...your instructor, are in the "Details" section below. | Date Taken: | 1/30/2015 | Time Spent: | 3 h , 16 secs | Points Received: | 17 / 20 (85%) | Number of Attempts: | 1 | | Question Type: | # Of Questions: | # Correct: | Multiple Choice | 20 | 17 | | | Grade Details - All Questions | Question 1. | Question : | What is Peter Singer’s point about performing vivisection on mentally disabled human infants? | | | Student Answer: | x | That if we say that it would be wrong to perform experiments on such humans but not on non-humans then we are showing bias based upon species alone | | | | That a good speciesist would not perform experiments on any being | | | | That we should test upon mentally disabled human infants because the results would be more reliable than tests on animals | | | | That anyone who would consider testing on a human infant is a monster | | Instructor Explanation: | The answer can be found on p. 6 of Peter Singer’s “All Animals are Equal.” | | | | Points Received: | 1 of 1 | | Comments: | | | | Question 2. | Question : | Peter Singer’s “basic principles of equality” applied to animals means: | | | Student Answer: | | Animals should be given all the same rights as human beings. | | | x | Animals are not entitled to not all the same rights but to an equal consideration of interests. | | | | Animals should not be given the same moral consideration because...
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...Kyle Steverson Ann Tatum- Caetano English 1A 13 March 2006 Arising form Poverty Consider these facts: an estimated 400 million people lack the necessary calories, vitamins and proteins needed for a normal life (Singer 50). Millions are constantly hungry, and others suffer from disease and infections. In some areas many children are not even expected to live past the ages of 5 years of age (Singer 51). The examples listed above are all effects of the type of impact that poverty has on society. Poverty can be classified into two major categories; “absolute Poverty” which is derived from Robert McNamara, meaning poverty by any standards compared to Relative Poverty meaning some citizens live in poverty while others enjoy wealth (Singer 36). When dealing with poverty there are many factors hat should be considered outside of just becoming poor; however, for many the two go hand and hand. Poverty is increasing quicker than ever before, due to factors such as over populating and less jobs. Peter Singer writes “ This is the background situation, the situation that prevails on our planet all the time and it does not make the headlines (Singer 160).” Yes, the factors listed are tough to combat; therefore, the issue of poverty should be taken more seriously. The constant debate between the rich and the poor are leaving many nauseated on an ethical roller coaster. Much of the Nation and the World are succumbing to poverty like a deadly plague devouring everything...
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...Introduction: In the essay Ethics and Intuitions by Peter Singer, it talks about the intuitions that people have in certain situations that have been presented. Psychologists try to use an fMRI imagining trying to figure out what part of the brain response to the certain situation. In this paper I shall give a summary about the article, and then move on to the critique. In which I have agreed with Singer that intuitions are wrong. Summary: In the essay Singer starts off with Jim Rachels example of the telephone and a reporter. The reporter gives a few facts about something is to have done, ethical issues are involved. Rachels has noted that the reporter want a short quote and more importantly a bad quote. Rachels rejected the idea that the role of moral philosophers is to take a common moral intuition as data and to find the theory that fits those institutions. “Philosophers have considered are: whether ethics is objectively true, or relative to culture, or entirely subjective; whether human beings are naturally good; and whether ethics comes from nature or from culture” (Singer 333). The past...
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...promotes actions that fulfil the interests (preferences) of those beings involved.[citation needed] The beings may be rational, that is to say, their interests may be carefully selected based on future projections, but this is not compulsory; here, the definition of "party" extends to all sentient beings, even those living solely in the present. Since what is good and right depends solely on individual preferences, there can be nothing that is in itself good or bad: for preference utilitarian’s, the source of both morality and ethics in general is subjective preference.[1] Preference utilitarianism therefore can be distinguished by its acknowledgement that every person's experience of satisfaction is unique. The theory, as outlined by R. M. Hare in 1981, is controversial, insofar as it presupposes some basis by which a conflict between A's preferences and B's preferences can be resolved (for example, by weighting them mathematically). In a similar vein, Peter Singer, a major proponent of preference utilitarianism and himself influenced by the views of Hare, has been criticised for giving priority to the views of beings capable of holding preferences (being able to actively contemplate the future and its interaction with the present) over those solely concerned with their immediate situation, a group that includes many animals and young children. Hence, in cases of abortion, the views of the parent (however selfish or not, as the case may be) are prioritised over those of the foetus...
