John Q

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John Q

• Immorally Good?
• Presented by

2
Summary of Movie

• Mans son is dying and needs heart transplant.
• Insurance company will not pay due to
  insufficient coverage.
• Man does everything in his power to raise money
  for heart transplant.
• When not enough, man resorts to taking measures
  into own hands trying to save an innocent life,
  including taking his life.

3
Kants Deontological Comparisons to the movie.

• Views that John Qs suicide goes against
  principle of survival upon which it is based.
• Views disagree with the manner in which John Q
  took matter into his own hands. The ends do not
  justify the means.
• In Kants eyes, each rational human being has
  ultimate value and it is our duty to do what is
  correct.

4
Thomas Hobbes Predominately Psychological Egoist
comparison to the movie

• Hobbes would agree with John Qs action that
  taking the hospital hostage was justified because
  he was doing what was in his self interest.
• Hobbes would believe that sometimes we should
  harm others when it is in our self interest to do
  so.

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Socrates Theory in comparison to John Qs final
statement to son

• John Qs statement Go for the money, sell out
  one in a while. Money makes everything right.
• Socrates disagrees with statement. We should
  always do what is right because it is our
  advantage to be moral. A good person will find
  joy in simple pleasures despite poverty and ill
  fortune. Immorality corrupts inter-person.

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Summary

• John Q was torn between the ethical and moral
  issues in his quest to save his son. He chose
  what was ethically right for him.
• What would you choose?

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Instructors Comments

• Socratic Morality cultivate virtue for the sake
  of the well-being of the soul it is better to
  suffer injury than to do it.
• Hobbes do unto others before they do unto you.
• The question about what to do can be handled in
  an Aristotelian syllogism

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One possible analysis

• Principle Act so as to limit harm, increase
  good, maximize expected gain
• Observation John Q did considerable harm?
• Observation John Qs acts produced a greater
  amount of good over evilfor everyone involved?
• Hence John Q should not have done as he did.

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Good Job!!