“Scruples” Assignment
Students shall personally write and upload “A Question of Scruples” (“Scruples”) question by the deadline noted at the end of the syllabus. The “Scruples” question should present a short moral or ethical dilemma. Following the question (the “Scruples card”), the student should then describe why the question is in fact a moral or ethical dilemma and then analyze and resolve the situation using at least one of the standard ethical schools discussed in the course: (1) Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics (virtue ethics); (2) Bentham and Mill’s Utilitarianism; (3) Kant’s deontological Ethical Formalism or the Natural Law of Cicero, Aquinas and Rousseau; or (4) another ethical school of thought clearly identified and as described in the texts. Note that using an existing question is notacceptable; the question must be original and written by the student.
The submission should be written in three paragraphs:
(1) The Facts: What are all of the facts that create your original ethical or moral dilemma?
(2) The Explanation: The reasoning of why the facts in the first paragraph create an ethical or moral dilemma.
(3) The Analysis and Resolution: A clear and definitive final solution to the ethical or moral dilemma using at least one school of ethical thought previous mentioned and clearly defined as to why you picked it to resolve your dilemma.
Maximum length of assignment including “Scruples” question and analysis is one (1) typewritten page.
