Themes for Final Paper

Final papers are due on the day of the final. They will be directed papers based on a set of basic questions that we will address throughout the term. These are to be no more than 5 pages, double spaced, not including references. They should refer to both the normative and descriptive literature. They should contain logical and coherent argument along with reference to what we know about the facts.

1. If we have scientifically explained the sources of a moral or immoral behavior, can we then praise or blame the person for it?
2. What themes of morality or proto-morality run throughout primate species? What implications do these have for our morality?
3. In what way is a Christian explanation of human morality super-natural? In what way is it bound to the natural?
4. Can we design a society in which virtous behavior is cultivated?
5. Are humans basically good or evil?
6. Is emotion, rationality, moral choice, habit, or some other thing, most central to moral behavior?
7. What skills should be taught in a liberal arts education for good citizenship?
8. Are the continuums of destruction and benevolence mirror images of eachother in terms of psychological and social processes?

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