PHL 1320 – Case Study Essays
Total: 50 points each (100 points total) – Both essays due by the end of the semester.
Instructions: Throughout the semester, you will write two essays on our various Case Studies. There is no required exact number of words for each essay, but a good essay will be at least two-three pages double-spaced (so in the range of 600-900 words for each essay). Completed essays will be submitted on Moodle.
You can make use of any notes, readings, videos, etc. But if you use any additional outside sources, make sure to cite them in some way. Also, do not quote from the class notes word-for-word. Instead, always make sure to put everything in your own words.
You will not be graded on grammar or spelling, so long as your essay is readable. However, of course, it is good to get into the habit of using proper grammar and proper spelling. In terms of formatting, make sure that your submission is double-spaced. Outside of this requirement, just keep the formatting reasonable and readable. Finally, I am willing to look at a rough draft of your first Case Study essay in order to make sure that you are on the right track. Email any rough drafts directly to me.
Note: these case study essays need to be based on cases that we discuss in class on one of our case study days. These cases will be found on Moodle on discussion boards under each unit that has associated case studies.
The prompt for these essays is very open-ended. You can think of these essays as persuasive, argumentative essays. You are going to take a moral position and then try to defend it.
What you need to do is simply argue in favor of or against some moral aspect of the specific cases. For example, this could mean arguing that some overall action/experiment/etc. is morally right or morally wrong. Or you could instead argue about some specific aspect of the case. Maybe you wish to object to an argument one might raise involving the ethics of the case. Or maybe you want to lay out conditions whereby you think the case that we are considering could be morally permissible. You have a lot of flexibility in this regard, but make sure that whatever you end up arguing about is some moral/ethical aspect of the case you are discussing.
In the course of your essay, it is best to first argue for your position and then consider how one might object to your position (or why someone might take the opposing position). Explain that objection in detail and then reply to it as best you can.
One final, important note. At the top of each essay submission, you need to include an integrity pledge that goes as follows:
The essay below is wholly my own work. Any outside sources that I have used are given proper credit and citation throughout the essay. I have not used any Chatbot or LLM in creating this essay.
We will talk about plagiarism and proper citation practices in class. To be safe, make sure to list every source you use, even if you do not quote directly from it word-for-word. I do not care what citation system you use or whether you use footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical asides, etc. You just have to make sure to include every outside source you use while writing your paper. If you have any questions about plagiarism and/or proper citation for your specific papers, make sure to ask me.
Here are the Case Study topics you can choose from:
Paternalism
Confidentiality
Truth-Telling in Medicine
Prolonged Vegetative States
Vaccine Requirements
Conscientious Objections
(please do paternalism)
