PHI-FP 2000 Assessment 2: Making a Moral Decision
PHI-FP 2000 Assessment 2: Making a Moral Decision
Write 4–6 pages in which you invent a practical circumstance
that illuminates differences between the three approaches to normative theory.
There may be times in life where doing your duty might cause
lasting harm or where caring about people requires breaking the rules.
For this assessment, you will invent a practical
circumstance of your own choosing that illuminates differences among the three
approaches to normative theory; a circumstance in which the duties,
consequences, and virtues do not align with each other. It does not need to be
a grand, controversial social issue; an everyday moral dilemma will make the
conflict clearer. Just look for an example where doing your duty might cause
lasting harm, or where caring about people requires breaking the rules.
Write a paper addressing this topic, supporting your
statements with credible research on the three approaches to normative theory.
You may begin your research with the Suggested Resources for this unit, but you
are also expected to conduct your own independent research into the scholarly
and professional resources of the field.
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 theoretical
applications. Be sure to describe the situation with enough detail to provide
adequate information for arriving at a responsible choice. You are welcome to
choose a case in which you are personally involved, but you may find it easier
to think objectively with a little detachment.
Next, think about the kinds of normative theory that could
be applied to the situation you have chosen. If we are not to surrender to
ethical relativism, what should guide our decision here—duties, outcomes, or
virtue? You should select the approaches in a way that heightens the dilemma of
deciding on a course of action that would be right or wrong. 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 these
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 merits of each way of thinking about everyday choices. What
makes the most sense, and how would you decide yourself? State your own
position on which normative theory works best, and defend that position with
clear arguments in its support.
Additional Requirements
Written communication: Written communication should be free
of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: Include a title page and a references page,
formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
References: A typical paper will include support from a
minimum of 3–5 references. You may use some of the materials recommended in the
Resources, but you should also include support from your independent research
of scholarly or professional materials.
Length: A typical paper will be 4–6 typed, double-spaced
pages in length.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.