PHI208 Week 3 Assignment 1 Applying an Ethical Theory

 

Applying an Ethical Theory

[WLO: 4] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4]

Please read these assignment instructions before writing your paper as they contain very precise and specific instructions on both the content and format requirements. You should download the

provided outline

and use that to structure your paper, and also consult the

assignment guidance

and

modeled example

for additional help. Finally, before submitting your assignment please use the

checklist

to ensure that you have completed all of the requirements.

Overview

This course has three written assignments that build upon one another and are designed to take you step-by-step through a process of writing a paper that identifies an ethical question, examines the context, issues, and arguments surrounding the question, and attempts to defend an answer to that question using strong moral reasoning.

This second written assignment is a four-part exercise comprised of the following sections:

1. Ethical Question
2. Introduction
3. Explanation of the Ethical Theory
4. Application of the Ethical Theory

For sections (1) and (2) revise and expand on what you did in the first assignment.

Sections (3) and (4) are new.

The main purpose of this paper is to define the nature and scope of the ethical theory in a way that shows how the core principle(s) of that theory lead to a specific moral conclusion on your ethical question. Another way to think of this is to explain how someone who is fully committed to the moral reasoning of the ethical theory would answer your ethical question (even if it is not necessarily how you would answer the question).

The assignment should be 900 to 1,000 words, written in essay form with clearly labeled sections as indicated below, and include a title page and reference page.

Part 1: Ethical Question

State the ethical question beneath this heading.

• This question should be on the same topic as the question presented in the week one assignment, and if necessary, revised based on your instructor’s comments and the additional insight and information you have gained from research on the topic. If you would like to switch topics, you should first consult with your instructor.

Place your ethical question beneath the Part 1: Ethical Question heading.

Part 2: Introduction

Provide an introduction to the topic and question.

• This should be revised and expanded from the Week 1 Introduction in light of your instructor’s comments and the additional insight and information you have gained from research on the topic.
• For instance, you may find that your original ideas about the issue have changed and clarified, that the focus of the ethical question has shifted or become more specific, and/or that there are important background and contextual details that need to be explained.
• The revised introduction should reflect your additional thinking on the scope and significance of the ethical issue, and address any feedback provided by your instructor.
• The introduction should be at least 300 words in one or two paragraphs.

Place the introduction material under the Part 2: Introduction heading.

Part 3: Explanation of the Ethical Theory

Ethical theories provide accounts of how to reason well about moral questions and of what justifies answers to those questions. In this section of the paper, you will discuss either the ethical theory of utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics.

You should not discuss your topic in this section, but focus only on the ethical theory.

The discussion should include the following elements:

• A brief account of the historical background of the theory and the philosopher(s) associated with it.
• An explanation of the core moral principle of the theory, or if there is more than one, the principle that you will focus on in applying that theory to your question.
• A brief, general explanation of how the theory and its core moral principle applies to moral questions, using an example different from the issue that is the main focus of your paper. (For example, if your focus is on how deontology applies to using animals in medical research, you could explain Kant’s moral theory by discussing how it would apply to an issue like lying for the sake of the greater good.)
• This section should focus only on the ethical theory. For instance, if you are discussing physician-assisted suicide from a utilitarian perspective, this section should only discuss utilitarianism in general terms; you should not discuss physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, or other related topics until the next section.
• The discussion should be around 300 words and must incorporate at least one quote from the required resources on the ethical theory you have chosen to discuss.  Required resources include the textbook chapter focused on that theory (3, 4, or 5) or the “Primary Sources” listed at the end of Chapters 3-5.

Place this section under the Part 3: Ethical Theory heading.

Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory

Now that you have explained in general terms the core principle of the ethical theory you are focusing on in this paper, you will apply that theory and its core principle to your ethical question.

• Explain as clearly and precisely as you can how that principle leads to a particular conclusion.
• You can think of that conclusion as the answer someone would most likely give to your question if they were reasoning along the utilitarian, deontological, or virtue ethics lines you explained in Part 3.
• Note: This conclusion does not need to be the same as the position you stated in the Week 1 assignment. In fact, it could be the opposing position you discussed there. See the remarks about main purpose of the paper above.
• This section should be around 300 words.

Place this section under the Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory section.

In your paper,

• Identify the ethical question.
• Introduce the topic and question.
• Explain the ethical theory of utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics.
• Apply the selected ethical theory to the ethical question.

