Category: Ethics

Purpose
The Discussion here is the equivalent in an online course to face-to-face discussion in a classroom-based course. This is the place where you discuss course topics with the instructor and each other. Just as in a regular classroom, a good deal of learning takes place through the interaction that these discussions will stimulate. They will test your ability to critically evaluate the positions of the philosophers we are studying.
Directions
A course in ethics should help us to make decisions about right or wrong. This is not the same as a discussion of what is legal. This is what you should do regardless of whether you get caught or not. At this point you should have read excerpts from Plato and Aristotle. These philosophers attempted to devise ways for us to determine how to make the morally correct choice. In your posts I want you to apply each theory to the fact and determine whether the theory is helpful.
By the time Oliver was 15 years old he had been to 7 different foster homes. He understood by the time he was 10 that he would not be adopted and would continue to be shuffled through the system until he “aged out,” as they called it. He wasn’t a bad student and despite his moving around, he managed to do ok in school. Although, he hadn’t remained in anyone’s home long enough to make any lasting relationships, he managed to make friends on the street with criminals who amicably referred to him as “family.” Regardless of where he moved, he could catch a bus to their neighborhood and they would give him something to eat and a few dollars to buy himself something. Oliver knew they broke the law but as time passed he started to view them as the good guys in I guess what some would think of as a Robin Hood sort of way. Around 15 they started to suggest he move in with them and find a real home. Some would say that the system had failed him, but as far as those outlaws were concerned, the system hadn’t failed Oliver, it had only done what it was supposed to do, look out for the privileged and disregard the rest. Oliver had some encounters with church and other adults, but he started to wonder how do we know what is right and what is wrong. In his free time he has read the same excerpts from Plato and Aristotle that you have.
In ONE consolidated post of at least 600 words, explain to Oliver how:
Euthyphro’s dilemma helps us understand the relationship between religion and ethics.
Whether the discussion of Justice between Socrates and his friends in Book I of the Republic can help him decide what to do.
Whether using the Doctrine of the Mean can help him decide what he should do.
What you think he should do based on what you have learned and your personal perspective.

Read chapters 3&4 from Justice by Michael Sandel. Linked here: https://iasbaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Michael_Sandel-_Justice-_What_s_the_Right_Thing_to_Do.pdf
Then, answer two of the three following prompts. Do not use AI to for these responses. Number your answers so we know to which prompts you are responding.
1. Did both libertarianism and utilitarianism appeal to you? That’s not uncommon; however, libertarianism and utilitarianism are at odds.
* Libertarianism focuses on the individual. Utilitarianism focuses on the collective.
* Libertarianism opposes any act that restricts freedom. Utilitarianism supports maximizing pleasure as a result of an action’s consequences.
* Do one of the following two things:
– Reconcile the differences, somehow, between libertarianism and utilitarianism. Explain how a person could subscribe to both.
– Though you may have initially been drawn to both theories, evaluate each of them carefully. Think about the premises they start from and the conclusions they lead to. Choose which ethical theory you think is superior. Defend your choice by showing us how you came to that conclusion.
2. The premises of libertarianism and utilitarianism are:
* Libertarianism: We own ourselves.
* Utilitarianism: Human beings are governed by two sovereign masters: pleasure and pain.
* Explain how at least one of the above premises is false.
– Further explanation for this prompt: Some people don’t like the conclusions that libertarianism leads to (such as selling organs on the free market). Some people don’t like the conclusions that utilitarianism might lead to (such as hurting a minority for the sake of the majority). Rather than arguing with the conclusions, I want you to argue with the premises. Does either libertarianism or utilitarianism start from faulty premises? Defend your reasoning why you think either premise is (or both premises are) not true. You could use argument by analogy or moral coherence, but that is not required.
3. Republicans and Democrats both use libertarian principles to support their position on abortion.
* Republicans defend the freedom and self-ownership of the fetus.
* Democrats defend the freedom and self-ownership of the woman carrying the fetus.
* Which side has the more defensible libertarian position, and why? Show how the other side is using libertarianism inappropriately.
* Note: This is a rational exercise, not a moral exercise. Your answer does not need to line up with your personal position on abortion. There are other ethical approaches to take in the abortion debate apart from libertarianism that might better support your personal view.

