Thursday, April 17, 2014

Daily Quiz

The 3d exam has been canceled (I hate to throw a party and have nobody come), so we don't need the daily quiz for exam-building purposes any longer. But I still find it useful as a conversation starter, so I'll continue to ask FQs & DQs, & urge you all to do so as well. That'll still get you around the bases.
Starting next week, however, you can also circle the bases by posting questions, links, and comments about our presentations. They'll commence on Tuesday. We'll do three per class until we're done.
1.Why should we be wary of concerns about harm to society as a whole? OR, Why does RB discuss prostitution and homosexuality in this context?

2.What "special gifts" does Somerville think the elimination of Down syndrome, for example, might imperil? OR, What current values did Huxley fear losing, in Brave New World? OR, What's illiberal about Somerville's view, and Huxley's nightmare dystopia?

3.What do Henry James, James Joyce, Jane Austen, Saul Bellow (etc.) have to do with the Enhancement debate? OR, What did John Rawls say about society's interest in the "general level of genetic potentialities"?

4. Does RB acknowledge the possibility that some children might be harmed psychologically by knowledge of their parents' role in the selection of their gender or other traits? OR, What does Devlin say about the "social fabric" and toleration of moral divergence? Does RB agree? OR, What does RB say about "fearmongering"?

5. Does RB think there's a case for prohibiting enhancements that interfere with a person's natural range of facial expressions? Does he think we should avoid creating beings who are less responsive or sympathetic to others, even if they were benefited in other ways?

6. What sort of genetic "lottery" does RB consider? Does he endorse it?

7. {For Elijah] What's the relevance of tattooing, body piercing etc. in this discussion?

DQ: Should we value diversity for its own sake, or for instrumental goods it might make possible? 128f.

DQ: Reactions to Generosity, so far?

1.103-4   2.105-7   3.109,111   4.112-14, 116   5.118-19   6.123-4   7.126


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