The Applying an Ethical Theory paper

• Must be 900 words in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:

  Title of paper
  Student’s name
  Course name and number
  Instructor’s name
  Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to

APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.)

.

• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must quote from at least one of the required resources on the selected ethical theory.

  The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide.

Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the

Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.)

resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Carefully review the

Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)

for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 3 Assignment Checklist

This checklist can help you ensure that you have completed all of the assignment instructions.

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Choose a specific ethical question from the list provided, or formulate one that is sufficiently specific and focused on an ethical issue, and place it under the PART ONE: ETHICAL QUESTION heading at the top of the paper.

Provide an introduction to the topic, and place it under the PART TWO: INTRODUCTION heading.

Focus on either the ethical theory of utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics.

Provide a brief account of the historical background of the theory and the philosopher(s) associated with it.

Provide an explanation of the core moral principle of the theory, or if there is more than one, the principle that you will focus on in applying that theory to your question.

Provide a brief, general explanation of how the theory and its core moral principle applies to moral questions, using an example different from the issue that is the main focus of your paper.

Incorporate at least one quote from the required resources on the ethical theory you have chosen to discuss.

Focus only on the ethical theory, and avoid discussing the issue, in this section.

Place the explanation of the ethical theory under the PART THREE: ETHICAL THEORY heading.

Explain as clearly and precisely as you can how that principle leads to a particular conclusion on the ethical question under consideration.

Place the application of the theory to the question under the PART FOUR: APPLICATION OF ETHICAL THEORY heading.

Incorporate at least one quote from the required resources on the ethical theory you have chosen to discuss.

Include a title page and list of references.

Proofread carefully for mechanical and grammatical errors.

Format the assignment in APA style.

Write at least 900 words

Week 3 Assignment Guidance:

The Purpose of This Paper

· This paper is an analysis of an ethical theory and how it applies to a concrete issue; it is not a defense of your own view on this issue.

· This assignment, along with assignment 1, is intended to prepare you to write the final paper by helping you:

· think deeply and critically about one of the main theories of ethical reasoning

· learn how to reason about a concrete issue along the lines of an ethical theory

Again, to emphasize: Your own position on this issue isn’t really going to factor in to this particular paper.  You are to be solely concerned with the ethical theory and how it applies to the problem. The conclusion that the theory arrives at may or may not align with your own view.

The Topic and Question of the Paper

You may either use the same topic and question you wrote on for the first paper, or choose a different one.

· If you choose to keep the same topic, you should take into account any comments your instructor gave you on how to refine or revise your topic and question.

· If you choose a different topic, you might benefit from going through the exercises of the first paper before working on this one.

Introduction

Begin your introduction with the question that orients your paper, and provided a revised and refined version of the introduction you offered in paper one. Don’t forget to introduce the theory as well.

Remember that the last sentence of the introduction should state what the theory would conclude, and why. For example, you might say something like “I will show how a utilitarian would argue that the suffering that a woman might experience by having to carry fetus to term can outweigh the suffering of the fetus that would be aborted, and thus that a woman should be allowed to decide whether or not to abort her pregnancy.”

The Explanation and Application of the Theory

Make sure that you first understand the theory that you are using to interpret the best answer to the issue that you identified in Week One. If you do not understand the theory, you will not be able to apply it adequately to the topic.

An application involves showing how general ideas about how to live an act ethically, when combined with the specific circumstances under consideration, lead to conclusions about how one should act in those circumstances. A very simple, non-moral example of such reasoning might start with the general idea that “if I’m hungry, I ought to eat,” apply that to the specific circumstances in which “I’m hungry,” leading to the conclusion that “I ought to eat.” The application of an ethical theory to an actual moral problem will be much more complicated, nuanced, and detailed, but that should give you a sense of how to proceed.

For example, if you were examining capital punishment from a utilitarian perspective, you might start by explaining the general principle that we should do that which leads to the greatest happiness. You would then consider the effects of capital punishment, including not just the suffering and death of the punished, but also the positive and negative effects on other individuals and society as a whole. You could compare that with the effects of abolishing capital punishment, and demonstrate which policy has the best overall outcomes.

Remember that when applying utilitarianism, you want to explain the benefits and harms that would result from one action or policy, what the overall utility of that would be, and compare that with the same analysis of the available alternative action(s) or policy. Doing this can carefully will allow you to demonstrate the utilitarian conclusion as clearly as possible.

