Critical Thinking, Research, Knowledge, and Professional Skills and Practice
You will write individually-authored Short Papers. These Papers assess your demonstration of the following learning outcomes: Critical Thinking, Research, Knowledge, and Professional Skills and Practice. (Note: Short Papers also allow you to build upon Critical Thinking, Communication, and Knowledge.
Written in response to prompts given by your instructor, and informed by your prior assessed learning within and across Units, the Short Papers provide you structured exercise in integrating content apprehension, analysis, synthesis, and critical perspective, as gained from the course materials, reflection, and experience with the other activities and assignments for that Unit. You are to write about what you have learned, respond to all aspects of given prompts, consider issues or problems as addressed or raised by the required readings for that Unit, and make connections across modules and materials within the Unit. You must also utilize the accompanying source reading(s) for that Unit to support your arguments and analyses.
Your Short Paper must be proofread, spell-checked, and double-spaced. It must conform to the most recent APA 7 style re: internal citations and list of references, and it may not exceed 500 words in length (internal citations included, cover page and list of references not included). In support of your analyses, you must cite to our required readings and, where appropriate, the accompanying source readings. You may also cite to our supplemental materials and your own prior work product (e.g., Discussion Posts and Short Papers)[unique_solution]
You may quote judiciously (meaning: wisely and sensibly) from those sources. You may also use sparingly sources external to our course readings and resources (and must cite them, if you do). You may not quote extensively (meaning: copiously) from any source, merely summarize the required readings/resources, or pose rhetorical questions. – (Ok let me clarify. In my understanding these criteria in place you must present your own original thought about the topic. So, I want you to put things in your own words, and cite where you are drawing directly from a source – either a direct quotation or a paraphrase or borrowed idea from another source. I do want you to use our course materials first and foremost. That may or may not mean using only one source for these papers. Here is a realistic scenario for a Short Paper, in terms of citation…I would imagine that you might want to cite the source text (e.g., the Nicomachean Ethics), my lectures, supplemental videos, and perhaps something drawn from Discussion (if appropriate). And, if you were to use an external source, I would of course want that cited too. Hope my explanation helps.)
Points will be deducted for writings that fail to meet these substantive and formal criteria.
There is a 10% (50-word) “grace” on the assignment word count limit, which can be used toward your references. Alternatively, you may submit (via upload) a separate page for your references and links so that they do not count against the 500-word limit for your paper.
Finally, there is no need to include your name or a Paper title on this assignment – save your words so they may be used to their best advantage!
PROMPTS: (Topic questions)
Short Paper Prompt 2
According either to Bentham’s or Mill’s Utilitarian Ethics (choose one), how are we to approach life?
What we are to do, and how we are to be?
What is our purpose or fulfillment, morally speaking?
What is the source or substance of ethics, and what is considered to be of surpassing importance (or importance above all else)?
Finally, how does Bentham’s or Mill’s Utilitarian Ethics provide us with guidance or curbing on understanding and addressing global insecurity and human insecurity today, as framed in Unit 1?
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Required Sources and References:
Module 5
Lectures (required for completing assessed activities) – (pdf attached)
- JUST 408 Lecture 7
Source Materials (required for completing assessed activities)
- Bentham, J. (1781). Introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. Preface & Chapters I-V. Retrieved from https://www.utilitarianism.com/jeremy-bentham/index.html
Supplemental Materials (assistive with assessed activities)
- Sadler, G. B. (2013, April 9). Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy of action [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IldXSzEmE
Module 6
Lectures (required for completing assessed activities) – (pdf attached)
- JUST 408 Lecture 7 (continued)
Source Materials (required for completing assessed activities)
- Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. Chapters I-V. Retrieved from https://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm
Supplemental Materials (assistive with assessed activities)
- British Broadcasting Company. (2018, August 11). John Stuart Mill: In our time – BBC Radio 4 [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8kOxmRIWTw