Guidelines – This essay will refer directly to at least one author’s argument and will use quotations and/or direct
references to the article itself at least twice. Write paper without using phrases like “I think…”
It should be double-spaced, with normal page margins (about 300-350 words per page), and a good essay will
most likely be at least 4 pages in length and contain a minimum of 5 paragraphs. Number all pages and
underline your thesis statement. Use at least one source, but should attempt to use two.
Topic – Reflect on your own sense of morality and ethics and write an essay that responds in some way to any
of the essays we have read so far. Construct a thesis statement and essay that answers one of the following:
1. How do we define right and wrong? What are some of the sources from which we get our
morality/ethics? Is there a universal set of morals, values, or ethics that nearly everyone follows?
2. Is it always necessary to be honest or play by the rules? Can we sometimes justify cheating?
3. Is torture ever justifiable? Can there really be such a thing as “the laws of war?” If so, who is required to
follow these laws and is it ever okay to break them?
Possible Sources:
“The Rules About the Rules” pg. 178
“A Whole Lot of Cheatin’ Going On” pg. 198
“Whatever It Takes” pg. 252
“With ‘All Necessary and Appropriate Force’” pg. 275
“The Truth About Lying” [Handout]
The Invention of Lying [movie
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