Posted: July 6th, 2015

Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

INSTRUCTION ONE

Ashford 5: – Week5 – Assignment

Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

Final Paper

In this course, you will look at classical ethical theories of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. You will also examine different perspectives on ethical issues introduced by relativism, ethical egoism, and emotivism. For this paper, you will apply these theories and perspectives to a current issue, selected from the list of issues below.

Choose one of the ethical issues from the list below to research and write about. It is recommended that you choose a topic you are familiar with or have thought about previously. For example, you might choose an issue that either worries you or enrages you; you might choose one that you have worked on; or you might choose one that relates to recent events in your community.

Possible Issues

• Corporate executive compensation
• Corporate contributions to political campaigns
• Affirmative action
• The media and its responsibilities
• Domestic surveillance
• Whistle blowing in government or in a business
• Religion in the workplace
• Pornography
• Consumer tracking
• Ethical problems of gambling
• Progressive taxation rates
• Immigration
• Women’s equality

In your paper, you will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the issue you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts; do not get distracted by doing analyses that apply political, economic, religious, or legal perspectives. Describe, compare, and apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the topics. Explain how the theories and perspectives would analyze the issue. What are the ethical issues? Where are there breaches of ethical behavior? How could each theory help people think about what would constitute virtuous or ethical behavior?

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library other than the textbook to support your claims. You can also use the Sociology Research Guide located in the Ashford University Library. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course.

Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper

• Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Be sure to double-space your text and use one-inch margins.
• Must include a title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

• As you are finishing up your week three papers, please make sure you check all parts of the instructions and the rubric. One of the requirements for the paper – one that is often overlooked – is that you discuss how you will develop and improve what you are doing in the final paper. If you haven’t included that discussion – and of course the other parts of the assignment as well – then you haven’t finished your paper! It’s a shame to lose points over something you could easily have included.

• Hi everyone!

  As you are all about to be working on the draft for your final paper, I thought I’d spend a moment to remind you that every paper you write for this class needs a thesis. Here are some basic points:

• In each paper, you will be presenting a case, supporting a conclusion, or making an argument.  In your final paper, you will be presenting a case for one side of some current moral issue. In each case, what you are arguing for is your thesis. For example, “There are universal moral truths” is a thesis. “There are no universal moral truths” is also a thesis. “Military personnel reductions after the end of a conflict are good policy” is a thesis. “Prayer should never be allowed in public schools” is a thesis. Of course the denial or a qualified version of any of these would also be a thesis.
• It should be possible to state a thesis in a single clear statement. There is a Thesis Generator tool, available from the Ashford Writing Center that will help you to formulate your thesis. If you write a statement of what you plan to do in the paper in this form, “I shall argue that . . . .”, the sentence that replaces the dots is your thesis.
• Your thesis should appear in the first paragraph of your paper. The first paragraph is where you introduce the paper and state your thesis. Your reader should not have to look past the first paragraph to figure out what you are planning to do. Don’t leave your reader – that is, me – guessing what you are trying to do. If I can’t tell from a clear early thesis statement what you are trying to do, I might guess wrong and take off credit for not doing a good job of supporting what I have only guessedis your thesis.
• Your thesis should be repeated in a summary in the concluding paragraph of your paper. The concluding paragraph is your last chance to convince your reader. Make sure it contains a restatement of your thesis with a reminder or summary of the supporting reasons.
• In general, a good plan for your paper is this:
• 1.      Introductory paragraph containing clearly stated thesis.
• 2.      Body of paper (several paragraphs) in which you provide detailed support for your thesis, possibly including answers to objections.
• 3.      Concluding paragraph in which thesis is restated and the supporting reasons are condensed and summarized.