Phil 102B S18: Exam 2 Study Guide


For the exam you will just need to bring something to write with. A pen or pencil is fine. 

Part I: Short Answer. You should be able to explain the following concepts:
  • Moral Status and its relevance to the issue of abortion.
  • The distinction between a Human Being and a Person and its relevance to the issue of abortion. 
  • The two rights that the Supreme Court considers in Roe v. Wade.
  • The decision delivered by the Court in Roe v. Wade
  • The thought experiments that Judith Jarvis Thomson considers and how they are relevant to the issue of abortion.
  • Don Marquis' "Future Like Ours" account of the wrongness of killing and some of the reasons he provides for accepting this account.
  • How the "Future Like Ours" account of the wrongness of killing applies to abortion and to contraception. 
  • The Trolley Problem and the related example of the Transplant Surgeon, and why these pose an interesting moral dilemma. 
  • The Bystander's Two Options and Three Options Problems and the potential solution to the Trolley Problem. 
  • Some alternative versions of the Trolley Problem and the moral issues they raise.
  • Nagel's account of our common view about death. 
  • The three Problems or Challenges Nagel identifies in the common view, and his response to each of them. 
Part II: Essay. You should be prepared to write an essay in which you apply the concept of moral status to a different ethical issue. 
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