PHIL Discussion

Description:

For this forum, choose one of the following topics to respond to for your initial post. When you respond to your peers please respond, if possible, to a learner who has posted a contrary view on the topic you selected and then, at a minimum respond to at least one learner who has posted on the topic you did not select.

Topic A: Would you kill the large person?

Looking back at the original trolley problem, throwing one switch to divert a train so it would only kill one person rather than five, discuss whether you think you would throw the switch. Then consider the twist where you could push a rather large person (gender should make no difference) from a bridge to save the lives of five others. What is the difference, if any, between the two scenarios? What do you think your answer says about your moral compass?

Topic B: Mask up?

During any pandemic featuring a virus that is spread through the respiratory system, people are encouraged to wear masks as doing so helps not only the wearer but the people around that person if he or she happens to be infected unaware. Using the fundamentals of utilitarianism, argue either that people who refuse to wear the masks (for other than medical reasons) should be fined or jailed OR that personal rights to freedom are more important for the greater good.