PHILOSOPHY RESERVED

For this essay, you will write a 4-5 page essay on a contemporary moral issue. This is your opportunity to research and write on an issue that you want to explore further or that you already have a clear position. For example, you can write about larger social issues, such as human cloning, euthanasia, gay marriage, or climate change. Or you could write about local issues that affect your community. Or you can write about issues that affect your personally or professionally.

Here are the requirements for the essay.

1. Introductory paragraph that includes your thesis statement.
2. Explain the ethical issue. This will demonstrate your research into the issue.
3. Develop your position on this contemporary issue. In developing your position, you will show what moral reasoning you use to resolve this issue. You will show how you use traditional ethical theory to support your position. Use one or two of the ethical theories that we have studied in class. This would include theories such as deontology, utilitarianism, or virtue theory. You can also incorporate your own approach into the analysis.
4. Raise an objection to your position. Here you will explore the strongest counter argument to your position. For example, if you are arguing against cloning, here you will raise the objection about why human cloning is acceptable.
5. Answer the objection. You do this in a way that will support your initial position.
6. Concluding paragraph.
7. There should be 3-4 references in your essay including material from our course text as well as from your independent research on this topic.
8. Use APA formatting in your essay.