Assignment
In the Week 3 Discussion, you selected a current business problem from the following case categories:
· Banking
· Fuel and the Environment
· GMOs
· Factory Farming
· Pharmaceuticals
· Gender Discrimination
In this written assignment, you will present your work on the case analysis using selected components of an argumentative essay as described in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). This written assignment will include a revised and polished version of your discussion work, the presentation and support of two premises, and an analysis of how your chosen ethical theory offers the best moral solution to the business problem in your case analysis.
Using the components of the argumentative essay located in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo (2015), your assignment should include the following:
An introduction. This is the “Problem” portion of the essay that is covered in Section 9.1: The Argumentative Essay (Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). This should be an improved version of the introduction in your initial post, revised on the basis of your professor’s feedback and additional research. In this introduction, you will need to (a) identify the specific issue or problem that you want to address and give an impartial presentation of the controversy, (b) articulate briefly the characteristics of the economic system that serves as the setting for the business, and (c) examine the laws that affect the operations of the business. The introduction should be one paragraph of around 200 words in length.
A thesis. Start a new paragraph with a precise and clear sentence in which you state your moral position with regard to the case that you presented in your first paragraph. This is known as stating your thesis. (See the “Thesis” passage in “The Argumentative Essay” in Hardy, Foster, & Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). The thesis you state here should be an improved version of the thesis in your initial post in the discussion, revised on the basis of your professor’s feedback and your reading of “The Argumentative Essay” indicated above.
A thesis is only one sentence, so do not write a series of sentences, or a complex sentence with explanatory clauses (e.g., “because…” or “since…” or “according to Dr. Mary Expert, an economist with the Bureau of Labor statistics…”, or “a law that was ratified with 80% votes in favor…”). An example of a precise and clear thesis is this: “Factory farms are not morally justifiable” or, of course, the opposite point of view: “Factory farms are morally justifiable.” Keep in mind that your thesis in this assignment will be the basis for the argumentative essay of the Week 5 written assignment, so take your time when formulating this thesis.
Ethical theory. In the same second paragraph as the thesis statement, identify the ethical theory that supports your moral position. You may choose from utilitarianism, duty ethics, or virtue ethics. Present the characteristics of the ethical theory in a broad sketch, and include citations and references in APA form. Then, apply your chosen ethical theory by explaining how it lends itself to the moral position that you are defending.
Two premises. Present at least two reasons in support of your thesis and these should be presented in the form of a claim. These are called premises. Articulate each premise in one clear and grammatically correct sentence. Review Section 9.1 of With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Foster, Hardy, and Zúñiga y Postigo, 2015). Start a new paragraph for each.
In the rest of the paragraph, support your premise by presenting an analysis of how the ethical theory lends itself to the best solution. This analysis includes articulating the characteristics(s) of the economic system at work that support the claims in your premises. It also includes examining the effects of the law(s) at work that also support the claims in your premises.
Comparative analysis. In the final paragraph, analyze how this application lends itself to a solution that is superior to that offered by one of the ethical theories that you did not select. To do this, provide a clear statement describing the moral solution offered by this other theory. For example, if you chose utilitarianism to apply to your case, then you can choose from either virtue ethics or deontology for your comparative analysis. Explain in no more than three sentences what moral solution would result from the application of this other ethical theory. See the “Sample Case Analysis Download Sample Case Analysis” for an illustration of how this would look like. Finally, analyze the strengths of the moral solution presented by your chosen ethical theory in ways that demonstrate how it is superior to the moral solution offered by the other ethical theory.
Once you receive your assignment back from your professor, start working on revisions based on your professor’s feedback. This is the first step in preparing your Final Project and the details are presented on the Final Project’s prompt. You will benefit from starting your Final Project as soon as you receive your assignment back from your professor.
Requirements for Your Assignment:
· Your assignment should be 1000 words in length, excluding the title page and reference page(s).
· Your examination should be both thorough and succinct. This is a combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient time to draft and revise.
· Your assignment should include citations, as well as a list of references. Both must be in APA form.
· You should draw from the sources provided in your chosen case category in the discussion this week.
