PHI 445 week 3 Discussion 1

This discussion assignment   requires you to submit at least four posts: an initial post, two reply   posts to fellow students in threads other than your own, and a revised post.

Prepare: In your first post in this discussion, you will identify   and apply one ethical theory of your choosing to a current problem in   business, also of your choosing. Start by reviewing your notes on the Week   One course material and your completed work for Week One. Then, choose one of   the three ethical theories—i.e., utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue   ethics—on the basis of your thoughtfully considered preference in general and   independent of the business problem that you will select here. Keep in mind   that you will employ this ethical theory for supporting your position not   only for this discussion, but also for this week’s assignment and the Final   Project.

To prepare for your selection of   the current problem in business, look at the list of required articles and   multimedia which are divided in the six case-categories as follows:

• Banking (Lehman Brothers)
• Environment (BP)
• GMOs (Monsanto)
• Pharmaceuticals (Merck)
• Gender Discrimination        (Goodyear)
• Factory Farms (Perdue)

Choose the case-category that you   find the most interesting and note that each category also corresponds to one   particular case. Please choose carefully because your choice for this   discussion will establish the case that will be central to your argumentative   essay this week as well as your Final Project in Week Five. It is recommended   that you leaf through all the required resources indicated for the possible   case-categories that you identify as possible contenders before making your   final choice.

Reflect: Once you have selected your ethical theory and your case   category, articulate the characteristics of the economic system (or   combination of both systems) that serves as the setting for the case   presented in the case category sources. Given this context, examine how the   nation’s laws affect the operations of the business.

Next, identify the characteristics   of your chosen ethical theory and its notion of the moral good. For the   latter, you will need to review again the PowerPoint that was introduced in   Week One, which is also listed in this week’s Required Resources and it is   titled The Moral Good in Three Traditional Ethical Theories. Then, think how   you would apply the ethical theory to the specific problem presented in the   case category sources.

Write: Start your post by (a) identifying the issue or problem   that you want to address in the case that you have selected and providing an   impartial presentation of the controversy, (b) articulating briefly the   characteristics of the economic system that serves as the setting, and (c)   examining the laws that affect the operations of the business.

The following illustration should   help. Consider, for example, the case of Uber that we examined in Week Two.   If the California decision establishes a precedent for similar claims, then   Uber would have to do business as an employer and not merely as a service   that pairs consumers with ride sharing services by means of a unique phone   app. Accordingly, the law would require Uber to reimburse its drivers for   certain costs and perhaps offer benefits. Take in consideration, then, the   legal setting for the case that you have chosen. Does the case take place in   the United States or another country? What are the laws that are relevant to   the problem under examination? Keep in mind that all laws are constraints on   our actions, whether those by individuals or corporations. The relevant laws,   then, will be (a) any laws that present not only a constraint on the   company’s operations, (b) any laws that are being violated by the corporation,   or (c) any laws that unfairly limit the goods and services that can be   offered to and are demanded by consumers.

In a second paragraph, formulate a   sentence that presents the moral position that you want to defend in regard   to the issue or problem introduced in the previous paragraph.

In the same paragraph, present the   ethical theory that you choose to employ. Your choices are utilitarianism,   deontology, and virtue ethics, and the necessary material is included in the   required readings and media. Make sure to identify the characteristics of the   ethical theory, and include in-text citations and full references in APA form   at the end of the post. Once you have done this, apply the ethical theory to   your selected case by explaining how it lends itself to the moral position   that you are defending.

Revise: Read the feedback provided by your professor to your   initial post, either directly to you or to your fellow students. Use this as   an opportunity to learn from your professor, especially with regard to the   best ways to apply the course material and your research to your analysis. On   the basis of what you have learned in this process, post a revision of your   initial post that applies the additional knowledge that you have gained.

Remember that your grade depends   on the quality of your initial and revised responses, not just on the   submission of an attempt at improvement. It is thus to your advantage to post   the best initial post you can and then to also improve that best effort as   much as you can through revision. Taking this process seriously will help you   develop the skills you need to do well on the final project.

