Term Essay: State a moral dilemma you have PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED in the past, clearly indicating
the nature of moral issues involved, and the actions you have taken then to resolve it. Explain the
moral reasoning for those actions? What results? Were you able to resolve the issue(s) in a morally
satisfactory manner? In reconsidering the case today, would you approach this dilemma in the same manner
as in the past, or would you handle it differently? Why or why not?
Rather than being a mere opinion paper, this must be a research-based analysis with current scholarly input.
You will identify prominent ethicists and theorists within past 20 years, who can offer both perspectives and
resolutions to the case in point. The paper must demonstrate your ability to critically examine the issue(s)
with insight and theoretical understanding. Your current coursework in ethics should help you with this. The
quality of your essay will be determined by the kind of analysis you offer, supported by credible academic,
scholarly sources.
Some general subject areas may include abortion, allowing someone to die, human rights violation, racial
and social discrimination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, truth telling, informed consent,
confidentiality in medicine, & animal rights. These topics are only a few examples, but you may propose any
other topic that may meet the elements of analysis specified in the syllabus. Nevertheless, topics such as
lying, cheating, breaking promises, and stealing are not acceptable. Please also note that you cannot adopt a
story from someone else; but it must be drawn from your own personal experience. You must be the
focus of analysis.
You are allowed to consult only peer-reviewed academic Journal articles and book chapters within the past
20 years. No encyclopedias, videos or audios can be used. All non-academic sources such as ChatGPT,
Wikipedia, Ethics News, news magazines, popular internet sources (.com; .org; .edu and others) must be
avoided. If I see evidence for ChatGPT generated material in any of the written assignments,
that assignment will be rejected, and only in rare cases you will be given an opportunity to
C. 2D. rewrite it. You are encouraged to utilize COD databases and search engines for both print sources and
electronic sources. See Appendixes-A & B for a list of ethics-related journals and writing guidelines.
The essay must provide 3-4 pages discussion, excluding a cover page, and a “Works Cited” page (double
spaced, font size: 12). Full bibliographical information is required for the Works Cited (name of the author,
title of the article, name of the journal, place, and year of publication), adhering to MLA format. In-text
citation must match with “Works Cited.” Works Cited information must have a minimum of five academic
sources. The due date is marked in the syllabus.
I once faced a moral dilemma with my elderly dog who had a serious heart condition. The vet offered costly treatments that might extend his life but with uncertain comfort. I had to decide between pursuing treatment or choosing euthanasia, weighing my love for him against his quality of life and suffering. I decided to spend the money to provide treatment since he might have a chance to live a longer life that is free from suffering.
Pain and/or suffering
Care for other beings
At a previous job, I noticed a qualified coworker was passed over for a promotion, likely because of their race as there was no other person of color in management. I wasn’t in charge, but I knew it was unfair. I felt torn between speaking up and risking my job, or staying silent and feeling guilty. Since i had a young family to support, I decided to not speak up, and to this day I feel badly about that decision.
Related Philosophical or Formal Terms:
Related Philosophical or Formal Terms: