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First watch the Frontline documentary, Sick Around the World, at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/main.html (Links to an external site.)

Complete the questions in the viewing set (see below) as you watch the documentary.  Then read the link titled, Making Arguments II (see below), on evidence and follow carefully the directions here.   This forum requires three postings in all -- one reply to the forum question and two replies to classmates.

For the utilitarian philosopher, policies are good that provide the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number.  So what then is the relationship of profit and happiness?  Should maximizing profit be seen as basically identical to maximizing happiness for all?  In the case of health care, whether receiving it or providing it, are there really any choices here to make?  Everyone wants good health care because the alternative (i.e., bad health care) is genuinely life threatening.   But then if there is only one sustainable way to consistently provide people good health care then we wouldn't actually have any choices to make here.  This week's video asks the question of whether there are any clear, viable, real-world alternatives to the US model of a market driven health system.   It describes five health care systems, those of Great Britain, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland and, through the comparisons it makes with these four, the United States. 

In 100 words answer the forum Questions:

Forum Question: Which of these four do you think a person or group of persons aiming to maximize the happiness of the most people would choose to implement for a nation?  Is this the one you would choose?  Why or why not?

Your assignment will be graded according to the grading rubric.

Starting at 100:

Composition:

Are forums well written with clear attention to clean spelling and correct grammar.

Are citations made according to some discernible style manual.

Argument (reply to question): 

Is the argument solid with good, detailed reasons given for accepting the conclusion?

Is the evidence marked as required by assignment description (AUTHORITATIVE and EXPERIENCE-BASED evidence marked as such)?

Does the argument read as a single, integrated whole or does it seem composed of separate, unrelated parts?

Conclusion:

Is the conclusion marked blue and clearly identifiable? 

Is conclusion limited to two sentences or less.

Does the evidence given lead up to the specific conclusion?