Understanding of ethical theories as applied to a contemporary moral issue
This writing assignment is intended to offer the student an opportunity to demonstrate his/her
understanding of ethical theories as applied to a contemporary moral issue covered in this course and the
multi-faceted debate surrounding that issue. In addition, the student will be expected to give evidence of
his/her skills in evaluating competing philosophical views, explaining, and defending his/her views on the
issues raised, and a general proficiency in writing an argumentative essay.
Instructions
Select ONE of the following contemporary moral issues as the topic for your paper.
EUTHANASIA
WORLD HUNGER OR POVERTY (select either hunger or poverty, not both)
TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
CYBER ETHICS
Construct a good philosophical essay that includes each of the elements outlined below:
1. Identify in your title and on the title/cover page the contemporary moral issue you will
examine. (Total possible points for this item: 10 pts.)
2. Paper Part #1: Offer a SUMMARY of the major issues, concepts, and distinctions relevant
to the contemporary moral issue you have selected. (Suggestion: You may want to pattern
this section of your paper after the “Introduction to the Moral Issues” section that Hinman
includes at the beginning of each chapter in his book.) [Approximate length of this section
should be about 1 page.] (Total possible points for this item: 25 pts.)
3. Paper Part #2: Summary of Selected Moral Theories [MINIMUN length for this section is 1
page] Shafer-Landau outlines eight major moral theories in chapters 5-18 in his book. SELECT
TWO of the following moral theories – Divine Command Ethics, Natural Law, Ethical
Egoism, Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Social Contract Ethics, Feminist Ethics and Virtue
Ethics – and offer a thorough summary account of each theory (e.g., primary advocate/s of
the theory; concise statement of what the theory affirms or states regarding moral standards
and moral judgments; etc.). (Total possible points for this item: 30 pts.)
4. Paper Part #3: Application of selected moral theories to the moral issue you selected
[MINIMUN length for this section is 1 page] The goal for this section is to provide an analysis
of how each theory would respond to the selected moral issue and what resolution each theory
would offer to that moral issue. Be sure that you select theories that will lead to very different
responses to the moral issue you chose for your paper! (Total possible points for this item: 35 pts.)
5. Paper Part #4: Select the theory that you judge offers the best response to the moral issue
selected and DEFEND/ARGUE for your view. [MINIMUN length for this section is 1 ½
pages] The goal for this section is to offer a well-written argument that provides good reasons for
your opinion that one theory is superior to the other theory in resolving and/or responding to the
selected moral issue. (Total possible points for this item: 40 pts.)
The grammar and style of your essay will also be evaluated and will contribute to your total
score on the assignment. (Total possible points for this item: 10 pts.)
Resources: Your available resources for this assignment are those used in this course:
Hinman’s book, Shafer-Landau’s book and the Supplemental Resources provided on the course
site. You may not use any outside resources for this paper (i.e. no internet research or
searches). Be sure to properly cite and document all resources used in your paper and include a
works cited page.
Any student who violates the “no outside research” instruction will receive a
failing grade for the assignment.
All papers are subject to review for originality and possible plagiarism violations. If any violations are
discovered, there will be a severe reduction in the grade for the paper and possible administrative
action per the college’s policy against plagiarism.
Length: Your completed assignment should be between 1,000 – 1,750 words
Your essay should conform to the writing rubric as explained in this assignment.
Format: Your assignment should be free from grammatical, spelling, and proofreading errors. Format
your assignment with double-spacing in a standard, 12-point serif font (such as Times New Roman) and
with 1” margins. Include a title/cover page with assignment information and your name.
Assessment: Maximum score for this assignment will be 150 pts. The paper’s score will be based on the
following: compliance with all structural and formatting items stipulated for the assignment; quality of
summary and depth of analysis of ethical theories covered in the paper; quality of explanation and defense
of the student’s viewpoint on the theory that best resolves the moral issue, general quality of writing
(style, grammar, spelling, etc.). See the point value for each section of the paper in the “Instructions” portion above.
Paper Format: APA
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