Ethics and Moral Reasoning (Essay Sample)

Instructions:

the task:
Choose one: Gender and Equality
Sexual harassment in the workplace
Equal pay for equal work
Hiring discrimination
Portrayals of men and women in the media or advertising
The difference that feminine approaches might make to a specific ethical issue
Formulated a concrete ethical question, take a position on that topic, and identified a reason supporting and a reason opposing that position. Applied deontological or utilitarian theory, to the question, and raised a relevant objection.
By engaging with the course material, you now have had a chance to refine your thinking and broaden your understanding of the problem by approaching it from the perspective of multiple ethical theories.
In this paper, you will demonstrate what you have learned by writing an essay in which you
Present a revised formulation of the ethical question and introduction to the topic.
Explain the kind of reasoning you think is the best way to approach this question, and how that reasoning supports the position you think is strongest.
Raise an objection, and be able to respond to it.
Instructions
The paragraphs of your essay should conform to the following guidelines:
Introduction
Your first paragraph should begin with the topic question, suitably
revised. It should be focused, concrete, and on a relevant moral problem. You should then introduce the topic in the way, but reflecting the developed understanding and information you have gained about the topic and any necessary refinement of the scope.
Follow this with a thesis statement that states your position, and a brief description of the primary reason(s) supporting your position. Finally, provide a brief preview of the overall aim and procedure of your paper.
Explanation and Demonstration of Moral Reasoning
This section of the Final Paper will explain and demonstrate what you believe to be the best way of reasoning about the question you have chosen, and showing how that reasoning supports the position you have taken on the question. You might explain the principles, rules, values, virtues, conceptions of purposes and ends, and other general ideas that you find persuasive, and show how they support concrete judgments.
In the course of doing so, you must make reference to at least two of the approaches that we have examined in the course (such as deontological, utilitarian, or virtue-based), and utilize at least one resource off the provided list for each of the two approaches.
For example, you might find the reasoning associated with Aristotelian virtue ethics to be the most compelling, and reference Aristotle in the process of showing how that reasoning supports a certain conclusion. In the course of this, you could contrast that with a utilitarian approach, referencing Mill for instance.
Objection and Response
After explaining the ethical reasoning that supports your position, you should raise an objection and respond to it. An objection articulates a plausible reason why someone might find the argument weak or problematic. You should explain how it brings out this weakness, and do so in a way that would be acceptable to someone who disagrees with your own argument. Then, provide the best response you can to the objection, showing how it does not undermine your position. Your response should not simply restate your original position or argument, but should say something new in support of it.
Conclusion
Provide a conclusion that sums up what you presented in the paper and offers some final reflections.
what the sample is about:
gender and equality, an ethical question was formulated, I took a stand with regaerd to the uestion. I went further to identify a reason supporting and a reason opposing that position. I applied the utilitarian theory to the question and raised a relevant objection

source..

Content:

