PHI208 WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE WEEK FIVE ASSIGNME.docx

PHI208: WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE
WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE
Notes and Advice
This paper is a demonstration of what you have learned about
moral reasoning based on our examining of ethical theories
and specific ethical issues. As such, you should focus your
attention on carefully spelling out the reasoning that supports
your conclusion, and relating that to the theories we have
discussed in class.
You are free to write on the same topic and question you wrote
on in previous papers or choose a different topic and
question.
If you choose a different topic, you would benefit from going
through the Week One Assignment exercises.
For a list of acceptable topics to start with, see the options from
the list of topics available in the online course. If you are
still unsure of your topic or of how properly to focus it into a
relevant ethical question, you are strongly encouraged to

consult with your instructor.
You are free to draw upon the work you did in previous papers,
and reuse parts that you feel were strong, but you are not
to simply recycle the previous papers. This paper should reflect
the culmination of the development of your thoughts on
this issue, and many of the requirements for the final paper
cannot be satisfied by a heavily recycled paper.
The consideration of an objection against your own view is a
way of showing that your view has the support of good
reasons and can answer its strongest objections. Therefore, aim
at identifying and addressing the strongest opposing
argument you can, bearing in mind that a good thesis should be
able to respond to the best arguments for the other side.
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is more than just a position statement of
the sort you provided in the first assignment; rather, it states
the position and the primary reasons in such a way that the
reader should have a clear sense of how the reasons support the
position, which is what will be spelled out and explained in the
body of the paper. Please see the handout on thesis
statements available in the online course.

Checklist
This checklist can help you ensure that you have completed all
of the assignment instructions.
PHI208: WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE
Make sure that you
describes the ethical problem (including the most relevant
issues), summarizes your procedure in the paper, and concludes
with your thesis statement.
you think is the best way to reason about this
issue, and show as clearly and persuasively as you can
how that reasoning supports your position.
examined in the course.
jection against your position that you can
imagine being raised by someone holding a contrary
position.

your own view can withstand it.
d in the
paper and offers some final reflections, including a
revised statement of the thesis.
acceptable primary sources for that theory (for a total of
two).
er resources from the required or
recommended readings and media or scholarly sources
found in the Ashford University Library.
resources page.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be
used to evaluate your assignment.
http://managedcourse.next.ecollege.com/pub/content/d8683201-
d88c-4dc9-932c-
ab1d0dc65225/PHI208.W5.GradingRubricFinal.pdfWEEK FIVE
ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCENotes and AdviceThesis

StatementChecklist
Bradley J. Thames
PHI208: THESIS STATEMENTS Ashford University
THESIS STATEMENTS
This guide is intended to help you construct a strong thesis
statement for an ethics paper. But it should not take the place
of the resources provided through the Ashford Writing Center,
especially when using those resources is part of the
assignment instructions. The Thesis Generator is a helpful
resource that can be found by going to the Ashford Writing
Center at awc.ashford.edu. Look under the "Writing Resources"
tab, then under "Writing Tools,” and click on "Thesis
Generator.” For additional help on crafting a good thesis
statement, look under the "Writing Resources" tab, then under
"Essay Development,” and click on "Thesis Statements.”
The thesis serves as the backbone of your paper. Or if you like,
it states the central idea of the paper, around which
everything else revolves. Every part of your paper is meant to in
some way explain and defend that thesis. So it’s really
important to construct a thesis that is focused enough that you
can defend it in the space given to your paper, and for that

thesis to be clear, concrete and specific, and to include a
statement of the primary reasons for that position.
So let’s look at some examples of some strong and some weaker
theses. We’re going to be looking at topics that are not
under the list of options, but you can use them as models for
how to construct a thesis on the topic that you choose from
this list.
First, you will be presented with a weak thesis statement, and
then, you should try to think about why it’s weak and what
might make it stronger before reading the explanation.
1. Weak Thesis
Abortion is a really tough issue that has sparked a lot of
controversy and debate for over four decades, and there
are many good arguments on both sides.
What makes it weak?
No position. In other words, you don’t really tell me what your
stand is on this issue; you simply reiterate that it
is an ethically important issue, which should already be
obvious. Be sure that your thesis clearly states your
position.

