This assignment has 2 posts:
1. Discuss the arguments for and against the death penalty.
Paper details:
Minimum requirement is 2 pages double spaced using 12 point type.
Discuss the arguments for and against the death penalty. You can use the statistical information from the chapter to help with these arguments or look for other sources to help with the arguements
2.Final Assignment: Technology & Moral Development
PHIL 305 (CSUN)
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Final Assignment: Technology & Moral Development
This project will give students the opportunity to evaluate how science and technology impact moral development within business and public policy. [SLO 3( Apply the knowledge and skills of science and technology and evaluate how they impact individuals, the community and/or society)]. In particular, it will ask students to consider how science and technology influences our responsiveness to ethical reasons.
Ch. 9 and 10 of our textbook discusses the conditions for moral accountability. These conditions include (A) an emotional sensitivity to the existence of moral issues; (B) an intellectual and often emotional responsiveness to ethical reasons (these vary according to which ethical theory is adopted; see below); (C) an intellectual ability to make competent ethical decisions; and – at times – D) causal responsibility. (see pp. 164-65 for context)
Much of “moral development” entails a cultivation of (B) – one’s intellectual and emotional responsiveness to ethical reasons. The more one develops morally, the more responsive one becomes to ethical reasons. This project will ask students to consider how our use of technology influences this responsiveness.
As an aid to guide your understanding, I provided the table below highlighting some of the “ethical reasons” to which a moral agent is expected to respond according to the theory he or she adopts:
Ethical theory
Ethical Reasons
What ‘Responsiveness’ Entails
Virtue Ethics [Ch. 7]
virtues (stable character traits that contribute to the ‘flourishing’ of the moral agent or society as a whole)
developing and acting habitually from virtues; applying virtue ethics “rules of action”
Care Ethics [Ch. 8]
positive partial relationships and domestic virtues
being sensitive to and taking responsibility for special relationships
Principle-Based
abstract principles (see below)
understanding which general principle to apply to which particular circumstance
Duties [Ch. 5]
prima facie and absolute duties (e.g., Kant’s categorical imperative)
understanding and prioritizing duties; fulfilling them regardless of outcomes
Rights [Ch. 5]
rights and correlative duties
respecting one’s rights and encouraging the fulfillment of their correlative duties
Distributive Justice [Ch. 6]
instances of justice/injustice (equality/inequality of opportunity, welfare, resources, etc.)
understanding morally relevancy; recognizing lack of opportunities or distributive inequalities based on morally arbitrary criteria
Utilitarianism [Ch. 4]
aggregate net utility/welfare
(pleasure, preference-satisfaction of all concerned)
anticipating consequences, calculating net welfare (of actions or policies), and acting accordingly
Ethical pluralism
all of the above
all of the above
Thus, this project will ask you to consider how our use of technology influences the skills/ capacities in the far right column.
PHIL 305 (CSUN)
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Directions and Prompts:
Preparation
1. Construct a hypothetical business-person with a position in a hypothetical business: you can choose
a position similar to one you’ve personally had (cashier, server, supervisor, manager, intern, etc.);
you can choose a position discussed in our book (in an example given within the chapter or in a case
study at the end); you can choose a position recently discussed in the media (excluding positions in
politics and humanitarian work); or you can use your imagination and choose a position from any
level of any kind of business (including sole-proprietor or independent contractor). Make sure you
choose a position in which you can envision encounters with moral dilemmas.
2. Take stock of different ways that technology influences how business is carried out in this position.
Today, every job should be influenced by technology. Make sure to also include inappropriate use of
technology (for example, the misuse of smartphones or computers for non-work-related purposes).
3. Decide on three ethical theories from the table above (excluding ‘ethical pluralism’) and isolate
three circumstances (one per theory) in which technology influences the responsiveness of your
business-person to ethical reasons. These ways should be illustrated by having your business-person
confront a hypothetical ethical dilemma like the ones discussed in our case studies. Of course, the
influences of technology can be positive or negative – that is, positively or negatively influencing our
capacity to respond appropriately to ethical reasons (again, see the table above)
Writing your Paper
4. Technical Criteria: 1000-1500 words (~4-6 pages), double-spaced, normal formatting
5. Introduction Paragraph:
Your introduction to the moral agent:
– businessperson & business
Your thesis is a response to this question “Does modern-day technology, overall, have a positive or
negative influence on our moral development (i.e., our responsiveness to ethical reasons) within
business?” Mention why or why not by briefly mentioning the three circumstances that you will
discuss in your body…
6. Body Paragraphs: In your body, elaborate on the three circumstances in which technology
influences the moral development of your business person by providing one distinct paragraph for
each point that you want to make (the ‘point’ will be summarized in the topic sentence of each
paragraph before providing further evidence). Make sure you define important terms and provide
examples when necessary.
▪ Body para. 1: 1st circumstance in which technology helps/ hampers according to the 1st
theory you use.
▪ Body para. 2: Policy that reinforces or discourages that theory
Same for the 2nd and 3rd circumstances.
PHIL 305 (CSUN)
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7. For each circumstance in which technology influences our moral development, briefly propose at
least one policy (imposed by the business to its employees or by the government to its constituents)
intended to provide or preserve a healthy relationship between technology and moral development
in business.
8. Concluding Paragraph: In your conclusion, restate the thesis and emphasize that your paper
provided good evidence for your thesis. Don’t add any new information, just remind the reader of
the points that you’ve already made and why they support your thesis.
Final Assignment Checklist / Rubric
Introduction
State your thesis explicitly as a response to this question: “Does modern-day technology, overall,
have a positive or negative influence on our moral development (i.e., our responsiveness to ethical
reasons) within business?” [10 %]
Briefly present your hypothetical business-person with a position in a hypothetical business and
define any relevant terms or concepts [5 %]
Body
Present three circumstances in which technology influences the moral development of your
business-person (a.k.a. the moral agent) and evaluate them:
Each circumstance uses a distinct ethical theory [10 %]
Each circumstance defines relevant terms and concepts according to our reading (any
quotations or paraphrases are properly cited) [10 %]
Each circumstance highlights the way technology hampers or helps the moral agent to
respond to the relevant ethical reasons [10 %]
Each circumstance clearly demonstrates that technology has a positive or negative influence
on the agent’s moral development (by having a positive or negative influence on his or her
responsiveness to ethical reasons) [5 %]
For each circumstance, briefly propose a policy or program at the corporate level or governmental
level that would helps the moral agent to respond to ethical reasons according to the corresponding
ethical theory [10 %]
Conclusion
In your conclusion, restate the thesis and emphasize that your paper provided good evidence for
your thesis [10 %]
PHIL 305 (CSUN)
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Technical Criteria
1000-1500 words (4-6 pages), double-spaced, normal font and margins, properly cited according to a
standard citation style [15 %]
The paper in general is neat and well-organized (i.e., if a paragraph becomes too unwieldy, please
break it up so that each paragraph is dedicated to one point that you’re trying to make; feel free to
use section headings) [15 %]
