Personal Morality

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Capella Multimedia

Click the links provided below to view the following multimedia pieces:

• Jean-Paul Sartre: Existentialism Is a Humanism.

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Library Resources

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

• Killen, M., & Smetana, J. G. (2005). Handbook of moral development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Williams, R. (1999). On making moral decisions. Anglican Theological Review, 81(2), 295–309.
• Youssef, F. F., Dookeeram, K., Basdeo, V., Francis, E., Doman, M., Mamed, D., . . . Legall, G. (2012, April). Stress alters personal moral decision making. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37(4), 491–498.
• Fotis, G. W. (1996, December). Interactive personal ethics. Management Review, 85(12), 46.
• Bruce, W. (2002). Personal ethics and administrative actions [Supplemental material]. International Review of Public Administration, 7(1).
• Dench, S. (2006). How personal can ethics get? The Journal of Management Development, 25(10), 1013–1017.

Assessment Instructions

Write a paper in which you explain your own basis for making ethical decisions. You are welcome to employ what you have learned from your study of traditional approaches, but you may also develop your own distinctive approach. In either case, explain in some detail exactly what foundation and process you rely on for choosing the right course of action, and support your statements with research from professional or scholarly resources.

As part of your paper, select a contemporary ethical issue about which you have strong convictions. It may be a social issue—such as environmental ethics, marriage equality, or bioethics—or a more personal issue—sexual morality, familial obligations, or care for the elderly, for example. The choice is up to you, but make it something you care about enough to make this project interesting and worthwhile. Address the following in regard to your chosen ethical issue:

• Summarize the issue and explain alternative views about its resolution.
• Assess both sides of the issue, critically analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Finally, show how and why your own position is correct. Think of this as an opportunity to persuade potential opponents of the reasonableness of your view.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Include a title page and a references page, formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
• References: A typical paper will include support from a minimum of 3–5 references. You may use some of the materials recommended in the Resources, but you should also include support from your independent research of scholarly or professional materials.
• Length: A typical paper will be 4–6 typed, double-spaced pages in length.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

Personal Morality Scoring Guide

CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED State alternative positions with respect to a significant ethical issue. Does not state a position with respect to a significant ethical issue. States one position with respect to a significant ethical issue. States alternative positions with respect to a significant ethical issue. Explains alternative positions with respect to a significant ethical issue. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of differing approaches to a contemporary issue. Does not list features of differing approaches to a contemporary issue. Lists features of differing approaches to a contemporary issue. Assesses the advantages and disadvantages of differing approaches to a contemporary issue. Assesses the advantages and disadvantages of differing approaches to a contemporary issue, applying critical reasoning skills to assessment. Defend a personal approach to ethical decision-making. Does not state a personal approach to ethical decision-making. States a personal approach to ethical decision-making. Defends a personal approach to ethical decision-making. Defends a personal approach to ethical decision-making, supporting defense with reference to academic philosophies. Defend a position on a contemporary ethical issue. Does not state a position on a contemporary ethical issue. States a position on a contemporary ethical issue. Defends a position on a contemporary ethical issue. Defends a position on a contemporary ethical issue, applying critical reasoning skills to the defense. Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professional communities. Does not communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, or consistent with expectations for members of professional communities. Communicates inconsistently in a manner of scholarly and professional expectations for members of professional communities. Communicates in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of professional communities. Communicates in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of professional communities, with written communication that is free of errors that detract from the overall message.