You will first need to pick a piece of media, art, some kind of cultural object or, for this paper. Once you have picked your object or issue you need to imagine how a Kantian would view it.

You will first need to pick a piece of media, art, some kind of cultural object or, for this paper, some specific contemporary ethical question or problem that you think is interesting. Examples, as last time, include part of a movie or novel, a short story, a song, a painting, a sculpture, a building, a park, a meal, a sports game, a news story or show. You might also think about issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia, voting regulations, tax code, vegetarianism, etc. Be as creative as you want-some objects or experiences will more obviously lend themselves to the assignment, but you may find it more interesting to stretch your imagination.

Once you have picked your object or issue you need to imagine how a Kantian would view it. Does the object or event pass the tests that Kant puts forth? Does the object or issue promote/fit into a kingdom of ends? You should form an argument or thesis about the philosophy/object. You will spend the rest of your paper defending that thesis.

Some examples of the kinds of arguments you might defend:

• From a Kantian perspective every University should make their library open to the public.
• Parks are ethical. This can be illustrated through the analysis of central park from the Kantian perspective.
• Capital punishment is immoral from the Kantian perspective. Yet if we take seriously Langton’s reading of Kant which allows us to think about the kingdom of ends as a goal or ideal we should not outlaw it as a practice.
• I will argue that eating meat is ethically wrong from a Kantian perspective.

In your essay you should describe the piece of media, art, cultural object, or ethical issue. If I can’t understand what you are describing it will be hard for me to know if your analysis makes sense/if your thesis is defendable. If it’s an object describe its shape, the kind of space it takes up, what it’s used for, why it exists, it’s texture, what it’s made of. If it’s a piece of writing or movie, set the scene. Explain who the main characters or players are. What is the scene or the story about? What is the tension? If it’s something else i.e. a meal, a park, a sports game, give all the details that would make it possible for a reader to have an image or sense of scene. If it’s an ethical issue be specific-make it very clear what aspect of any issue you are arguing about.

You should use the pieces we have read during this unit to make your point, pulling on relevant passages and examples from the texts. Remember-you are meant to be offering an analysis of the ethical impact of the described object through the Kantian lens only. Be explicit about what parts of utilitarianism you are using to make each point.

This paper should be anywhere between 3 and 5 pages double-spaced. Please make sure you cite your sources. Include a bibliography that lists any of the texts we read for class that you may have used, as well as any relevant materials that make up your piece of media, art, or cultural object. Use whatever citation method you prefer but be consistent.