Read Through The Prompt For Essay 2 First: The Topic Is Base

Read Through The Prompt For Essay 2 First The Topic Is Based On Ans

Read through the prompt for Essay #2 first. The topic is based on answering the basic question: what do you think is right or wrong? Since this is a potentially very broad topic, you should first consider what approach to this question you want to consider. The essay prompt breaks down the topic into three basic approaches: 1. Justice: in this approach, consider what is right or wrong under the law; 2. Ethics: in this approach, consider what is right or wrong in regard to how one's actions affect other people regardless of the law; 3. Morality: in this approach, consider what is right or wrong based on one's own personal sense of how one should act based on considerations such as religion or some non-religious concept of duty. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

Paper For Above instruction

The core of the essay prompt revolves around the philosophical exploration of moral judgments, specifically addressing the question of what individuals perceive as right or wrong. This exploration is structured into three distinct but interconnected frameworks: justice, ethics, and morality. Each framework offers a different lens through which to evaluate moral issues, and understanding these distinctions is essential for constructing a nuanced and comprehensive response to the prompt.

Justice pertains to societal rules, laws, and regulations that define what is legally permissible or impermissible. It emphasizes an external standard based on societal consensus or codified statutes. When approaching a question from a justice perspective, one examines whether an act aligns with or violates established laws and legal principles. For example, in debating the morality of actions such as stealing, a justice-based approach would primarily consider whether such acts are illegal within the legal system, regardless of personal or societal notions of right or wrong.

Ethics, by contrast, refers to a set of moral principles that guide individual and collective behavior beyond legal considerations. Ethical reasoning typically involves evaluating the consequences of actions and their impact on others, emphasizing fairness, rights, and duties. Ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics provide diverse perspectives on what constitutes morally right or wrong. For instance, an ethical approach to lying would consider whether the act promotes overall happiness or whether it violates an obligation to truthfulness, independent of whether lying is illegal.

Morality involves personal or cultural beliefs about right and wrong, often rooted in religious doctrines, spiritual principles, or deeply held personal values. Morality is subjective, varying widely across cultures and individuals, and it shapes personal conduct based on what one perceives as one's duty or spiritual obligation. For example, someone guided by religious morality might refrain from acts they believe violate divine commandments, even if such acts are legal or ethically permissible from a secular standpoint.

Choosing an approach depends on the particular moral issue at hand and the perspective from which one wishes to analyze it. A balanced discussion might incorporate elements of all three frameworks to provide a comprehensive view. For instance, an individual might recognize that murder is illegal (justice), morally wrong because it causes suffering (ethics), and against personal or religious principles (morality).

In constructing the essay, it is crucial to clarify which approach or combination of approaches is being adopted. This clarity ensures a coherent argument and allows for an in-depth analysis of the moral question posed by the prompt. Additionally, providing real-world examples or hypothetical scenarios can help illustrate how each framework guides moral reasoning.

In sum, the exploration of right and wrong through the lenses of justice, ethics, and morality offers a rich and layered understanding of human moral judgment. Recognizing the distinctions and intersections among these approaches can deepen one's insight into complex moral dilemmas and support well-reasoned personal or philosophical positions.

References

- Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.

- Kant, I. (1785). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Hackett Publishing.

- Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. Parker, Son, and Bourn.

- Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press.

- Singer, P. (2011). Practical Ethics (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

- Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2019). The Elements of Moral Philosophy (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

- Shafer-Landau, R. (2017). The Fundamentals of Ethics (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

- Williams, B. (1985). Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy. Harvard University Press.

- Kant, I. (1998). Critique of Practical Reason. Cambridge University Press.

- Nagel, T. (1979). The View From Nowhere. Oxford University Press.