Write two essays. Each essay should be typed and double-spaced, approximately three pages for each question.
DO NOT USE THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH THESE QUESTIONS. Anything cited or downloaded from the internet will be considered plagiarism. See syllabus for penalties for plagiarism.
1. In what ways is virtue theory fundamentally different from utilitarian and duty theories? Like the utilitarians, Aristotle believed that the purpose of a moral theory is to lead us to happiness, and, like Kant, he believed that the way to the good life is through reason. How does Aristotle differ from the utilitarians regarding the attainment of happiness, and how does he differ from Kant regarding the use of reason?
2. Discuss the issue of environmental ethics in terms of the following arguments: the cathedral, the laboratory, the silo and the gymnasium, as well as the more holistic view of the intrinsic value of the wilderness. What are the differences between these theories? How are these ideas expressed in either Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature" or Aldo Leopold's "The Land Ethic?"