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...child . In the article , he explains clearly the reason for his opinion within examples and statistics. He wants to in form to audiences that no child lives below international poverty live and the Children's commission needs to show that there is a problem or they will be abolished . • Applications and connections The article of Grant is convincing because he mentioned exactly of what is happening in nowadays society and he is also right if the average wage in New Zealand was $1M a year then the figures the commission given would say those on $600K a year would be living in poverty. It makes me to contradict with Singer’s ethic video recording . In Singer’s ethic video recording, he expresses his idea that people should spend their money for poverty rather than for a expensive Prada shoes. However Grant reading is better ,meanwhile Singers criticizes people who spend money for those expensive things. Because this is business , Its “the term includes any transaction designed to provide goods or services for a profit”. ( New Zealand dictionary of business term). • Insights This article informs me a new perception about globalization poverty. The question is “ Should we attempt to cure child poverty when it does not really exist and should the children commission be disappeared “ . • Reference list 1. Grant , D.( 2013, January 27 ). I’d rather a better phone than feed a hungry child . New Zealand Herald . Retrieved from:...
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...Famous Thinkers Paper Peter Singer Peter Singer was born on July 6th 1946 in Australia. His family escaped Austria during the World War II from Nazis. Most of his relatives died in Nazi camps because they were Jews. Singer is considered to be one of the most influencing living thinkers however he was also called as the best-known vegetarian, and the most dangerous man in the World. He received death threats because of his beliefs and opinions. As he said in an interview for Policy Innovation, his main aim is to reduce unnecessary suffering in the World (Ethics Matter: A Conversation with Peter Singer, 2011). As Peter Singer stated himself “why I have focused on those issues, because I think, as a utilitarian philosopher rather than an expert in particular issues, I can make a contribution (Ethics Matter: A Conversation with Peter Singer, 2011). Peter Singer is known to be one of the most important supporters of Preference Utilitarianism, which in other words mean: “An action is right if it maximally furthers the interests of those affected by it” (Sloane, 1999, p. 53). Among his most controversial and best-known arguments are linked to the world poverty, animal rights, infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia. As a reason for becoming vegetarian and the notion of argument about animal rights was as Singer states an ordinary lunch with his friend who happened to be vegetarian and he presented to him the issue of factory farming ("Peter Singer '07: Animal Rights", 2011). His...
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...Reflective Journal Ashley Thompson MGT/216 July 19, 2011 Charles Donewar Ethics Game Reflective Journal The Ethics Game Simulation reflected two different situations in which G-Biosport were faced with. The first case was the Case of Fair Warning and the second was the Case of Stringent Standard. Both of these situations involved many different stakeholders. These stakeholders included: Customers of G-Biosport, employees of G-Biosport such as, The Shareholders, The Board of Directors, Carson Nelson (Chief Executive Officer), Cary Bryant (Chief Legal Officer), Jennifer (Quality Control Manager/Quality Compliance Director), Elaine Shields (Operations Director), and Judy Birch (Director of Public Relations). One will be able to read what these two case simulations reflected in this journal. Simulation 1: The Case of Fair Warning The first simulation was the Case of Fair Warning. In this simulation, it was discovered that G-Biosport products were contaminated with hazardous Fibranafren. The problem is that the products had already been distributed and were on the market. The staff of G-Biosport had to get together and share their opinions on what to do about the issue on hand. It was decided that the customers always have the right to know about the quality of all products. In this case Jennifer, the Quality Control Manager, was responsible for letting all shareholders involved know of all potential hazards and risks of the product. The decision was...