Some Stronger Alternatives
• Even though abortion involves taking the life of a biologically
human creature, its relative lack of
development, considered in comparison to the burdens a woman
may face in carrying it to term, means
that abortion may be morally justified in some cases, and that is
a determination that should be left up to
the individual woman to make with the full support of the law.
Bradley J. Thames
• Anytime there is uncertainty about whether a class of beings is
human, a liberal democratic society should
always err on the side of humanity, thus we should consider
fetuses to be human and criminalize most
cases of abortion.
These statements specify the position that the person takes and
provide a concise statement of the primary reasons
for that position. They also limit themselves to one particular

aspect of this wide and complex debate. Compare
that with the next thesis.
2. Weak Thesis
Racism is a problem in this country because blacks are treated
as inferiors, there is too much prejudice within law
enforcement, and there are many racist stereotypes in the media
and popular culture.
What makes it weak?
Too broad. While each of these points is worth considering, it
would be impossible to adequately defend all of
these claims within the scope of a single paper. It is important
to make sure that the claim being defended is
narrow and focused enough that you can adequately defended it
in the space provided by the assignment.
Remember that it is better to be narrow and deep, rather than
broad and shallow.
• When we examine rates of incarceration and instances of
police brutality, we find that people of color are
targeted at much higher rates than whites, and this reveals an
inherent racism within the criminal justice

system that is unjust and demands substantial and concerted
efforts to change.
• While some people may find the image of the “Mammy”
character in literature, media, and advertising to
be warm and comforting, it reinforces the idea that the “proper
place” of the black woman is in a servile
position, which in turn supports a conception of the inherent
inferiority of blacks that conflicts with the
notion that all humans are inherently equal.
Notice how each of these theses limits itself to one of the many
ways in which racism might be a force in society.
Moreover, it doesn't simply describe the sociological facts; it
also includes a clear ethical claim, i.e., a claim that
invokes conceptions of value, right and wrong, and so forth.
Compare that with the next thesis.
3. Weak Thesis
Placing more restrictions on gun ownership will make it much
harder for potential criminals to have access to
guns.

Bradley J. Thames
What makes it weak?
Not an ethical thesis. The claim made by this thesis statement is
a sociological one, not an ethical one, strictly
speaking; in other words, it is a claim about what effects on
society certain policies will most likely have. An
ethical thesis would state the ethical significance of that claim,
if it were true. The truth of the claim may mean
that we have a responsibility to impose tighter restrictions on
gun ownership, but it may not. Whether or not it
does depends on how that fact relates to our conceptions of
ethical value and moral responsibility.
• While supporters of gun control are correct in holding that
there should be some restrictions on gun
ownership, I will argue that restrictions similar to those in many
European countries would cause more
harm than it would prevent if implemented in the United States,
given how many people in our society
depend upon guns for protection.

• While tighter gun control measures might mean that some
people will not be able to engage as freely in
certain leisure activities like sport hunting and target shooting,
the fact that human life itself is far more
valuable than such activities and that lives that would be saved
by tighter gun control measures justifies
the inconvenience such measures would cause for a few people.
In the first case, the thesis appeals to the idea that our moral
responsibility is to ensure the greatest good and least
harm. In the second case, it appeals to the ethical idea that the
value of human life itself outweighs the value of
any particular enjoyments within that life. These ideas are all
debatable, as are the sociological facts, but the
relation between the two is the focus of the thesis; the body of
the paper would be focused on defending these
debatable claims.
4. Weak Thesis
I believe that doctors have an obligation to always respect the
rights of their patients.
What makes it weak?

Too vague about some of the key terms. Watch out for terms
like “rights” and “respect” and others that can mean
many different things. You want to instead be as specific as you
can. In the alternatives below, notice how the
“rights” in question are specified, and what it means to
“respect” a patient (and what it doesn’t mean) are also
clarified.
• A patient always has the right to be told the truth by his or her
doctor so that he or she can make the most
informed decisions, even when telling the truth results in
greater harm than good.
Bradley J. Thames
• A patient has the right to the most effective form of treatments
possible from her doctor, and if a doctor
believes that a patient will be better treated if they aren’t aware
of the whole situation, then it is
permissible for the doctor to lie.

