- As you are writing, imagine that you are addressing your friend Jake who has never studied philosophy before, nor read any of the material that you are discussing. Please be as clear and precise as possible.
- 1) Identify a newspaper or news magazine article (your article must be between 1000 – 1700 words) concerning a major moral controversy or issue that is of interest to you. Preferably in 2017 or present. Your article must be derived from a reputable news source (newspaper or news magazine). Examples of newspapers include the News Journal or the New York Times; examples of news magazines include Time or The Economist.
- Summarize the article. In your summary, make sure that you answer the following questions:
- what is the moral controversy
- who is affected by the controversy (individuals, groups?)
- what are the stakes for those affected (that is, why does the outcome of the controversy matter to those involved?).
- Choose two of the ethical frameworks that have been discussed in class. Examples include: Divine Command Theory, Virtue Ethics, Natural Law Theory, Kantian Ethics, Act Utilitarianism, and Rule Utilitarianism. Explain each of these ethical frameworks in detail. Remember, you are to assume that your reader, while intelligent, has no prior knowledge of these theories.
- Apply the two theories you have selected to the moral controversy you have chosen to work on. What does each of the frameworks suggest regarding the controversy?
- Compare the solutions offered by the two viewpoints. Do they agree? Do they disagree? Do they share some points in common, but not all? Maybe they come to the same conclusion but for different reasons.
- Evaluate the solutions offered by the two viewpoints. Which viewpoint gives the best solution? Why? In your evaluation, draw on your own experiences as a mature and informed individual. What does your unique perspective suggest about the solution to the moral controversy you have chosen? What light does your unique perspective shed on the ethical theories that you have examined?
Sample Solution
