HW 1:  Ethical Problems

Assigned: 1 April 2014.  Due: 8 April 2014 at 16:40

Piazza: Please Sign up here for the Piazza site, if you hvan't already done so.

Complete the following tasks.

1. Read chapter 1 of Baase. If you don't yet have your copy of the textbook, send me a private message on Piazza, and I'll loan you a pdf of the chapter.
   
   
2. Briefly describe the difference between negative and positive rights (liberties and claim rights). Give an example of a negative right and a positive right.
   
   
3. Briefly compare deontological and utilitarian theories of ethics.  Which is more relative? Which is more absolute?
   
   
4. Read the news article “City may sue developer who spent $20,000 to remove 40 tons of trash from vacant lot”.
   
   
5. Determine if the last digit of your PSU student-ID is odd or even.
   
   
6. If it is odd, use one or more of the ethical theories to argue that Ori Feibush's actions were morally wrong; if it is even, use one or more of the ethical theories to argue that Ori Feibush's actions were morally right.  Write down your argument in less than one page.
   
   
7. Submit a simgle electronic document (pdf or plain text) using the dropbox in D2L. No Microsoft proprietary formats, please, and no odt files.  Submit just one copy to the dropbox, and make sure that your name is on the document, not just in the file name.  Your docuemnt sjould contain your answers to questions 2, 3 an 6 above.
   
   
8. In addition, bring a paper copy of your document to class on 3^rd October, and attach a copy of this rubric to the back.
   
   
9. Your homework will be graded in accordance with the rubric, so you should read it first!