Ethical Questions for Graduate Students

Ethical ViewpointsApplied ethics is, in the words of Brenda Almond, co-founder of the Society for Applied Philosophy, “the philosophical examination, from a moral standpoint, of particular issues in private and public life that are matters of moral judgment.” It is thus a term used to describe attempts to use philosophical methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life.

Ethical ViewpointsStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThe term “morality” can be used either —descriptively to refer to a code of conduct put forward by a society or, --some other group, such as a religion, or--accepted by an individual for her own behavior or—normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons.

Ethical ViewpointsRule–BasedThe practical consequences of various policies are evaluated on the assumption that the right policy will be the one which obeys the rules.

Ethical ViewpointsUtilitarianism The practical consequences of various policies are evaluated on the assumption that the right policy will be the one which results in the greatest happiness.

Ethical ViewpointsCategorical ImperativeThe practical consequences of various policies are evaluated they perform the “right” action, regardless of actual consequences. The right action will be that chosen by a suitably 'virtuous' agent. Being “right” is prior to being “good.”

Ethical DilemmaData Collection

Ethical DilemmaData Analysis

Ethical Questions for Graduate Students