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PHL203.90: Ethics[MOD5 ONLINE (4/27-6/20/2015)]
Unit 6
PHL203.90: Ethics[MOD5 ONLINE (4/27-6/20/2015)]
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Unit 6
Unit 6 Introduction
When we consider the morality of the use of the death penalty there are a number of issues to consider, and which are of paramount importance for the ethical theories we have been studying throughout the course. Capital punishment has been defended as a form of punishment, justified retribution, as a preventative method to stop future crime by the criminal, and as a method of deterrence for would be criminals. It has also been argued as a potential cost-saving mechanism for tax-payers when applied to those doing life sentences. Just like in previous weeks, we have to establish what our premises are before we can make an informed judgment on the subject. The first moral theory we will consider this week is consequentialism, and more specifically, utilitarianism. In general, the thing to consider when applying utilitarian thinking to the death penalty is that the social good must be the highest priority, not punishment, justice, or retribution alone. Deontological theory is often used to advocate for the continued use of the death penalty if its use rests on three main pillars that we will examine further in this week’s mini-lecture. This unit will prepare us for unit 7, where we will look at torture and terrorism and what we owe, morally, to those who we see as withholding vital information or enemies of the state. In this sense the premises you develop here, will likely carry over to your feelings on the ethics of war.
Objectives:
Develop and apply a thorough understanding of the legal history of the death penalty in the United States, and the questions surrounding its use.Apply the ethical reasoning of consequentialism and deontological ethics to the use of the death penalty.Compose a logical argument that starts with your initial premises and logically arrives at your conclusion as to the morality of the death penalty
Activities:
Read, view/review Unit Readings & ResourcesActively participate in Unit Discussion(s)Complete Unit Writing Assignment
Readings and Resources
Presentations:Lecture Notes PDF – Right Click to Download: Unit 6 LectureEthics of Punishment [PowerPoint]Articles & Websites:Cassell, P. G., & Bedau, H. (2004). Debating the Death Penalty : Should America Have Capital Punishment?: the Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case. New York: Oxford University Press.Read Chapter 2.Melusky, J., & Pesto, K. A. (2011). Capital Punishment. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.Read Chapter 4.Ieva. (2011, Mar 6). The Death Penalty: Utilitarian and Deontological Perspectives. [Web Log]Stairs, A. (n.d.). Kant on Capital PunishmentVideos:
Watch Video
Jeremy Irons talks about the death penalty
Duration: (3:24)
User: humantv – Added: 5/11/07
YouTube URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVMho2cP1NE
Watch Video
More than 40 percent of ex-cons return to prison
Duration: (2:32)
User: cbs – Added: 4/13/11
YouTube URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Myfqo2e44
Actor Jeremy Irons outlines arguments against capital punishment in a clip to support Amnesty International’s campaign against the death penalty.Although states spend over $50 billion per year on corrections, more than four in 10 offenders return to state prison within three years of release. Jim Axelrod reports on the role of judicial systems.
Watch Video
Revelle Forum: Scott Turow with Jeffrey Toobin
Duration: (58:53)
User: uctelevision – Added:1/31/08
Click on the image in the center to start the video.
Supplemental Resources:Andre, C. and Velasquez, M. (1988). Capital Punishment: Our Duty or Our Doom?. Ethics: 1Ethics Guide: Capital Punishment. BBC.Punishment and the Death Penalty. Ethics Updates.Introduction to the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Information Center.Abolitionist and Retention Countries
Unit 6.1 DB: Reading Reflection
Discuss a topic from this week’s reading that was of particular interest to you. Why did this topic spark your interest? How does the topic relate to the other topics we have read about? Your post should be at least 1 – 2 short paragraphs in length. Provide a thoughtful and appropriate response to at least two other students’ posts.
Unit 6.2 DB: Morality of Capital Punishment
In this discussion forum, discuss your feelings on the morality of capital punishment in general, and more specifically on our system of justice. Statistics seem to show that those who are born in impoverished neighborhoods or with parents who have been in prison will be much more likely to commit crimes and end up in prison. Does this mean that there is an element of determinism in the lives of those who end up in prison? Does this make our legal system unjust, or unethical? Relate this back to the film clips from the Freakonomics movie that discussed the relationship between abortion and lower crime rates. What do these statistics mean for us as a society and for the existence of free will?
Unit 6 Written Assignment
Assignments submitted through this link will be checked using SafeAssign by Blackboard. Your work will not be used for any purpose other than preventing plagiarism in the University. Ownership of the intellectual property contained in your written work will not be transferred to any third party. Please submit your paper as a Word Document. If you have the 2010 version of Word, please save your paper in a previous version (Word 97-2003 document) as Safe Assign may not accept the most recent version.
The requirements for this assignment are to:
Examine your thesis statement using one or two particular sub-types of consequentialist ethics.Write a 5-6 paragraph essay that encompasses and explains how consequentialist ethicists in your chosen sub-type would generally view your topic, your thesis statement, and your three supporting reasons.Remain cognizant of how this essay will fit into your final paper.
Students: Be sure to read the criteria, by which your paper/project will be evaluated, before you write, and again after you write. Refer to the rubric document inCourse Information
This Unit you will write an essay examining your chosen topic and thesis statement through the eyes of an ethical consequentialist. More specifically you will choose a particular sub-type of consequentialism (Act, Rule, or Preference utilitarianism) to focus on in your essay. You must discuss the various strengths and weaknesses of the sub-type and how those who adhere to that system address the ethical issue you chose. This will require using the readings that are in the unit that corresponds to your topic, the readings on consequentialist ethics, and outside research that you conduct on your own. The paper should follow the structure outlined below:
Introduction: Your introductory paragraph must include your thesis statement and explain that you will be examining your topic through the eyes of a consequentialist ethicist. You must also list the various sub-types of consequentialist ethics that you will be examining in the body of this paper (generally, one to two sub-types is enough).
Body: The body of the paper should be broken up into three paragraphs.
Application: The first paragraph or two in the body should apply consequentialist ethical theory to your topic, and more specifically you must examine your particular chosen consequentialist (utilitarian) sub-type and how it connects to your topic and thesis statement. In this paragraph you should cite utilitarian scholars and how they view your topic.
Strengths: In the next paragraph of the body of your paper you must show the strengths of your chosen utilitarian theory in relation to your topic, and the ways that you think this moral theory might work well with the thesis statement you are arguing.
Weaknesses: In the last paragraph of the body of your paper, you must examine the weaknesses of your chosen utilitarian theory in relation to your topic and the ways that you think this moral theory might not work well with the thesis statement you are arguing.
Conclusion: This should be one paragraph. The conclusion should very briefly review the main points of your essay and must contain a paraphrased restatement of your thesis.
The Unit 6 paper must be 375 to 500 words in length (excluding title and reference pages), double spaced, and formatted according to APA style, using Times new Roman type and size 12 Font. You must use at least two scholarly resources to support this essay. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, please visit this tutorial from the American Psychological Association or refer to the Post University APA Style Guide.