5. Weak Thesis
Criminals are scourges on society and it’s ridiculous to think
they deserve to keep living.
What makes it weak?
Too extreme, indefensible, uses inflammatory language. This is
a formal philosophical essay, not a screed, not
a Facebook post or blog comment, not a conversation among
friends. Make sure your position can be
adequately defended with reasons and evidence, and that you
maintain a respectful, formal tone.
• When someone knowingly and deliberately takes the life of
someone else without just cause, the only
kind of punishment that truly fits that crime and satisfies the
demands of justice is to have his or her own
life taken in return.
• It is never right to take the life of an innocent person, and
since there is always a possibility that we might
execute an innocent person, capital punishment is not justified.

6. Weak Thesis
Everyone has their own religious beliefs, and who are we to
force them to pray if they don’t want to?
What makes it weak?
Rhetorical question, not a statement. Remember that this is a
thesis statement. In fact, avoid using rhetorical
questions anywhere in your essay. Ideas are almost always
communicated much more clearly and precisely
when they are stated positively and directly.
• Since public prayer implicitly expresses an endorsement of
religious belief, officially sanctioned prayer in
public schools constitutes a violation of religious freedom and
should not be allowed.
• While official school prayers are a violation of religious
freedom, banning any student-led prayer
gathering on campus grounds is equally a violation of religious
freedom.

Bradley J. Thames
Again, remember that a thesis announces your position, and it is
something you can argue for. I should know what
conclusion you will be trying to defend on this topic, and the
primary reasons supporting that conclusion. And for ethics
papers, the thesis should have a clear ethical statement to make.
In sum, you should avoid a thesis statement that
1. Doesn’t state the position clearly and directly.
2. Is too broad.
3. Does not state an ethical claim.
4. Is too vague.
5. Is extreme, indefensible, or uses inflammatory language.
6. Uses rhetorical questions.
When you have constructed your thesis, run through these
examples and consider whether your thesis statement makes
any of these mistakes. If it does, try to revise it, and if you are
unsure or are having trouble, please consult your instructor.
THESIS STATEMENTS

LIST OF ACCEPTABLE PRIMARY RESOURCES FOR THE
WEEK
THREE ASSIGNMENT AND WEEK FIVE FINAL PAPER
These are the primary resources that you can cite when
explaining a moral theory in order to fulfill the relevant portion
of
the resources requirement.
* Indicates readings included in the “Required Readings”
portion of the course.
Utilitarianism
*Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism, in the original version in the
textbook, or in the version by Jonathan Bennett. Retrieved
from www.earlymoderntexts.com
• See the guidance for the required portions of the text.
Haines, W. (n.d.). Consequentialism. Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy. Retrieved from
http://www.iep.utm.edu/conseque/
Singer, P. (2003). Voluntary euthanasia: A utilitarian
perspective. Bioethics, 17(5/6), 526-541.

Deontology
*Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals in
the original version in the textbook, or in the version by
Jonathan Bennett. Retrieved from www.earlymoderntexts.com
O’Neill, O. (1993). A simplified account of Kant’s ethics. In T.
Regan (Ed.) Matters of Life and Death, 411-415.
Retrieved from
http://users.manchester.edu/Facstaff/SSNaragon/Online/texts/20
1/O'Neill, Kant.pdf
Virtue Ethics
*Aristotle. (1931). Nicomachean ethics. (W.D. Ross, Trans.).
Oxford, GBR: Clarendon Press. Retrieved from
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8438/pg8438.html
Hursthouse, R. (2012). Virtue ethics. In E. Zalta (Ed.), The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
MacIntyre, A. (1984). After virtue. Notre Dame, IN: University
of Notre Dame Press.
• Chapters 14-15 are included in Chapter 6 of the text.

