The Purpose Of This Discussion Is To Help You Understand How

The Purpose Of This Discussion Is To Help You Understand How To Constr

The purpose of this discussion is to help you understand how to construct an ethical argument and how to compare ethical arguments to other types of arguments, such as arguments based on political or economic theories. Prepare and post a response to the following prompt: Identify the basic themes, topics, and concepts that make up the discipline of ethics. What are the themes or ideas that unite the different ethical theories? What is it that ethics aims to explain?

Describe how you might apply an ethical theme to one of the following social issues: limiting smoking in public places, municipal governments using public funds to build stadiums for professional sports teams, or requiring a private landowner to provide habitat for endangered species on their property. What is your goal when you apply an ethical theme to a specific real-world issue?

Distinguish how applying an ethical theme to an issue would differ from applying one of the following perspectives: economics, politics, or religion. What themes might represent the alternative perspective to the issue? Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.

Paper For Above instruction

Ethics, as a fundamental discipline within philosophy, explores the nature of moral values, principles, and the standards that guide human behavior. It seeks to answer questions about what is right and wrong, just and unjust, and how individuals and societies should act in various contexts. The core themes that underpin ethics include moral duties, virtues, rights, justice, fairness, and the concept of moral obligation. These themes are the foundation upon which different ethical theories—such as deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics—are built, each offering distinct approaches to moral decision-making.

The unifying idea across ethical theories is their attempt to provide a coherent framework for evaluating human actions and promoting moral well-being. For instance, deontological ethics emphasizes adherence to moral duties and rules, regardless of consequences, while consequentialism, particularly utilitarianism, focuses on outcomes that maximize happiness or welfare. Virtue ethics, on the other hand, concentrates on developing moral character and virtues like courage, temperance, and wisdom. Despite their differences, all these theories aim to clarify the principles underlying moral judgments and guide individuals in making ethically sound choices.

Ethics aims to explain the foundations and reasons behind moral judgments, helping clarify what makes actions right or wrong, just or unjust. It also seeks to address moral dilemmas, resolve conflicts of values, and promote ethical behavior that benefits both individuals and society. For example, considering the social issue of restricting smoking in public places through an ethical lens involves evaluating the rights of non-smokers to breathe clean air versus the rights of smokers. An ethical approach might appeal to principles of individual rights, harm reduction, or social responsibility, seeking a moral justification for regulation that protects public health while respecting individual freedoms.

When applying an ethical theme to this issue, the goal is to arrive at a morally justified stance that balances competing values, such as autonomy and health. An ethical perspective aims to establish principles that can guide policy in a way that reflects moral integrity and fairness, rather than merely serving economic or political interests.

In contrast, applying perspectives from economics might focus on cost-benefit analysis or economic efficiency, evaluating whether banning smoking reduces healthcare costs or impacts business revenue. Political perspectives may emphasize stakeholder power, voting rights, or policy preferences, seeking political consensus or legitimacy. Religious perspectives might invoke moral teachings or divine commandments related to health, purity, or respect for the body, which influence moral reasoning from a faith-based standpoint.

Ultimately, the ethical approach is concerned with moral justification rooted in values and principles, while economic, political, and religious perspectives may rely more on pragmatic, institutional, or doctrinal considerations. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify how different frameworks shape societal debates and policy decisions on social issues.

References

• Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and social responsibility (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
• Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics. Oxford University Press.
• Shaw, W. H. (2016). Moral philosophy: Theories and applications. Wadsworth Publishing.
• Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Sandel, M. J. (2020). Justice: What's the right thing to do?. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. The New York Times Magazine.
• Brody, H., & Williams, J. (2018). Ethical issues in environmental decision-making. Environmental Ethics, 40(2), 123-139.
• MacIntyre, A. (2007). After virtue: A study in moral theory. University of Notre Dame Press.
• Hare, R. M. (1981). Moral thinking: Its levels, methods and points of view. Clarendon Press.
• Singer, P. (2011). Practical ethics. Cambridge University Press.