Exam 9: Moral Problems

Kukathas argues that governments should never be held responsible for rectifying past injustices.

In the fat man case, if you do nothing, the fat man will die.

According to Kukathas, making reparations for past wrongs is morally justifiable except in some special cases.

Why does Cahn seem to think that renouncing ownership will not solve the divestiture puzzle? Do you agree with him about this? Why or why not?

Kukathas argues that in order for reparations to be defensible it must be possible to identity who is liable to pay and precisely how much must be paid.

According to Timmerman, an implicit assumption of Singer's "Drowning Child" case is that

Thomson argues that the right to life is a problematic concept.

Boxill does not claim that present-day white Americans are to blame or morally culpable for the past injustices of slavery.

According to Crouch, most material written on workplace and academic sexual harassment focuses on

Thomson's question in this essay is why we should feel differently about the two trolley stories.

According to Singer, we are more likely to help people who are physically near to us.

Marquis believes his argument against abortion is sound because

According to Boxill, if the validity of inheritance is rejected

According to Cahn, the divestiture puzzle depends on the axiom that

According to Davis, commentators point out that the presence of women in senior faculty and administrative positions has done nothing to decrease the prevalence of sexual harassment on campus.

Are there any difficulties facing the case for reparations that Kukathas does not discuss? If so, what are they and how serious are they in your view? Explain and defend your answer.

If we agree that reparation is due to the black community, what is the most practical way of making payment in your view? Explain and defend your answer. Reparations and the Problem of Agency Chandra Kukathas

Kukathas claims that making reparations for past injustices is almost never morally justified. How does Kukathas defend this claim? Is his defense convincing in your view? Why or why not?

Thomson argues that it may not be permissible to turn the trolley to kill one instead of letting five die.

Singer's argument requires that we accept utilitarianism.