Is it ethical to use CHATgpt (or other similar chatbots) in the workplace? Why or why not? Use ethical theories to support your position.
Is the use of CHATgpt (or other similar chatbots) ethical in an educational setting? Why or why not? Use ethical theories to support your position.

deontological and utilitarian moral theories play a large role in arguments for and against gun ownership. For this assignment, find a recent op-ed (written within the last six months) advocating for or against restrictions on gun ownership.
You will then provide two responses to the main argument of the article: one from a utilitarian point of view, and one from a deontological point of view. Each response should be no more than two paragraphs, for a total of four paragraphs. Make sure to cite any relevant data, especially when writing your utilitarian response. Each response should explicitly utilize the corresponding moral theory.
NOTE: An op-ed (also sometimes referred to as an opinion article, editorial article, or viewpoint article) is not the same as a news article. An op-ed advocate for a certain position, while a news article simply describes an event. For this assignment, you will be analyzing an op-ed. Op-eds are often published by news organizations, but they are not the same as news articles. Do not select an article that is describing someone’s position. Your op-ed can come from a news organization, but it should not be mere reporting.

In 4-5 paragraphs, describe your code of ethics. Define your core ethical values and how you arrived at them. You must use the attached material to support your reasoning and must reference 3-5 sources from the material. Use the name of the docx file as reference name.

DISCUSSION-
What is the difference between a perception, a generalization, and a stereotype? What can organizations do to address these areas and avoid workplace issues between the employees?

DISCUSSION-
While some companies block employee access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, others have a more permissive attitude. Explain two reasons a company might choose to permit — or be indifferent to — employee access to social networks.

Please do not use AI to complete this assignment. I have my way of knowing when its used.
Watch the two lectures linked below, then answer one of the discussion prompts.
– https://youtu.be/8yT4RZy1t3s
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie6wKCvuXsk
Sandel suggests that motherhood and military service might be things that are beyond price, goods that should not be exchanged on the free market. Whether or not you agree with him on those two specific issues, are there things that money should not be able to buy?
For the purposes of this discussion, we will define the free market as the exchange of goods and services for monetary compensation among consenting adults (for example, a “free market” would not advocate selling alcohol to children, human trafficking, slavery, etc.).
Respond to one of the following two prompts with a substantive and detailed argument:
1. If you agree that there are some things that should not be for sale because attaching a price to something fundamentally degrades that good or service:
– Name a good or service that money should not be able to buy (apart from things mentioned in the book or in my lectures). This should be something that, conceivably, has the potential to be traded on the free market (for example, don’t say “happiness;” it’s impossible to purchase happiness).
– Explain and defend your reasoning why we should restrict its trade in the free market.
We want to know what things might be fundamentally degraded when offered for sale, not what goods and services you think should be offered for “free” or at a discount.
– The case for free markets typically rests on two claims—one about freedom, the other about welfare.
The first is the libertarian case for markets. It says that letting people engage in voluntary exchanges respects their freedom; laws that interfere with the free market violate individual liberty.
The second is the utilitarian argument for markets. It says that free markets promote the general welfare; when two people make a deal, both gain. As long as their deal makes them better off without hurting anyone else, it must increase overall utility. (Sandel 75)
How might a utilitarian or libertarian argument in favor of free markets fall short in the case of offering this particular good or service in the free market?
2. If you think you should be able to buy or sell anything on the free market, because attaching a price to something does not fundamentally degrade that good or service:
– Make your case. Why is this so? On what grounds do you make this claim?
– Refute Sandel’s suggestions that military service and surrogacy should be beyond price. Where is his argument wrong?
– Tell us something that many people think should be restricted (or is actually restricted) that you believe should be sold in the free market, and why (this should be something not mentioned in the book or my lectures).

After viewing the three videos listed for this week’s Reading & Resources , think of a real or hypothetical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) situation you’ve encountered or can imagine encountering in a workplace setting that presents ethical challenges. Describe the situation, including the key stakeholders , the ethical dilemmas involved, and how you think these dilemmas should be addressed or resolved . Use at least two of the four schools of ethical thought that have been studying in this Unit to analyze the situation and suggest possible solutions . Consider the potential consequences of different courses of action and the broader implications for individuals, teams, and the organization’s DElefforts – in light of the current, volatile, political situation

DISCUSSION-
While some companies block employee access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, others have a more permissive attitude. Explain two reasons a company might choose to permit — or be indifferent to — employee access to social networks.