Classical ethical theories of utilitarianism

Rough Draft of Final Paper

In this course, we look at classical ethical theories of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. We also examine different perspectives on ethical issues introduced by relativism, ethical egoism, and emotivism. For this paper, you will apply these theories and perspectives to a current issue, selected from the list of issues below.

Choose one of the ethical issues from the list to research and write about. It is recommended that you choose a topic that you are familiar with or that you have thought about previously, if possible. For example, you might choose an issue that either worries you or enrages you, you might choose one that you have worked on, or you might choose one that relates to recent events in your community.

Possible Issues

Corporate executive compensation
Corporate contributions to political campaigns
Affirmative action
The media and its responsibilities
Domestic surveillance
Whistle blowing in government or in a business
Religion in the workplace
Pornography
Consumer tracking
Ethical problems of gambling
Progressive taxation rates
Immigration
Women’s equality

In your paper, you will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the issue that you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure that you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts; do not get distracted by doing analyses that apply political, economic, religious, or legal perspectives. Describe, compare, and apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the topics. Explain how the theories and perspectives would analyze the issue. What are the ethical issues? Where are there breaches of ethical behavior? How could each theory help us think about what would constitute virtuous or ethical behavior?

Your draft must include at least three pages of text, plus a title page and a reference page. Your draft should include a clear thesis statement that states what you plan to argue. Also, include a list of the resources you intend to use. Format your rough draft according to APA (6th edition) style and properly cite and reference all your resources, using APA format. If you would like to refer to APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab in the left navigation bar.