Ethics & Society II
First Essay Prompts
Students are required to write a 1,500-word essay on ONE of the following questions. Consult Week Two lecture slides for full details of the assignment.
Theories to issue
1. Outline a program of agricultural reform based on a version of consequentialism, deontology or virtue ethics. Of the environmental impacts discussed in Chapter Five and/or Six of Schlottmann and Sebo, which impacts would your program prioritize addressing and why?
2. In Chapter Four Schlottman and Sebo contrast rationalist and sentientist approaches to moral standing. Which approach is superior and why?
3. In Chapter Four Schlottman and Sebo discuss the case of a thousand people pouring chemical waste into a lake on which they all depend. How does thinking about this case help us address issues raised by human-caused climate change?
4. In Chapter Seven Schlottmann and Sebo discuss various alternatives to industrial agriculture: alternative animal agriculture, local food, organic and agriculture without animals. Compare the best two of these alternatives and indicate which is ultimately the most compelling alternative to industrial agriculture.
Students can also design their own question, subject to instructor approval. Consult with your TA or with professor Lamey if this option interests you.
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