After reading “Human Dignity” by Francis Fukuyama, a reader forms a picture of how they perceive human dignity, and how their own point of view merges with that of
society. The fundamental apart of the essay is ‘Factor X’, so this concept should receive adequate exploration. Write an essay in which you complicate the argument
of Fukuyama that human beings have or do not have human dignity, and how we as a society are progressing or even regressing from the concept of Factor X (using
examples for the present and past). Is genetic engineering the ultimate test for the Factor X and human dignity? How do “new ethics” and a “moral compass” affect our
sense of being human?
Accessing Factor X and New Ethics (Paper 4)
Paper Four:
After reading “Human Dignity” by Francis Fukuyama, a reader forms a picture of how they perceive human dignity, and how their own point of view merges with that of
society. The fundamental apart of the essay is ‘Factor X’, so this concept should receive adequate exploration. Write an essay in which you complicate the argument
of Fukuyama that human beings have or do not have human dignity, and how we as a society are progressing or even regressing from the concept of Factor X (using
examples for the present and past). Is genetic engineering the ultimate test for the Factor X and human dignity? How do “new ethics” and a “moral compass” affect our
sense of being human?
Questions to consider:
What are some historical examples of the loss of human dignity (dehumanization)? How are felons treated in our political system, have they lost human dignity
according to Aristotle since they no longer have the right to vote? Where is our society headed in terms of moral development? What social systems exist that
encourage human dignity? How much dignity do animals have, should they have the same rights as humans? Will artificial life forms have rights in the future? Can
Factor X be synthetic? Do the ideas of the Dalai Lama make thing easier to implement?
Outside sources: Three sources from outside of the book.
– Academic source (try to find a source that adds a key element to your discussion)
– Examples (2) this can be academic from a video, the news, etc. (not a blog or Wikipedia).
Requirements:
• Rough Drafts should be 3 pages long. Bring 3 copies of your draft to class.
• Revised Drafts should be 5 pages long.
• All papers should conform to proper MLA style.
• All drafts should be double spaced, printed, and proofread for error. Your name should appear on the first page and in the header of every page along with the
page number.
• Be sure to properly cite all Web or outside sources.
• All drafts are due by the due date indicated on the syllabus.
