Week 2 – Short-Essay Assignment 1 PHIL200 B009

Ethics, An Online Textbook
Stephen O’ Sullivan and Philip A. Pecorino
URL: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/pecorip/SCCCWEB/ETEXTS/ETHICS/*

*Please note, should you come across broken links to supplemental materials in this text, please contact me immediately, and I will be happy to provide you with more resources for your understanding.

Introduction to Ethical Studies
Lee Archie and John G. Archie
URL: http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/ethicsbook/boo…
PDF: http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/ethicsbook.pdf

Questions:

Answer one of the questions below in a well-written, thoughtful essay:

1. Do all arguments about abortion come down to the question of what is the moral status of the fetus? Explain. [Is a fetus a “person” or not and what does this determination mean to your conclusion on the morality of abortion?]
2. Agree or disagree with the statement, “the only proper context for sex given its nature is as part of a committed personal relation”.
3. Agree or disagree with the statement, “there is no objective right and wrong because people never agree about what is right and wrong”. [You must present research on moral relativity.]
4. Psychological egoism is the view that all persons, without exception, seek their own self-interest. Argue for or against. [You must have credible research on psychological egoism. Note that it is a theory about how people are, not how they should be.]

Assignment Instructions

Instructions

For this assignment, you will compose a well-written and thoughtful short-essay of 500-750 words in length (2-3 pages). Select and answer one of the four questions provided.

Format & Expectations

State your thesis, the answer you want to defend using at least three well-supported reasons embodying logic, reason, and research. Give possible objections to your arguments, answer these objections and restate your conclusion. Essays should include a Works Cited page following MLA Style. For grading expectations, please see the iRubric for this assignment in the Gradebook.