BLOCKS negate the resolved: Resolved: Adolescents ought to have the right to make autonomous medical choices. Definitions: Medical: Of or relating to the science of medicine, or to the treatment of illness and injuries ­­ Oxford dictionary value is morality because “ought” invokes moral significance Objective Morality exists. Shafer­Landau 2004: some moral views are better than others, despite the sincerity of the individuals, cultures, and societies that endorse them. Some moral views are true, others false, and my thinking them so doesn’t make them so. My society’s endorsement of them doesn’t prove their truth. Individuals, and whole societies, can be seriously mistaken when it comes to morality. The best explanation of this is that there are moral standards not of our own making.[24] Objectivism cannot be replaced by a coherent moral philosophy, so refuting objectivism triggers skepticism Levin 2001: Even the enemies of objectivity rely on it. The skeptic states a position that cannot possibly be sustained or rationally believed [because] he is in effect asking you not to apply his assertion to his own position, without giving any reason for exempting his own words from his own general claim. His position is futile and self­refuting; it can be stated, but it cannot convince anyone who recognizes its implications.[19]

As Mozi confirms, objective moral laws are derived from tian, translated as nature or heaven, Mou 2001:

Text read in speech: Mozi did appeal to a reality. for some of his arguments in favor of transcending social ritual. It was tian. Tian was the author of the moral standard, utility, to which Mozi appeals in his moral reform. Mozi stressed that tian was universal, not bounded in the ways cultures, states, and societies were. It was “constant” where cultures and conventions could change. These claims do not entail that tian is the Chinese name for the Western God, Elohim. Nor does it conflict with the assumption that tian is a part of nature.. It essentially gave a "naturalistic' basis for [Mozi’s] the moral norm[s] of maximizing utility. It grounded a conception of a natural value as opposed to a social one, but not necessarily of a transcendent, super­natural, or spooky value.. In fact, the Mozi’s use of tian's standard approximates the use pragmatists make of nature in their arguments for extracting norms from nature and social practice. Mozi did not find how the standard worked by revelation or by hearing a booming voice command it or seeing a finger of fire write it.

To eliminate social disorder, everyone must follow objective morals Mozi 1st millennium BCE Mozi said: In the beginning of human life, when there was yet no law and government, the custom was "everybody according to his own idea." Accordingly each man had his own idea, two men had two different ideas and ten men had ten different ideas ­­ the more people the more different notions. And everybody approved of his own view and disapproved the views of others, and so arose mutual disapproval among men. As a result, father and son and elder and younger brothers became enemies and were estranged from each other, since they were unable to reach any agreement. Everybody worked for the disadvantage of the others with water, fire, and poison. Surplus energy was not spent for mutual aid; surplus goods were allowed to rot without sharing; excellent teachings (Dao) were kept secret and not revealed. The disorder in the (human) world could be compared to that among birds and beasts.

Fraser 2010 The conception of action I have been sketching is illustrated by the Mohists’ hypothetical account ­of the state of nature that obtained before the advent of political society. 10 According to the Mohists, people in the state of nature are strongly, even obstinately committed to their personal conception of yì 義, or what is right. Since different people’s conceptions of yì disagree, however, this commitment leads to conflict and eventually violent disorder. The Mohists describe people’s attitudes by saying that they “shì their yì and on that basis fēi others’ yì, and thus fēi each other” (11/2). That is, they each deem their yì to be shì, on those grounds deem others’ fēi, and thus fall into a cycle of reciprocal condemnation. A key observation is that people’s attitude of deeming their yì to be shì [or right] and others’ fēi [or wrong] is accompanied by a strong motivation to act on their convictions, which ultimately leads to social turmoil. This correlation between shì­fēi attitudes and conduct is underscored by the tight link Mohist political theory draws between emulating the shì­fēi attitudes and statements (yán 言) of political superiors, who serve as moral role models, and emulating their conduct (xíng 行).

Tian requires that we prioritize the strength of the state, because nature rewards order Frazer 2014 (replace!)

