applying ethics 3

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Employ sound logic in philosophical reasoning.
  • State and defend logically a coherent personal conviction about the best foundation for ethical conduct.
• Competency 5: Evaluate the use of ethical theories in personal life.
  • Describe in detail a concrete situation that calls for making an ethical decision.
  • Apply the traditional theories of normative ethics to the concrete situation.
  • Judge the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to ethical theory.
• Competency 7: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
  • Use proper APA style and formatting to write effectively.

Your task in this essay is to assess how well the abstract theories of normative ethics apply to the practical situations we face in everyday life. Begin by describing a concrete situation that calls for someone to make an ethical decision about what to do. Choosing your example carefully will make it easier to draw an interesting contrast between the applications of different normative theories. Be sure to describe the situation with enough detail to provide adequate information for arriving at a responsible choice.

Next, show how two of the three kinds of normative theory we studied last week apply to the situation you have chosen. One of the theories should be the one you plan to defend; the other should be a distinct approach that draws attention to the ethical dilemma it poses. You will want to support your presentation by considering alternative ways of applying each theory to the case. Use your example to compare and contrast the theoretical approaches in practical terms.

Finally, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two normative theories as methods for making moral decisions in practical cases. Use what you have written about the application of each theory to your example as evidence of the relative merits of each way of thinking about everyday choices. State your position on which normative theory you think is best, and defend that position with clear arguments.

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA (6th ed.) style and formatting standards.
• Number of resources: No external references are required, but if you employ any, be sure to include appropriate citations for your sources.
• Length of paper: Approximately 1,000 words, typed and double-spaced in Microsoft Word.
• Font and font size: Arial, 12-point.