INTRODUCTION AND MORAL THEORY

Go to the survey exercises in the online game, “Would You Eat Your Cat,” at https://www.philosophyexperiments.com/cat/Default.aspxhttps://www.philosophyexperiments.com/cat/Default.aspxhttps://www.philosophyexperiments.com/cat/Default.aspx. (posted by The Philosophers’ Magazine). These exercises are interesting ones. What they try to do is measure the degree to which your moral sensibilities track your emotional reactions (i.e., do you find actions immoral because you find them “yukky”?); and also the degree to which your moral sensibilities track factors concerning harm (i.e., do you find actions immoral because they hurt either their committers or others?)

You are presented with four “preliminary” questions (the author mistakenly says “five, three extended examples, a summary, a review of the three scenarios in light of this summary, a request for some statistical information, some further analyses, and a set of fonclusions (in which the program offers some final suggestions and conclusions in light of your answers).

I would like you to do the exercises and then write a paper. In the paper, describe your results (the answers you give to all of the questions asked, including the “preliminary questions”) as well as the statistical averages the game provides you (the percentage of people who agree with you). Then ask yourself if you agree with the analysis the program provides

I am not asking for “right” answers. I am asking for reflective answers. Suppose you think an action is immoral even though no one is hurt by it. Don’t just say that you find their action yucky. Try to articulate why. If you don’t know where to start, write down a reaction and then comment on that. I just want to try to articulate your own moral intuitions sincerely. For that alone, you are guaranteed a passing grade on this assignment.

While doing these exercises, think about moral deliberation as we characterized in class (i.e., a process of reflective equilibrium through which we endeavor to reconcile our general moral principles with our moral reactions in particular cases). Ask yourself the following question: do you think, in light of the exercises, that you are driven most by general moral principles or by particular emotional reactions to particular situations.

Aim for a length of 4-5 pages, even though your exact length will obviously depend on your ability to be clear and concise.

Before you start writing, go to the following site and look at a short presentation by Prezi explaining what such a paper should look like (regarding organization and structure, not content) https://prezi.com/z4h1_fwilbxj/a-sample-philosophy-paper/Links to an external site.. (You may need to download flash to make this presentation play). You can also see a complete .png version of this document at http://publish.uwo.ca/~amendel5/sample-philosophy-paper.pngLinks to an external site..

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