Choose one of the following discussion questions from Ch. 13 or Ch. 14 of Shaffer-Landau’s The Fundamentals of Ethics. Write a complete paragraph response
1.What makes a situation a “prisoner’s dilemma”? What is the rational thing to do in a prisoner’s dilemma situation? (Ch. 13). Explain your reasoning.
2. Do we have a duty to obey the law? If so, is this duty absolute, or can there be exceptions? How would a contrarianism explain the existence of a duty to obey the law? (Ch. 13). Give a concrete example to illustrate your thesis. Explain your reasoning.
3. Is it immoral to be a free rider? Is it irrational? Does the existence of free riders raise a serious problem for contrarianism? Why or why not? (Ch. 14). Explain your reasoning.
4. Some people might object that they never explicitly signed anything like a “social contract,” and therefore cannot be bound by it. How might contrarians respond to such an objection? (Ch. 14). Is this a good objection? Does it pose a big problem for the contrarianism approach to ethics? Why or why not? Explain our reasoning.
