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.

THESE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS APPLY TO ALL SUBSEQUENT DRAFT FORUMS.

Review the SafeAssign report for this before you paste into the discussion forum.

Then copy and paste into the corresponding discussion board.

Specific forum instructions (ONLY APPLIES TO PARAGRAPH 2 - ALL OTHER PARAGRAPHS AND RESPONSES ARE ABOUT ALL OF THE READINGS/TOPICS SINCE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FORUM) THIS FIRST ONE, YOU CAN USE THE TYSON VIDEO AND PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE ARTICLE AS "PRIOR READINGS"

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

A. Examine how marriage/life-pairing/unions being personal, yet both private and public in some respects, frames the key moral factors that go into the ethics of sexuality. How do the authors of our chapters' articles, and the major theories we have studied earlier, treat these issues? How do sex and gender affect the individual AND societal ethics (generally and with respect to policies), in so far as, while still not settled science, ther necessary connection between sex and gender is pretty well exploded even if it is historically closely correlated. And what balance is to be struck between those in the majority with the deeply inerial tradition roles, and the laws, customs and institutionsbult up around them and those calling for accomodating the expanding number of gender identities? Does the pursuit of distinct recognitions by increasing numbers of people present a risk to whatever holds communities together, usch as putting too much stress on shared ways of life? Can or should all atypicalities be accomodated? What balance between individual respect and societal health shouold be struck?

B. A colleague of mine at Cal State had a note on her office door that read: "Anyone who is not an environmentalist is suicidal." What do you think? She is a Kant scholar - Does this follow? Is it reasonable to think that we each end at the limit of our skin?

C. While human fetuses, people in persistent vegetative states and even animals are arguably on the frontiers of having rights akin to (other) humans since they are beings, because the environment, ecosphere, planet are not generally (but sometimes are by some) considered a being, it's less obvious that the biosphere has rights. Or is it? And if it doesn't, can the environment that makes our lives possible have another basis for consideration and 'respect' on it own, or does nature only have value in so far as we humans assign and recognize it as having worth?

D. Referencing Economic Ethics readings in Unit 3, how does our economic system incentivize and disincentivize caretaking? Of each other? Of our environment? Of other life on Earth?

E. Argue in detail for there is or is not an unbiased basis to morally treat human animals differently than non-human animals. Defend your terms and conclusions. Is there any deep difference btween negatively treating some typings of human animals and doing the same or worse to non-human animals? Since life eats life, actually and metaphorically, what kind of ethical discrimination apprauc, plan or considerations might ought to be employed to sort out how we ralted to what we use, i.e. other animals, plants, fungas, extraterrestials, etc.?

F. Referencing Economic Ethics readings in Unit 3, how does our economic system incentivize and disincentivize caretaking? Of each other? Of our environment? Of other life on Earth?

G. What is there to a timely, deserved death? Control or lack thereof? For the deceased or for the survivors? Can others' suffering be so much that insisting on another's death becomes reasonable, or perhaps necessary?

H. Also, 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 and death penalty candidates! Distinguishing between citizens and citizens who are convicts - those with citizen rights and human rights versus those without citizens' rights. 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.

 Check SafeAssign report then copy and paste into the forum itself.