no words count, no number of pages needed
[You do not need to include your chosen case study in your outline. It is included here so that you can align the case study with the sample outline starting on the next page.]
The Abandoned Cat
David had always wanted a cat. Although pets were forbidden in his dormitory, shortly after he moved to college, David went to the local animal shelter and adopted a young cat, which he kept confined in his room. At the end of the year, David moved back home and left the cat to fend for itself.
After several weeks of wandering around campus, the cat was taken in by one of the department secretaries, who took pity on it. By this time, the cat was near starvation; it also had a rash that had caused it to lose much of its fur. The secretary knew that one of the professors in the department, Professor Carey, was thinking of getting a cat. Professor Carey agreed to take the cat home.
Question:
Was it morally acceptable for David to adopt a cat from the animal shelter, knowing that it was against the rules to keep a cat in the dormitory and knowing that he could not take the cat home with him once the school year ended?
Outline: Applied Ethics Essay
[Student Full Name]
PHI220 – Ethics
[Professor’s Name]
[Date]
1. Position: What is your position on this issue? This is the conclusion you came to.
a. It was not morally acceptable for David to adopt a cat knowing that it was unlikely he would be able to keep it permanently.
2. Relevant Facts of the Case: What facts (that is, premises or reasons) from the case support your conclusion?
a. It was against the rules for David to have a cat in his dormitory.
b. He knew that he did not have a permanent living situation after the school year ended.
c. He seemingly did not explore options for rehoming the cat before returning home at the end of the school year.
3. Clarifying Concepts: What ideas need to be clarified to ensure mutual understanding of the particular concepts relevant to the case?
a. Abandoned animals have a higher incidence of illness and injury and a shorter life-span.
b. Animals kept as pets are used to being cared for and do not know how to forage for food or protect themselves.
4. Ethical Standard Pertinent to the Case: The standard may be drawn from Virtue Ethics, Natural Law, Ethical Egoism, Utilitarianism, and Kantianism. Be sure to clearly state the standard from one of these moral theories in your set of premises.
a. The utilitarian principle of not causing pain is applicable here. “The pain and pleasure of animals must be considered in the calculation of the General Welfare.” Neither David nor any other group were at risk of pain if the cat had been rehomed humanely. Thus, that would have been the moral choice.
5. Source List
1. Judith Boss. 2019. Ethics for Life (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 8, “Utilitarianism,” pp. 240–279.
· Explains basic tenets of utilitarian thought.
2. Paige Anson. April 25, 2018.
What Happens to Abandoned Pets: Why Students Should Think Twice Before Adoption
. Iowa State Daily. https://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/what-happens-to-abandoned-pets-why-students-should-think-twice/article_eb12b93c-48d4-11e8-84c8-0f1e353b3cc0.html.
· Specific considerations for college students who want to be pet owners.
3. BBC. n.d.
Animals as Pets
. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/using/pets.shtml.
· Lists ethical issues involved in the care of pets.
4. Anne Fawcett. September 18, 2017.
How to Care for Your Cats and Dogs (Ethically)
. University of Sydney News. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/09/18/how-to-care-for-your-cats-and-dogs–ethically-.html.
· Highlights the responsibilities of pet owners.
[You do not need to include your chosen case study in your outline. It is included here so that you can align the case study with the sample outline starting on the next page.]
The Abandoned Cat
David had always wanted a cat. Although pets were forbidden in his dormitory, shortly after he moved to college, David went to the local animal shelter and adopted a young cat, which he kept confined in his room. At the end of the year, David moved back home and left the cat to fend for itself.
After several weeks of wandering around campus, the cat was taken in by one of the department secretaries, who took pity on it. By this time, the cat was near starvation; it also had a rash that had caused it to lose much of its fur. The secretary knew that one of the professors in the department, Professor Carey, was thinking of getting a cat. Professor Carey agreed to take the cat home.
Question:
Was it morally acceptable for David to adopt a cat from the animal shelter, knowing that it was against the rules to keep a cat in the dormitory and knowing that he could not take the cat home with him once the school year ended?
Outline: Applied Ethics Essay
[Student Full Name]
PHI220 – Ethics
[Professor’s Name]
[Date]
1. Position: What is your position on this issue? This is the conclusion you came to.
a. It was not morally acceptable for David to adopt a cat knowing that it was unlikely he would be able to keep it permanently.
2. Relevant Facts of the Case: What facts (that is, premises or reasons) from the case support your conclusion?
a. It was against the rules for David to have a cat in his dormitory.
b. He knew that he did not have a permanent living situation after the school year ended.
c. He seemingly did not explore options for rehoming the cat before returning home at the end of the school year.
3. Clarifying Concepts: What ideas need to be clarified to ensure mutual understanding of the particular concepts relevant to the case?
a. Abandoned animals have a higher incidence of illness and injury and a shorter life-span.
b. Animals kept as pets are used to being cared for and do not know how to forage for food or protect themselves.
4. Ethical Standard Pertinent to the Case: The standard may be drawn from Virtue Ethics, Natural Law, Ethical Egoism, Utilitarianism, and Kantianism. Be sure to clearly state the standard from one of these moral theories in your set of premises.
a. The utilitarian principle of not causing pain is applicable here. “The pain and pleasure of animals must be considered in the calculation of the General Welfare.” Neither David nor any other group were at risk of pain if the cat had been rehomed humanely. Thus, that would have been the moral choice.
5. Source List
1. Judith Boss. 2019. Ethics for Life (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 8, “Utilitarianism,” pp. 240–279.
· Explains basic tenets of utilitarian thought.
2. Paige Anson. April 25, 2018.
What Happens to Abandoned Pets: Why Students Should Think Twice Before Adoption
. Iowa State Daily. https://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/what-happens-to-abandoned-pets-why-students-should-think-twice/article_eb12b93c-48d4-11e8-84c8-0f1e353b3cc0.html.
· Specific considerations for college students who want to be pet owners.
3. BBC. n.d.
Animals as Pets
. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/using/pets.shtml.
· Lists ethical issues involved in the care of pets.
4. Anne Fawcett. September 18, 2017.
How to Care for Your Cats and Dogs (Ethically)
. University of Sydney News. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/09/18/how-to-care-for-your-cats-and-dogs–ethically-.html.
· Highlights the responsibilities of pet owners.
