Moral principles

(Reuters) - A U.S. district court issued a preliminary injunction on Monday stopping federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, in a slap to the Obama administration's new guidelines on the sensitive issue. The court ruled in favor of a suit filed in June by researchers who said human embryonic stem cell research involved the destruction of human embryos.

What is a moral principle? General moral principles make some general statement about what is morally right or wrong, or good or bad, or what we should or ought, or shouldn't or ought not to. Bases of a moral principle: Experiences -induction Reason - deduction Function: guidance

The principle of human dignity (PHD) 1)The principle applies only to human beings, 2)it states that all human beings, i. e. members of the species Homo sapiens, are valuable in a unique way and worthy of respect irrespective of their personal characteristics or qualities and 3)that all human beings are equally valuable.

Capital punishment (1)Through capital punishment the state intentionally kills a human being. (2)It is morally wrong to intentionally kill a human being Conclusion: Capital punishment is morally wrong.

Capital punishment (1)Treating human beings as ends means treating them as ra­ tional beings. (2)The will of a rational being should be made into a universal law. (3)By committing a murder, the murderer is prepared to univer­salise his act and thus to universalise the maxim: “It is right to kill an­other person.” (4)The state should treat the murderer as a rational being. (5)The state should apply the maxim of the murderer on the mur­derer himself Conclusion: To apply the maxim “It is right to kill another person” to the murderer is equivalent to practising capital punishment for murder.

Abortion (1)Abortion is killing a human being. (2)The life of a human being is sacred (according to the PHD). (3)It is morally wrong to kill beings that are sacred Conclusion: Abortion is morally wrong (according to the PHD)

Abortion (1)Each human be­ing has the right to live non-frustrated lives (according to the PHD). (2)The life of a severely, mentally disabled person is a frustrated life. (3)One should prevent the birth of severely, mentally disabled human life. (4)Abortion is a means to prevent the birth of severely, mentally disabled life Conclusion: Abortion should be permitted.

Abortion (1)Human be­ings have the right to self- determination (according to the PHD). (2)The possibility for the mother to choose to abort an un­wanted fe­tus is a realisation of her right to self-determina­tion. (3)A right to abortions is a necessary condition for real­ising the mother's right to self-determination Conclusion: Abortions should be legalised (according to the PHD).

Abortion (1)If active euthanasia is legalised, human beings will be able to de­termine if and when they should end their life. (2)The ability to determine if and when one should end one’s life is an instance of self- determination. (3)Human be­ings have the right to self- determination (according to the PHD) Conclusion: Active euthanasia should be legalised (according to the PHD).

Abortion (1)Through active euthanasia, a human being is intentionally killed. (2)Every human life is valuable (according to the PHD) and thus should not be inten­tionally killed (3)Active euthanasia is morally wrong (according to the PHD). (4)What is morally wrong should not be legalised. Conclusion: Active euthanasia should not be legalised