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Chapter 21 Essay Questions
1. Some people think that drug use is immoral if it harms the drug user, even if it does not harm anyone else. Do you agree? Defend your answer with an example. Do you think self-harm is immoral more generally?
2. What do you think is the strongest argument for the criminalization of recreational drug use? Do you think this argument generalizes to the manufacture and sale of drugs? Why or why not?
3. If drug use is immoral, does that mean it should also be illegal? Can you identify a standard for determining when an immoral action should also be criminalized? Illustrate this standard with one or two examples involving drug use and/or manufacture and distribution.
4. Explain the difference between drug legalization and drug decriminalization? What is de Marneffe’s view on each? Do you think his view is consistent? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think that Huemer claims that dangerous driving “is clearly the business of the state?” What would Huemer say is the morally relevant difference between dangerous driving and drug use? What do you think the morally relevant difference is? Can Huemer successfully maintain his view that dangerous driving should be illegal while drugs shouldn’t be? Defend your response.
6. Explain Goodin’s argument that paternalistic policies can sometime be morally permissible. Identify the premises and conclusion. What do you think is the best available objection to his argument? How could Goodin respond to this objection?