Monitoring technology is so advanced that parents/guardians can track and view children’s activities with great detail, including live video feeds. Is it ethical for parents to monitor their children through such advanced means?
In an age when more and more professions are being lost to automation, should we impose limits on which occupations can and cannot be automated?
Internet access should be a free public utility.
Recreational penetration-testing is morally permissible.
Should the federal government abolish surveillance programs that monitor its citizens’ emails and other electronic communications?
Step 3: Argument/Application (approx. 250 words per argument, 750 words total)
Using any ethical systems or combination of ethical systems from Step 1, argue for or against the propositions you chose in Step 2. Arguments should always be supported by a statement of your stance, then two or three reasons for taking that stance. For example, I should be able to eat pie for breakfast because 1) I enjoy pie and this will make me happy, 2) I buy my pies from a local baker, therefore my eating habits support a local business, and 3) pies have nutritional value. Always explain your reasoning. In your arguments, give specific reasoning that a person using the ethical system might use.
***YOU MUST CITE RESEARCH IN APA FORMAT TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENTS HERE. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF YOUR ARGUMENT.
Note: not every system works for every issue. If you discover this, note it and analyze why in Step 4.
Step 4: Self-reflection (approx. 250 words)
Reflect on your use of the systems by answering the following questions.
How effective is the ethical system you were assigned when you used it as the basis for a moral argument? Did it work better than the other systems your classmates used, in your opinion? Be specific.
Do any of the ethical systems in the textbook resemble ways you personally might argue for or against a moral question? Explain.
Did you have trouble understanding the systems used for this exercise? How did they stack up to your real world ethics?
Are there obvious limitations when using these ethical systems to answer a moral proposition? For example, the Social Contract doesn’t seem concerned with personal character, just conduct. Some people object to that because they believe we should encourage good character, which will lead to better behavior.
