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Discuss the ethical problems regarding abortions that may arise if the viability of a fetus can be made possible (through medical advancement) as early as the second trimester of the pregnancy. Is the fetus really a person? Why or why not? How does your answer create a moral dilemma? |
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| 2 | |
In Mississippi Burning, what is the significance of Mary's (Deputy Pell's wife) statement: "Hatred isn't something you're born with – it is taught, everyday, by your surroundings". You may want to refer back to Chapter 3 and the concept of relativism. |
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| 3 | |
In Mississippi Burning, following Mary's conversation with Anderson, her husband beat "her to within an inch of her life". How does this treatment of women compare to the treatment of blacks in 1964 Mississippi? How did the civil rights movement affect this phase of inequality in America? |
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| 4 | |
Our country is premised on the notions of freedoms and liberty. How does the futuristic vision of our criminal justice system, in "Minority Report", violate the notions of freedom and liberty? Or does it? Form a utilitarian viewpoint, would this method of control be acceptable. |
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After reading Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", determine if you agree with his logic. Why or why not? Do you think civil disobedience is ever justified? Explain your position in detail, using examples from his letter or from your text. |
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| 6 | |
In the recent past, following the United States' campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan, hundreds of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda members were interned in the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay without trial. Some U.S. citizens felt the U.S. had ignored rights which were granted to prisoners of the war under the Geneva Convention, others claimed that holding prisoners without trial was a question of national security and safety fro another terrorist attack.
Which side of the debate do you favor and why? You may want to research the internment of Japanese individuals after the bombing at Pearl Harbor to support your opinion. |
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| 7 | |
How would you differentiate between the terms human being and person? You may want to refer to the subsection in this chapter entitled "Persons and Rights". |
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| 8 | |
How does our society discriminate against criminals, prostitutes, the elderly, the disabled, and children? Does our society generally discriminate against these classes of individuals, or is the discrimination relative to a particular incident? Explain your answer. |
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| 9 | |
Stem cell research has come to the forefront of debates in recent years. A question common to this debate is which deserves protecting: the human life that could be saved, or at least enjoy a better quality of life if stem cells were available, or the life of an unborn fetus? Explain why you feel one side of the argument is stronger than the other. |
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| 10 | |
Consider this statement "You need the right to life an liberty (such as freedom of speech, but without positive rights you many be able to enjoy those negative rights, so you also have a basic right to be taken care of by society if you can't take care of yourself". What is your opinion of the author's statement considering positive and negative rights, liberals and conservatives, and the social contract theory? |
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