Requirements for Your Initial   Post:

• Your initial post should be        at least 400 words in length and have citations and references in        APA notation. It should address the prompt in its entirety. This means        that you should not split your response to the prompt in multiple posts.        Your examination should be both thorough and succinct. This is a        combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient        time to draft and revise.
• Please be advised that until        you post, you will not see what your fellow students are posting. Once        you submit your post, you will be able to view the posts from your other        classmates. You can then proceed to reply to at least two different        threads based on the required material for this discussion.
• Your list of references for        your initial post should include the videos and the other required        reading material pertaining to your chosen subject heading, as well as        the ethics, economic, and law components of Weeks One and Two, the        Instructor Guidance, and any other announcements presented to you by        your professor. In addition, your references should include any other        sources that you consult to inform yourself about your chosen case        category (but not Wikipedia or similar sources).
• Your initial post for this        discussion should be submitted no later than the end of Thursday        (11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain time).

Requirements for Replies to Other   Threads:

• At least two of the four        posts required should be in the form of replies to fellow classmates in        threads other than your own.
• Each of your replies should        be at least 200 words and informed by the required course material.        As such, the replies must have citations and references in APA notation.        Your list of references for each reply should include all of the course        material that has informed your reply, in addition to any research that        you have obtained on your own.
• Your replies should focus on        the specific examination presented by your fellow student and these        should include an examination of whether or not the characteristics of        the ethical theory and/or economic system were identified well, and        whether or not their application and analysis were also carried out        successfully. Providing such an examination is not an attack on your        fellow student but an attempt to work together with your fellow student        toward the better understanding of the ethical theories employed, as well        as their application.

Requirements for Revising   your Initial Post:

• Submit a revision of your        initial post by either replying to your own post, or to the feedback        provided to you by your professor.
• There is no minimum word        requirement for your revised initial post. But you should always explain        the reasons for revising your post so that it is clear what you are        doing. If you are revising only a few words, or an ethical theory, you        should avoidsubmitting a post with vague language such as: “another ethical        theory works better here” or “I now understand how to do the analysis.”        It is important to recognize that no one can read your mind so you need        to provide the setting for your revision (Why? What prompted it? What        course material informed you?).
• Your revised initial post is        your chance to correct any oversights or errors in your initial post, or        show your improved understanding of the material and its applications to        the case at hand. You may, for example, come to the realization that        another ethical theory is better than the one that you initially chose.        Accordingly, your revision should indicate that you chose another        ethical theory and an explanation why you find the replacement more        suitable. You may also find the need to revise any relevant portions of        your analysis. Or, you might have realized that your conclusion did not        take into account important factors necessary for your evaluation of the        situation.
• You should maximize the        improvement of your initial post by employing your professor’s feedback        as a guide. Keep in mind that you may        not always receive direct feedback from your professor. But your        professor will have submitted feedback in the discussion to other posts.        So read your professor’s feedback whether it is addressed to you        directly or to other fellow students. This will give you much to think        about and apply to your own post.
• If your professor or a fellow        classmate responds to your revised initial post, and on this basis, you        find good reason to submit yet another revision, then by all means do        so. The more you improve your initial post, the more you will benefit        both in terms of your learning and most likely your grade.

 

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PHI 445 week 3 Assignment

Case Analysis: Case Studies: Lehman Brothers, British Petroleum, Monsanto, Merck, Goodyear, Perdue Farms

In the Week Three Discussion, you selected a current business problem from the following case categories:

· Banking

· Fuel and the Environment

· GMOs

· Factory Farming

· Pharmaceuticals

· Gender Discrimination

In this written assignment, you will present your work on the case analysis using selected components of an argumentative essay as described in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). This written assignment will include a revised and polished version of your discussion work, the presentation and support of two premises, and an analysis of how your chosen ethical theory offers the best moral solution to the business problem in your case analysis.