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...ads for users. The deal’s enormous price tag brings a lot of question into Zuckerberg’s rationale behind his decision and if the pros outweigh the cons. Consequentialism is focused on the basic consequences that come with decisions and determining net balance between the good consequences and the bad ones. Zuckerberg’s decision to buy WhatsApp is consistent with his goal of connecting the entire world, especially developing countries, through technology. The app has over 450 million users. There almost as many messages sent using the app as there are text messages sent in the entire world per year. It allows Facebook to improve the app and help people from all over the world to share information quickly and efficiently. Utilitarian ethics revolves around maximizing net benefits for all parties involved with the decision, which brings the question, is the 19 billion dollar cost for the acquisition able to maximize the net benefits in...
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...Seminar Two: Short Paper B Macland Baker College Introduction: The Problem We are given two problems for ethical consideration. The problems are similar in some respects, but different in one primary detail. The problems are called The Trolley Problem 1 and The Trolley Problem 2. Both problems have a runaway trolley that will kill five people on the track ahead if it continues on its course uninterrupted. The first problem has a switch that will turn the trolley off the track with the five people on it and turn it onto a track where there is one person on it. By hitting the switch you will save the five people, but the trolley will kill the one person. Do you hit the switch to save the five, or let the trolley go and save the one? I would hit the switch and save the five. I felt that if I was put in the position of having to choose to save one or save five, I would choose to save five. To not act at all, to me, is still acting because your inaction still kills one person. It is better to kill five people over killing one person? Definitely not. Although I don’t advocate that killing one person is justified. My choice is simply made because I was given the option of saving one or saving five. My option was not killing one or killing five. Mentally, this changes the scenario. It makes me feel less personally responsible for the deaths. In the second problem there is no switch. The problem is made more personal by the presence of an individual. You are standing on a bridge...
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...Utilitarianism beliefs have been around for a long time but it wasn’t called utilitarianism until the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. John Stuart Mill was a philosopher born in 1806 and in 1861 wrote People haven’t’ agreed on what is right and what is wrong so the point is to come up with a universal systematic way to determine whether or not something is ethical The first principle of utility, as Mill describes, is “pleasure and freedom from pain are the only tings desirable as ends” The second principle is about the greatest happiness. “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to produce happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse.” He also describes happiness as pleasure with the absence of pain and unhappiness as pain with the absence of pleasure -First Premise- Constantly chasing pleasure brings about bad things (addictions, disease, an unhealthy life, loss of friends due to selfishness. You become a slave to your pleasure) The first thing that I believe is wrong with this theory is that a person should not be constantly chasing pleasure -Second Premise- mob rule This moral theory is not only wrong because it brings about bad things but it’s almost un-American because it allows for people to get run over and stripped of their rights if it generates more happiness fir the rest of the community. I don’t think that in any society an innocent person should be forced to be stripped of their human rights if they aren’t willing to give them up. I think it is interesting...
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...Memorandum To: Hospital Staff, Peer Review Committee, Hospital Trustees From: -Lead Surgeon Date: January 20, 2013 Subject: Heart Transplant Candidate The purpose of this memorandum is to come to a conclusion about which individual should receive the heart transplant taking into account ethics. There are three people who are in need of the organ transplant; Jerry, Lisa, and Ozzy. In order to make an informed decision it is important to look at all three cases. Candidate #1- Jerry is a 55 year old male with three children. In his early 20’s Jerry used steroids which in turn damaged his heart. His life expectancy would increase by about 10-15 years with this transplant. Candidate #2- Lisa is a 12 year old female. Her heart was damaged when she contracted pneumonia a year ago. Lisa has had health problems all her life due to a lupus-like immune deficiency. Even with the transplant, it is unlikely that Lisa will live through her 20’s. Candidate #3- Ozzy is a 38 year old male who has a history of drug abuse. As a result of Ozzy’s drug use, he will not be able to live past the month. With the transplant Ozzy has the life expectancy of 10+ years. The Rights Theory The Rights Theory state that an action is ethical is it respects the rights that all individuals have. Taking this theory into account, I do not think it is ethical to accept the 2 million dollars which are being offered to the hospital in exchange for Lisa to receive the transplant. All three of the candidates...
