Week 11 Assignment 11.1: Applied Ethics


Step 1: Conduct research and select a news story.
Throughout your studies, you have been exposed to many moral theories. You have probably agreed with some and disagreed with others. In this assignment, you have the opportunity to explore some of these theories more fully by applying the theories to a contemporary issue.

Using the Internet or a local newspaper, select a recent news story that involves a contemporary moral issue. Examples might include, but are not limited to:

  • Capital punishment
  • Abortion
  • Euthanasia
  • Mercy killing
  • Affirmative action
  • Cloning

Conduct further research to identify two differing proposed solutions or positions related to the news story. Cite them in APA format.

Step 2::

  • Summarize the news story.
  • Apply the appropriate ethical theories you have studied to the two solutions/positions you identified in your research.
  • Compare possible outcomes of the solutions/positions represented by the ethical theories. Explain your reasoning. Be specific and give examples, using at least two outside references, to buttress your argument.
  • Critique the solutions/positions in light of your personal moral system and defend your position.
  • Cite all sources in APA format.