Assignment Directions: Answer and discuss each question based on the case below.
Problem 1: Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two "goods" or between two "bads"?
Problem 2: Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?
Problem 3: Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach) Why?
Problem 4: Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Approach) Why?
Problem 5: Which option treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice Approach) Why?
Problem 6: Which option best serves the community as a whole, not just some members? (The Common Good Approach) Why?
Problem 7: Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Approach) Why?
Problem 8: Considering all these approaches, which option best addresses the situation? Tell me what option you choose and why.
Problem 9: How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?
Problem 10: How did my decision turn out and what have I learned from this specific situation? Speculate on things that might go wrong.
CASE (REFERENCE):
Dune Road in the Hampton's on Long Island's South Shore has houses worth millions of dollars built along the water. During hurricanes and severe storms, Dune road is often destroyed. The local government provides funds for the rebuilding of the road.
Only the wealthy can afford to live there. Many of the houses on Dune Road are used only during the summer or as a weekend retreat by the owners. Unfortunately, some of the houses eventually get swept into the ocean.
The situation is quite controversial. Most Hamptons taxpayers are tired of paying for the road to be rebuilt; and they believe there are other, more important priorities in the community that need tax dollar support. Dune Road homeowners are afraid of what will happen if the road is not rebuilt. Not only will they find it difficult to reach their homes, their property value will go way down; and they fear no one will want to buy their homes if they try to sell them. They would also like to get some government money to repair their storm damaged homes.
Students are then asked to write two letters to the editor of the local newspaper concerning this problem. In doing this, they are to assume a different perspective for each letter. In one letter they are to assume the role of someone favoring repairing the
Dune Road (e.g., a Dune Road homeowner who has spent the family's last dime in making this dream house a reality; a movie star who owns a Dune Road home; or a 12 year old child who visits his or her estranged father for two months during the summer at his Dune Road home). In the other letter they are to assume the role of someone opposed to repairing Dune Road (e.g., a taxpayer tired of contributing tax money to repair the road; a year around resident of the Hamptons who lives in a modest home and who would rather see tax dollars used to improve recreational facilities for year around residents; an environmentalist who would rather "let nature take its course" in the Dunes area). Letters should be restricted to no more than one page.
Students should then be invited to share their letters with the rest of the class, with discussion following.
Next, each student should assume the role of editorial writer at the local newspaper.
Having heard a variety of arguments both for and against repairing Dune Road, the editorial writer is to write an editorial viewpoint that addresses the issues, pointing out the important values at stake and recommending, with reasons, a resolution of the controversy. The editorial should be restricted to no more than two pages.