VIrtue Ethics vs Care Ethics

The essay paper assignment is 100 points, and is 25% of your final grade. This assignment is meant to test your ability to explain ethics more in depth and to critically analyze and compare different approaches to ethics. This must be a new essay written specifically for this class by you individually. Topic: Pick any two out of the following ethical theories: Ethical egoism*, utilitarianism, deontology*, virtue ethics, and care ethics. First, give you own cohesive summary of each of those two theories. Second, discuss the comparative strengths and weaknesses of each theory and give your own argument for which is a better approach to ethics (or why both are equally good/bad). *Students writing on egoism should focus specifically on ethical egoism; students writing on deontology should focus specifically on Kant’s form of deontology. Summary: You should summarize each of the two theories you are discussing, in about a paragraph each (or two each, if necessary). For this assignment, your summary should be free of any evaluation or judgment of each theory, but simply present a neutral explanation of the theory (any evaluation should be in your analysis). Your summary must be mostly in your own words; you can and should use key terms, and limited use of direct quotes is helpful, but you cannot just copy the text, notes or other sources. Analysis: You should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each theory, and give your own argument for which theory is better and why. This portion should not just repeat the analysis given in the text and notes, but should focus mainly on your own clearly given views and your own rationally supported argument. You do not have to argue that one theory is better than the other, as long as you have a clear conclusion that you argue for. Example Topic: Compare utilitarianism and deontology. First, summarize the main points of each theory. Then, compare and evaluate the two, giving your own argument for which is better and why. Setup: Your paper will have two main parts to it: first, a relevant summary of course material. Secondly, your own critical analysis or argument regarding the theories you are addressing. You must have both parts, roughly equal in length. In addition to those two mains parts, the paper should further begin with a one-paragraph introduction (including a thesis statement) and end with a one-paragraph conclusion. Again, this must be a new paper written specifically for this course; you cannot reuse any work from other courses.