Are Reason and Emotional Equally Necessary in Justifying Moral Decisions? Essay Example

of stem cells. By using one stem cell, scientists are able to culture eight others, but this process results in the killing of many human embryos.

Is it within human capability to determine life and death? Despite the potential use of umbilical cords to obtain stem cells, embryos continue to be terminated in the pursuit of scientific investigation. Opinions on this topic vary greatly, with individuals justifying their moral decisions based on both reason and emotion. Those who rely solely on reason may argue that the benefits of cloning far outweigh any drawbacks. For instance, sacrificing 50 embryos could potentially save 3000 lives. Furthermore, advocates for cloning may believe that it is unethical to oppose the practice, as they subscribe to utilitarian ethics.

Individuals who utilize logic frequently result in displaying sentiments. They may contend that utilizing embryos for stem cells is morally wrong as it necessitates terminating an innocent being for the betterment of society, which could elicit feelings of sorrow or indignation. Additionally, they may subscribe to the principle of treating others as they would like to be treated and therefore do not sanction any harm inflicted on others.

Individuals who are emotionally inclined may view cloning as contradictory to their religious convictions, given that several religions regard killing as a punishable crime. Such individuals may ponder whether it is ethical for humans to decide on matters of life and death. Christianity deems killing as a sin that could lead to damnation in hell, which may compel people to entirely reject the concept of cloning. Furthermore, alternative sources of knowledge like faith or maternal instinct towards safeguarding the fetus can influence one's emotional rationale for

opposing cloning. It is apparent that both justifications can be influenced by other ways of acquiring knowledge.

It is clear that emotions have a significant impact on our perception and decision-making processes. The widely recognized expression "love is blind" illustrates how emotional responses can cause reality to vary from person to person. Emotions may impede decision making by causing individuals to be narrow-minded and excessively committed to their own beliefs. Nevertheless, positive emotional influences, such as introspection, empower individuals to make analytical decisions and ultimately determine what is most advantageous.

Reason is more rational than emotions, allowing for objective decision-making and avoiding external influence. The Death Penalty has been outlawed in 135 countries with an increasing number following suit, leading to a heated debate on the justification of taking human lives that is heavily influenced by both emotional and rational arguments.

Despite the economic benefits of the Death Penalty, such as its lower cost and potential to reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities, its irreversible nature presents a major disadvantage. Executing someone who is later found to be innocent would constitute a severe injustice.

Although some individuals may see advantages in implementing the Death Penalty, including reduced expenses and increased availability of prison space, there is proof that executing convicts can result in innocent individuals being wrongly sentenced to death. There are those who support capital punishment based on emotions as a means of avenging murder victims, while others contend that both reason and sentiment can justify the elimination of the Death Penalty. Many nations have already abandoned this practice; therefore, it would be sensible for other countries to follow suit and abolish it as well.

Justifying moral decisions can involve

both emotional and rational reasoning. Although some may argue that killing a murderer is justified, there are also concerns of the moral implications and irreversible consequences. Families of innocent victims may hold the belief that the death penalty is morally wrong. Therefore, both emotional and rational justifications can equally support a moral decision. However, as emotion and reason can often conflict, topics such as cloning and abolishing the death penalty remain widely debated. Ultimately, these decisions often require a balance of both reason and emotion, as humans possess both logical reasoning and emotional capacity.

Thus, the eternal conflict between the singularly right moral choice persists as reason and emotion are given equal weight. It is also noteworthy how reason and emotion are diametrically opposed and their impact on our daily decision-making. References: A Mansfield, B. K.

According to the Cloning Fact Sheet website, information related to the Human Genome Project from the year 2007 can be retrieved as of February 18, 2008 at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.

B McMurtrey, J.'s article "Mitosis" was published in Munich International School's MIS SS R. 214, located in Munich, Germany.

In October 2007, Richard Van de Kagemaat's "Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma" was published by University Press, Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Additionally, "The Death Penalty Worldwide" can be found on the Please Database.The source of this information is Infoplease, provided by Pearson Education in 2007, and accessed on February 18th, 2008 at http://www.infoplease.com. The text is enclosed in a paragraph tag.

The website accessed was com/ipa/A0777460.html;. To format my sources, I utilized the web page Citation Machine by David Warlick in 2006.

The Citation Machine website is the source of the following information:

"Retrieved February 18, 2008."