USD Phil 110 S12: Final Exam

For the final exam, you will write two short essays, each between 2 and 3 pages. The essays must be typed, double-spaced in 10-12 point legible font. The essays are due by Monday, May 21, 2012 at 10:00 PM. You are welcome to submit your exam early. Each essay is worth 50% of the final exam grade. You must submit the essays as attachments via email to imduckles@gmail.com. They must be submitted in one of the following formats: .doc; .docx; .pdf; .rtf. Failure to submit the essays on time in one of the approved file formats may result in a zero on this assignment.

Essay 1:  It is November 5, 2012, just a few hours before the national election. The CIA has intercepted information that a terrorist organization affiliated with Al-Queda is making plans to detonate a dirty bomb in Oceanside. In Afghanistan, the US Marines have recently apprehended a high-ranking member of the terrorist organization believed to be planning the attack, and has sent the individual (now referred to as Detainee 2367) to the US detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Officials in the current administration, concerned about the potential impact of such an attack (both in terms of the people who would be killed and injured as well as the psychological impact on the US population) propose that all necessary steps be taken to prevent the detonation of such a device. Because of the short time frame (just a few hours), some propose that the US should torture Detainee 2367 in order to quickly extract all available information from him that could be used to find the identity of the terrorists, or the location of the bomb. Pick two of the philosophers we studied this unit (Kant, Mill, Aristotle, Nietzsche) and discuss how they would answer the question of whether or not to torture Detainee 2367. Be sure to explain how your chosen philosophers would reason about the situation in question.

Essay 2: Compare the film Crimes and Misdemeanors to two philosophers that we have discussed this unit on ethics. Use the two philosopher you did not discuss for essay 1. Be sure to cite specific scenes and moments from the film to support your answer.
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