Fundamentals of Ethical Reasoning - Essay Example

Question Prompt On pp. 37-47, Richard Taylor argues that any life would be pleasant if it is fulfilling our desires, regardless of whether thatlife has any important meaning. Write an essay in which you analyze and evaluate this idea.” Life is a precious thing to human beings. However, according to Richard Taylor, life is meaningless. He continues to state that the meaningless of life exists in reference to the myth of Sisyphus. Sometimes we face ups and downs, as well as several challenges that may make one question the meaning of living just like Sisyphus. Sisyphus committed immoral acts and was punished to roll a stone up the mountain, which will again roll down. Sisyphus then would do the same thing forever. Richard Taylor states that life would be pleasant if it satisfies our desires. In a way, he might be correct, and in another way, he might be wrong. First, assuming life would be pleasing if it fulfills our desires means that one is born with all he/she needs. Imagine you do not need to hustle, and you do not need to work, or do any hard task as all is given. However, if people would try to disengage their focus on life and concentrate on their own interests, they will not resemble the existence of Sisyphus as stated by Richard Taylor. Life would be very much easy since the only work will be sleeping, waking up, eating, and having fun with friends. Who doesn’t need that? Everybody wishes to have such a life, and thus, if they achieve this then their lives would be fulfilled. Unfortunately, one needs to pass through several hardships before achieving something in life (Landau, 2012). A good example of how life would be fulfilling if we achieve our desires is in education. Education is the key to success; most people go to school to gain knowledge and attain skills for a successful career and life. However, in school, one needs to do assignments and read hard to get better grades. Of course, no one wishes to get worse grades, and everyone’s desire is to pass. Now, imagine life could satisfy one’s desires of topping in class, or passing exams. As much as people would love to pass, they wish to do this without reading hard or doing assignments. Thus, if we achieve success in education without working hard for it, the life’s desires are attained. This would make life better as Taylor points out. Despite the fact that life would be pleasing if it fulfilled our desires, I think life will generally be boring if it satisfies our desires. The fact behind this is that everything will seem to be inactive. Inactivity is involved if we gain certain things without struggle. If someone desires to own a car, and a car is availed to him/her without struggling, he will be happy, but it will not be as valuable to the person compared to a car acquired through hardship (Landau, 2012). Struggles and challenges allow us to appreciate the goods things we achieve in life. Question 2: Prompt 1 “On pp. 111-113, Kant claims that people have moral value only because they are autonomous. Write an essay in which you analyze and evaluate this idea.” Moral values are very important in one’s life and the society in general. Moral values are either inherited, or acquired in an environment where one lives, and they help in promoting good interaction and understanding with one another. Kant argues that most people acquire moral values just because these moral values are existing, or they are autonomous. This may sound doubtful, but it is true. Most people gain moral values because they exist (Landau, 2012). For example, I think one respects another person because respect has existed for several years as stated by Kant. Who respects someone just because it comes from his heart? First, it all starts with maybe a fight or argument then a superior person dictates that he must be respected. The inferior being respects the superior being just because he is supposed to respect him. For the past years, it has been known that respect prevails where there is a superior person and an inferior person or something like that. For example, young people respect older people. In addition, children must respect their parents. As we can see, the older people and parents are the superior people, and the kids are the inferior. So respect prevails here just because it is autonomous. This means that no kid would pay respect to an older person out of good will but just because it exists (Landau, 2012). The one thing that guides this autonomy as explained by Kant is that human beings are an end in themselves, and it is not right to treat them as a means to the end. Kant states that suppose there is existence of an important thing in the world of great value and the end of its existence could be a background of proximate laws. In this thing, there will be the existence of possible categorical imperative, which is of practical law. Similarly, the same applies to the existence of moral values. If the existence of moral values is greatly important and if people end the practice of moral values then there will be a practical law. For example, if a person commits an immoral factor, he/she might find himself or herself in prison or punished for his/her acts. That is why people follow this existence of facts in the society. If moral values exist, existed and will continue existing, then they have no right to stop or end the practice of moral values. Moral values existed and will continue existing. That gives people the right or an opportunity to gain or to obtain moral values as stated by Kant. In my view, I think Kant is right that people gain moral values just because they are autonomous. Moreover, he offers a comprehensive explanation about the autonomy of moral values, which is helpful in understanding his point. Question 3: Prompt 1 “On pp. 364-371, Don Marquis argues that abortion is wrong because it is unjustified killing. Write an essay in which you analyze and evaluate this idea.” Abortion is a state where a pregnant woman terminates or removes an immature fetus from the uterus before it is due. There are several reasons why people do abortion, but most societies do not allow the practice. However, there are certain instances whereby abortion is allowed in the form of medical abortion. This includes when the mother is in danger, and thus, it is recommended to save the mother’s life. This is a rational reason, and indeed the only instance where abortion should be allowed. Nevertheless, according to Don Marquis, abortion is unjustified killing, and this is because people practice abortion because of unjustified reasons. These reasons include rape, failure of contraceptives to work, unexpected pregnancies, and economic reasons among others. However, these reasons are not genuine enough to enable someone to practice abortion as most people think and do. Don Marquis states that abortion is wrong since it deprives the victim of their future, including the experiences and activities that that would have constituted the victim’s future. This, according to Don Marcus is the greatest loss that the one can ever suffer. Evidently, he gives strong arguments to support the claim that abortion is murder. Therefore, abortion is murder, and a convictable act in the current world. As a result, someone who commits abortion need to be taken to court and judged as someone who has committed murder. Furthermore, life is sacred, and only given and taken away the Lord. This means that no one has the capability of taking one’s life. As to this, no reason provides an opportunity to counter God’s responsibility. God’s responsibility is greater than any human factors or reasons that people use to justify abortion (Landau, 2012). In my opinion, abortion is illegal in most countries and thus punishable by imprisonment. This is simply because apart from medical concerns, there are no other reasons. As human beings, we have the right to preserve life and not destroy it, as destroying life means destroying a person’s dignity even if this person is a baby. Moreover, we live in a moral society, and there are several moral and ethical codes of conduct that we must observe. One of these is regarding life as sacred, and ensuring that we protect the sanctity of life. The moral society considers abortion an immorality, and no reason can justify the practice since it involves taking away life of an innocent being. As discussed by Don Marquis, abortion is not really different from murder, and I think he is right. No one has the right of taking away God’s given life from somebody not even an unborn child. A person who commits such a crime is subjected to punishment in the court, and that is why Don Marquis says that an abortion is unjustified killing (Landau, 2012). References Landau, R. (2012). The ethical life: fundamental readings in ethics and moral problems, (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Read More