1
http://insite.bridgepoint.local/dept/ops/pni/Navigator%20Images
/Ashford%20Logo%20New.jpg
Feminist/Care Ethics
*Held, V. “Feminist transformations of moral theory.”
• Included in Chapter 6 of the text. See the guidance for the
required portions of the text.
*Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory
and women’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press. Retrieved from
https://lms.manhattan.edu/pluginfile.php/26517/mod_resource/c
ontent/1/Gilligan In a Different Voice.pdf.
*Noddings, N. (2010). Maternal factor: Two paths to morality.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. (213-220)
(Ebook)
2
http://insite.bridgepoint.local/dept/ops/pni/Navigator%20Images
/Ashford%20Logo%20New.jpgLIST OF ACCEPTABLE
PRIMARY RESOURCES FOR THE WEEK THREE
ASSIGNMENT AND WEEK FIVE FINAL

PAPERUtilitarianismDeontologyVirtue EthicsFeminist/Care
Ethics
Running head: SHORTENED TITLE
The Title of the Paper
First name Last name
PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning
Prof. Heraclitus of Ephesus
January 1, 2014
SHORTENED TITLE 2
Title
Begin with the ethical question you are addressing. The rest of
your first paragraph
should introduce the topic by briefly but precisely discussing
the concrete topic under
which this question falls, including any necessary context,
background information, etc.
This should draw upon your work in the Week One Assignment,
but should be more
succinct and reflect the development of your understanding of

those ideas throughout the
course, as well as any revision, narrowing, and focusing of the
problem under
consideration. Your introduction should include a preview of
what you plan to do in the
paper, and how you will proceed. Conclude your introductory
paragraph with a thesis
statement that states your position on the question and the
primary reasons in such a way
that the reader should have a clear sense of how the reasons
support the position, which is
what will be spelled out and explained in the body of the paper.
Demonstration Moral Reasoning
This section of the Final Paper is more open-ended than other
parts of the papers
you have been working on (including other parts of this paper).
By now you will have
seen how moral reasoning involves moving back and forth
between general ideas, such as
principles, rules, values, purposes and ends, and so forth, and
particular concrete
judgments. We have examined different forms that can take,
where the general ideas

might be utilitarian principles, deontological duties, or
Aristotelian ideas about the human
telos and the virtues. Your job here is demonstrate that you
have acquired a sense of how
that kind of reasoning proceeds, and that you have understood
and considered the
examples that were studied in the class.
SHORTENED TITLE 3
Along the way, you will need to relate what you are doing to
these other theories.
For example, you might be taking a utilitarian approach, or an
Aristotelian one, and
would make reference to Mill or Aristotle in the course of doing
so, and contrast your
approach with Kant’s. Or you might model your approach on the
reasoning of one of the
contemporary readings that dealt with specific issues. Also, you
will likely need to
provide factual evidence to support the movement from general
ideas to concrete
particulars.
Objection and Response

Each of the assignments involved examining a possible
objection to the main
argument, and this paper will do so as well, but follow up with a
response to the objection.
An objection articulates a plausible reason why someone might
find the argument weak
or problematic. Or it might raise a consideration supporting a
rival position, or a counter-
example that seems to go against certain claims you have made.
You should explain how
it represents and objection, and do so in a way that would be
acceptable to someone who
disagrees with your own argument. You would then provide the
best response you can to
the objection, showing as clearly and persuasively as you can
how it does not undermine
your position, without simply making the same argument you
have already made over
again (that is, your response should say something new).
Conclusion
Provide a conclusion that sums up what you showed in the paper
and offers some
final reflections, including a revised statement of the thesis (do

not simply repeat your
thesis, but rephrase it in light of the discussion you just had).
SHORTENED TITLE 4
Total Word Count: 1500 to 2000 words (note: that’s at least
twice as long as this outline).
SHORTENED TITLE 5
References
Required: Primary text in support of theory 1, drawn from the
list of acceptable
resources.
Required: Primary text in support of theory 2, drawn from the
list of acceptable
resources.
Required: Scholarly resource drawn from either the required or
recommended readings or
from the Ashford University Library.
Required: Scholarly resource drawn from either the Required or
Recommended

Resources or from the Ashford University Library.
Suggested: Other resources as needed.
Note that resources must be cited in the text as well as included
in the bibliography to
satisfy the requirement.
The textbook and guidance do not count toward the resources
requirement, though you
are free to use them as additional resources.

PHI208 WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE WEEK FIVE ASSIGNME.docx

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