Background
Our readings over the past several weeks have, I hope, compelled you to ask and answer for yourself some tough questions. We have discussed the issues of cheating, of Òvictimless crimesÓ (like misrepresenting a product we are trying to sell), of whether we should support research into human cloning, of whether the U.S. military is guilty of war crimes and, if so, whether we have an ethical responsibility to speak out about them, and finally whether lies are ever really Òwhite.Ó Each of these issues has forced us to examine our ethics, to study just what is the right thing to do. Without any knowledge of what is right and wrong, a system of ethics, we might tend to act purely in our perceived self-interest, without regard to social norms and the rights of others. IÕm looking out for Number One, so look out everybody! We have seen that integrity, our ability to understand ethical principles and use them to guide us, is truly a balancing act, between respecting our own needs and those of others.
Underlying each of these issues, as we have discussed, is a basic question: Do the ends justify the means? In other words, in a particular situation, are our individual goals important enough that we can reasonably cross the line ethically to achieve them?
Although in most cases it is wrong to kill another human being, I am justified in killing these particular people BECAUSE I______________?________________.
To understand (and to develop) our system of ethics, we must be able to provide reasons for each of our claims about what is right or what is wrong in a particular situation. If you can imagine most people agreeing with you, you are probably behaving ethically, but not necessarily. Sometimes doing the right thing leaves you entirely on your own. Sometimes, like in the case of the Chinese protester standing up to the tanks, it requires we risk everything, even our own lives.
Yet, not every ethical decision is so dramatic; most go almost unnoticed in our daily lives. Doing the right thing, when no one is looking and no one is harmed even if it isnÕt the easiest way to get what you want, is integrity. And it is one of these ÒlittleÓ issues that you will be writing about for your next essay: the ethics of deception.
When do you lie, color the truth, manipulate the facts, or intentionally leave out certain key details? When do you lie to yourself? Is lying ever ethical? Think about the question. Study it. Consider how others would answer it. Determine for yourself just how wrong lying is. Are there times when it is right to lie? Focusing on this particular issue, you will begin to develop a practice of thinking ethically, linking your ethical claims with real reasoning.
What to Do
Write a persuasive essay in which you agree or disagree with Sissela BokÕs argument about the ethics of Òwhite lies,Ó then expand the discussion to include other forms of deception that challenge your understanding of ethics, such as whether it is ethical to lie to ourselves individually or as a society in order to accomplish particular ends.
In your essay, you must:
- establish a clear and well developed question at issue
- provide an accurate summary of BokÕs argument
- state a thesis that conforms to the guidelines on the ÒMaking the CaseÓ handout and asserts a logical justification of your claim using your own words or by quoting an author
- define any key terms, such as Òwhite lieÓ (avoid quoting directly from a dictionary
- develop support for your reasoning that includes SPECIFIC textual evidence from BokÕs essay, your media projects, and other readings from the class. You may use personal evidence but it MUST NOT be the main body of your evidence. You may also use outside sources (such as from the internet) but all such sources must be clearly documented using M.L.A. style.
- follow a clear organizational pattern based on an outline
- use P.I.E. paragraphs
- make sure to introduce, provide context for, and explain any quotations you use
- provide the glue that will hold it all together: transitions
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