INTRO TO ETHICS
Before you begin, please remember:
All posts are due by 5:00pm. Posts received after 5:00pm but before 11:59pm will receive a -25pt penalty. No posts will be received after midnight.
All responses must be posted in the dialog box. File attachments will receive a -25pt penalty
Type the discussion question and then answer the question. If you do not format your response correctly, you will receive a -15pt penalty
Choose one of the following case studies and answer the discussion questions. If you respond to more than one option, you will receive a -15pt penalty
Option 1: The Trolley Problem
In 1967, British philosopher Philippa Foot posed what has become known as “The Trolley problem.” This ethical brainteaser asks us to consider what we would do in the following scenario: A conductor has lost control of a trolley, which is speeding down the track. Up ahead the conductor sees five people who are on the track and for reasons unknown they cannot escape the trolleys path. The conductor has an ethical decision to make: she can either stay on the main track, and thereby kill the five people in front of her or she can switch to a nearby sidetrack, where only one person is on the track instead of five.
What is the difference between an act utilitarian and a rule utilitarian? (Requires a specific answer that is in the module and thus requires a citation)
When making moral decisions, do you behave more like an act utilitarian or a rule utilitarian? Explain your answer.
As a utilitarian, should the conductor steer the trolley onto the sidetrack killing one person rather than five or should she stay the course and thus kill the five rather than the one? Explain your answer.
What are the pros/cons of applying utilitarianism to moral quandaries? (Requires a specific answer that is in the module and thus requires a citation)
Option 2: The Magistrate and the Mob
In another scenario, a magistrate is faced with a very real threat from a large and uncontrollable mob of rioters demanding a culprit for a crime. Unless the criminal is produced, promptly tried, and executed, they will take their own bloody revenge on a much smaller and quite vulnerable section of the community. The judge knows that the real culprit is unknown and that the authorities do not even have a good clue as to who he might be. But he also knows that there is within easy reach a disreputable, thoroughly disliked, and useless man, who, though innocent, could easily be framed so that the mob would be quite convinced that he was guilty and would be pacified if he were promptly executed. Recognizing that he can prevent the occurrence of extensive carnage only by framing some innocent person, the magistrate has him framed, goes through the mockery of a trial, and has him executed.
What is the difference between an act utilitarian and a rule utilitarian? (Requires a specific answer that is in the module and thus requires a citation.)
When making moral decisions, do you behave more like an act utilitarian or a rule utilitarian? Explain your answer.
As a utilitarian, do you agree with the Magistrate’s decision? Why/why not?
What are the pros/cons of applying utilitarianism to moral quandaries? (Requires a specific answer that is in the module and thus requires a citation)
Remember: this assignment counts 15% of your grade for the course, so it is imperative that you check to make sure that:
Your initial response to the forum questions is at least 450 words and answers all of the forum questions correctly. In doing so, your response should show a full understanding of the topic and its complexities, appropriately utilize lecture and reading material, and defend your position with credible evidence that supports your claim.
Your secondary response offer is at least 200 words and offers an excellent analysis and evaluation of another student’s initial post in a way that develops and creates a deeper conversation on the the topic by the due date.
You state your thoughts in an intelligent and coherent manner and answer each question with a separate paragraph or bullet point.
Extra Credit: You can earn a maximum of 10 bonus points total on this assignment by offering a maximum of two additional responses to your classmates’ initial posts (5 points per each correctly submitted additional post). The extra credit posts require a minimum 200 word response and cannot be the same as your original secondary response. No bonus work is accepted after the initial deadline has passed.
Very Important: If you answer all of the discussion prompts correctly, meet the minimum word requirements, cite all of your sources and include a Works Cited section at the conclusion of your post, and submit your work on time, you can easily earn an A on the discussion board assignments.
Please note:
Due to the increased use of generative AI programs, you must cite (MLA format) your sources of information in completing the discussion board assignment, including but not limited to internal sources (lectures, videos, textbook, articles) contained within the module and any external resources, (such as ChatGPT or other AI programs that may assist you in completing this assignment)
Not citing sources, including the sources contained within the module, which even if unintentional, is a form of plagiarism. Copying and pasting from sources, including AI programs and/or failing to cite your sources is plagiarism and could result in a zero for the assignment.
You are expected to use the sources/material that is contained within the module
Concerning MLA Formatting:
If you do not cite your sources, you will incur a -65 point penalty
If you do not include a Works Cited section, you will incur a -15 point penalty.
If you do not indicate which sources are utilized where in your reflection by means of in-text citations, you will incur a -15 point penalty.
If you do not use time stamps for direct quotes from videos, you will incur a -5 point penalty.
If you do not answer all of the questions in the prompts of the option you chose correctly, you will incur a point deduction based upon the number of questions answered incorrectly
You are to use the material contained within the module to complete the assignment. If you use an outside source, you will earn a -35 point penalty.
For Clarification:
You are not to use an outside source to complete this assignment. I have provided all of the information that you need to be successful on every assignment within its corresponding module. Therefore, there is no need to research information beyond what is already provided. In fact, students quickly discover that it is a better use of their time to review the materials in the course rather than doing outside research, which may not provide the correct information or the information they need to complete the assignments successfully. Please note: everything you need to learn the material and perform well on the assignments has already been provided by me and are accessible in each module.
Due to the way in which the discussion questions have been designed, students who use generative AI typically do not do as well on these assignments as students compose their reflections without assistance.
If you have questions about plagiarism or my expectations regarding these assignments, please let me know, and let’s discuss them.
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