Alternatively, if you were applying a deontological argument, you might apply Kant’s Categorical Imperative, examining whether a maxim that involved capital punishment could be willed as a universal law, or whether capital punishment treats persons as ends-in-themselves.

Remember that when applying deontological theory, what you are looking for is a kind of argument that say that we have a duty do or not do to thus-and-such regardless of the consequences. In other words, while doing something may indeed lead to a better overall state of affairs, that’s not the primary reason why we ought to do it. Similarly, even if doing something leads to a better overall state of affairs, if it violates a duty we have not to do a certain kind of action, then we ought not do it.

You might show this by providing an explanation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and an application of the “Categorical Imperative test”. For example, you might consider the relevant maxim involved, and whether that is something that could be willed to be universal law; or you could determine whether people’s humanity is being respected as an end-it-itself or being used as a mere means.

Or finally, if you were applying virtue ethics, you might explain how a certain action or policy would be just or unjust, courageous or cowardly, cruel or kind, etc., or you could describe what it means to flourish as a human, as a society, or in a particular role or activity and evaluate the issues in light of that.

PHI 208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning

Prof.

Running head:

SHORTENED TITLE

3

SHORTENED TITLE

Part 1: Ethical Question

Part 2: Introduction

Part 3: Explanation of the Ethical Theory

Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory

References

Running

head:

PROTECTING FREEDOM

1

PROTECTING FREEDOM

6

Protecting Freedom of Speech

Student Name

PHI 208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning

Prof. Phil O’Sopher

March 15, 2018

Protecting Freedom of Speech

Part 1: Ethical Question

Do we have a moral obligation to protect free speech even in cases where that speech causes harm to others?

Part 2: Introduction

In August of 2107, the city of Charlottesville, Virginia became the focal point of violent demonstrations that resulted in injury, death and psychological harm. The violence was the result of clashes between white supremacists who gathered in Charlottesville for a planned “Unite the Right” rally to protest the possible removal of the Confederate Statue of Robert E. Lee (Katz, n.d.). The violence included hate speech in the form of signs, chants and a Friday night “Hitler youth” torch rally. These events and the reactions to them launched the issue of free speech into the national spotlight.

Freedom of speech is one of the most fundamental rights cherished by Americans and granted to all through our Constitution, but ethical issues arise when the exercise of that right results in direct harm to others. The primary ethical issue that arises concerns the balance between protecting this fundamental right of speech and preventing the harm associated with hate speech. According to our textbook, ethics asks the question of how we should live and that with “each conscious, deliberate choice we make, we are living out an answer to this question.” (Thames, 2018).

Americans have many rights granted to them by the Constitution, but these rights are not absolute or limitless and they carry with them a responsibility to uphold laws (Brandenburg v. Ohio n.d.). It is perfectly legal to hate someone, but it is illegal to act on that hate if doing so causes harm. From an ethical standpoint, our responsibility to act in certain ways goes beyond merely conforming to society’s laws. When considering the balance between protecting free speech and preventing harm, the ethical theory of utilitarianism tells us that we should weigh the overall positive and negative consequences of an action and choose only those actions that result in the greatest overall good (Thames, 2018. Sec. 3.1). This paper will consider the positive and negative aspects of protecting free speech vs. preventing the harm that it may cause and show that utilitarianism would support restrictions on speech that is intended or likely to cause harm.

Part 3: Explanation of the Ethical Theory

This section of the paper should focus exclusively on explaining the ethical theory you have chosen to use to examine the ethical issue. There should be three components to this section. The first is a brief account of the historical background of the theory and the primary philosopher associated with it. For example, if you have chosen utilitarianism, you would begin this section with a brief account of John Stuart Mill and/or Jeremy Bentham and the historical context in which they wrote.

The second component is an explanation of the core moral principle (or principles) of the theory. A core moral principle is a principle that lies at the center of the theory and defines and drives the moral reasoning of the theory. For example, although relativism is not per se, an ethical theory, we might define its core principle as the idea that there are no absolute moral values, or that moral notions of good and right and just differ from one culture to the next.

The third component is a brief, general explanation of how the theory and its core moral principles applies to moral questions. Note that here you must choose an example that is different from the ethical question you are addressing in the paper. For example, based on the Freedom of Speech Week One Model Example, and focusing in this paper on how utilitarianism applies to freedom of speech, here you could explain how utilitarianism would apply to an issue like lying for the sake of the greater good.

