Personhood & Career
Defenses of abortion, euthanasia, and rights in general typically rest on the conditions of this. (Hint: usually autonomous reasoning and sentience are the most necessary conditions)
What is personhood?
For Kant, this is the only time in which we are acting morally.
What is when we are acting from duty itself?
The ultimate good or foundation of Rand's ethics is this.
What is "life," or my long-term rational survival, or my survival as man-qua-man?
This is a good that is undertaken for the sake of another (usually superior) good.
What is an instrumental good?
This is what Kant thinks is the appropriate treatment of (other) animals.
What is, they are means to our moral ends and not ends in themselves?
This states that I can never use another person solely as a thing or tool for my own manipulation, as every person must also be an end in itself.
What is Kant's Humanity Principle, or practical formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
For Rand, we have to say this before we say "I love you."
What is "I"?
While for Rand, charity is optional at best (and maybe commendable when seen as more of an investment), for this opposing thinker we covered almost simultaneously, charity is something we should be doing a lot more of.
Who is Peter Singer?
This notion offers four conditions to meet in order to have a highly meaningful career: what we can make money for, what the world needs, what we love, and what we are good at.
What is Ikigai?
For utilitarianism, every action is measured according to whether or not it brings this.
What is the greatest happiness or least suffering for the greatest number of people/most sentient beings?
These virtues in other theories are no virtues in Rand's theory (grab at least two of them).
What is that it is good for its own sake and not merely for the utility it offers?
These are examples of (1) something unethical but still legal, and (2) something illegal but (possibly) ethical.
...
For Peter Singer, if we were to say that only human beings are persons without real justification as to why, we may be guilty of this "ism".
What is speciesism?
For Kant, proper motivation to act has intrinsic value, while for utilitarianism it has instrumental value, for this reason.
What is motivation (the good will) is good in itself for Kant, while motivation is only good insofar as it brings the greatest happiness for utilitarianism?
This is essentially Rand's take on poverty and charity.
What is that it is not an important focus for ethics, that altruistic charity and generosity are evil, that we ought to consider the cause of poverty, never give the unearned, etc...?
This is a justification that a utilitarian might give for the legalization of marijuana.
[Any justification that has marijuana leading to less suffering]
For Singer, several factors add to one rational solution when it comes to what we eat.
What is become a vegan?
For Kant, a major reason this can't be the ground of our ethic is that it isn't fully in our control (there are other reasons, but this is what we went over).
What is happiness?
For Rand, this virtue corresponds with the result of achievement of values (self-esteem).
What is pride?
This is what Bob's Bugatti analogy (following the two moral principles most people accept) was meant to convey.
What is ...leading to we all fail to pull the switch every day by spending money and time that could go to dying children (due to poverty) on luxuries?