Summarize the case/story in your own words. Who are the characters? What is the situation?
What happens? The summary should aim to inform someone unfamiliar with the story as to
what happened.
Identify and analyse the ethical problem. Why is it a problem? Also, what, if anything, did the
characters do to solve the problem? Make it clear to someone unfamiliar with the case what the
problem is and why it’s a problem.
What should be done, from a Utilitarian standpoint? And why? And what should be done from a
Kantian (Categorical Imperatives) perspective? Show that you know and can apply the ideas
from these two schools of thought. They may lead to differing conclusions.
Finally, what are your own thoughts about the situation? What would be other ethical solutions
– or why was the decision taken a good solution, etc.? This final paragraph is where you
can/should get outside of “what should I say in an ethics class?” and into “what would I really do
in this situation?”