Using the components of the argumentative essay located in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo (2015), your assignment should include the following:

An introduction. This is the “Problem” portion of the essay that is covered in Section 9.1: The Argumentative Essay (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). This should be an improved version of the introduction in your initial post, revised on the basis of your professor’s feedback and additional research. In this introduction you will need to (a) identify the specific issue or problem that you want to address and give an impartial presentation of the controversy, (b) articulate briefly the characteristics of the economic system that serves as the setting for the business, and (c) examine the laws that affect the operations of the business. The introduction should be one paragraph of around 200 words in length.

A thesis. Start a new paragraph with a precise and clear sentence in which you state your moral position with regard to the case that you presented in your first paragraph. This is known as stating your thesis. (See the “Thesis” passage in “The Argumentative Essay” in Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). The thesis you state here should be an improved version of the thesis in your initial post in the discussion, revised on the basis of your professor’s feedback and your reading of “The Argumentative Essay” indicated above.

A thesis is only one sentence, so do not write a series of sentences, or a complex sentence with explanatory clauses (e.g., “because…” or “since…” or “according to Dr. Mary Expert, an economist with the Bureau of Labor statistics…”, or “a law that was ratified with 80% votes in favor…”). An example of a precise and clear thesis is this: “Factory farms are not morally justifiable” or, of course, the opposite point of view: “Factory farms are morally justifiable.” Keep in mind that your thesis in this assignment will be the basis for the argumentative essay of the Week Five written assignment, so take your time when formulating this thesis.

Ethical theory. In the same second paragraph as the thesis statement, identify the ethical theory that supports your moral position. You may choose from utilitarianism, duty ethics, or virtue ethics. Present the characteristics of the ethical theory in a broad sketch, and include citations and references in APA form. Then, apply your chosen ethical theory by explaining how it lends itself to the moral position that you are defending.

Two premises. Present at least two reasons in support of your thesis and these should be presented in the form of a claim. These are called premises. Articulate each premise in one clear and grammatically correct sentence. Review Section 9.1 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Foster, Hardy, and Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). Start a new paragraph for each.

In the rest of the paragraph, support your premise by presenting an analysis of how the ethical theory lends itself to the best solution. This analysis includes articulating the characteristics(s) of the economic system at work that support the claims in your premises. It also includes examining the effects of the law(s) at work that also support the claims in your premises.

Comparative analysis. In the final paragraph, analyze how this application lends itself to a solution that is superior to that offered by one of the ethical theories that you did not select. To do this, provide a clear statement describing the moral solution offered by this other theory. For example, if you chose utilitarianism to apply to your case, then you can choose from either virtue ethics or deontology for your comparative analysis. Explain in no more than three sentences what moral solution would result from the application of this other ethical theory. See the “Sample Case Analysis” for an illustration of how this would look like. Finally, analyze the strengths of the moral solution presented by your chosen ethical theory in ways that demonstrate how it is superior to the moral solution offered by the other ethical theory.

Once you receive your assignment back from your professor, start working on revisions based on your professor’s feedback. This is the first step in preparing your Final Project and the details are presented on the Final Project’s prompt. You will benefit from starting your Final Project as soon as you receive your assignment back from your professor.

Requirements for Your Assignment:

· Your assignment should be 1000 words in length, excluding the title page and reference page(s).

· Your examination should be both thorough and succinct. This is a combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient time to draft and revise.

· Your assignment should include citations, as well as a list of references. Both must be in APA form.

· You should draw from the sources provided in your chosen case category in the discussion this week.

· Also refer to Section 9.1: The Argumentative Essay and the introduction to Section 9.2: Strengthening the Argumentative Essay (intro only for the latter) from Hardy, J., Foster, C., & Zúñiga y Postigo, G. (2015).

· Your references should include at least two scholarly sources from your own research in the Ashford University Library, Google Scholar (this is not the same as Google), or the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. No Wikipedia articles and the like should be included in the references, nor employed to inform your paper. Also keep in mind that dictionary definitions are not references in the academic sense.Your assignment should be submitted no later than the end of Monday (11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain time).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

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