What counts as “torture”?

For the final assignment, you should create a slideshow (in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, etc.) taking a position on a controversy related to ethics. There is a list of suggested topics below. If you want to cover a topic that is not listed, contact me before you begin.For the presentation, you need to take a side on the controversy and try to persuade someone that your position is correct. For example, if you talk about the death penalty, you should explain either why you think the death penalty should be allowed as punishment for some serious crimes or why the death penalty should never be used as punishment. Then, you should try to persuade someone that this is the position that everyone should take on this issue.The length of the presentation should be 5–10 slides and approximately 800 words of text. You should include images or graphics. You are not required to include any videos, but if you do, keep it short (under 2 minutes).Please submit the presentation in Powerpoint format (most applications allow you to export to presentation as Powerpoint).Suggested topicsImmigration: do we have an obligation to allow immigrants in our country?Drug legalization: Is drug use immoral? Is drug abuse or drug addiction morally wrong? Should drugs be legalized? (Eg: marijuana legalization)Prostitution: Is prostitution immoral? For the prostitute? For the John? Should it be legal?Genetic engineering: Is it ethical to alter our genes? Is it unethical to alter the genes of an unborn fetus?Privacy: When and to what degree should our government be allowed to snoop into our phone calls, emails, text messages, etc?Right to try: Should terminally ill patients be allowed to try drugs that haven’t been approved by the FDA?Abortion: Is abortion morally permissible? When does a fetus become a person?Genetic screening: Is it permissible to abort a fetus if genetic tests show that the fetus has certain undesirable characteristics? (For example, if genetic testing shows that the fetus will have down syndrome or autism.) If so, to what extent is this permissible? (For example, would it be permissible if genetic testing reveals that the child will be short or have brown eyes?)Transgender: What rights should transgender individuals be given? Is gender a matter purely of self-identity? Should gender-assignment surgery be covered by medicaid/medicare/insurance? Is there anything wrong with gender reassignment surgery or hormone therapy for minors or infants at birth?Euthanasia: Is there anything unethical about helping terminally ill patients commit suicide?Affirmative action in college admissions: Is affirmative action a fair and effective means of offsetting racism in college admissions? Should colleges aim for more balance in the proportion of races admitted?Torture: Are there any circumstances under which torture is permissible (such as torturing to extract information)? What counts as “torture”?Animal rights: Do animals have rights? Is it okay to use them for scientific or medical testing? Is an animal a “person” deserving moral consideration?Cloning: Is cloning immoral? Should we be able to clone animals? Should we be able to clone humans?Organ sales: Should people be able to sell organs, like a kidney or part of their liver?CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy): Playing football has a high risk of causing serious brain injury. Is it immoral to allow people to play football for entertainment? Should we allow children to play football? What about boxing?Drone Strikes: Is it ethical to use drones to bomb foreign targets, especially if the targets are in urban areas or near civiliansViolence in video games: Is violence in video games harmful? Is it unethical? Should violence in video games be restricted?The death penalty: Is it permissible to execute people who are convicted of certain very serious crimes?Feeding the hungry: Do affluent countries have an obligation to help out poorer countries during times of famine or natural disaster?Overpopulation: Should it be permissible to restrict people’s freedom to have as many children as they want to prevent overpopulation?Cosmetic surgery: Is there anything immoral about cosmetic surgery, such as breast implants, liposuction, rhinoplasty, and subdermal implantsPolygamy: Is polygamy morally permissible? Should it be legalized?Biodiversity: Do we have a moral obligation to promote biodiversity? Is it wrong to allow the extinction of species?

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