Research Paper Requirements – Contemporary Ethical Issues Prompt

In a paper of roughly 1500 words, please answer the following prompt in a multi-paragraph essay. This should have a clear thesis, visible early in the paper, and should demonstrate knowledge of the issue at stake as well as the ethical theories used, with parenthetical citations and a ‘Works Cited’ (citing both the textbook and news source – footnotes including the full citation are also acceptable).

Find a news story from a credible source (i.e. not a tabloid, e.g. New York Times, CBS, BBC…) about a recent event that you find has ethical significance. Use one or more ethical theories we have discussed to engage the issue you chose. No other sources are needed. Thus, you might offer a care ethics perspective on an environmental sustainability issue, or a virtue ethics critique of Wall Street bail-outs, or a utilitarian analysis of immigration reform, or a Kantian critique of police brutality, or an existentialist examination of political campaign financing… Just some ideas! Please take the opportunity to pursue what interests you.

 

No outside sources beyond the textbook are needed, but please be sure to cite any source you use in a works cited or in footnotes, including the textbook (remember to cite by chapter and section, e.g. Chaffee 4.2)

 

Excellent papers will have grammatical and stylistic quality, factual accuracy, a clear thesis claim and evidence for one’s claim from scholarly articles, and a works cited (if any outside sources are used).