Deontological or utilitarian theory

In the Week One Assignment, you formulated a concrete ethical question, took a position on that topic, and identified a reason supporting and a reason opposing that position. In the Week Three Assignment, you discussed either deontological or utilitarian theory, applied that theory to the question, and raised a relevant objection.

By engaging with the course material, you now have had a chance to
refine your thinking and broaden your understanding of the problem by
approaching it from the perspective of multiple ethical theories.

In this paper, you will demonstrate what you have learned by writing an essay in which you

• Present a revised formulation of the ethical question and introduction to the topic.
• Explain the kind of reasoning you think is the best way to approach
  this question, and how that reasoning supports the position you think is
  strongest.
• Raise an objection, and be able to respond to it.

Instructions

Write an essay that conforms to the requirements below. The paper must
be 1500 to 2000 words in length (excluding the title and reference
pages) and formatted according to APA style.

• Introduction
  Your first paragraph should begin with
  the topic question, suitably revised. It should be focused, concrete,
  and on a relevant moral problem. You should then introduce the topic in
  the way described by the Week One instructions, but reflecting the
  developed understanding and information you have gained about the topic
  and any necessary refinement of the scope.

  Follow this with a
  thesis statement that states your position, and a brief description of
  the primary reason(s) supporting your position. Finally, provide a brief preview of the overall aim and procedure of your paper.

• Explanation and Demonstration of Moral Reasoning
  This
  section of the Final Paper will explain and demonstrate what you
  believe to be the best way of reasoning about the question you have
  chosen, and showing how that reasoning supports the position you have
  taken on the question. You might explain the principles, rules, values,
  virtues, conceptions of purposes and ends, and other general ideas that
  you find persuasive, and show how they support concrete judgments.

  In
  the course of doing so, you must make reference to at least two of the
  approaches that we have examined in the course (such as deontological,
  utilitarian, or virtue-based), and utilize at least one resource off the
  provided list for each of the two approaches. One of these theories may
  be the theory you discussed in your Week Three Assignment, but your
  discussion here should be more refined.

  For example, you might
  find the reasoning associated with Aristotelian virtue ethics to be the
  most compelling, and reference Aristotle in the process of showing how
  that reasoning supports a certain conclusion. In the course of this, you
  could contrast that with a utilitarian approach, referencing Mill for
  instance.

• Objection and Response
  After explaining the ethical
  reasoning that supports your position, you should raise an objection and
  respond to it. An objection articulates a plausible reason why someone
  might find the argument weak or problematic. You should explain how it
  brings out this weakness, and do so in a way that would be acceptable to
  someone who disagrees with your own argument. Then, provide the best
  response you can to the objection, showing how it does not undermine
  your position. Your response should not simply restate your original
  position or argument, but should say something new in support of it.

• Conclusion
  Provide a conclusion that sums up what you presented in the paper and offers some final reflections.

Resource Requirement
You must use at least four scholarly resources. Two of the resources must be drawn from the list of acceptable primary resources
(See attached file) on each of the two theories you discuss. For example, if you discuss
deontology and virtue ethics, you would need at least one resource under
the “Deontology” list and at least one resource under the “Virtue
Ethics” list. The other two may be from either the Required or
Recommended Resources, or scholarly resources found in the Ashford
University Library.

• The textbook may be cited, but it does not count toward the resource
  requirement. If you cite the textbook, you will still need to cite at
  least four more sources that fulfill the requirements stated above.
• If you need help with finding additional resources, or are unsure
  about whether a particular resource will count toward the requirement,
  please contact your instructor.
• For sources to count toward the resources requirement, they must be
  cited within the text of your paper and on the reference page. Sources
  that are listed on the references page, but not cited within the paper,
  do not count toward fulfilling the resources requirement.