Deck 7: Moral Problems

Question 1

Why does Thomson think that the "extreme view" is implausible? Do you agree?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Why does Thomson think that her defense will be found unsatisfactory on all sides of the debate? Do you find it satisfying? Explain.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Thomson argues that the "extreme view" is implausible.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The violinist case is meant to illustrate the use of contraception.

Question 5

The people-seeds case is meant to illustrate rape.

Question 6

Thomson provides the famous case of the

A) baseball player.
B) fly.
C) violinist.
D) monkey.

Question 7

Explain Thomson's argument that abortion is morally permissible. How does Warren respond? Whose argument is more convincing?

Question 8

According to Warren, what is the moral significance of whether an organism belongs to the species homo sapiens? Do you agree or disagree?

Question 9

According to Warren, what is the criteria for personhood? What does this account tell us about the moral status of a fetus? Do you agree with Warren's criteria for personhood? If not, what is troublesome about her criteria? Defend your answer.

Question 10

Explain Warren's argument that abortion is morally permissible. What is an objection to that argument? How would Warren respond? Overall, do you find the argument to be convincing?

Question 11

According to Warren, Thomson's argument provides a persuasive defense for the claim that abortion is never morally permissible.

Question 12

According to Warren, Thomson's argument provides a persuasive defense of a woman's right to choose abortion only when she is in no way morally responsible for her own pregnancy.

Question 13

Warren argues that the question of whether a fetus has a right to life is irrelevant in determining whether abortion is morally permissible.

Question 14

Warren argues that genetic humanity is not sufficient for moral humanity.

Question 15

Warren argues that the moral community consists of all persons.

Question 16

According to Warren, the capacity to communicate is necessary for personhood.

Question 17

According to Warren, the capacity to reason is necessary for personhood.

Question 18

According to Warren, emotionality is necessary for personhood.

Question 19

According to Warren, a fetus is not a person because it has none of the six characteristics that are central to the concept of personhood.

Question 20

According to Warren, an entity has the right to life only if it has all six characteristics that are central to the concept of personhood.

Question 21

Warren argues that all potential persons have a right to life just as persons do.

Question 22

Warren claims that the space traveler would have a right to escape.

Question 23

Warren claims that a woman's rights to the control over her own body outweigh whatever right a fetus may have merely by virtue of its potential personhood.

Question 24

According to Warren, infanticide is usually justified.

Question 25

According to Warren, Thomson's argument provides a persuasive defense for the claim that abortion is

A) always morally permissible.
B) never morally permissible.
C) morally permissible only in the very early stages of pregnancy.
D) morally permissible only if the woman is in no way morally responsible for her pregnancy.

Question 26

According to Warren, the moral community consists of all

A) genetically human entities.
B) persons.
C) living entities.
D) None of the above

Question 27

Warren claims that a fetus does not have a strong right to life because a fetus

A) is not genetically human.
B) is not yet an adult.
C) lacks all the characteristics which are central to the concept of personhood.
D) lacks the legal protections afforded to adult humans.

Question 28

Which of the following best describes Warren's view?

A) A woman's right to life, liberty, and physical integrity morally override whatever rights a fetus has, so abortion is morally permissible.
B) A fetus is a person with a strong right to life, and so abortion is never morally permissible.
C) A fetus is a potential person with some rights, and so abortion is usually not morally permissible.
D) None of the above

Question 29

According to Warren, potential persons

A) have no moral significance.
B) have the same rights as persons.
C) do not have rights that outweigh the rights of persons.
D) None of the above

Question 30

Which of the following are among the characteristics that Warren considers to be central to the concept of personhood?

A) sentience
B) emotionality
C) reason
D) All of the above

Question 31

Which of the following are among the characteristics that Warren considers to be central to the concept of personhood?

A) self-awareness
B) old-age
C) human genetics
D) Both a and c

Question 32

Which of the following does Warren say about the six characteristics that she considers central to the concept of personhood?

A) An individual must have all six characteristics in order to be considered a person.
B) An individual must have most of the characteristics in order to be considered a person.
C) Anyone who lacks all six characteristics is not a person.
D) None of the above

Question 33

Warren distinguishes between genetic humanity and

A) moral humanity.
B) hereditary humanity.
C) spiritual humanity.
D) All of the above

Question 34

Warren claims that the fact that the space traveler would have a right to escape shows that

A) there is a right to prevent potential persons from becoming persons.
B) it is morally wrong to prevent the development of a potential person.
C) whatever right to life a potential person has can be overridden.
D) the concept of a potential person is incoherent.

Question 35

Do you agree with Marquis that killing is wrong because it deprives the victim of a valuable future? Explain.

Question 36

Does Marquis's account of the wrongness of killing really establish that abortion is prima facie wrong? Why or why not?

Question 37

Marquis argues that the abortion debate needs to be conducted differently than it usually is.

Question 38

Marquis offers a defense of abortion.

Question 39

Marquis claims that his account entails that active euthanasia is wrong.

Question 40

The central feature of Marquis's view is

A) the person.
B) the fetus.
C) the concept of unjust killing.
D) a valuable future.

Question 41

What is the conventional doctrine held by the American Medical Association that Rachels describes? Do you think this is a good doctrine for doctors to follow? Why or why not?

Question 42

Explain Rachels's argument to the conclusion that there is no morally relevant difference between active and passive euthanasia. Is the argument compelling? Why or why not?

Question 43

Is active euthanasia ever morally preferable to passive euthanasia? Why or why not?

Question 44

According to Rachels, most doctors think there is an important distinction between active and passive euthanasia.

Question 45

According to Rachels, there is an important moral difference between killing and letting die.

Question 46

According to Rachels, there is no moral difference between active and passive euthanasia.

