Reasoning about a Contemporary Ethical Issue Assignment Details
Order Description
Due: November 7, 2015 by 11:59pm to Turn-It-In in BB.
Length: 1000-1200 words
Format: double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font. Use either APA or MLA.
Sources: at least three academic sources from ethicists and moral philosophers beyond the course textbook (though this should be used) and class notes. The only Internet Sources allowed are the two (2) Dr. Bogosian provided in the syllabus.
Thesis: clearly state your main thesis/claim at the end of your Introduction. This is an argument-centered paper, and your argument should provide reasons to think your claim/thesis is probably true and not a mere opinion, hunch, or feeling.
Read the brief article from the November/December 2001 issue of Mother Jones entitled “Surgical Strike.” To access this article, scroll down. After reading and reflecting on this article, please address the following questions in your essay:
1) What is the ethical dilemma here? Describe it in your own words.
2) Who are the stakeholders in this ethical dilemma? That is, who has something to lose or win, and why?
3) Analyze this problem by reference to the Categorical Imperative (whichever version(s) will help you cover all the bases). What course of action is the right one, from the standpoint of a Kantian ethics? Explain.
4) Analyze this problem in terms of the principle of utility. What course of action does a utilitarian ethics support? Explain your answer.
5) What do you think the right thing to do is in this case? Defend your answer by using either one of the theories above or another theory we learned this semester. Be clear and thorough!
Even though you are addressing five different questions, your essay should be a unified whole with an introduction, argument, and conclusion. In other words, do not write this as a Q/A to 1-5 in that order.
Recommended’sources’for’overview’of’philosophers’’thought'(will’help’with’your’essays):
(1)The’Internet’Encyclopedia’of’Philosophy,’online’at’https://www.iep.utm.edu/
(2)Stanford’Encyclopedia’of’Philosophy,’online’at’https://plato.stanford.edu/.”This’is’a’very’
well?respected’online’source’for’a’summary’and’reference’on’a’particular’philosophical’
topic’or’figure.’However,’it’may’be’more’than’is’necessary’for’an’initial’introduction’to’the’
subject’matter.’So’start’with’the’online’source’listed’above’and’then’move’to’this’one’for’a’
more’in’depth’account.”