ASHFORD UNIV PHI 208

Thesis Construction Instructions

Write a five paragraph essay. The paper must be 400 to 700 words in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style.  The paragraphs of your essay should conform to the following guidelines:

a. Paragraph 1: Provide a brief introduction to the issue.

Your introduction must make clear to the reader exactly what issue you are choosing and what you take to be the boundaries of the issue.

For example, if you were writing on criminal punishment, you would need specify whether you were considering only harsher penalties like imprisonment or capital punishment, or whether you were also considering lesser penalties such as fines for speeding. (Note, you may not write on criminal punishment, this is just an example. More examples are given below in the "Notes and Advice" section.)

The final sentence of your first paragraph should provide a brief summary of the three ethically significant features of the situation.

b. Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4: Explain 3 ethically significant features of this issue.

The first sentence of each paragraph must be a topic sentence that clearly states what feature you will be considering. The remainder of the paragraph should clarify why this is an ethically significant feature of the situation. Each paragraph should be focused on a distinct feature.

An "ethically significant feature" is one that must be taken into account when reasoning about the issue from an ethical point of view. For example, if you were writing on criminal punishment and focusing on the issue of whether drug users should be imprisoned, ethically significance features of the situation might include the monetary costs, the social costs, the impact on the person himself or herself, the effect on the drug trade, and so on. And each of these, in turn, would have sub-features, negative and positive sides, etc. Your task is to once again be as specific as you can in identifying the ethically significant feature. See the "Notes and Advice" below for further information.

c. Paragraph 5: Thesis statement

Conclude your essay by very briefly reviewing the three features you have discussed and why they are ethically significant.

At the end of your essay, in the very last sentence, state the thesis that you will argue for in your week 5 paper. 

Your thesis should clearly state your position, and provide a concise statement of the primary reason(s). For example, having explained what makes this issue is important, at the end of your paper you might say, “Given that X is the case, I will argue that people ought to Y in relation to Z" or "Although X is the case, the fact that Y overrides it and leads to the conclusion that Z is morally wrong."

End of Life Medical Issues (Week One) My three questions for the thesis

· Do people have a right to end their lives whenever they choose to?  

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· Can we set policies that determine in each case what the value of a human life is and when it should or should not be ended?  

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· Is there a limit to the amount of resources we should allocate toward the preservation of a life in the face of limited resources for other healthcare needs?