Applied Ethics: Essay Guidelines
The paper should be 4-5 pages, typed, 12-point font, and double-spaced. You are required to write an analytical essay that is much more thorough incorporating 3 outside sources into the paper.
TOPICS:
This is an applied ethics paper, so I want you to choose an applied ethics topic of capital punishment. Write the paper from a retribution/retributivism standpoint.
I have included (2) articles that must be incorporated in the paper – “Eye for an Eye” by Stephen Nathanson and “Justice, Civilization and the Death Penalty” by Jeffrey Reiman. You must cite and use at least 2 other sources. (please see the other page for links to sources).
ORGANIZATION:
It is imperative that your essay is structured in this way.
1st paragraph: (a) Explain the basic idea or summarize the issue. (B) Have a thesis statement: POSSIBLE EXAMPLE–“I will examine the argument from design and Paley’s same-evidence argument, and then provide objections from David Hume. I will show that Hume’s objections are decisive and the argument from design is flawed.”
2nd paragraph: Explain the first argument for X.
3rd paragraph: Explain the second argument for X
4th (and 5th) paragraph: Explain objections to the arguments for X.
5th or 6th paragraph: Explain a response to the objections.
Conclusion: Have a say on the issue. Do you agree with the argument or objections? Why or why not?
“A good philosophy paper is modest and makes a small point; but it makes that point clearly and straightforwardly, and it offers good reasons in support of it.
OUTSIDE SOURCES AND LINKS:
I hope it’s fairly obvious that you shouldn’t use Wikipedia for outside research. Also, blog posts from the internet aren’t too reliable either (even if the person has a PhD in philosophy).
Outside sources that are approved are peer-reviewed, academic journals or encyclopedias. Here are my recommendations.
1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
This is a great resource and the topics are varied. Each topic is structured very well, with arguments and objections presented in a clear and concise way. Here’s the link:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/punishme/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/m-p-puni/
- Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThis is also a great resource, but keep in mind that the entries are dense and philosophically rigorous.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/punishment/
FORMAT:
I would prefer the paper to be in MLA format, but I mainly would like you to be consistent throughout the paper regarding in-text citations, etc.
