topic of abortion is one that is currently deadlocked and unless there is a piece of critical evidence that is released, each side will filibuster the issue until both sides are completely exasperated. Rather than comment on this stalemate, the purpose of this paper is to explore only one remot...

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 ...

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues today. It has become a question of not only ethics, but morals. In the 1973 case of Roe v Wade the Supreme Court ruled that a woman has the right to terminate a pregnancy by abortion within the first six months of the pregnancy. However, con...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

On February 24, 1997, the birth of a cloned sheep shocked the public of the United States . The prospects of human cloning and the uses of cloning technology in genetic engineering quickly became a highly debated issue. The sides to the debate were easily drawn. Many felt that the use of cloning wo...

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 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....

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 ...

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...

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. ...

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...

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...

Death with Dignity Should Be Legal In the article, "Euthanasia Can Never Be Justified," author J. Budziszewski defends why euthanasia should stay illegal. The basis of his argument comes from his idea that all bad things come from good things that have been "spoiled". To relat...

Romantic Philosophy in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell The Romantic period produced more poets who, at one time or another, aspired to become philosophers than in any other period in English literature. The Romantic poets felt a need for a metaphysical structure that would, conceptual...

Friedrich Nietzche, a 19th century German philosopher and writer, was one of the most influential modern thinkers. He was the first major thinker to take seriously the full implications of the historical critique and to apply it to all of a culture's most cherished possessions. He attempt...

Friedrich Nietzche, a 19th century German philosopher and writer, was one of the most influential modern thinkers. He was the first major thinker to take seriously the full implications of the historical critique and to apply it to all of a culture's most cherished possessions. He attempt...

Loyalty has always been a virtue of ethics, but ethics of our western civilization it seems, is changing. Loyalty has its domestic, religious, commercial, and its professional forms which in these forms, the concept of loyalty encompasses elements of freedom of belief, expression, and association. ...

Abortion: An infants right to live and a woman’s right to choose My view of sin and the human race is that I believe that people are inherently good and that they become evil because they are not educated enough to know what is “good” and what is “evil”. I believe...

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 ...