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...Jeremy Bentham was born in London, England on the February 15, 1748. He was known for being a proponent in the utilitarian movement. Jeremy father was a Lawyer, having decided that Jeremy would follow his footsteps. At the age twelve, Jeremy attended Queens College, Oxford. After Jeremy graduated from Queens College he immediately entered Lincolns Inn to study law and found out his weakness to public speaking and left Lincoln Inn to concentrate on his writings (Jeremy Bentham). As Jeremy focused on his writings he wrote a number of books on philosophy, economics and politics. He began expressing his conservative political views, until he was exposed to Joseph Priestly. Joseph Priestly work impacted the views of Jeremy and later Jeremy changed his views according to his work. Jeremy published work like, Principles of International Law, A fragment of Government, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Catechism of Reformers, Constitutional Code and many more (Spartacus Educational). Fig. 1. A cartoon shows does the end justify the means (UTILITARIANISM). According to the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, is where Jeremy articulates rational principles that would provide a basis and guide for legal, social and moral reform. Jeremy then developed fundamental moral principles on which laws should be set. Jeremy philosophy of utilitarianism stated, “The greatest happiness principle” or “the principle of utility”. These statements were...
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...Utilitarian Ethics Is a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as maximizing total benefit and reducing suffering or the negatives. 1. The belief that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility. 2. The ethical theory proposed by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill that all action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. 3. The quality of being utilitarian: housing of bleak utilitarianism. Kantian Ethics The ethical theory of the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant. It focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions in and of themselves, rather than on the consequences of those actions. According to Kant, the principles by which actions are judged right or wrong can be determined by reason, and the individual has a duty to act in accordance with these principles. * According to Kant there are several problems with consequentialism * According to the consequentialist, no act (no matter how evil or cruel) is right or wrong in itself * If we are already inclined to do an act because we naturally seek to produce good consequences (e.g., pleasure, happiness), then we are not acting freely and therefore not morally responsibly * Because of differences in their experiences and backgrounds, people differ as to what are good consequences; therefore, we can never achieve agreement on the...
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...Critically assess a utilitarian response to environmental ethics. Utilitarianism is teleological, concerned with the end or purpose of actions. It is also consequentialist, judging actions right or wrong according to their outcome. Many scientists, politicians and philosophers have expressed concern that the world is facing an environmental catastrophe. If this is to be believed, an ethical theory that focuses on the results of our actions seems most appropriate. Utilitarianism is able to take into account the risks to the environment of global warming, ozone depletion, pollution, deforestation etc. Traditional utilitarianism would have done that using Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus. Bentham would have asked how likely it was that certain results would occur. He would have weighed up the benefits of any proposed action, such as the building of a new motorway, against the adverse affects, focussing on the pleasure and pain that resulted, and nothing else. This sort of calculation is practical and flexible, allowing for a different answer in every different set of circumstances. For example, building a road in Rwanda might lead to increased trade, a way of transporting important materials, medicines etc – in other words, a lifeline. The destruction of wildlife in such an underdeveloped country might be negligible, and the pollution minimal. However, a similar road in the UK might run through residential areas. The pollution from the thousands of cars might have a significant...
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...Critically assess a utilitarian response to environmental ethics. Utilitarianism is teleological, concerned with the end or purpose of actions. It is also consequentialist, judging actions right or wrong according to their outcome. Many scientists, politicians and philosophers have expressed concern that the world is facing an environmental catastrophe. If this is to be believed, an ethical theory that focuses on the results of our actions seems most appropriate. Utilitarianism is able to take into account the risks to the environment of global warming, ozone depletion, pollution, deforestation etc. Traditional utilitarianism would have done that using Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus. Bentham would have asked how likely it was that certain results would occur. He would have weighed up the benefits of any proposed action, such as the building of a new motorway, against the adverse affects, focussing on the pleasure and pain that resulted, and nothing else. This sort of calculation is practical and flexible, allowing for a different answer in every different set of circumstances. For example, building a road in Rwanda might lead to increased trade, a way of transporting important materials, medicines etc – in other words, a lifeline. The destruction of wildlife in such an underdeveloped country might be negligible, and the pollution minimal. However, a similar road in the UK might run through residential areas. The pollution from the thousands of cars might have a significant...
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