Paper #4

A world famous, prize-winning neurosurgeon is having homeless derelicts kidnapped and brought to his laboratory/clinic. At the laboratory, the neurosurgeon severs the spinal cords of the homeless men and then later operates on them in an attempt to repair the damage. The neurosurgeon is doing this because he wishes to find a procedure for fixing spinal damage, and he is making considerable progress in his surgeries and research. Of course, along the way all the homeless derelicts he has injured and then operated on are left permanently impaired or die. The neurosurgeon chooses the homeless derelicts because their lives seem to him to have little or no value, whereas the benefit to mankind of perfecting a cure for spinal cord injury will be enormous. For purposes of writing your paper, assume that the homeless men have no families or friends.

1. Present a utilitarian defense of the neurosurgeon's behavior.

Hint: you need to describe the homeless men so that they come out very low in terms of the values central in utilitarianism.

2. Present a utilitarian rejection of the neurosurgeon's behavior.

Hint: you need to describe the homeless men so that they come out strong in terms of the values central in utilitarianism.

Explain why the utilitarian defense or rejection is more convincing.

3. Present a Kantian defense of the neurosurgeon's behavior.

Hint: you need to describe the homeless men so that they are very low in what Kant considers morally important.

4. Present a Kantian criticism of the neurosurgeon's behavior.

Hint: you need to describe the homeless men so that they are strong in Kantian moral value.

Explain why the Kantian defense or rejection is more convincing.

Do all parts, each worth 25% of the total grade. Papers should run about 4 pages typed (1,000 wds.).