Due Date: December 13th 11:59 PM.
Instructions: Choose a topic. Write a 1,000-1,500 word essay on the topic.
Reminder: Don’t forget to look at the essay writing resources on the course website before beginning your essay, especially the essay grading rubric.
Please see syllabus for submission instructions.
Essay Topics:
1. Discuss Warren’s space explorer example. What is it? Why is it so important? Does it work? Why or why not? You probably want to include a discussion the different types of potential i.e. the type possessed the fetus vs the type possessed by the body of the space explorer. Be sure to include a discussion of what I called the “guppy argument” in class i.e. Warren claims that the fetus has no more right to life than a baby guppy. What is the argument? How is the space explorer example related to this?
2. Discuss and evaluate Reagan’s distinction between moral patients and moral agents. Also discuss his subject-of-a-life criterion. How is this distinction related to other moral theories? What problems is it supposed to solve? Does it do a good job? Discuss the criterion itself. Is it too broad i.e. does it gives rights to too many things? Is it too narrow i.e. does it not give rights to some things that deserve rights? You could also discuss how his two principles relate to his subject-of-a-life criterion.
Introduction to Philosophy 