InstructionPhilosophical Exercise #2: Applying Ethical Norms Ethics is the branch of philosophy which asks questions about what is right and wrong. Philosophers want to establish an ethical system—some fundamental rule or set of guidelines which determines how we ought to act in any given situation. In class, we’ve looked at three ethical systems: utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue theory. For this assignment, I want you to apply these theories to practical issues. Requirements Selecting an Ethical Issue –The first task in this assignment is to select an ethical issue. An ethical issue is any case in which it’s not clear what the ‘right’ thing to do is. This can either be some very specific scenario, or it can be a general issue. You need to present the ethical issue in the form of a normative question, so a question which begins with the word, ‘should’. You are free to select any issue, so pick an issue you’re interested in, or better yet, one that you have personally encountered. Appealing to an Ethical Norm – After you’ve asked your question, the next step is to select the ethical norm which you will use to answer it. If you have a feeling about what the right thing to do with regards to your ethical issue is, then you should ask yourself which ethical system would endorse your answer. First, explain in your own words what that ethical system says. Then, explain how that ethical system justifies your favored answer. Addressing Opposing Viewpoints – What makes a normative question an ethical issue is that there’s good reasons for different, and often opposing, answers to the same question. Once you’ve argued for one side of your ethical issue, your final task is to address the opposing side. What are the reasons that would be used to arrive at a different answer than the one you argued for? What other ethical systems is being appealed to? What makes your answer preferable to the other(s)? Your assignment will be graded based upon the satisfaction of the above requirements. There is no strict word requirement, but I expect that formulating and answering a good normative question should take 800 – 1,200 words. A submission box will be made available on iLearn for the finished assignment. This assignment is due on Friday, May 21.