This section should be around 300 words and must incorporate at least one quote from the required resources on the ethical theory you have chosen

Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory

Now that you have explained in general terms the core principle of the ethical theory you’re focusing on in this paper, you will apply that theory and its core principle to your ethical question. The main focus in this section is to explain as clearly and precisely as you can how the core principle of the ethical theory leads to a specific answer to your ethical question. For example, based on the Freedom of Speech Week One Model Example, and on the selection of utilitarianism as the ethical theory, in this section you would demonstrate the moral reasoning of utilitarianism by showing how the core principles of this ethical theory lead to a specific conclusion on your ethical issue such. In other words, you should demonstrate the clear connection between that core principle and the specific conclusion it reaches. It might be helpful to think of this task as filling in the following sentence: Because the core principle of utilitarianism is _________, someone using this ethical theory to consider _______ would arrive at the conclusion that _________.

This section should be around 300 words.

References

Brandenburg v. Ohio. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/492

Katz, A. (n.d.). Unrest in Virginia. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally-clashes/

Post Editors (n.d.). Great American thinkers on free speech. Retrieved from http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2015/01/16/history/great-american-thinkers-free-speech.htm

Mill, J. S. (1873).

Autobiography.

Retrieved from

http://www.utilitarianism.com/millauto/

Thames, B. (2018). How should one live? An introduction to ethics and moral reasoning (3rd ed.). [Electronic version]. Retrieved from

https://content.ashford.edu/

Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources

Source type What is it? Examples Best used for

Scholarly A source written by scholars or academics in a
field. The purpose of many scholarly sources

Scholarly Journals Journal articles:

is to report on original research or • Journal of Management Information • Recent research on a topic
experimentation in order to make such Systems • Very specific topics or narrow
information available to the rest of the • American Journal of Public Health fields of research
scholarly community. The audience for • Early Childhood Research Quarterly • NOT good for an introduction to
scholarly sources is other scholars or experts or broad overview of a topic
in a field. Scholarly sources include
references and usually use language that is Scholarly Books (published by a university
technical or at a high reading level. press or other high-quality publisher) Books:

*Note: Different databases may define
“scholarly” in slightly different ways, and thus

• Shari’a Politics: Islamic Law and
Society in the Modern World

• In-depth information and research
on a topic

a source that is considered “scholarly” in one • The Grand Design: Strategy and the • Putting a topic into context
database may not be considered “scholarly” U.S. Civil War • Historical information on a topic
in another database. The final decision about • The Hidden Mechanics of Exercise:
the appropriateness of a given source for a Molecules That Move Us
particular assignment is left to the instructor.

Peer Reviewed A publication that has gone through an Refer to “Scholarly Journals” examples Refer to “Scholarly Journals” description
official editorial process that involves review
and approval by the author’s peers (experts
in the same subject area). Many (but not all)
scholarly publications are peer reviewed.

Books go through a different editorial process
and are not usually considered to be “peer

*Note: even though a journal is peer
reviewed, some types of articles within that

reviewed”. However, they can still be
excellent scholarly sources.

journal may not be peer reviewed. These
might include editorials or book reviews.

**Note: some publications (such as some
trade journals) can be peer reviewed but not
scholarly. This is not common.

Credible A source that can be trusted to contain
accurate information that is backed up by
evidence or can be verified in other trusted
sources. Many types of sources can fall into
this category.

Refer to “Scholarly Journals” examples. Also:

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Books
• Trade journals or publications

•

•
•
•
•

Basic/general/background
information about a topic
Current events
Local news
Statistical data
Information about specific

*Note: The final decision about the
appropriateness of a given source for a
particular assignment is left to the instructor.

• Government websites
• Websites from educational

institutions (like universities)
• Websites or other publications from

reputable organizations (like the
Mayo Clinic)

• Encyclopedias (general or subject)

Many websites could be considered credible.
The more information provided about the
source, the more likely they are to be
credible. Look for information about the
author and/or the organization, how recently
it was published, the intended audience, the
intended purpose, and whether there is
evidence of bias.

•
•
•
•

organizations or companies (look
at the organization’s or company’s
website, or look for articles in
newspapers or trade journals)
Government information
Information about popular culture
Opinions or commentaries
Topics of general interest