Description
Application: A Kantian’s Moral Solution
Have you ever been in a situation in which you knew the right thing to do but were hesitant to do it because the right actions might bring harm or negative results to you personally? What are you most likely to do in this situation: what you believe to be the right action or the action that will produce favorable results?
As you have been learning this week, Kant’s moral theory focuses on the motives of a person’s actions, not the consequences. According to Kant, even if an act has good results, if you perform the act with the wrong motive, the “act has no moral worth” (MacKinnon, 2015, p. 71). Central to Kant’s theory is the concept of thecategorical imperative. The categorical imperative states that moral rules are universal (i.e., in such a way that your behavior could be deemed universally good for everyone to act in such a way). It also states that all humans should be treated equally and that no one should be given preference in moral decisions (i.e., that people are treated as ends in themselves and not means). Lastly, it states that moral obligation warrants acting out of moral duty only and not for other gains, whether selfish or altruistic. For this Application, you practice your understanding of Kant’s moral theory by applying its principles to a situation that you select from several case examples.
Note: You take the perspective of a Kantian/deontologist to complete this assignment even if your personal perspective does not agree with the Kantian/deontologist perspective.
To prepare for this Assignment:
- Review Chapter 5 in the course text, focusing on how Kant’s theory may be applied.
- Read the Ethics Case Examplesdocument and select one case to use for this Application.
By Day 7
- Write a 2-page paper in which you use the Ethical Analysis Tool to apply Kant’s categorical imperative to the case example you selected to develop a moral solution.
o Support your use of evidence in the assignment with references to the week’s readings. In the essay, practice APA style for your in-text citations.
o Follow guidelines for writing an ethics paper as presented in the course text appendix, “How to Write an Ethics Paper.”
Ethical Analysis Tool
What is the Ethical Issue? Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? If so, how and why? Does this decision or situation involve a choice between a positive and a negative alternative, or perhaps between two positives or between two negatives? Are there more ethical issues that need to be considered? If so, what are they? Why are they important? What are the ethical issues that need to be resolved in order to make a decision? What are the relevant facts? What are the relevant facts of the issue? What facts are not known? Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision? What other facts do I need to know to better understand the issue? What research should I do? Who are the people or groups involved (stakeholders)? What individuals and groups are involved in the dilemma? Why? How is each stakeholder affected? Are some concerns more important than others? Why? Have all the relevant stakeholders been taken into consideration? What are the possible actions to take? What are all the possible actions that can be taken? What are the possible ethical decisions that can be made? What are the consequences of the possible actions? What are the motives of the decisions? Are there professional obligations involved? What do you think is the right thing for the stakeholders involved to do? Why? What is the morally right thing to do? Why? Evaluate the options by asking the following questions: •Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach) oApply the principle of utility •Which option best respects the moral rights of all who have a stake? (TheKantian Approach)oApply the categorical imperative •Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Approach) oApply the notion of virtuous behavior •Which option upholds the principles of economic justice? •Which option options best adheres to the principle of Bioethics? © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc.Page 1 of 2
Act and Reflect on the Outcome How can the decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?
Week 4 Case ExamplesSelect one of the following case examples to use for your Application this week.Case Example #1You can only rescue one of each of the following:abottle with the cure for cancer or someone in your immediate family. Which do you save? Why?Case Example #2Is it morally permissible totorturea person (who will die from the injuries) as the only means to find out where he hashidden a nuclear bomb that is set to go off in the city or area where you live? Why?
Check
It Off! |
Expectations for the Week 4 Application Assignment:
A Kantian’s Moral Solution |
90 Points
Possible |
1 _______
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Organization and Presentation
The essay is written in paragraph form, is at least 2 pages in length, attempts to use APA format, includes an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement, includes a concluding paragraph, and has few grammatical and spelling errors. The APA Template and Writing Help is used for formatting things such as font size, title page, page #s, header area, in-text citations, references page as well as for writing an essay. Download here: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Documents/Undergraduate_Paper_Advice_1.doc
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0 – 10 points possible
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1 _______
2 _______
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Essay scope and content
Write at least a 2-page essay in which you use the Ethical Analysis Tool to apply Kant’s categorical imperative to the case example you selected to develop a moral solution.
Apply Kant’s categorical imperative to the case example you selected.
Using Kant’s categorical imperative, develop a moral solution to the case.
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0 – 60 points possible
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1 _______
2 _______
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Support Your Response
Include ethics-related terms in your paper.
Support your use of evidence with references to the week’s readings.
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0 – 20 points possible |
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