Question 47

Rachels claims that in some cases active euthanasia is preferable to passive euthanasia.

Question 48

In the chapter, Rachels argues that all infants born with congenital defects should be euthanized.

Question 49

According to Rachels, the conventional doctrine about euthanasia leads to decisions concerning life and death made on irrelevant grounds.

Question 50

According to Rachels, killing someone is always worse than letting someone die.

Question 51

According to Rachels, in passive euthanasia the doctor does nothing.

Question 52

According to Rachels, we would never blame a doctor for letting a patient die.

Question 53

According to Rachels, the conventional doctrine adopted by the American Medical Association is that

A) passive euthanasia and active euthanasia are both impermissible.
B) passive euthanasia and active euthanasia are both permissible.
C) passive euthanasia is permissible and active euthanasia is impermissible.
D) passive euthanasia is impermissible and active euthanasia is permissible.

Question 54

Rachels urges doctors to

A) reconsider their views on active and passive euthanasia.
B) reconsider whether it's wrong to let someone die.
C) denounce the American Medical Association.
D) begin euthanizing children with birth defects.

Question 55

According to Rachels, active euthanasia is __________ preferable to passive euthanasia.

A) always
B) never
C) sometimes
D) None of the above

Question 56

Rachels' view regarding the difference between killing and letting die can be described as follows:

A) killing is always morally worse than letting die.
B) letting die is always morally worse than killing.
C) letting die is never morally wrong.
D) there is no moral difference between killing and letting die.

Question 57

Rachels' view regarding euthanasia can be described as follows:

A) Passive euthanasia is always morally preferable to active euthanasia.
B) Active euthanasia is always morally preferable to passive euthanasia.
C) Active euthanasia and passive euthanasia are both always morally wrong.
D) There is no moral difference between active and passive euthanasia.

Question 58

According to Rachels, the fact that a patient would suffer more if his treatment is withheld than if he were provided a lethal injection provides __________ reason for thinking that once the decision not to prolong his agony has been made, active euthanasia is preferable to passive euthanasia.

A) no
B) weak
C) insignificant
D) strong

Question 59

Rachels claims that the conventional doctrine leads to decisions concerning life and death made on the basis of

A) irrelevant grounds.
B) relevant grounds.
C) immoral grounds.
D) no reason.

Question 60

Rachels juxtaposes two cases, one in which Smith drowns his cousin in order to receive an inheritance and one in which

A) Jones drowns his cousin for no reason.
B) Jones allows his cousin to drown in order to receive an inheritance.
C) Jones saves his cousin from drowning in order to receive a reward.
D) None of the above

Question 61

The main point of the thought experiment in which Smith drowns his cousin and Jones watches his cousin drown is that

A) passive euthanasia is just as morally wrong as active euthanasia.
B) there is no relevant difference between killing and letting die.
C) killing is morally wrong but letting die is morally permissible.
D) None of the above

Question 62

The main difference between Smith's and Jones's actions is

A) their motive.
B) their personal gain.
C) the end that they had in mind.
D) None of the above

Question 63

The American Medical Association statement

A) permits mercy killing.
B) prohibits mercy killing.
C) permits mercy killing in extreme circumstances.
D) None of the above

Question 64

How does Steinbock interpret the statement by the American Medical Association? How does this differ from Rachels' interpretation?

Question 65

Explain Rachels' central argument. How does Steinbock respond to Rachels' argument? Which argument is more compelling? Defend your answer.

Question 66

Do you think the intentional termination of life is ever morally permissible? Defend your answer.

Question 67

According to Steinbock, the American Medical Association distinguishes ordinary and extraordinary care.

Question 68

According to Steinbock, the American Medical Association distinguishes between active and passive euthanasia.

Question 69

According to Steinbock, the termination of life-prolonging treatment is always the intentional termination of life.

Question 70

According to Steinbock, one reason for terminating life-prolonging treatment may be that the patient has refused treatment.

Question 71

According to Steinbock, a patient's right to terminate life-prolonging treatment implies a right to voluntary euthanasia.

Question 72

According to Steinbock, one reason for terminating life-prolonging treatment may be that it will cause the patient great discomfort for little benefit.

Question 73

According to Steinbock, all disabled infants should be euthanized.

Question 74

According to Steinbock, one reason for terminating life-prolonging treatment may be that the patient has a right to voluntary euthanasia.

Question 75

According to Steinbock, there is no reason to terminate treatment which is not the death of the patient.

Question 76

According to Steinbock, the reason for terminating treatment is irrelevant to its characterization as the intentional termination of life.

Question 77

Which of the following best describes Steinbock's view?

A) The termination of treatment cannot always be characterized as the intentional termination of life.
B) The termination of treatment is always the intentional termination of life.
C) There is no reason to terminate treatment that is not the death of the patient.
D) The reason for terminating treatment is irrelevant to its characterization as the intentional termination of life.

Question 78

According to Steinbock, a patient's right to refuse treatment

A) implies a right to voluntary euthanasia.
B) cannot be overridden.
C) does not imply a right to voluntary euthanasia.
D) Both a and b

Question 79

According to Steinbock, if a doctor decides to terminate treatment that has little chance of improving the patients condition and brings greater discomfort than relief,

A) there is no real moral reason for the doctor to give the patient a lethal injection.
B) there is no moral reason for the doctor not to give the patient a lethal injection.
C) the decision cannot be construed as the intentional termination of life.
D) the decision is an immoral case of intentional termination of life.

Question 80

According to Steinbock, the decision to withhold extraordinary care should be seen as

A) the intentional termination of life.
B) wrongful neglect of a patient.
C) a decision not to inflict painful treatment without reasonable hope of success.
D) Both a and b