A question of ethics - giantbomb i need your help! - Off-Topic

#1 Posted by babblinmule (1261 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

I have to write a 6000 word essay on an ethical issue that has arisen recently for my philosophy class. Does anyone have any suggestions? im kinda stumped. It can be about practically anything too!

#2 Posted by Gump (562 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Investigation is always first.

This is a very nice document:
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/essay.html

#3 Posted by babblinmule (1261 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Ive written dozens of essays over the last 10 years - i know how to write one :p

I was just asking if anyone had some focused ideas on an ethical issue. There are alot of them out there and i was just looking for some input.

#4 Posted by BraveToaster (12588 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Have you tried searching for "focused ideas on an ethical issue" through Google?

#5 Posted by Toxin066 (3074 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage?

#6 Posted by DaemonicGrim (184 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

what sort of ethics are you thinking? Here's a quick topic:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date

though in my opinion there's not a lot of debate to be had, it ended the way it should and never should have arisen in the first place.

#7 Posted by ProjektGill (750 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Well you could always go with the obvious ones like the Death Penalty or Abortion.

#8 Posted by PIG20 (26 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Or health care reform. LAWLZ!

#9 Posted by fwylo (3556 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@babblinmule: Since you're on this site apparently you're somewhat interested in video games. So how about ethics and how they relate to video games. Do ethics exist in video games? In a group of friends sitting and playing locally? Do they exist online? Not sure if you could consider it a topic that has recently arisen. But I'd say it would work due to the controversy that the Russian airport scene caused.

#10 Posted by masternater27 (884 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "

#11 Posted by LeadNinja (308 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Fair trade. I went to a talk by some philosopher (sorry, I forgot his name) about what modern-day atrocity might be looked on by future generations as we look back on slavery. He talked about child labour and the appalling conditions some third-world sweat-shop workers work in and compared it to other more ambiguous things like meat-eating or humans polluting the planet. I might be able to find his name if you're interested.

#12 Posted by mano521 (1100 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

do it on animal rights and about the many theories regarding that.
ive been studying animal rights for about 2 weeks in ethics so far. theres definitely enough info out there for 6000 words

#13 Posted by Evilsbane (3918 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "

Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it.

#14 Edited by Steve_Ramirez (1255 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

environmental, technological (Have you read, Radical Revolution?) <--------- be sure to mention Ray Kurzweil. Obesity in America, if it's ethical to use irradiated food. Abortion, the war on drugs, political scandal, Social networks sites such as these???? Tons out there bro!

#15 Posted by Jeffsekai (6959 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:
" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "

#16 Posted by CharlesAlanRatliff (5235 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:
" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "

Fuck yes! Do this for real and then post it. You will get an A+ I promise.

#17 Posted by ProfessorEss (6462 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

As this is a game site I use a related topic.

I think it would be interesting to investigate the different mental justifications many people use when it comes to pirating and the ethics surrounding it.

#18 Posted by Meowayne (6084 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Oh yeah, software piracy could make for an interesting essay.

#19 Posted by babblinmule (1261 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Vito_Raliffe said:

" @Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "
Fuck yes! Do this for real and then post it. You will get an A+ I promise. "

Oh.... the temptation..... but im pretty sure my professor wouldn't have any idea what i was on about!

#20 Posted by pwnasaurus (1286 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@babblinmule said:

"@Vito_Raliffe said:

" @Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "
Fuck yes! Do this for real and then post it. You will get an A+ I promise. "
Oh.... the temptation..... but im pretty sure my professor wouldn't have any idea what i was on about! "

you could some how bullshit tie the genophage to somethign going on in real life and i dunno run with it if your prof dosen't give you an A the giant bomb community will!

#21 Posted by lilburtonboy7489 (1947 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

impress them by making it a metaethics paper instead

#22 Posted by MarkWahlberg (3981 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

The ethics of banning video games or something. Like, how people see video games as bad influences, whether there are any influences, how violence in society and games is related, etc. Maybe compare video games with Roman gladiatorial matches, for historical perspective.

#23 Posted by bombHills (629 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

This is probably a common one, but how about the raids that still contiune on medical marijuana in direct conflict with state law.

