i.

Introduction
- Para 1: Presentation of the issue
o Vấn đề giết người luôn raise moral debate, song song với đó là sự xuất hiện của mercy
killing – cái này nên được đánh giá như thế nào throughout history.
o Nhiều tiêu chí được đặt ra xung quanh vấn đề này, hai luồng ý kiến luôn tồn tại.
o Vào case cụ thể: Tracy.
- Para 2: Thesis statement
o Tóm tắt về case.
o Phức tạp vì các mệnh đề đạo đức được đưa ra. Tóm tắt hai luồng quan điểm.
o Case này trái đạo đức và phản bác những ý kiến trái chiều dựa theo các tiêu chí lấy từ
Kant’s theory.

ii. Body
- Summary of Kant’s theory.
 The definition and clarification of what is a good will:
o “Talents of the mind” and “gifts of fortune” are “qualities of temperament”: they
don’t decide if one is morally good because they may be used in a wrong way, unless
they are under the influence of a good will.
o A good will: “it is good through its willing alone - that is, good in itself”. It won’t
alter despite any external forces; “it would still shine like a jewel for its own sake as
something which has its full value in itself.”
o Reason:
 “Is not sufficiently serviceable for guiding the will safely as regards its
objects and the satisfaction of all our needs” -> implanted natural instinct is
better.
 True function: to produce a will which is good, not as a means to some
further end, but in itself - highest good and the condition of all the rest.
 Concept of duty:
o Action according with duty (other kind of motives):
 Be done from some purpose of self-interest: <-> impelled to do by some
other inclination rather than immediate inclination.
 Life preservation: have an immediate inclination. Have no moral content:
“They do protect their lives in conformity with duty but not from the motive
of duty.”
 Sympathy: have inclinations for honour.
 Assure one’s happiness: “for discontent with one’s state, in a press of cares
and amidst unsatisfied wants, might easily become a great temptation to the
transgression of duty.”
o “For love out of inclination cannot be commanded; but kindness done from duty […]
is practical […]; and it is this practical love alone which can be an object of
command.”
o “An action done from duty has its moral worth, not in the purpose to be attained by it,
but in the maxim in accordance with which it is decided upon; it depends therefore,
not on the realization of the object of the action, but solely on the principle of
volition in accordance with which, irrespective of all objects of the faculty of desire,
the action has been performed.”
 o “Duty is the necessity to act out of reverence for the law”
 The humanity formula:
o “Man, and in general every rational being, exists as an end in himself, not merely as a
means for arbitrary use by this or that will: he must in all his actions, whether they
are directed to himself or to other rational beings, always be viewed at the same time
as an end.”
o “Persons, therefore, are not merely subjective ends whose existence as an object of
our actions has a value for us-, they are objective ends - that is, things whose
existence is in itself an end, and indeed an end such that in its place we can put no
other end to which they should serve simply as means; for unless this is so, nothing at
all of absolute value would be found anywhere.”
o “Rational nature exists as an end in itself. This is the way in which a man necessarily
conceives his own existence; it is therefore so far a principle of human actions.”
o “The practical imperative will therefore be as follows: Act in such a way that you
always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other,
never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.”

- Reason 1: Inclinations prompt the culprit – evaluate the so-called good will.

- Reason 2: Not from the right duty

- Refutation 1: Beneficial for her parents and herself.

o Her parents:
 humans cannot be used as the means
o Herself:
 defend for her autonomy.
o Accuse the objection as slippery slope argument.

- Refutation 2: It is really a mercy killing?

o Criteria.
 Why?
 Who? – authoritative?
 When?
 How?
o Should it become a presentative of the moral universal law?

iii. Conclusion
- Main points.
- Main counterarguments.
- Reassure the importance.