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Writing is the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about. Of course, you can learn a lot about something without writing about it. However, writing about something complicated and hard to pin down acts as a test to see how well you understand it. When we approach our work as a stranger, we often discover how something that seems so simple in our heads is explained entirely wrong.

—unknown

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

ethics

Week 4 of Ethics is beginning. It marks the halfway point of the Summer Semester coursework. And, I've read a substantial amount of work on theoretical ethics, practical ethics, normative ethics, meta ethics, and applied ethics. At least, those are the categories I recall reading in the blur of text that comprised my previous month.  

Are there categories of ethics? There sure are! Here's a sampling to get you thinking:

  • Utilitarianism
  • Deontology
  • Virtue ethics
  • Ethics of care
  • Egoism
  • Religion or divine command theory
  • Natural Law
  • Social contract theory
  • Rawls’s theory of justice
  • Moral relativism

Are you intrigued? Are you overwhelmed? If so, maybe start with Borgmann's device paradigm...and question your ethical choices surrounding time spent reading on a wifi-enabled device.  

In the interest of sharing, and in the self-serving interest of helping myself grow as a "scholarly" writer, I am posting a recent paper written for my current doctoral level ethics course. Feel free to comment with some focused, global feedback. 

For a peek at Week 4's required readings, check out this PDF.