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RESPONSE ECE/Philosophy PAPER 2
Assigned: September 14, 2006 Draft Due: September 21, 2006 Final Version Due: September 28, 2006
For your second Response Paper, choose one of the following cases listed near the end of the course textbook, Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases (pages 295356). Critically analyze the case, determine the potential courses of action, andmost importantlytake a clear and decisive position with respect to what you would do if you were one of the lead characters involved in the case. Case 5: Aircraft Brakes Case 17: Disaster Relief Case 39: Mere Technicality? Case 50: Researching Risk Case 70: XYZ Hose Co. As you analyze the case, identify the parties involved, their rights, their responsibilities, and the salient moral issues of the case. Identify the relevant factual issues, conceptual issues, social constraints, and any additional information necessary for an accurate understanding of the case. Then formulate possible courses of action. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those actions, indicating which course of action you would choose, and why. View your paper as a position paper. Although it includes exposition, your task is to evaluate the evidence and then make a decision, which you support through arguments and counter-arguments. For example, you may want to begin your paper with the claim that the specific case you will be discussing illustrates the importance of honesty in carrying out ones professional obligations. In the body of the paper, you will then develop your analysis accordingly. The opening paragraph of your paper should include a thesis statement that clearly articulates the position and the course of action you are proposing, and a road map or outline that guides the reader through your paper. Although a case analysis has a distinct narrative structure, the topic sentence of each paragraph should nevertheless be integrally related to your opening thesis statement and the structure of analysis outlined in your introduction. An important element in your paper is to provide clear and appropriate transitions between each paragraph, helping the reader walk through with you each step of your initial road map or outline. The goal of your analysis in a case study is to come to a definitive position as to what you would do if you were one of the parties involved in the case you are studying. Support your analysis and the choices you would have made with substantive argumentation and sound reasons, evaluating with discretion alternative courses of action. End your with paper a strong conclusion, recapitulating the evidence in support of the position you have taken. Your paper should be at least five pages in length, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Remember to include a cover page, with your name, the submission date, and an engaging title. Include your draft with the final version.
Clarity and Organization 3: Overall organization is clear, with thesis statement, outline, and appropriate transitions. Ideas are clear and paragraphs coherent, integrally related to the thesis statement and outline. 2: Attention to the principles of cohesion and coherence would strengthen the paper. 1: Lack of organizational structure interferes with the clarity of the paper. Moral Analysis 3: Accurately identifies all affected parties, their rights and responsibilities, and identifies the key moral issues in the case. 2: Identifies some affected parties, rights, responsibilities, and moral values, but at points may miss some. 1: Fails at numerous points to identify affected parties, rights, and responsibilities; misunderstands the moral issues. Contextual Analysis 2: Distinguishes relevant factual and conceptual issues, lists social and legal constraints, and identifies missing information. 1: Identifies the most important issues and constraints. Actions 2: Creatively proposes several viable courses of action. 1: Suggests one or more reasonable courses of action. Evaluation 3: Thoroughly evaluates strengths and weaknesses of actions using appropriate criteria: teleological and deonto...