In this assignment, students write two essays. One will involve applying the key concepts of the course to a specific ethical problem. The other will be an ethical self-analysis. The questions will be published in week 14, so students will have one week to do this assignment.
Grading criteria: The test will assess:
- students’ command of the reading, concepts and terminology of the second half of the course
- students’ ability to apply these concepts to practical problems
- students’ ability to construct a philosophical argument
- students’ self-awareness
- students’ ability to write a short academic essay on an assigned topic under time pressure
Part 1
In an essay of about 500 to 750 words, address one of the following topics.
1 The UK government is considering the introduction of “COVID passports”. These will identify people who have had the illness or been vaccinated and are therefore unlikely to spread it further. They might be used to enable international or internal travel, to allow access to public places [like pubs] or events [like football matches], to ensure that co-workers and classmates are protected from infection. Do you support this proposal? Why, or why not? What are the key ethical issues and practical problems to be resolved?
2 When, if ever, is the killing of noncombatants in war justified? Explain your answer, showing how your thinking relates to the key themes of the course.
3 How should we balance the rights and interests of people with those of other living things? How does your answer to that question relate to your ethical judgments about your own and other people’s behaviour in the current climate crisis?
4 How should teachers assess students? Should our grades be based only on performance, or should we consider other factors? For example, should we reward effort or improvement? Should we use grades as an incentive? Should we make allowances for special problems or special needs? Explain your answers, showing how your thinking relates to the key themes of the course.
Part 2
In an essay of about 500 to 750 words, address one of the following topics.
5 Describe your “ethical personality.” To what extent and in what circumstances are your moral intuitions and judgments based on religious faith, on Utilitarian principles, on a concern with freedom or justice or fairness or rights or the common good, or on some other principles? How has your ethical personality developed? What have been the most important influences on that development? Analyse a relevant episode from your life in detail.
6 Describe your “ethical personality”. To what extent and in what circumstances are your moral intuitions and judgments based on religious faith, on Utilitarian principles, on a concern with freedom or justice or fairness or rights or the common good, or on some other principles? How do you apply your moral intuitions and judgments to your own behaviour in one of the following roles: family member, student, worker, citizen? Analyse a relevant episode from your own life in detail.
7 Describe your “ethical personality”. To what extent and in what circumstances are your moral intuitions and judgments based on religious faith, on Utilitarian principles, on a concern with freedom or justice or fairness or rights or the common good, or on some other principles? How do you apply your moral intuitions to collective entities such as corporations and states? How do you apply them to your assessments of public figures and people with power? Analyse a relevant case in detail.
8 Describe your “ethical personality”. To what extent and in what circumstances are your moral intuitions and judgments based on religious faith, on Utilitarian principles, on a concern with freedom or justice or fairness or rights or the common good, or on some other principles? When you are making ethical judgments, how do you deal with conflicts between different ethical principles if more than one seems applicable and important? Analyse a relevant episode from your own life in detail.
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