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Description:

Please read the following case and answer the ethical question at the end of the case from both Utilitarian and Kantian ethical perspectives.

Case:

A national organization, Project Prevention, is dedicated to minimizing the number of children born to drug- (and alcohol) addicted parents.  To accomplish this goal, chapter members within a particular community walk the streets of their cities – often downtown districts – and offer women they believe are addicted to drugs, or vulnerable to addiction, $300 if they will show proof that they have undergone a sterilization procedure. Alternatively, women can choose to be paid $300 in installments for long-term birth control for a period of time, often 6 months.  The organization will also financially assist women in paying for sterilization surgeries.  Project Prevention claims that they have served nearly 2000 clients.  Are their efforts ethical?

Questions:

1. First, state the Kantian and Utilitarian principles that you will use in your analysis. You may include a few details that help to clarify the principles.
2. Using Kant’s principles, do you think Project Prevention’s program is ethical given what you understand of the program from the case above?  You can begin by thinking about what elements of the case would interest a Kantian, in favor and against.  Then, please clearly defend what judgment a Kantian would make in this case.  In this case, please do your best to apply both the first and second versions of the Categorical Imperative.
3. Using the Utilitarian ethical principle, what judgment would a Utilitarian make about the ethics of Project Prevention’s program?  Why do you think so?