Prince Georges community college Moral Duty of Frederick Douglass Reflection Paper

Prince Georges community college Moral Duty of Frederick Douglass Reflection Paper

Philosophy 1330

Second Reflection Paper

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Introduction:

From his glimmering conception in the woods that slavery is a soul-killing, and so dehumanizing and thus immoral practice, to his realization via Mr. Auld that slaves have moral (aka intrinsic) and not only economic (instrumental) value, to his affirmation after his fight with Covey that he is mentally free despite being physically enslaved, Douglass tries to live up to what he believes is his moral duty. This duty is to act in ways that uphold the moral value of human beings–to treat everyone (including slave owners as well as fellow slaves and himself) as ends rather than as only means.

Topic:

The topic is for you to reach and support your own judgment about whether human beings have a moral duty to treat themselves and others as ends rather than as only means, even when we have economic, legal, or religious duties not to do so. If we do have this duty, why should we uphold it even despite negative legal, religious, or economic consequences? If we don’t have this duty, why should we uphold the legal, economic, or religious duty that leads to the best consequences regardless of whether it is moral? Your support for these judgments must include at least one example from Douglass’ book where he treats himself and another as ends rather than as only means. Why is Douglass willing to live up to this moral duty despite consequences as potentially harmful as death? Why is he right or wrong to be willing to make such sacrifices for moral duty?

Clarifications:

No Plagiarsm Remember that your paper will not be judged on the basis its result but rather on how thoroughly you respond to the topic, the seriousness with which you have read and considered the book, how deeply you explore the ideas and questions presented in class, and how thoughtfully you support your own position.