In the nation of Genovia, ninety-nine percent of the population worships the moon as a god. One percent does not. Genovians occasionally vandalize the homes of these nonbelievers. This has been common practice in Genovia for as long as anyone can remember. Ninety-nine percent of Genovians participate in the vandalism. Genovia has no history of religious toleration. The nation of Kenovia, by contrast, has a long history of religious toleration. Ninety-nine percent of Kenovians believe that it is immoral to vandalize someone’s home because of his or her religious beliefs. They believe that intolerant vandals deserve to have their index fingers broken. One day a Kenovian woman visits Genovia and sees a Genovian vandalizing a house. She learns that it is a nonbeliever’s house and that the Genovian police will not intervene. She explains to the vandal her opinion that his behavior is immoral. She asks him to stop, but he ignores her, so she physically restrains him and threatens to break his index fingers if he continues. Take a position on the moral permissibility of the actions taken by both the Genovian vandal and the Kenovian visitor. Explain your judgment with reference to various metaethical positions and arguments for those positions. Draw extensively upon the assigned readings. Defend your position against anticipated criticisms. Although you must, at a minimum, address the hypothetical case described, I encourage you to deepen your discussion by considering various modifications of the case (e.g., what if the vandal did something worse than vandalism to nonbelievers? What if the nonbeliever had his own religion that involved burning dogs alive?).
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