This communitarian focus is a major point of contrast with Western social contract theories and utilitarian political theory. Utilitarians and social contract theorists (excepting perhaps Rousseau) typically treat individuals' interests as primary and construct social good out of individual good. [For western theorists], the state is justified because it promotes individuals' rights and interests better than any alternative. For the Mohists, by contrast, the state is instrumentally justified because social order (zhi) is an intrinsic good, sought by all, and government by a hierarchy of moral leaders is needed to achieve it.

Indeed, as we might expect from their communitarianism, the Mohists' conception of zhi (order) contains the seeds of an argument that the state is intrinsically justified as well. The Mohists most often use zhi in a narrow sense, to refer to harmonious family and social relations. But some Mohist texts — mainly the triad devoted to the doctrine of “Heaven's intention” — use zhiin a broader sense, in which it is identified with yi (right, moral) and zheng (good governance), which in turn is taken to require a hierarchical political system administered by the noble and wise. The texts thus imply that the Mohist political system is not merely an instrument for producing utility, but is itself a component of the goods that constitute moral right and thus is intrinsically justified.

Mozi 1st millenium BC furthers

Mozi said: As we look back to the time when there was yet no ruler, it seems the custom was "everybody in the world according to his own standard." Accordingly each man had his own standard, ten men had ten different standards, a hundred men had a hundred different standards ­ the more people the more standards. And everybody approved of his own view and disapproved those of others, and so arose mutual disapproval. Even father and son and brothers became enemies, since they were unable to reach any agreement. Surplus energy was not employed for mutual help; excellent teachings (Dao) were kept secret; surplus goods were allowed to rot without sharing. The disorder in the (human) world could be compared with that among birds and beasts. The lack of regulations governing the relationships between ruler and subject, between superior and subordinate, and between elder and younger; and the absence of rules governing the relationships between father and son and between older and younger brothers, resulted in disorder in the world. Knowing the cause of the confusion to be in the absence of a ruler who could unify the standards in the world, (Heaven) chose the virtuous, sagacious, and wise in the world and crowned him emperor, charging [charged] him with the duty of unifying the wills in the empire. Having been crowned, the emperor, realizing the impossibility of unifying the world just by his own senses of hearing and sight, chose the understanding, virtuous, sagacious, and wise of the world and installed them as the three ministers, sharing with them the duty of unifying the standards in the empire. The emperor and the three ministers being in office, they felt the vastness of the empire and the difficulty of unifying all the peoples in mountains and woods and those far distant. Therefore they systematically divided up the empire, and appointed numerous feudal lords, charging these with the duty of unifying the standards in each state. The feudal lords in turn felt the difficulty of unifying the standards in their states just by their own senses of hearing and sight. Therefore they chose the virtuous of the state to be their ministers and secretaries and all the way down to the heads of districts and villages, sharing with them the duty of unifying the standards in the state. When the lords of the country and the heads of the people had been appointed, the emperor issued mandates, instructing the people: "Discovering good you must report it to your superior, discovering evil you must report it to your superior. What the superior thinks to be right all shall think to be right; what the superior thinks to be wrong all shall think to be wrong. When there is virtue among the people there shall be popular recommendation; when the superior is at fault there shall be good counsel. You shall identify yourself with the superior and not associate with your subordinates. So doing, one deserves encouragement from his superiors and praise from the people. "On the other hand, if upon discovering good you should not report it and upon discovering evil you should not report it; if you should not think to be right what the superior thinks to be right, and wrong what the superior thinks to be wrong; if there should be no recommendation when there is virtue among the people and no good counsel when the superior is at fault; and if you should unite with the subordinates but differ from the superior ­ you deserve heavy punishment from your superiors and condemnation from the people." Therefore the sage­kings of old were very judicious and faithful in their punishments and rewards

Thus, my criterion is maximizing the strength of the virtuous state To do so, maximize wealth, order, and population Mozi:

(read all) Epps:

Contenton 1: medical autonomy reduces the population of the state Fagan 2009: http://journalofethics.ama­assn.org/2009/08/msoc1­0908.html The moral ideals of the Hippocratic Oath are not universally shared and espoused. For some patients, physical suffering or even dying from a medically preventable death is not the worst thing

that can happen. Some patients have refused to consent to rudimentary medical treatment in

full knowledge that the inevitable consequence of their refusal would be their premature and, in clinical terms, unnecessary death. The most commonly cited example of this phenomenon is the Jehovah’s Witness refusal to receive a blood transfusion. U.S. courts have tended to uphold

decisions made by competent adult patients in such instances and have denied medical authorities’

requests to administer treatment against patients’ wishes.