Ethics and Moral Reasoning
Name
Supervisor
Date
Introduction
Do women deserve equal opportunities in all sectors (economical, educational, etc.) and even in decision making with men? Gender refers to the socially constructed responsibilities and roles that are appropriate to men and women according to the societyâ€™s eye. On the other hand, gender equality refers to women and men having equal opportunities for education, personal development, and financial opportunities. In our current society, the gender equality gap is still big, and a lot is yet to be done to reduce it. It is quite the norm that women are considered the weaker species compared to men due to their heightened sentimentality, thus not being given the necessary attention and opportunities they deserve. When thought out critically, it for this reason of heightened sentimentality that women should be given equal opportunities since they are more cautious and value good performance. The aim of this paper is to point out the available gaps in gender equality and rationalize the need for women being placed on a similar platform with men when it comes to opportunities
It is true to say that favor mostly men and boys in most societies around the world. The boys and men who conform to the masculine norm end up benefiting from gender inequality as it gives them a stronger voice in decision making, more power and status, greater personal freedom, and more robust rights than women and girls. Most societies go ahead to divide responsibilities for keeping communities and households functioning in a similar way; the division of labour according to gender assigns girls and women a large share of unpaid caregiving, invisible and household tasks. When it comes to men, the work assigned to them is perceived as being of greater economic value, and prestige than work done by women. Such issues are in both low income and rich countries alike.
When it comes to deontological approaches Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is the most famous proponent. Also known as the non-consequential approach, deontological approach presumes that any action is either right or wrong. This classification bears in mind that an action is right if it respects the rules, and wrong if it does not do so. The need for gender equality shares strongly from Immanuel Kant ideas. His categorical imperative was for the idea that an individual should be treated just like the rest and as a free person. It is a moral right for everyone to be treated as such, and the fact that they should extend the same should be their moral duty. Hence, women should be treated equally as men, and they also have a correlative duty to treat men as such. The only problem with Kantâ€™s approach is that it assumes reversibility of roles whereby if a man perceives that a woman does not deserve an administrative post then, if the man were to be placed in the womanâ€™s shoes he would agree to it. However, it is worth noting that men and women or persons of different sexual orientation when discriminated against, feel discomfort. Consequently, making the discrimination unethical regardless of whether the source of the discomfort can be reversed through empathic responsibility changes that intend to justify it.
A utilitarian approach is the one that holds that the morally right course of action is the one that produces the most benefits over harms for everyone affected. This approach does not take into account whether the benefits came as a result of lies, coercion, or manipulation, so long as it is for the maximum good of everyone. Ethically, utilitarianism holds that morality depends on balancing the harmful and beneficial consequences of our conduct. Any form of discrimination including gender discrimination is wrong as it brings about pain, thus making it amoral, to those being discriminated against. It is said that when the majority of the people form the underclass then there is the need for a moral rule that will heighten human happiness if followed universally. Appling this on the issue of gender equality where women are considered an underclass as compared to the men, the advantaged class this should not be condoned as it would lead to an unjust society. It can be said that utilitarianism favors gender equality as it requires people to respect other peopleâ€™s rights thus creating a more just and sensitive society. Consequently, raising the notions of egalitarianism.
The majority of have come to accept the importance of having a leveled field when it comes to opportunities, and decision making for both men and women but there are those who are still opposed to this idea. The opposition is brought about by those men who are still deeply engraved in the cultural norms that place women at an inferior position. They argue that women are weaker beings compared to men and their only role in the society is to handle household chores while taking care of the baby as men go to look for money. The various forms of discrimination faced by girlsâ€™ limits their ability to access resources, develop capabilities, enjoy equal social status, and direct their life course.
There are a lot of consequences that come about due to the imbalance between men and women. One of them includes violence against women. This refers to acts of violence directed against women. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations, it was found out that one in every four women in the world is abused or attacked in some way, and it is often by a family member. The women in refugee camps and war-torn countries are particularly at high risk as they lack support from social institutions and the community and are vulnerable to attacks from enemy forces. The other form of violence is the trafficking of girls and women for sexual servitude or forced labor. It is a widespread problem that affects mainly Asia and Africa.
The other lingering issue that affects many women worldwide is the issue of job opportunities and pay. A survey done in 1975 revealed that women earned 63 percent less of what was earned by men, and by 2008 the figure had gone up to 78 percent. The gap in wages cuts across all cadres of education. One reason may be because women that are mostly found in lower-paying jobs and have minimal representation in top-level managerial positions. In 2007 women comprised 45.6% of the countryâ€™s labor force, and 38 percent worked in professional, or management positions ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.2839/9948", "ISBN" : "9789292183127", "abstract" : "The European Union now has its first Index, created by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), that gives a comprehensive measure of gender equality in the EU and Member States based on the EU policy framework. The Gender Equality Index will complement the work of the EU and MS in promoting and realising gender equality as one of the fundamental values of the EU and will provide evidence for future policy improvements. The Gender Equality Index shows that the European Union is only halfway towards a gender-equal society, with an average EU score of 54 (where 1 stands for no gender equality and 100 for full gender equality). Find out more! http://eige.europa.eu/content/activities/gender-equality-index", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Eige", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "European Institute for Gender Equality", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2013" ] ] }, "number-of-pages" : "182", "title" : "Gender Equality Index country profiles", "type" : "book" }, "ur...

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Ethics and Moral Reasoning (Essay Sample)

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