2/6/22, 5:02 PM Discussions List – PHIL200 B006 Winter 2022
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/List 11/17
Week 6 Discussion
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
professional and academic. For more
details about how the initial post and
peer replies are graded, see the
“Discussion Guidelines” and “Grading
Rubric” linked below.
Discussion Guidelines & Grading Rubric
W6: Kantian Deontology
0
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
0
Description:
For this forum, choose one of the following
topics to respond to for your initial post.
When you respond to your peers please
respond, if possible, to a learner who has
posted a contrary view on the topic you
selected and then, at a minimum respond to
at least one learner who has posted on the
topic you did not select.
Topic A: Physician Assisted Suicide
Some people promote the idea that
humans should have the right to
die with dignity (see
). Several states have legalized
physician-assisted suicide (PAS).
However, others may argue that a
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=50064&type=coursefile&fileId=Migrated+Files%2fDisussion+Guidelines.html
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=50064&type=coursefile&fileId=Migrated+Files%2fLD+Forum+Rubric
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/topics/408795/View
2/6/22, 5:02 PM Discussions List – PHIL200 B006 Winter 2022
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/List 12/17
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
doctor prescribing a deadly
prescription violates that doctor’s
Hippocratic Oath or claim that
suicide by any means is immoral.
Doing research and taking into
consideration the actual laws
concerning when and how a
confirmed terminal patient would
be able to request PAS, make an
argument that it is or is not a moral
action. Also see if you can find
Kant’s famous argument on the
immorality of suicide. Does he have
a point or are there just some
times when the morally right thing
to do is to allow a person to end his
or her suffering?
Topic B: Categorical Imperative
For Kant, following a universalizable rule
and respecting autonomy were
paramount. As such, there were very few
rules that qualified, truthfulness was one.
Preserving life might be another one.
Johnson and Cureton lay out the steps
required for a moral rule to satisfy the
categorical imperative as follows:
First, formulate a maxim that
enshrines your reason for acting as
you propose.
2/6/22, 5:02 PM Discussions List – PHIL200 B006 Winter 2022
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/List 13/17
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
Second, recast that maxim as a
universal law of nature governing all
rational agents, and so as holding
that all must, by natural law, act as
you yourself propose to act in these
circumstances.
Third, consider whether your maxim
is even conceivable in a world
governed by this law of nature.
If it is, then, fourth, ask yourself
whether you would, or could,
rationally will to act on your maxim
in such a world. If you could, then
your action is morally permissible.
Discussion Task: See what rule or
rules you can suggest based on
these four steps and then see if you
can think of a justifiable reason to
violate this rule (no, you cannot use
truthfulness). If you are unable to
develop a rule, then discuss why
you found doing so impossible.
Johnson, Robert and Adam Cureton,
“Kant’s Moral Philosophy”, The Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edited by
Edward N. Zalta 7 July 2016.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-
moral/#ForUniLawNat
Before you post, please thoroughly
edit your writing to ensure it is
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#ForUniLawNat
2/6/22, 5:02 PM Discussions List – PHIL200 B006 Winter 2022
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/List 14/17
Week 7 Discussion
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
professional and academic. For more
details about how the initial post and
peer replies are graded, see the
“Discussion Guidelines” and “Grading
Rubric” linked below.
Discussion Guidelines & Grading Rubric
W7: Feminist Theory 0
Topic Threads Posts Last Post
0
Description:
For this forum, choose one of the following
topics to respond to for your initial post.
When you respond to your peers please
respond, if possible, to a learner who has
posted a contrary view on the topic you
selected and then, at a minimum respond to
at least one learner who has posted on the
topic you did not select.
Topic A: Female thinking?
Doing some research (nothing more
than 5 years old) and present an
argument that women think differently
than men (or that they do not) and
that they process morality matters
differently (or they do not).
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=50064&type=coursefile&fileId=Migrated+Files%2fDisussion+Guidelines.html
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=50064&type=coursefile&fileId=Migrated+Files%2fLD+Forum+Rubric
https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/50064/discussions/topics/408796/View
Week 6 DQ
Description:
For this forum, choose one of the following topics to respond to for your initial post. When you respond to your peers please respond, if possible, to a learner who has posted a contrary view on the topic you selected and then, at a minimum respond to at least one learner who has posted on the topic you did not select.
Topic A: Physician Assisted Suicide
Some people promote the idea that humans should have the right to die with dignity (see
). Several states have legalized physician-assisted suicide (PAS). However, others may argue that a doctor prescribing a deadly prescription violates that doctor’s Hippocratic Oath or claim that suicide by any means is immoral. Doing research and taking into consideration the actual laws concerning when and how a confirmed terminal patient would be able to request PAS, make an argument that it is or is not a moral action. Also see if you can find Kant’s famous argument on the immorality of suicide. Does he have a point or are there just some times when the morally right thing to do is to allow a person to end his or her suffering?
Topic B: Categorical Imperative
For Kant, following a universalizable rule and respecting autonomy were paramount. As such, there were very few rules that qualified, truthfulness was one. Preserving life might be another one. Johnson and Cureton lay out the steps required for a moral rule to satisfy the categorical imperative as follows:
First, formulate a maxim that enshrines your reason for acting as you propose.
Second, recast that maxim as a universal law of nature governing all rational agents, and so as holding that all must, by natural law, act as you yourself propose to act in these circumstances.
Third, consider whether your maxim is even conceivable in a world governed by this law of nature.
If it is, then, fourth, ask yourself whether you would, or could, rationally will to act on your maxim in such a world. If you could, then your action is morally permissible.
Discussion Task: See what rule or rules you can suggest based on these four steps and then see if you can think of a justifiable reason to violate this rule (no, you cannot use truthfulness). If you are unable to develop a rule, then discuss why you found doing so impossible.
Johnson, Robert and Adam Cureton, “Kant’s Moral Philosophy”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edited by Edward N. Zalta 7 July 2016.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#ForUniLawNat
Before you post, please thoroughly edit your writing to ensure it is professional and academic. For more details about how the initial post and peer replies are graded, see the “Discussion Guidelines” and “Grading Rubric” linked below.