· Also refer to Section 9.1: The Argumentative Essay and the introduction to Section 9.2: Strengthening the Argumentative Essay (intro only for the latter) from Hardy, J., Foster, C., & Zúñiga y Postigo, G. (2015).
· Your references should include at least two scholarly sources from your own research in the University of Arizona Global Campus Library, Google Scholar (this is not the same as Google), or the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. No Wikipedia articles and the like should be included in the references, nor employed to inform your paper. Also keep in mind that dictionary definitions are not references in the academic sense.Your assignment should be submitted no later than the end of Monday (11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain Time).
Below, is also my Discussion 3 Post. Please read it and make the augmentative essay about my discussion post.
Case Studies: Factory Farms (Perdue)
I chose to take a look at an issue that has been the topic of discussion quite often in the past few years. It questions the way that Perdue Farms and other chicken companies, allow for inhumane treatment of their chickens on the farms in which they are raised. It is stated by undercover workers that the huge chicken farms have cages stacked upon each other five or so high, with so many crammed inside a cage that each chicken has less than the size of a piece of notebook paper of space (Solotaroff, 2013, December 10). As one can imagine, this is not only viewed as inhumane treatment of the birds, but it is also a very dirty and unhealthy way to raise these animals that are meant ultimately for consumption by humans.
The way of farming that is described above is referred to as factory farming, which simply means that the largest number of animals are contained in the smallest possible space, which allows for maximum profit at minimum cost (Stathopoulos, 2010). While many would view the U.S. economy as largely capitalistic with some socialist tendencies, the factory farming industry managed to flourish under almost all capitalistic rules. They are definitely governed by self-interest, with little to no government interference in any area, without socialistic government interference (Fieser, 2015). Many would like to see a little more socialism incorporated, which would involve stricter government policy, rules, and laws, that the factory farmers would need to adhere to in order to stay in business and sell their product. Right now, there is virtually little to no regulation at the farm level for farmed animals. The USDA has no say in how animals are
treated and raised on the farms, and only are allowed to slaughterhouses and processing plants to ensure it is safe. Meanwhile, the FDA does have some jurisdiction, which involves control over what can be used in and for feed for the animals, and the drugs that can be given to these farmed animals. However, the line tends to get much blurrier as to their authority over the conditions in which the animals live (Strathopoulos, 2010). All farmed animals need to be provided with sanitary and humane living conditions by law, with consistent inspections, strict enforcement, and appropriate punishments. While something of this importance needs to follow all ethical theories, the utilitarian view will be used in this case. The utilitarian theory focuses on consequences, and happiness in the greatest amount (Fieser, 2015). Even though ethical theory only considers humans as able to make moral and ethical decisions, animals still feel pain,
happiness, and other emotions (Williams College, 2009, December 14). This being said, it makes sense that the utilitarian view would take into consideration the happiness of not only the humans affected, but also the animals. Therefore, the way in which the animals are currently treated on factory farms in particular, along with the unsanitary conditions that often lead to sickness and disease, leads to the unhappiness of the animals and many people. The consequences of allowing for consumption of the products that come from diseased animals, along with a slew of drugs and antibiotics that they are given, provide for a much higher chance of individuals getting sick or having side effects over time. The way to make everyone happy is to provide for a healthier way for these animals to live, which will greatly reduce or eliminate a lot of the sickness and disease, thus reducing the need for drugs for the animals, which will ultimately result in animal happiness, along with humans who can consume the product without fear of what is in it or where it came from.
References
Fieser, J. (2015). Introduction to business ethics [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Solotaroff, P. (2013. December 10). In the belly of the beast . Rolling Stone. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/feature/belly-beast-meat-factory-farms-animalactivists
Stathopoulos, A. S. (2010). You are what your food eats: How regulation of factory farm conditions could improve human health and animal welfare alike. Legislation and Public Policy, 13, 407-444. Retrieved from http://www.nyujlpp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/AnastasiaS.-
Stathopoulos-You-Are-What-Your-Food-Eats-How-Regulation-of-Factory-Farm-ConditionsCould-Improve-Human-Health-and-Animal-Welfare-Alike.pdf WilliamsCollege. (2009, December 14).
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