The purpose of this assignment is to
Analyze and critique philosophical texts and practical ethical questions (Objective 1.3),
Use basic philosophical vocabulary, major arguments, and positions in philosophical ethics (Objective 2.2),
Discuss ethical positions (Objective 4.4), and
Apply ethical theories to contemporary moral problems and various aspects of life (Objective 6.1).
The goal is for you to compare to prominent modern ethical theories in terms of their key claims and characteristics. You will discuss similarities, differences, strengths, and weaknesses. And then you will apply these different ethical positions to contemporary moral problems and various aspects of life.
Task:
You will write a short narrative that responds to the following prompts:
Explain the core characteristics of deontology and consequentialism. Define these terms and give some examples of ethical theories studied in this course that demonstrate each of these two groups of moral theory.
Compare and contrast these two types of ethical theory.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each each type of moral theory.
Apply these moral theories to a concrete example in contemporary ethics or personal life.
It should be largely factual and objective. You should not identify your favorite moral theory. Instead, you should objectively assess the two moral theories by comparing, contrasting, and applying those moral theories to situations.
