Application of VE, NL, SE

Question 1

situation ethics and theft - 4

Answer 1

1. fletcher would consider church and bible but not feel bound to them
2. interests of people take priority
3. agape
   the motive/ consequences of an action would be considered
4. agapic calc applied to ensure justice

Question 2

natural law and theft - 2

Answer 2

1. breaches primary precept to live in ordered society
   - second precept - not to steal
2. aquinas made case for desperate needs
   - striving man steal fod, primary precept to preserve life taking priority

Question 3

proportionalism and theft - 2

Answer 3

agree aquinas
1. intention is good
2. value of saving life proportionately greater than disvalue of injustice

Question 4

virtue ethics and theft - 3

Answer 4

1. allows for flexibility
2. Aristotle denounced all theft as a base action
   - has no means, always action to unjust person
3. if applied to starving child
   teaching was addressed to his own class

Question 5

situation ethics and lying - 3

Answer 5

1. lying not intrinsically right or wrong
   what would affirm love
2. applying agapic calc showed love best happen by withholding information lesser of two evils
3. lying might put people first - personalism

Question 6

natural law and lying - 3

Answer 6

1 lying breaches primary precept - live in ordered society
2 lying contravenes cardinal virtue - courage and justice
all forms lying wrong even to save life
3 however keeping back the truth moraly permissible

Question 7

proportionalism and lying - 3

Answer 7

1 agree lying morally wrong
2 necessary lie - intention save life or protect from harm
3 value of saving life - protecting from harm - protionately greater than disvalue of injustice to the person being told the lie

Question 8

virtue ethics and lying

Answer 8

1. lying contradicts
2. truthfulness does have a mean that lies a variable point between the vices of boastfulness and putting oneself down
3. truthfulness creates to social interaction between 1 person and another
4. some circumstances might require a lie
5. truthfulness more complex than telling truth

Question 9

abortion and natural law - 4
what does uk law say

Answer 9

1. breaches 3 primary precepts
   worship God , preservation human life, ordered society
   aquinas - ensoulment as later movement
   RC - life starts conception
2. Direct abortion contravenes
3. Based on strong Sancity of life - psalm 139
4. catholics allow 4 criteria meet double effect
   - proposed action morally neutral
   - action must not be means by which the good and intended effect is achieved
   - bad effect may be foreseen but not intended effect
   - must be proportionality between good and bad
   e.g. removoval of cancerous uterus to save life
   UK LAW - allows mothers life at risk

Question 10

situation ethics - abortion - 2

Answer 10

1 interests of actual person takes priority
no unwanted child should ever be born
2. apply - 4 presuppositions, agape as sole intrinsic good and only ending law, 6 working principles, agape calc

Question 11

virtue ethics - abortion - 1

Answer 11

1. Hursthouse rejects consideration of metaphysical states of foetus as soon as foetus given personhood it is also given rights might conflict with good and virtuous reasons for abortion

Question 12

natural law - euthanasia - 3
give uk law

Answer 12

1. 3 primary precepts - worship god, protection innocent, ordered society
2. suffering can have positive purpose both for person and people around
3. catholic’s - distinguish between proportionate and disproportionate means - technology prolongs the dying it is moral to refuse treatment, not view as euthanasia but as nature taking its course
   UK LAW - Illegal uk increasing pressure to amend laws

Question 13

situation ethics - euthanasia -2

Answer 13

1. supported euthanasia
2. if Love demanded it as commandments could be broken quality of life

Question 14

virtue ethics - euthanasia -4

Answer 14

1. murder as a ice without any mean
2. survival virtues could be applies some place compassion above justice
3. opposed suicde - cowardly act
4. Hursthouse abortion

Question 15

natural law - capital punishment - 5

Answer 15

1. becomes an act of revenge
2. supports primary precept - ordered society
3. aquinas legitimate if carried out
4. RC acceptable
5. relies on perfect justice system with unquestonable evidence

Question 16

situation ethics - capital punishment 5

Answer 16

1. diff people - diff conclusions
2. what would affirm love in a situation
3. take into account, victim, victims loved
4. love always win
   normal let murderer reform - might protect society

Question 17

virtue ethics - captital punishment - 3

Answer 17

1. people may cause a threat
2. motive behind act might be taken into account
3. might be viewed as restoring balance

Question 18

natural law - embryo research - 3

Answer 18

1. goes against 3 primary precepts
   worship god, living in ordered society, reproduction
2. aquinas reject
3. action and intent must be good

Question 19

situation ethics - embryo research -2

Answer 19

1. Embryo research is fine as it is a potential human does not have characteristics
   gives more flexibility
   2 whatever is most loving
   e.g. saviour siblings - would support as putting needs before rights

