Death and Ethics - Essay

Question 1

In Death, Nagel identifies the problem of non-existence as the main problem that stands in the way of making sense of the position that death harms the person who is dead. • Present one of Nagel’s responses to this argument and •• a possible reply to that response

Answer 1

• intelligent adult case

* • argumentative slide; pity is the wrong feeling

Question 2

• What is (Mill’s) utilitarianism? •• Present the objection to utilitarianism that draws on the transplant case. ••• Present one possible response on behalf of the utilitarian.

Answer 2

• Mill’s utilitarianism dictates that an action is morally permissible only if that action maximizes overall higher pleasures first, and once that is done, maximizes lower pleasures
• • In trolley case, kill 5 or kill 1, and transplant case, it’s the same scenario in numbers
• •• Permissible to redirect a harm not create one