General Instructions:m Introduce yourself, then relate to the Philosophy of Language article (first under Lessons) ini paragraph 3. STICK TO THE PARAGRAPH FORMAT AND SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS.

You must post your responses to forum questions twice in this course: Start in the Homework folder under Lessons, then after posting your 5+1 paragraphs (see just below) in the dropbox there (NOT in the comments box - you may paste it in or upload a .doc/.docx/.pdf/.rtf file there (No .pages, Google docs or any other format). Review the SafeAssign report there. It will flag the quoted passage(s) in it, but if cited effectively, that's fine. Fix anything else; the program allows you to check your work. I'm trying to "catch" you, but given this functionality to help you not make or leave an error here, uncited quotes and paraphrases left uncorrected will be considered plagiarism. (please only use quotes to support what you are submitting - what you are thinkig is what you are trying to express here, not just pasting others' ideas into assignments.) Then copy and paste what you posted into the Homework Dropbox into the Discussion Board Forum accessible through the Calendar or the link on the left of your Blacklboard screen. Follow the Homework/forum posting 5 paragraph format: 1. Objective Summary, 2. Focus objectively on something particular, per specific instructions 3. Relate these readings to previously studied course material. 4. Reflect on the above subjectively, in your own terms - this part is graded for your considering not the content. 5. Compose a Discussion Question; one that cannot be answered in a word or sentenece, but must be responded to with a discussion. -- You must cite at least one quote from the assigned reading in each posting. After others have posted, post paragraph +1 Response. Respond critically (not negatively, but substantively, analytically - AND YOU MAY NOT USE LIKE/DISLIKE OR AGREE/DISAGREE WITH regarding a posting by another student) to a class mates posting. Your 5 paragraph posting is due on the date listed. Your response to another's posting in the forum is due 2 days later. Do not forget to add your response posting in the forum board into the dropbox under homework, or better, post it first into the dropbox, review as above, then cut and paste it into the discussion board as a response to the other's posting. All of this applies top all subsequent forum activity for this course.
Lateness, failure to include a cited quote and to exclude an uncited references will impact or disqualify your grade.

Specific instructions (Address and defend a conclusion about one of these questions below (pick one the feweat number of classmnates have done):

A: Think beyond the terms and labels of popular discourse in the media here! Consider the issues raised by distinguishing, or not, between human beings and 'persons', with the latter involving more than just biological "human-ness", and including other characterisitics as suggested in the readings, like self-consciousness, reason or otherwise being a member of the moral community.

B: And how many loaded, slanted and conveniently defined words and uses of terms do we find here? A fallacy bounty?

C: Next, think about what can possibly be meant by "viable"? Think outside the box and trace implications with respect to abortion matters.

D: Explore how our different theories address considerations that focus on the mother, and those that key on the post-conception, pre-partum developing being with human DNA (an attempt at value neutral language is being made here!).

E. And relate the difference between what may or may not be moral for individuals, and how what may be ethical for communities differ. And consider key background conditions of our time and how they may or mat nor influence abortion approaches, such as having a society that is holds individual liberty dear, and has not proceeded with women holding and using as much political and economic power as men, population growth pressures, etc.

F: What is there to a timely death? Control or lack thereof? Age-dependent or sensititive issues? For the deceased or for the survivors? Can suffering be so much that insisting on persisting in one's life becomes unreasonable, or at least no longer necessary?

G: Consider again the issues raised by distinguishing, or not, between human beings and 'persons', with the latter involving more than just biological "human-ness", and including other characterisitics as suggested in the readings, like self-consciousness, reason or otherwise being a member of the moral community -only with respect to euthanasia candidates! Consider too obvious background conditions as they exist that may influence the ethics of both individual choices on these topics, as well as the ethics of policy and legal implications at a society level.

H. What are moral considerations must be addressed is decidin if all humans deserve state of the art basic, preventative care, if not heroic, costly care? Should we let the weaker and less useful human beings die? Regarding the duty human beings have to include genetic engineering and/or cloning in the personal and species pursuit of surviving, thriving and arriving at our best realized potential. Do we have a duty to use technology to "evolve" ourselves? Given how lethal indivuduals can be currently, would it be wise to screen out human propensities to anger, revenge, etc.?

I. Based on the online readings, explore how different ethical theories would strike different or the same balances between free speech and censorship with respect to both national security issues, pornography, "hate" & uncomfortable speech and safe spaces.

J. Based on the online readings, explore how different ethical theories would strike different or the same balances between atomic individualism (fundamentally separate, discrete from others) and molecular individualism (fundamentally connected or embedded with some if not all others). Defend how a society functions with some or most members being performative egoists, as well as how can there be any kind of individuality that is central to being a person in a community setting with formally (like laws) and informally (like mores) imposed normative regulating of behaviors. How does having an identity shared with a race, ethic group, an LGBTQ+ subgroup of a community/society affect an individual's standpoints on issues?

K. Based on the online readings, explore how different ethical theories would strike different or the same balances between paternalistic limitations or guidance and leaving people to figure out and suffer from their own decisions, espeically in cases where experience and perhaps scientific findings supports expecting bad outcomes for the people left to their own devices. Illicit and illegal drug use, including alcohol, salt and sugar, helmets for motorcycle and bicycle riders, seatbelts, cigarette smoking, etc. and other often risky behaviors that people generally understand are negatively correlated to a healthy life, but indulge in anyway (long addressed anceint Greek philosophy issue of weakness of will: akrasia), are all candiadtes for regulating for people's own goods. But there are freewill and liberty issues along with the increasingly more adept applied scientifically refned practices of businesses etc. to get past our good sense with short terrm gratifications even at our own long term detriment.