Topic A: Animal Rights

For this forum, choose one of the following topics to respond to for your initial post. When you respond to your peers please respond, if possible, to a learner who has posted a contrary view on the topic you selected and then respond to a learner who has posted to at least one of the topics you did not select. In your primary response please add a brief statement about how the learning acquired in this class will be applicable to your current or future career.

Topic A: Animal Rights

Assuming the research by DeWaal is correct, most if not all social animals have innate dispositions to cooperate for survival and as such, develop moral codes for behavior. As such, should humans not work more to ensure animals have basic rights even if they cannot ask for them? What rights should those be and is there some sort of hierarchy (should dogs have more rights than mice).

Topic B: Free Will (or not)

Imagine if we eliminated the notion of free will when it comes to our justice system. Present an argument that “justice” works better if we seek to help and fix people rather than just punish wrongdoers.

Topic C: Grand summary

Taking all you have learned in the class, discuss how you feel you will be more active in thinking about moral decisions and how your compass will help in that process. Be specific and if you can think of a recent moral decision where this class helped, please share.

Final Reflection: 

And finally, please reflect on the following:

How will you include ethics in your present or future career?

How will you talk about ethics as a career competency?