Help For The SAGE In Focus Project

Help for the SAGE in Focus Projecthelp For Thesage In Focusmodel Of I

The Sage in Focus Model of Inquiry organizes critical thinking skills developed in our textbook and online content sheets, guiding students through a structured investigation of ethical conflicts. The project begins with inward reflection on personal or observed ethical conflicts, emphasizing significant moral stakes involving values, virtues, consequences, rights, and responsibilities. Learners are encouraged to identify whether rights are being violated, who is responsible, who is harmed, and how violations and conflicts among agents arise. This process helps to select a compelling subject for inquiry, such as issues affecting people, animals, societies, or nature.

Initial research includes searching for related news stories, personal accounts, or online resources that shed light on the ethical issue. As research progresses, students gather and organize pertinent information, noting potential ways to address ethical dilemmas. The key is to identify a major conflict among agents concerning the moral stakes, which becomes the core problem to investigate. This ethics issue, along with its moral dimensions, guides the entire project.

The project begins with a brief introduction outlining the ethical concern, its significance, and personal or societal relevance, possibly connecting it to media coverage or broader issues. In the 'See' (S) section, students present the primary conflict, stakeholders, and the values or virtues in tension. They analyze how each agent or stakeholder perceives the conflict from their perspective, identifying different frames for understanding the moral issue. This involves characterizing the main ethical dilemma, providing exemplifications, and establishing contextual frames that clarify differing viewpoints.

The 'Analyze' (A) section requires comprehensive background research, identifying all relevant agents and their beliefs, desires, and intentions, and understanding their moral stakes. This involves examining factual and moral claims, and applying moral navigation tools to analyze the motivations and positions of each stakeholder. Critical evaluation of evidence and claims, including identifying mitigating or exculpating conditions, ensures a nuanced understanding of the ethical conflict, ultimately leading to a stakeholder analysis that maps out the moral landscape.

The 'Generate Options' (G) phase involves brainstorming multiple strategies to resolve or mitigate the ethical conflict. Students consider at least two distinct options, detailing the steps each agent would need to take. These options should aim to improve conditions by reducing harms, increasing benefits, or addressing rights and responsibilities. A coherent, practical plan synchronizes these actions, demonstrating how various agents’ roles contribute to the resolution. Creativity and outside-the-box thinking are encouraged to develop innovative solutions.

'Evaluate' (E) involves applying ethical theories and moral development considerations to assess the proposed options. This includes utilitarianism, virtue ethics, deontology, social contract theories, and other frameworks, evaluating how each option aligns or conflicts with these perspectives. Students demonstrate an understanding of ethical concepts and theories, analyzing risks, uncertainties, and moral implications of each option, highlighting strengths and weaknesses.

The final section, the 'Conclusion,' synthesizes the investigation by presenting a well-justified strategy for resolving the ethical issue. This includes a clear argument supporting the selected option, citing moral, ethical, practical, and factual reasons. Students acknowledge potential weaknesses or objections, explaining why they do not undermine the solution. Strong concluding remarks reflect on what has been learned, emphasizing the importance of ethical reasoning and responsible action. Supporting references from credible sources underpin the entire inquiry.

Paper For Above instruction

The Sage in Focus project is a comprehensive ethical inquiry that encourages students to critically examine conflicts involving moral stakes, values, virtues, rights, and responsibilities. The process begins with inward reflection to identify an ethical conflict that resonates personally or societally, often involving questions of justice, harm, and moral rights. This initial step involves asking fundamental questions about who is affected, who violates rights, who suffers harm, and how conflicts among various agents arise. Such introspection helps to narrow down broad ethical concerns into a focused issue that can be thoroughly investigated.

The first major phase, FIND and FRAME, involves articulating the primary ethical issue clearly, supported by relevant sources such as news stories or personal experiences. Students identify key agents—individuals, groups, organizations—and understand their beliefs, desires, and intentions that form the basis of their moral stakes. This understanding is facilitated by framing the issue from different perspectives or contexts to appreciate the diversity of moral reasoning involved. By exploring at least two different frames, students can contrast how the issue is perceived differently depending on the moral lens—be it a virtue ethics perspective emphasizing character and virtues, or a utilitarian view focusing on consequences. This framing clarifies the core conflict and helps contextualize subsequent analysis.

The ANALYZE phase deepens this understanding through comprehensive research and stakeholder analysis. Students gather factual information from reputable sources, evaluating the reliability and relevance of evidence. This research is complemented by applying moral navigation tools—conceptual frameworks that clarify the beliefs, desires, and intentions of each agent. Critical analysis examines how each stakeholder perceives the facts and moral claims, considering potential mitigating or exculpatory circumstances. This step underscores the complexity of moral reasoning by recognizing conflicting information and perspectives, ultimately mapping out the stakeholders' moral and practical stakes. Such a detailed analysis illuminates the nuances of each position, setting the stage for developing ethical solutions.

In the GENERATE options phase, students brainstorm practical, creative solutions to the identified ethical dilemma. Each option must be feasible, realistic, and aimed at addressing the conflict by reducing harms, resolving rights violations, or promoting virtues. This involves delineating specific steps each agent would need to undertake and considering how different agents' actions can be coordinated into a coherent strategy. Creativity is encouraged to explore multiple avenues, such as policy changes, educational initiatives, or community actions. The goal is to craft a comprehensive plan that balances ethical considerations with practical constraints, aligning actions with moral principles.

The EVALUATE section involves rigorous assessment of each proposed option through various ethical theories and developmental frameworks. Students apply consequentialist, deontological, virtue, and social contract theories to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each solution. They critically analyze how these perspectives support or oppose each option, considering potential risks, uncertainties, and moral implications. This evaluative process demonstrates mastery of ethical concepts and showcases the ability to reason ethically across diverse frameworks, ensuring that the final recommendation is morally justified and practically sound.

The culmination of the project is the conclusion, where students synthesize their analysis into a compelling argument for their chosen resolution strategy. This section articulates why the selected option is the most effective, ethical, and feasible, citing specific moral, practical, and factual reasons. Students address potential objections and limitations, explaining why their solution remains compelling despite these challenges. The conclusion reflects on lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of ethical reasoning in resolving real-world conflicts and proposing actionable steps for responsible moral engagement. Supporting references from scholarly literature and credible sources underpin and validate the entire inquiry, demonstrating diligent research and ethical insight.

References

• Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Kant, I. (1785/1993). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Cambridge University Press.
• Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. Longmans, Green & Co.
• Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press.
• Nussbaum, M. (2006). Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership. Harvard University Press.
• Nozick, R. (1974). Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Basic Books.
• MacIntyre, A. (1981). After Virtue. University of Notre Dame Press.
• Singer, P. (2011). Practical Ethics (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Schneider, S. (2004). Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations. Routledge.
• Reynolds, J. (2014). Ethical Theory: An Anthology. Wiley-Blackwell.