An ethical perspective is the lens through which we formulate our ethical standards and practices. If ethics is the “what”, an ethical perspective is the “why” that motivates and informs what we accept as ethical. We all have a unique ethical perspective, but there are many widely accepted and well known ethical perspectives established by philosophers and leaders in history. This week we will explore some of these perspectives.
Your assignment for Module One is to choose TWO of the following ethical perspectives to compare and contrast and create a bulleted outline of each ethical perspective. You will then build on this assignment in Module Two by applying these two perspectives to a hypothetical clinical scenario and drafting an essay discussing how each perspective might affect decision making in that scenario.
You may choose any of the six perspectives included in the following list. Please bear in mind that you will be responsible for further investigation of the two perspectives you choose. This will require you to seek out resources not provided in the weekly reading.
- Utilitarianism
- Kantianism/Deontology
- Care Ethics
- Social Justice or Social Contract Theory
- Communitarianism
- Virtue Theory
This is a two-part assignment. The first step will be an outline of the two perspectives and their relation to each other in a medical context.
This outline should include the following.
- One paragraph summary of each perspective
- Prominent historical figures associated with each perspective
- Theoretical strengths of each perspective
- Theoretical weaknesses of each perspective
This outline may be completed in a Microsoft Word or Google Document. You should be able to accomplish this assignment in under three pages. A table or bulleted format is appropriate.
You will need at least four independent sources (two for each perspective) in order to support the information in the outline. Please remember that you will need to cite sources using APA format.
This is a self-directed research assignment, so please feel free to seek out resources as you see fit. In order to get you started, here are several links with more information on each ethical perspective. You may also wish to utilize the links posted in the Course Resources Page in Canvas. You WILL need to seek out other sources in order to complete this assignment.
Once you have completed the outline, submit your assignment in the designated folder in Canvas.
Please feel free to contact your instructor at any time with questions you may have.
