Phil. 121: Social Ethics Name:

First Exam March 18, 1999

Instructions: Write down the letters of all the answers which are correct in each of the following questions. More than one answer may be correct.

1. In "Abortion and the Concept of a Person," what central claim does Jane English make about the personhood of the fetus and its bearing on the issue of the morality of abortion?

2. What is Jane English's basic position on the morality of abortion in her "Abortion and the Concept of a Person"?

3. According to Don Marquis in "Why Abortion Is Immoral," why is abortion wrong?

4. According to Richard McCormick, S.J., "Should We Clone Humans?", what are three dimensions to the moral question of cloning:

(a)

(b)

(c)

5. In "Active and Passive Euthanasia," James Rachels claims that active euthanasia is sometimes morally preferable to passive euthanasia. What support does he provide for this claim?

6. What, according to Richard Doerflinger in "Assisted Suicide: Pro-Choice or Anti-Life?", are the two types of slippery slope arguments? Why is this distinction crucial for understanding the euthanasia issue?

7. What is the basic moral principle that Gregory Kavka in "Banning Euthanasia" rests his argument on?

8. What, according to Daniel Callahan in "Pursuing a Peaceful Death," are the characteristics of a "peaceful death?"

a)

b)

c)

d)

9. According to Jeffrey Reiman in "Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty," what moral principle is at the heart of the retributivist position? How does it differ from sheer revenge?

10. In what ways, according to Walter Berns in "The Morality of Anger," is anger connected to punishment and justice?

Essay Question

Showing a critical awareness of the course readings and the class discussions, develop and defend your position on the morality of capital punishment. (50 points)