ENG 113: Composition I

What is an Ethical Argument?  Ethics is the field of philosophy that studies the standards by which actions can be judged as right or wrong or good or bad Measure against a standard Consider in terms of their consequences  Often includes abstract concepts such as good, right, duty, obligation, honor and choice  Applied Ethics is the field of philosophy that applies ethics to real-life issues

Ethical Argument  An ethical argument focuses on whether something should be done because it is good or right (or not done because it is bad or wrong)  Examples: Should teenagers ever be tried as adults? Is the death penalty ever justified? Do animals have rights?

Ethical Arguments  Ethical arguments: Begin with a clear statement that something is right or wrong Show how a religious, philosophical, or ethical principle supports this position

Stating an Ethical Principle  The most important part of an ethical argument is the ethical principle  The ethical principle is a general statement about what is good or bad, right or wrong  The ethical principal is the set of values that guide you to an ethically correct conclusion

Stating an Ethical Principle  You can show something is good or right by establishing that it conforms to a particular moral law or will result in something good for society  You can show that something is bad or wrong by demonstrating that something violates a moral law or will result in something bad for society

A Self-Evident Ethical Principle  Whenever possible, you should base your ethical argument on an ethical principle that is self-evident An ethical principle is self-evident if it needs no proof or explanation ○ You avoid needing to establish the principle that is the basis for your essay Example: Thomas Jefferson “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” If the audience accepts the self-evident ethical principle, they will also accept your argument

A Universal Ethical Principle  The ethical principle must be self- evident to most of your readers, not just those that agree with you or hold a particular religious or cultural beliefs  The ethical principle should be universally accepted and stated in a way that applies universally

Ethics versus Law  An ethical argument generally deals with what is right and wrong, not necessarily what is legal or illegal There is a big difference between laws and ethics ○ Laws – rules that govern a society and are enforced by its political and legal systems ○ Ethics – standards that determine how human conduct is judged

Ethics versus Laws Something that is legal is not necessarily ethical Examples of past laws that are now considered unjust: ○ Jim Crow laws: restricted rights of African Americans ○ Nuremburg laws: restricted rights of Jews in Germany ○ Apartheid laws: enforced racial segregation in South Africa These laws were passed, enforced, and obeyed ○ Ethical arguments against unjust laws Martin Luther King Jr. Important to do what is ethically right, not just what is legally right

Understanding Ethical Dilemmas  It is often difficult to decide what is right or wrong or what is good or bad  A dilemma is a choice between alternatives that seem equally favorable  An ethical dilemma occurs when there is a conflict between two or more possible actions—each of which will have a similar consequence or outcome

Ethical Dilemma  The “Lifeboat Dilemma” A ship hits an iceberg Survivors are overloaded into a lifeboat A storm approaches Captain’s ethical dilemma: ○ If he does nothing, the overloaded boat will capsize, and all the people will drown ○ If he throws some people overboard, he will save some of the passengers in the lifeboat, but the people thrown overboard will die

Ethical Dilemma  Sophie’s Choice – 1979 novel by William Styron The narrator of the novel is a woman named Sophie Sophie and her two children are arrested by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz A guard gives Sophie a horrible choice ○ She may choose one child to live and one to go to the gas chamber ○ If she refuses to choose, both children will be sent to the gas chamber

Everyday Ethical Dilemmas  Business owner The business owner realizes he must cut costs If the owner takes no action, the business will fail If the owner cuts costs, employees will be laid off and hurt, but the jobs for the rest of the employees will be saved  Surgeon A pair of conjoined twins who share a heart must be separated If the surgeon does not operate, both twins will die If the surgeon operates, one twin will definitely die, but the other might live

Resolving an Ethical Dilemma  Often, the only way to resolve an ethical dilemma is to choose the lesser of two evils  Simple definitions of “right or wrong” and “good or bad” do not work  Although it may be tempting to apply clear ethical principals in your writing, you should be careful not to oversimplify the situations you are writing about

Structuring an Ethical Argument  Introduction Establishes the ethical principle and states the essay’s thesis  Background Gives an overview of the situation  Ethical Analysis Explains the ethical principle Analyzes the particular situation on the basis of this principle  Refutation of Opposing Arguments Addresses arguments against the thesis  Conclusion Restates the ethical principle and the thesis Includes a strong concluding sentence