#24 Posted by arab_prince (2046 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

why not corporate greed? its the reason the economy is in the pooper. but genophage would be the best topic

#25 Posted by Jambones (1695 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@pwnasaurus said:

" @babblinmule said:

"@Vito_Raliffe said:

" @Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "
Fuck yes! Do this for real and then post it. You will get an A+ I promise. "
Oh.... the temptation..... but im pretty sure my professor wouldn't have any idea what i was on about! "
you could some how bullshit tie the genophage to somethign going on in real life and i dunno run with it if your prof dosen't give you an A the giant bomb community will! "

Along with the A+ from G.B.U., maybe you could print him out a certificate as well. I am sure many respectable employers accept internet qualifications, . . . right?

#26 Posted by theDevilb0y (35 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@pwnasaurus said:

" @babblinmule said:

"@Vito_Raliffe said:

" @Evilsbane said:

" @Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "
Dude Yes, Mass Effect 2 ethics essay. Do it. "
Fuck yes! Do this for real and then post it. You will get an A+ I promise. "
Oh.... the temptation..... but im pretty sure my professor wouldn't have any idea what i was on about! "
you could some how bullshit tie the genophage to somethign going on in real life and i dunno run with it if your prof dosen't give you an A the giant bomb community will! "

The genophage is essentially selective breeding (which exists) taken to an extreme conclusion. If you want to reign it back into a realm your teacher would be happier with then why not compare it to the role of the proletariat in 1984: a people labelled as lower-class and allowed only to breed amongst themselves, in essence allowing those with what are perceived to be 'strong' genes to remain high up in the social hierarchy. Moreover the proles are the ones who are subjected to the greatest supression because they wield the greatest potential to change society, just like the Krogan.

But if a Mass Effect 2 themed essay doesn't float your boat why not talk about something really juicy, like morality vs ethics and the greyed lines that sometimes occur between the two. For instance: torture is (quite rightly) considered wrong by most people, but is torture for the sake of saving millions of lives also wrong? And if it isn't, then doesn't this prove that there are certain things we consider to be ethical standards and rights (i.e. the right not to be tortured) that are in fact moral, because they can be altered depending on the situation and social climate of the society that upholds them?

#27 Posted by damnboyadvance (4031 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Just make sure it's about something you know well. If you have to write 6000 words, you should make it about something that you could go on and on about, without repeating yourself over and over again.

A good thing you could write about would be video games, especially controversial topics or games in gaming like Grand Theft Auto.

#28 Posted by Swoxx (2917 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Assisted Suicide is a hot topic in Sweden, just a thought

#29 Posted by Emilio (3380 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Write one on how the U.S. Gov will use the 2010 Census to catalog all minorities living in this country and how they are going to cut funding to the areas of the U.S. with higher minority-to-white ratios.

#30 Posted by Chirag4 (585 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Piracy, stem cell research and euthanasia.

#31 Edited by floodiastus (1262 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@babblinmule said:

"

I have to write a 6000 word essay on an ethical issue that has arisen recently for my philosophy class. Does anyone have any suggestions? im kinda stumped. It can be about practically anything too!

"

Economy and how business is based around and encouraging people being an asshole, buying in products as cheaply as possible and selling them as expensive as possible!

#32 Posted by Kyreo (4594 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@babblinmule: Should each household have a gun?
Should there be a required military service for Americans?
Should embryonic research be funded by the government, and thereby funded by taxes?

Take these and run with them, Duder.

#33 Posted by End_Boss (3216 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

@Toxin066 said:

" How about an investigation on ethics in relation to the genophage? "

Why is this thread still open? The code has been cracked! The answer has been found! Everyone, return to your homes.

#34 Posted by mshaw006 (526 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

Guys, things like piracy and corporate greed would be tough to write a 6000 word essay on, considering they're pretty much universally considered wrong. The point is to discuss something that has not been resolved, like the morality of capital punishment, abortion, assisted suicide, stem cell research, etc. I think all of those would be easy enough to make 6000 words out of.

#35 Posted by theDevilb0y (35 posts) - 3 years, 2 months ago

A lot of what has been suggested isn't regarding ethics either, it's regarding morals. Stem cell research and euthanasia (as suggested by Chirag4) are classics that you could easily bang out 6000 words for though.