In the Week One Assignment, you formulated a concrete ethical question, took a position on that topic, and identified a reason supporting and a reason opposing that position. In the Week Three Assignment, you discussed either deontological or utilitarian theory, applied that theory to the question, and raised a relevant objection.

By engaging with the course material, you now have had a chance torefine your thinking and broaden your understanding of the problem byapproaching it from the perspective of multiple ethical theories.

In this paper, you will demonstrate what you have learned by writing an essay in which you

• Present a revised formulation of the ethical question and introduction to the topic.
• Explain the kind of reasoning you think is the best way to approachthis question, and how that reasoning supports the position you think isstrongest.
• Raise an objection, and be able to respond to it.

Instructions

Write an essay that conforms to the requirements below. The paper mustbe 1500 to 2000 words in length (excluding the title and referencepages) and formatted according to APA style.

• Introduction
  Your first paragraph should begin withthe topic question, suitably revised. It should be focused, concrete,and on a relevant moral problem. You should then introduce the topic inthe way described by the Week One instructions, but reflecting thedeveloped understanding and information you have gained about the topicand any necessary refinement of the scope.

  Follow this with athesis statement that states your position, and a brief description ofthe primary reason(s) supporting your position. Finally, provide a brief preview of the overall aim and procedure of your paper.

• Explanation and Demonstration of Moral Reasoning
  Thissection of the Final Paper will explain and demonstrate what youbelieve to be the best way of reasoning about the question you havechosen, and showing how that reasoning supports the position you havetaken on the question. You might explain the principles, rules, values,virtues, conceptions of purposes and ends, and other general ideas thatyou find persuasive, and show how they support concrete judgments.

  Inthe course of doing so, you must make reference to at least two of theapproaches that we have examined in the course (such as deontological,utilitarian, or virtue-based), and utilize at least one resource off theprovided list for each of the two approaches. One of these theories maybe the theory you discussed in your Week Three Assignment, but yourdiscussion here should be more refined.

  For example, you mightfind the reasoning associated with Aristotelian virtue ethics to be themost compelling, and reference Aristotle in the process of showing howthat reasoning supports a certain conclusion. In the course of this, youcould contrast that with a utilitarian approach, referencing Mill forinstance.

• Objection and Response
  After explaining the ethicalreasoning that supports your position, you should raise an objection andrespond to it. An objection articulates a plausible reason why someonemight find the argument weak or problematic. You should explain how itbrings out this weakness, and do so in a way that would be acceptable tosomeone who disagrees with your own argument. Then, provide the bestresponse you can to the objection, showing how it does not undermineyour position. Your response should not simply restate your originalposition or argument, but should say something new in support of it.

• Conclusion
  Provide a conclusion that sums up what you presented in the paper and offers some final reflections.

Resource Requirement
You must use at least four scholarly resources. Two of the resources must be drawn from the list of acceptable primary resources(See attached file) on each of the two theories you discuss. For example, if you discussdeontology and virtue ethics, you would need at least one resource underthe “Deontology” list and at least one resource under the “VirtueEthics” list. The other two may be from either the Required orRecommended Resources, or scholarly resources found in the AshfordUniversity Library.

• The textbook may be cited, but it does not count toward the resourcerequirement. If you cite the textbook, you will still need to cite atleast four more sources that fulfill the requirements stated above.
• If you need help with finding additional resources, or are unsureabout whether a particular resource will count toward the requirement,please contact your instructor.
• For sources to count toward the resources requirement, they must becited within the text of your paper and on the reference page. Sourcesthat are listed on the references page, but not cited within the paper,do not count toward fulfilling the resources requirement.