This assignment consists of three short answer questions. The main intent of these questions is to ensure that you have a sound grasp of the fundamentals on the material presented in this unit. To that end, you should try to be concise and limit yourself to three or four pages (1,000 words) for each of these short answer questions. I’m not so concerned with whether you agree with a particular author or not. The quality of your answer is based on your explanation of the competing positions and the reasons you provide in support of the position you defend. The value of each question is indicated beside the question.
The questions in these assignments are not designed to be “research” questions. There is no requirement to research your answers from external sources such as websites like wikipedia. In fact, it may count against you. For example, if your reasons for supporting a particular position are simply cited from an external source, that isn’t properly your reasons. So you wouldn’t receive a very good mark.
The material you need to successfully complete these assignments can be found in your online course written and video materials and the course readings package. You can find this information on the course reading list in the course materials section of the course website. I have simply taken that information and broken it down to the readings that are relevant to the individual questions
Total possible marks = 100
1. Ethical Egoism (25 Marks)
Preparatory readings
1. Plato, excerpts from Republic, Book II.
2. Rand, Ayn. 1964. Excerpts from The virtue of selfishness, 16-17, 31-34. New York: The New American Library.
Available in your readings package
3. Medlin, Brian. 1957. Ultimate principles and ethical egoism. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 35: 111-118.
The question:
Ethical Egoism maintains that one ought to act in accordance with one’s own self-interest. In your own words, provide Rand’s argument for ethical egoism. Explain Medlin’s response to Rand’s argument. Do you agree with Medlin’s response? Explain why or why not.
2. Utilitarianism and Deontological Ethics (50 marks)
Preparatory readings
1. Bentham, Jeremy. 1894. The collected works of Jeremy Bentham: An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation, ed. J. H. Burns, 11-16, 38-41. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Available in your readings package
2. John Stuart Mill. What utilitarianism is, Chapter 2, from Utilitarianism.
3. Williams, Bernard. 1973. A critique of utilitarianism. In Utilitarianism: For and against, ed. J. J. C. Smart and Bernard Williams, 77-118. London: Cambridge University Press.
ON RESERVE AT UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA LIBRARY.
4. Immanuel Kant, excerpts from Foundations of the metaphysics of morals.
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