Question 20

virtue ethics - embryo research -5

Answer 20

1. Arostotle wouldn’t know
2. Hursthouse - irrelevant, wouldn’t know at what stage personhood starts
3. if consequence of your action involves the distraction of potential human life serious reason must be given
4. key virtue - compassion - directed towards who suffers embryo doesn’t so doesn’t matter
5. the phroniphas man of practical wisdom would ensure that the consequences of embogology did not cause harm to individuals/ society instead brought eudaimonia

Question 21

what is natural law view on animals - 5

Answer 21

• Aquinas used Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls which placed humans above plants and animals
• Animals are irrational – have instrumental value
• They have a final end and that end is to serve our needs
• Any legal penalty for harming an animal was given as compensation for the harm to the owner – not the harm caused to the animal
• Aquinas thought it was wrong because of the impact on human relationship
  Old testament

Question 22

what is the application to issue of NL on animals - 4

Answer 22

• Animals are intended for humans is justified through the use of 4 procedures
  1. Animals have no right to life
  2. Their suffering would be a matter of concern only when it involved cruelty, but this concern was only because humans might be desensitised in their attitudes to another
  3. Using animals for medical testing could be seen as fulfilling the first primary precept – protect innocent life – suffering humans
  4. Natural law rejects any type of cloning that would produce animal human hybrids – wherever medicine alters nature for human purposes it wrongly assumes the authority of God the author of all natural purposes according to NL.

Question 23

what is a modern catholics view on animals - 5 + problem

Answer 23

• Catholic church has softened much of Aquinas’ approach
• View of the world tends to be anthropocentric and needs humans are seen as taking priority
• The catechism of the catholic church states that animals are created by God with intrinsic value ‘men owe them kindness’
• Animal testing is permitted because of its value to human well-being – suffering must be kept to a minimum and any testing must be within reasonable limits
• Pressure on the magisterium to denounce blood sports
• The church opposes xenotransplantation of gametes or of material that would modify the human germline
  PROBLEM – when does a loving approach to humans mean a less loving approach to animals who will suffer for some medical benefit?
  ARGUABLY – animals are given intrinsic value at creation in Genesis 1. After the fall Genesis 9 Noah is told that animals have been given over into human hands. Does this mean they now have only instrumental value – human interests still remain.

Question 24

what is situation ethics view on animals - 6

Answer 24

The views of situation ethics on animals – gives no guidance on animal issues. It’s a case of whether these working principles should be extended to animals.
Personalism suggests that even if animals should be given moral consideration human needs and interests take priority.
Application to issues.
1. Presupposition of personalism would justify on the needs of humans
= intensive farming – soe situationists argue it should be increased to address global hunger
= others – denounce this as a short term thinking – advocate a reduction in meat production and increase in farming of crops for human use.
= anthropocentric approach
2. Working principle ends justifies the means could be used to support animal testing for medical treatments and acquire a great understanding of disease.
= viewed animal testing in this light as okay a- promoting human well being
= the demands of agape mean there should be a minimum suffering for the animals involved.
Agape – compelled to set limits on animal suffering
3. Fletcher involved in cloning research
= lesser of two evils – might cause suffering but another consideration – a greater evil to be avoided – justifies it.
4. Opposed animals in blood sports
= agape demands compassion
5. Personalism supports xenotransplantation
= potential for helping numbers of humans
= transplanting human cancerous materials into animals – promotes agape on a huge scale
6. A situationist who looked at animals having same rights as humans would reject all four used of animals.

Question 25

what is virtue ethics view on animals- 4

Answer 25

Aristotle’s views on animals
- Animals came below humans in his hierarchy of living things – animals don’t have rational souls
- Final end was to serve human needs
- Did not view animals as having any rights
Application to issues
1. Using modern practise of intensive farming might seem to be incompatible with being a virtuous person
= ethos of making large profits in the easiest way – encourages greed
= appalling conditions in which animals are kept could not be described as compassionate
= focus on meet production for the meat eaters intensifies the problem of global hunger
Link McIntyre – virtue ethics can establish much better business ethics reminding us to start with moral principles not a blind focus on profit.
2. Aristotle would have seen animal testing and cloning as compatible with being virtuous.
= dissected animals in his research
= animal testing would meet intellectual virtue
Theoria – scientific discovery = highest Aristotelian virtue
= compassion – finding more effective ways of treating human diseases and using cloning to improve the health of both humans and animals.
Compassion as a virtue will always set limits on animal suffering even if justified by human interests.
= some claim that no animal testing is virtuous – done without consent.
= Hursthouse, promotes the virtue of animal concern
3. Hard to justify blood sports in terms of virtue ethics
= regarding another creatures suffering as a form of entertainment shows a lack of temperance, compassion and sensitivity
= Hursthouse claims blood sports encourage a callous attitude
4. Aristotle might have supported xenotransplantation
= purposes of understanding more about the nature of diseases such as cancer and saving life through donor pig hearts could be seen as compassionate
= some would say the virtue of concern for humans is outweighed by the callousness towards and exploitation of animals whose lives are destroyed.