Write a typed, double-spaced paper (two or three pages in length) analyzing a case raising an ethical issue relevant to the professions. In doing so, it is often useful to interview one or more individuals with work experience in your field. (See below.)
a. Describe a case (preferably pertaining to the field in which I expect to work, business field) that raises pertinent ETHICAL issues. Include all information about the case relevant to an ethical analysis.
–Note that the case must raise a substantive ethical issue. That usually means that it is not initially clear which course of action is morally best. Papers that do not focus on a controversial or difficult ETHICAL question will not receive credit.
b. Develop an Ethical Analysis of the case:
i. What courses of action are available? (What are the options?)
iia. What are the relevant models, values, principles, guiding ideas and weighing factors? You should explicitly discuss several ethical factors that apply to your case, such as the principle of universality, the Golden Rule, the autonomy model of medicine (if the case is about a patient/medical provider interaction / in my case about the business field), etc. How many factors are relevant depends on your case.
iib. How do these considerations apply to your case?
iii. Give reasons for thinking some of these factors are more central or relevant than others.
iv. On the basis of that analysis, which is the best course of action?
v. What needs to be monitored after the decision is made?
Normally, I expect the paper to discuss a fair number of the factors discussed in the readings and lectures (such as, when relevant to your case, Gaia theory, the extent to which a relevant practice is rule-governed, the community model of business, etc. Of course, if your case has nothing to do with the environment, you would not discuss Gaia theory. You should talk only about factors relevant to your case.)
Reminder: Ideas and information taken from a source must be properly referenced. Words used from a source must be placed in quotation marks and properly referenced. You may use any standard reference format (e.g., MLA or APA). FAILURE PROPERLY TO CREDIT THE WORDS OR IDEAS OF OTHERS CONSTITUTES PLAGIARISM AND MAY RESULT IN FAILURE AND/OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION. Consult English and Philosophy Dept. Guidelines on Plagiarism.
Interview (Optional preparation for Term Paper)
(An interview is not required and it is not a part of your term paper. It is a suggestion, for those of you who are not sure how to begin, as a first step in preparing to write the paper.)
Interview a professional in your field. Ask “what ethical dilemmas or problems frequently arise in your field?” Ask your subject to go into detail about at least one of these issues: “Could you give a detailed example? What would you do in that case? What special features of life as a professional in your field are relevant to making a decision?”
Another reading to base the paper on:
https://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-resp-business.html
