Posted: April 8th, 2015

Philosophy 130 Contemporary Moral Issues

Philosophy 130 Contemporary Moral Issues

After revising in light of the comments provided, upload to Blackboard under ‘Assignments – Final Paper.’

Requirements:

Write a paper that is roughly 2000 words (you can go 250 words over or under, but no more) on the following topic:

Take one of the three moral theories we have covered in class (Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue/Care ethics) and a moral issue of your choice. Evaluate the issue you have chosen in light of the theory. Build an argument either for or against some aspect of the topic stemming from the theoretical perspective you have chosen.

The paper should include the following:

• An introduction paragraph that tells the reader what your thesis and plan for the paper is. A thesis statement should be concise, direct, and clear. For example, “In this paper I will argue that from a Utilitarian standpoint every individual has the responsibility to recycle. To do this I will first…”

• A section that describes the basics of the theory you have chosen

• A section where you apply the theory to the topic to argue for/against some practice

• A section where you consider an objection to your view (explain why someone would disagree with your position), and then respond to this objection

• A conclusion where you summarize what you have done in the paper.

You can choose any moral issue you’d like, but here are some suggestions:

• pornography
• eating meat
• abortion
• recreational drug use
• violent video games
• genetic engineering
• physician assisted suicide