PHIL 2003C 1st Edition Lecture 20Outline of Last Lecture I: ProhibitionII: Criticism of Prohibition ArgumentOutline of Current LectureIII: Arguments for ProhibitionIV: Argument for legalizationV: AbortionCurrent LectureIII: Arguments for ProhibitionSide Note:P1: illegal drug use is immoralP2: The government should prohibit things that are immoralC1: So the government should prohibit drug useSecond argument for prohibition:P1: drug use is harmful to othersP2: if an act leads to the harm of others, then the government should prohibit acts of those kindsC1: So the government should prohibit drug useCriticism for second argument?P1 true? Could you possibly deny it?P2 true? Well, what about the following and the government’s role in them?-harm by taking life-harm by being bad parentThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.-harm by being bad employee-harm by being bad citizenIV: Argument for legalizationArgument for LegalizationP1: People have a natural (though not an absolute or exceptionless) right to use drugsP2: The government should not prohibit people from doing things to which they have a natural right (barring exceptional cases)C1: So the government should not prohibit drug useDefense of P1P1: We have a natural right to exercise control over our bodiesP2: Drug use belongs in the category of controlling one’s bodyC1: So we have a natural right to use drugsV: AbortionOn the Moral and Legal Status of AbortionWe start with two questions about definition:1.) how do we define the “moral community?”2.) How do we define “being human?” Moral sense- Human as “full-fledged member of the moral community”Genetic Sense- Human as “member of the species human being”Traditional Argument against Abortion1.) it is wrong to kill innocent human beings2.) Fetuses are innocent human beingsC1.) It is wrong to kill fetuses (abortions are wrong)The problem, as warren sees it, is that the argument contains and equivocation on the word humanEquivocation- when you use an ambiguous word in multiple senses within an argumentEx.) P1: some triangles are obtuse P2: all obtuse things are ignorant C1: Some triangles are ignorant5 traits, which are central to her notion of personhood:1.) consciousness2.) reasoning3.) self-motivated activity4.) the capacity to communicate5.) the presence of self concepts, and self awareness wither individual, racial, or both(you don’t necessarily need every single trait to be a
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