For example, rather than write, "The death penalty is wrong," you might argue that, "The potential for executing an innocent person makes the death penalty a risky and unjustifiable punishment that violates the U.S. Constitution." 10/4/ · Argumentative Essay on Ethics Example. April 10, by admin. Sample essay on what ethics is. This is an argumentative essay that helps us understand what ethics is and its importance, as well as what is its role in everyday life Plastic surgery. An essay can explore reasons why people think plastic surgery is unnecessary. Even if you have the money to get it is it ethical to change someone’s appearance knowing there are risks? Cloning. An essay can explore reasons why people may or may not like the idea
20 Ethical Argument Essay Topics for an Aspiring Student | blogger.com
This document is intended to be an instructional resource for students or instructors who want to learn more about how to write an ethical argument. This document is divided into four sections, each of which discusses a particular point to keep in mind when writing an ethical argument. What is an Ethical Argument? Defining the Word Ethical 3. Things to Consider When Arguing for Each Kind of Ethical Claim 4.
Making Assumptions 5. Examples of Each Kind of Ethical Argument. Generally, an ethical argument tries to show that certain actions or policies are either ethical or unethical. In other words, an ethical argument tries to show that a specific thing is either morally right or wrong.
This is easier said than done. The reason for this is that people often have different ideas of what the word means.
By the previous statement, I do not mean simply that people disagree over which actions are ethical actions, but that people also disagree over what it even means to say that something is ethical.
When choosing a definition, keep in mind that there are several kinds of ethical arguments and that the way you argue for your particular claim depends in large part on how you define your terms.
Several philosophers, when they say that a certain action is ethical, mean that there is a mind-independent reason for any person to do that action. Likewise, to say that a certain action is unethical would be equivalent to saying that there is a mind-independent reason for any ethical argument essay examples to refrain from doing that action.
A mind-independent reason is some kind of reason that exists independently of human thought. For example, if action X is unethical in the mind-independent sense, then that action would be ethically wrong regardless of what anyone thought about it. That is, there is a fact of the matter.
Many ethical philosophers have conceived of the ethical not as some kind of mind-independent entity, but as things we are obligated to do in order to be rational. By this definition, saying that an action is ethical means that we have a reason to do that action simply because we are rational human beings.
Ethical philosophers have often defined the word ethical as a word used to describe an action that we have a reason to do because we care about and sympathize with other people. He or she would start with the premise that, for whatever reason, as humans we tend to value the lives and happiness of other humans. From there, he or she would argue that we have reason to perform a certain action because it promotes human happiness, or that we should not perform a certain action because it impedes happiness or promotes suffering.
Things to Consider When Arguing for Each Type of Ethical Claim A. Mind-independent ethical claims are the strongest kind of ethical claim, but the hardest to defend. The problem is that it is difficult to find evidence for the existence of mind-independent ethical obligations. Ethical argument essay examples ethical philosophers have made various kinds of arguments for the existence of mind-independent moral requirements, many ethical arguments of this kind rely on the fact that the vast majority of humans have very strong ethical intuitions.
For example, if you were to see someone doing something horrific to another person, you would have a strong feeling that what they were doing is wrong. A typical argument of this type would try to establish what ethical intuitions we all share and use ethical argument essay examples information to come to conclusion about whether a certain action is ethical, ethical argument essay examples.
For example, if you were arguing that action X is ethical argument essay examples, you might say that humans share the strong ethical intuition that dishonesty is wrong, and would then go on to show how action X is dishonest.
Another example might be to argue that action Ethical argument essay examples is ethical by saying that humans share a strong ethical intuition that preserving individual liberty is the right thing to do, and that action Z promotes individual liberty.
When making any kind of argument, ethical argument essay examples, it is important to consider objections. Often times, our ethical intuitions can be at odds. For example, based on our ethical intuitions, you might conclude that preserving individual liberty is ethically right and also conclude that maximizing human happiness is ethically right.
It might also be the case that a certain action would impede individual liberty, but at the same time would be likely to maximize human happiness. In such a case, it is up to you as a writer to decide which ethical intuition takes precedent, and on what grounds. Arguing that we have a certain ethical obligation as a result of our rationality can be difficult.
If you have not studied ethical philosophy or have never written an ethical argument paper before, you may want to avoid making this kind of ethical argument. However, it is of ethical argument essay examples still an option. Obligations Arising From Sentiments Making an ethical argument while using this definition of ethical is probably the easiest and simplest way to make an ethical argument.
The first part of making such an argument is generally establishing that we tend to care about and sympathize with other humans. From there, your task as a writer would be to show that the action which you are claiming is ethical improves human well-being.
Be prepared for the possibility that people who disagree with you may claim that the action which you are claiming is unethical is actually beneficial to human well-being; likewise, they might claim that an action you are supporting as ethical is detrimental to human well-being.