Thus, clinicians have been prevented from saving lives in the name of patient autonomy [1]. The application of life­saving medical expertise is refused in the name of patients’ commitment to the

tenets of their religion, recognising the will of their God. While the literature in this area of medical

ethics might suggest otherwise, Jehovah’s Witnesses by no means exhaust the list of religious and

cultural communities who have, or are likely to, refuse medical treatment on moral grounds. The Church of Christ, Scientist has long prohibited the use of vaccinations and inoculations amongst its members. Similarly, a strict adherence to vegan ideals is incompatible with receiving medical treatment that involves or has fundamentally benefited from xenotransplantation

By allowing people to die, medical autonomy saps the human capital of the virtuous state and weakens its power. Contention 2: Medical Autonomy wastes the money of the state People opt to spend billions of dollars on plastic surgery, wasting the resources of the state ASAPS 2015: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released its complete 18th annual multi­specialty statistical data today showing an aesthetic plastic surgery spend consistent with the figures for 2013, with Americans spending more than 12 billion dollars on surgical and nonsurgical procedures for the second year in a row. With more than 10 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2014, those that showed the largest growth in volume on a year­over­year basis included buttock augmentation (up 86%), labiaplasty (up 49%), and nonsurgical fat reduction (up 42%). Additionally, more men are turning to aesthetic cosmetic procedures, with dramatic increases seen in both surgical and nonsurgical options over the past 5 years and a 43% increase overall. many of these are adolescents

ASPS 2014

Common [operations] physical characteristics or concerns a teen may wish to correct include a

misshapen nose, protruding ears, overly large breasts, asymmetrical breasts, or severe acne

and scarring.

Teens frequently gain self-esteem and confidence when their physical problems are corrected. In

fact, successful plastic surgery may reverse the social withdrawal that so often accompanies teens

who feel different. According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, 63,623

cosmetic surgical procedures were performed on people age 13-19 in 2013, while 155,941

cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures were performed.

[Even though] not every teenager seeking plastic surgery is well suited for an operation.

Teens must demonstrate emotional maturity and an understanding of the limitations of plastic

surgery. The ASPS cautions teenagers and parents to keep in mind that plastic surgery is real

surgery, with great benefits, but also carries some risks. Teens should have realistic expectations

about plastic surgery and what it can do for them. In addition, certain milestones in growth and

physical maturity must be achieved before undergoing plastic surgery.

Although health insurance does not pay for cosmetic plastic surgery, coverage is often provided

when a procedure alleviates physical symptoms or improves a body function. Such is usually the

case, for instance, when breast reduction eliminates severe back and neck pain. It should be noted;

however, that health insurance coverage varies greatly between health plans.

Kapp 2000

DEMANDS FOR FUME MEDICAL CARE

text read: new kind of "right to dilemma has emerged on the scene in the past decade (Fins, 19941. This is the problem of patients or their families demanding that health care the pmvide them with forms of LSI. that, in the opinion of Me health care professionals, are "futile­ or "nonber,eficial, Such demands for aggressive medical interventions occur often, even in the face of dismal survival and quality­of­hfe prospects g­evinsky, 1996,0'Brien et al., 1997) and may creak a el... Me... Pa.. autonomy (usefted personally or through a proxy) and the professional's own cam:deem 0.0,1994 Some have suggested that Mis clash may be avoided or softened if the issue is characterized as one of 'appropriatenss" of specific treatments (Prendergast 1995; Sharpe Po ad., 1996). Additionally, although they are not the same Ming, the concepts of futility and econorric waste overlap considerably; wasteful treaftrumt offends Meet., notion ofdistributiveor sodaljuatice/fairness (Luce,1994). In the same vein, the concept of futility must nothe used as a Pay M justify health rare rationing in disguise Reckon 81 Schneiderman. 1992:Lantos.19941.

