Write a research paper outlining the process of identifying common ground to resolve modern ethical conundrums.

PHIL 140 Short Essay Two Guidelines and Rubric
The purpose of the short essays is to allow you to explore the moral theories you have studied with respect to a contemporary moral dilemma that interests you.

What you will learn in these writing assignments:

How to analyze and write about contemporary ethical dilemmas
How to apply moral theories to contemporary ethical dilemmas
How to find solutions to contemporary ethical dilemmas by discovering common ground.
Short Essay Two is due by the end of academic week eight on Tuesday at 11:59 PM ET. No Extensions.

Technical Requirements
Short Essay Two is required to be:

800 to 1,200 words (4-5 pages)
12 pt. Times New Roman font, double spaced, 1” right and left margins
Microsoft .docx format (not .pages or .pdf)
Directions
[STEP ONE] Short Essay Two will focus on the moral theories you learned in weeks 5 through 7. You should choose two theories to focus on in your paper. One you will use in section 3 for how you would apply a theory in this case. The other you will use in Section 2 to show how someone opposed to your ideas would use a different theory.

Feminist Ethics of Care
Kantian Deontology
The Ethics of Virtue
[STEP TWO] For each Short Essay, choose one(1) Applied Ethics subject and dilemma to write about from the list of Short Essay Applied Ethics Subjects:

[NOTE: YOU MUST CHOOSE A DILEMMA IN THIS LIST. YOU CANNOT CHOOSE YOUR OWN DILEMMA]

Examples:

For your Short Essay Two paper you could choose to argue using Kantian Deontology to argue that you should turn in your friend for leaving work early most Fridays and the Ethics of Virtue to say you need show balance in your decisions and lead in virtues by working full hours.

[STEP THREE] Your essay will be organized according to a modified Rogerian Argument Structure:

The Rogerian Argument Structure is used to find common ground between two sides in a complex issue so it is a good writing structure for analyzing and arguing ethical dilemmas. We will modify this structure somewhat to allow for the examination of an ethical dilemma. Your essay will be divided into four sections, with each section answering particular questions about the ethical dilemma and moral theories you have chosen to use. Remember, your essay will be 800-1200 words total so please allocate enough words for each section!

Suggested Title: The Ethics of [case or dilemma] in [subject] using [moral theory] by [your name]

Examples

“The Ethics of Vaccine Rationing in Medicine Using Utilitarianism by Susan Kitteridge”

or

“The Ethics of Taking A Knee in Sports Using Virtue Theory by John Meyerson”

or

“The Ethics of Manufacturing Defects in Business Using Kantian Ethics by Stephen Mousse”

Each section of your essay must address the following questions:

SECTION I: Explain the ethical dilemma presented in the case in your own words. What are the relevant facts that need to be understood in order to come to an ethical decision? What are the summary pros and cons of both sides? Why is there disagreement between opposing views? Mention the case study that you are using by name and include in the reference section. (Present the moral theories you chose in Sections 2 and 3 in one or two sentences.) REMEMBER TO CHOOSE TWO DIFFERENT MORAL THEORIES – ONE FOR YOUR SIDE (SECTION 3) AND ONE FOR THE OTHER SIDE (SECTION TWO).

SECTION II: Explain in detail an opposing or different ethical view. IN section III you are going to argue what you think the correct moral theory and action would be, but in this section you must argue what those who disagree with your argument would say. YOU MUST PRESENT a fair argument against what you believe and will present in section III. What do people who follow this view believe? Why? What are the facts that would lead them to believe this view? Why is this view reasonable for some people to hold? How does the moral theory or theories I chose to study help to explain this opposing view? (Beware the Strawman Fallacy in this section). YOU MUST include a full sentence quote and citation from one of your assigned readings from these weeks to show how your chosen moral theory for this section relates to this line of argument.

SECTION III: Explain my ethical view. What are the facts that lead me to believe in this view? How does the moral theory or theories I chose to study help to understand my ethical view? How does the moral theory help to understand why differing views are wrong? YOU MUST include a full sentence quote and citation from one of your assigned readings from these weeks to show how your chosen moral theory relates to this line of argument.

SECTION IV: What agreement (common ground) exists between my ethical view and the view of people who oppose or differ from my view? How does this common ground help to understand the ethical dilemma? How can this common ground lead to a solution of the dilemma? YOU MAY NOT SAY – “I’M RIGHT” OR “THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE.” YOU MUST PROVIDE A COMPROMISE IDEA.

Additional explanation of the Rogerian Argument Structure can be found at the website of the Excelsior Online Writing Lab, including a visual representaion. (But remember, we have modified this basic structure above)

Study the example Rogerian Argument Essay (and its embedded comments) for how to structure your own essay.