Assumptions Writing an ethical argument is a little bit like building a pyramid. Every argument you make will inevitably rely on some contentious premise. For example, ethical argument essay examples, say you were making a mind-independent ethical argument in which you claimed that doing action X is immoral.
In order to show that your claim is true, you would have to build your argument in steps. You would need to first provide an argument for the existence of mind-independent moral obligations. You would then need to provide an argument which shows that a particular mind-independent moral obligation exists. From there, you would try to show that the action which you are claiming to be unethical somehow violates that moral obligation.
As a writer, you have the option of narrowing the scope of your paper. You can narrow your paper by making assumptions, which is fairly common in ethical argumentation. For example, if you were making the above argument, you might state in your opening paragraph that your paper is working under the assumption that there are mind-independent moral ethical argument essay examples. To take another example, suppose you were a religious person and that your religion influenced your moral beliefs.
In that case, you might want to assume the existence of God in your opening paragraph instead of spending several pages providing an argument for the existence of God. Another thing to keep in mind about assumptions is that the amount of assumptions you are able to make depends in large part on the scope and length of your paper.
For example, if you were writing a thesis on ethics, it would probably be unwise to make many assumptions, if any. Try to avoid unreasonable assumptions. This advice may seem vague, but perhaps this is unavoidable. Basically though, the idea is to avoid making assumptions that very few or no reasonable people would make. Use common sense to avoid bad assumptions.
In this section you will find an example of each kind of ethical argument that has been discussed in this text. Please keep in mind that the following ethical argument essay examples only represent a small portion of the different ethical arguments that philosophers have made throughout time. They are meant to be a tool for developing a better sense of how each kind of argument works in practice.
Mind-independent An example of a mind-independent ethical argument is Divine Command Theory. According to Divine Command Theory DCVour ethical obligations come from God. In DVC, Our ethical obligations are not creations of society nor are they requirements of logic. God creates ethical rightness, or at least uses his omniscience to discover objective rules of ethical rightness. He then makes these ethical rules available to us through holy texts.
According to Nagel, if someone were to treat us badly, say by robbing us, ethical argument essay examples, we would feel outraged. We would not just feel upset at the loss of our money, we would also feel that the person who robbed us had a reason not to do so. We would feel that the person had done something wrong.
Nagel then asks his reader to ask themselves the following question: Is there anything particularly special about me which would cause me to be exempt from moral obligations which I feel others have? Nagel believes that, ethical argument essay examples, if an individual is honest with him or herself, he or she will have to admit that there is no particular quality which sets them apart from others in this way.
Therefore, ethical argument essay examples, says Nagel, in order to be logically consistent we would ourselves have to accept any ethical obligations which we believe others to have. If we think it would be wrong for someone to rob us, we must acknowledge that it would be wrong for us to rob another person. If we believe it would be wrong for someone to physically ethical argument essay examples us, we must acknowledge that it would be wrong for us to physically harm someone else, ethical argument essay examples.
Obligations Arising from Sentiments. David Hume argued that morality was founded in our sympathies. According to Hume, when we see other people suffering, we feel their pain, but to a lesser degree, through the mechanism of sympathy. Likewise, when we see someone who is very happy, ethical argument essay examples, we sympathize with that happiness, ethical argument essay examples.
Basically, we care about other people and have a vested interest in their happiness. Because of this interest in others, we have reason to treat them with respect and kindness. Because society is made up of individuals, Hume also argues that we have reason to act in ways that benefit society and refrain from acting in ways that are harmful to society.
Hume argues for many behaviors which he considers virtuous charity, modesty, ethical argument essay examples, benevolence, etc. based on how they contribute to the well-being of society and individuals.
Personal Finance. Arts Business Entertainment Politics Sports Tech Login. Writing an Ethical Argument This document is intended to be an instructional resource for students or instructors who want to learn more about how to write an ethical argument.
Examples of Each Kind of Ethical Argument 1. Mind-independent obligations are often referred to as objective obligations. Requirement of reason. Obligations Arising From Sentiments. Requirements of Reason- Arguing that we have a certain ethical obligation as a result of our rationality can be difficult.
Obligations Arising from Sentiments David Hume argued that morality was founded in our sympathies. Related Articles. Women's Hygiene. By Tonette Fornillos. By Maxine Daniels.
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21/3/ · They are meant to be a tool for developing a better sense of how each kind of argument works in practice. A. Mind-independent. An example of a mind-independent ethical argument is Divine Command Theory. According to Divine Command Theory (DCV), our ethical obligations come from God 10/4/ · Argumentative Essay on Ethics Example. April 10, by admin. Sample essay on what ethics is. This is an argumentative essay that helps us understand what ethics is and its importance, as well as what is its role in everyday life 3/6/ · Ethics Essay Examples. Ethics is what defines a person’s character. How a person should behave in society. But how do we justify our acts as ethical? An idea suggests that an act is ethical if it is benefiting the greatest number of people. While doing this, one is simply benefiting the whole population rather than causing any sort of harm
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