Bioethics: Second Paper Assignment

Write a paper in which you either critique or defend a central idea or claim of one of the supplementary articles in the textbook on one of the first four topics in bioethics that we are covering in the course (abortion, reproductive technology, genetic choices, euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide, or justice and healthcare). These articles are found in the section called “Readings” in Bioethics: Principles, Issues and Cases or (in some cases) posted on Canvas. You may write on any article of your choosing (as long as it is on one of the first three topics we are covering), including any that you may have presented on in class or any that we did not cover in class.

Your paper should address all of the following points:

1. Summarize the main idea/claim in the article that you intend to critique or defend.

Here, you should focus on a central idea/claim made by the author in the article you want to write about (as opposed to a fairly minor point in the article that isn’t part of the author’s main thesis).

Once you have chosen the central idea/claim that you want to focus on, it is very helpful to state what the main purpose of your paper is in the beginning of your paper so that it’s clear to the reader what you are trying to show (i.e., what idea/claim you intend to critique or defend in your paper).

2. Summarize the author’s argument/s for the idea/claim that you intend to critique or defend.

Here, you should explain how the author argues for the idea/claim that you are focusing on. What reason/s does the author use to support it? What examples does he/she use?, etc.

You should summarize the author’s argument/s as clearly and fairly as possible (in other words, don’t misrepresent or straw-man the author’s position and arguments for it). In order to write a successful philosophy paper, it is very important to accurately represent the argument/s for the position that you want to critique or defend so that what you say about it is relevant to it and not a misrepresentation of it.

3. Explain why you agree or disagree with the author’s idea/claim.

Here, you should explain why you agree or disagree with the idea/claim that you are focusing on by offering objections against it (if you are writing a critique) or offering arguments in support of it (if you are writing a defense).

After summarizing the author’s position and his/her arguments for it (parts 1 and 2 above), the bulk of your paper should focus on offering a well-developed critique or defense of the idea/claim in the article you are writing about. Make sure to elaborate on your critique or defense and use examples or counter-examples, if helpful, to explain or support your position.

As you write your paper, keep in mind that a good philosophy paper isn’t simply a good presentation of someone else’s ideas or arguments; it’s a careful and well-reasoned analysis of your own on some topic of interest.

If helpful, when summarizing and assessing the author’s main position and argument/s for it, refer to the material we covered in class in the section on “Moral Arguments.”

Make sure to properly cite any sources that you use in your paper. This includes properly citing any sources that you quote or paraphrase in the body of your paper as well as including a works cited section at the end of your paper if you use any outside sources.

Bioethics: Second Paper Assignment Write a paper in which you e...