Reference no: EM133595144

Assignment Instructions

In the following prompt there is a hypothetical situation and a bunch of questions. The purpose of this assignment is to think about the situation and show that you can consider the numerous philosophical questions that arise from such a situation. I remember someone saying once that the point of philosophy is to show that things are more complicated than they appear at first. Your inclination at first may be to simplify. Don't! In philosophy you need to think deeply, consider much, and learn to push the limits of what you can answer. If you reach a dead-end in your thinking, a question you can't answer, that's fine. Note it, talk about it, consider possibilities, just don't ignore it!

For your convenience, here is the prompt from the textbook.

Think Like a Philosopher (3.3)

Consider the moral dilemma presented here. One of your parents has stolen money from their employer, and you are approached by law enforcement asking what you know about the theft. Do you lie to protect your parent, or do you tell the truth? Which is the more ethical thing to do? Confucius gives one answer here, but philosophy texts elsewhere offer other answers. For instance, Plato's Euthyphro dialogue begins with Euthyphro telling Socrates that he is prosecuting his father for killing a worker in his fields, claiming that the pious thing to do is to prosecute people who commit murder no matter who they are. Socrates is shocked to hear this and questions Euthyphro on the nature of piety. What do you think? If your obligation to protect a parent is in conflict with your obligation to tell the truth about a theft and follow the law, which obligation do you choose to uphold? Why?