Moral philosophy and ethics
write an work that builds on and draws from your knowledge about ethics – both the theoretical frameworks and international ethical guidelines.
Studying moral philosophy and ethics allows us to explore our understandings of what is right and wrong, where these ideas come from and how they shape our moral judgements. In criminal justice contexts it is of utmost importance that you have an in-depth understanding of concepts and processes related to ethical decision making and that you have practiced and applied critical thinking skills to the dilemmas that you may face. In this assessment task you need to respond to the two prompts below. In the first section of the work you will make an informed case for studying ethics in criminal justice. Second, you will compare and contrast two theoretical perspectives we have studied (i.e. Divine Command Theory; Kantianism; Utilitarianism; Social Contract Theory).
1. Why study and understand ethics? (400 words)
2. Compare and contrast two theoretical perspectives (800 words)
The unit learning outcome(s) assessed is/are:
• LO 1; Demonstrate a foundational understanding of ethical frameworks and theories that underpin professional practice in criminal justice contexts;
• LO 2; Apply the study of ethics to the practices and relations of criminal and social justice
• LO 3; Apply ethical principles to ‘real life’ problems and issues in professional practice within the criminal justice system.
