Understanding ethical principles is crucial for understanding ethical issues and problems in all fields of Applied Ethics. These ethical principles allow us to view cases from different perspectives. Different people (Stakeholders) analyze cases from different perspectives. Understanding ethical principles helps us see how different people (stakeholders) identify ethical issues from different perspectives as well as how they look analyze ethical problems and how they justify their views on a subject or case.
Using the Ethics Readings
Handouts in Blackboard
Describe each of the following in 4 or 5 sentences. Your description should include quotations of the principles from the Ethics readings. If you want to you can write longer descriptions.
One way to increase the length of your definitions is to link your definition to the BDI model. For example when you develop your definition of Act Consequentialism you can start by saying, According to the BDI model act consequentialism is focused on actions and the outcomes of actions. Act Consequentialism is the view that … [ INSERT THE PRINCIPLE HERE].
Cite the source from which you get your definition. Try to get as many definitions as possible from the Ethics readings in Blackboard. State which reading. If you use any outside sources cite where these definitions came from.
These are the principles you will use to analyze the case studies you will need to develop in our class.
1. Concepts crucial to understanding the background of the ethical issues in cases. These ARE NOT ETHICAL Principles so DO NOT USE THEM AS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN YOUR CASE ANALYSIS.
a. Particularism
b. Ethical Pluralism
c. The principle of double effect
2. These are crucial concepts that are often used as ethical principles but they have a number of limitations that impact the strength of arguments made using them.
A. Types of Relativism
a. Individual
b. Social
c. Historical
B. a. God as a moral authority
b. Natural law theory
3. The following principles should be use for constructing the strongest arguments in developing your case analysis.
A. Consequentialism (Utilitarianism) These are technically the same
a. Rule – Consequentialism (Utilitarianism)
b. Act – Consequentialism (Utilitarianism)
c. Long Term Consequentialism (Utilitarianism)
d. Short Term Consequentialism (Utilitarianism)
B. Kantian Ethics – Deontology
a. Categorical Imperative I
b. Categorical Imperative II
C. Rossian Ethics
D. Virtue Ethics
E. Care Ethics
F. Social Contract Theory
G. Justice (related to Fairness)
a. Distributive
b. Comparative
c. Punitive
H. Rights Based
a. Natural Rights (This is also a problematic concept so avoid using it.)
b. Legal Rights
c. Positive Rights
d. Negative Rights
Moral agents are persons who are capable of recognizing moral responsibilities based upon moral principles. Agents can be held morally responsible at the levels of intentions, actions and the outcomes of their actions. Each of the principles in section C. above can be used to describe how stakeholders in a case can be held responsible and these principles can be used as guides for determining how they should act. We will be using these principles in our case study analysis.
Case studies are basically arguments where you are required to draw conclusions based upon the ethical analysis carried out in your case study. Recommendations need to be based upon your ethical analysis.
Our case analysis assignments are guided by a basic principles related to the developments of science and technology, logic (logic functions by preserving truth) and rationality. To be rational means using factual information (True information) and strong ethical principles (Section C. above), to develop our case studies.
Developing conclusions in case studies should be guided by using arguments to recommend doing what there are the best reasons for doing in the context of the case.
