Study Questions

  1. What does it mean to be “the agent” of a harm that befalls someone else? Is it morally important whether one is “the agent” of a harm rather than merely allowing it to happen? Why or why not?
  2. How does Foot respond to Rachels’s case involving Smith and Jones? Do you think she succeeds in defusing Rachels’s argument? Why or why not?
  3. What implications does Foot’s view have for the morality of abortion? Do you find her verdict plausible? Defend your answer.
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