BLOCKS

Autonomy definition: in bioethics, self­determination that is free from both controlling interferences by others and personal limitations preventing meaningful choice (such as inadequate understanding or faulty reasoning). Having the capacity to act with autonomy does not guarantee that a person will actually do so with full understanding and without external controlling influences. adj., adj autonomous. ­­ Farlex Medical Dictionary Prefer this definition because it is topic­specific, being specifically in the context of bioethics and sourced from a reputable medicine­specific dictionary. The autonomy necessary for conceiving of morality is placed in the societal dao Mou 2001

Mozi’s utilitarianism differs from its Western counterparts in other inter­ esting ways that bear on the transcendence issue. His measure of utility is not mental, private, or subjective. The subject of the moral autonomy his argu­ ment vouehsafes is not the individual. He seemingl_v shares the Confucian notion that a dao is a social guide. As a moral refonner, he questions what social duo we (the society) ought to use in guiding our behavior. Then he

urges we make a social choice to follow a path of moral reform that will natu­ rally result in the individuals in society following a dilferent path from the one they now follow. The locus ofthe autonomy necessary for conceiving of moral refomi is not placed in individuals, but in the nomiative or guiding discourse (dao) itself. Cosmetic surgery is medicine American Academy of Cosmetic surgery (http://www.cosmeticsurgery.org/?page=CosmeticSurgery) A. Cosmetic surgery is a unique discipline of medicine focused on enhancing appearance through surgical and medical techniques. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the head, neck and body. Because treated areas function properly but lack aesthetic appeal, cosmetic surgery is elective. Mohism believes in afterlife: Fulford 2008 Few people in the West are aware that 500 years before Christ was born, there lived a sage in China whose teachings are uncannily similar to those of Jesus. His name was Mozi (original name Mo Di) or the "tattooed one." In his time he was a serious rival to Confucius. He also had a million­man army at his disposal. Mozi preached that all men are created equal. Unlike Confucius, who said relatives had first priority, he preached universal love and caring for the poorest and weakest in society. Mozi also said there was a Heaven and an afterlife and that people who became rich through unrighteous means would not be able to go there. Just as Jesus said it was better to teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime than it was go give him a fish, so did Mozi emphasize teaching the poor the skills they needed to care for themselves. The most important teaching of Mozi, however, was the concept of "Gi" which has been translated as "righteousness" but would be better translated as "life" or "love." The idea is to draw a line and fight whenever Gi or life is being harmed.

Evidence for tian­based metaethics Mozi 1st millenium BC All states in the world, large or small, are cities of Heaven, and all people, young or old, honourable or humble, are its subjects; for they all graze oxen and sheep, feed dogs and pigs, and prepare clean wine and cakes to sacrifice to Heaven. Does this not mean that Heaven claims all and accepts offerings from all? Since Heaven does claim all and accepts offerings from all, what then can make us say that it does not desire men to love and benefit one another? Hence those who love and benefit others Heaven will bless. Those who hate and harm others Heaven will curse, for it is said that he who murders the innocent will be visited by misfortune. How else can we explain the fact that men, murdering each other, will be cursed by Heaven? Thus we are certain that Heaven desires to have men love and benefit one another and abominates to have them hate and harm one another.

The ancient sage­kings, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu loved the people of the world universally, leading them to reverence Heaven and worship the spirits. Many were their benefits to the people. And, thereupon Heaven blessed them, establishing them emperors; and all the feudal lords of the empire showed them respect. (On the other hand) the wicked kings, Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, hated all the people in the world, seducing the people to curse Heaven and ridicule the spirits. Great were their injuries to the people. Thereupon Heaven brought them calamity, depriving them of their empire and their lives; and posterity condemned them to this day. Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, then, are those that committed evil and were visited by calamities. And Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu are those that loved and benefited the people and obtained blessings. Thus we have those who obtained blessings because they loved and benefited the people as well as those who were visited by calamities because they hated and harmed the people. Fa are objective paradigms: