FINAL COURSE ESSAY: Research and Write a 6-8 page paper
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: Appraise the role of ethical actors in our modern world through a case study of an ethical life. Conduct research to identify several ethical conflicts that a historical figure faced, the values they held, the ethical (or unethical) choices they made, and the ethical concepts, systems, or codes linked to these choices. Integrate at least three readings from the course (one may be a lecture) into this final product.
Select one person from the list below and research their life using relevant biographies or general histories. You must consult at least two books and/or articles from academic journals about your historical figure. Magazine articles, book reviews, encyclopedias, or on-line sources may be consulted, but these should not be the major sources of information that you use to write a 6-8 page (double-spaced, 12 point, 1-inch margins) essay that identifies:
- several of the ethical conflicts that this person faced,
- the values that they held,
- the ethical or unethical choices that they made, in other words, acting for the public good in opposition to self-interest,
- and the ethical concepts, systems or codes that are linked to these choices (make references to specific course readings).
- What did this person risk and why, which decisions do you disagree or agree with and why?
- To what extent can the person be considered non-conformist?
- Papers that are shorter than 6 pages long are subject to an automatic 10% grade deduction.
- Formatting: Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins all around, include page numbers
- Suggested citation style: Use Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, Notes & Bibliography format.
- Links to an external site.
- Choose Chicago or MLA for your citations and maintain consistency throughout the paper.
A guide to consulting sources:
In evaluating potential sources, pay particular attention to writings by the person you are researching, such as memoirs, letters, autobiographies, speeches, etc. which might provide insight into your assessment of the motivations for ethical actions.
Be sure to bring in relevant materials and ideas from the course to provide a broader context to your discussion.
Scan this list of suggested historical figures and chose one. If a historical figure that you wish to research is not on this list, consult with the instructor before the end on Unit 6 to make a case for approval and adding it to this list.
Lucy Parsons, Soghomon Tehlirian, David Dellinger, Kwame Ture, Malcolm X, Frantz Fanon, Paul Goodman, Dolores Huerta, Chico Mendes, Abba Kovner, Ericka Huggins, Anna Politkovskaya, Ruben Salazar, Bernadine Dohrn, Russell Means, Joe Hill, Otto Dix, Henry Morgan, Etty Hillesum, Jean Amery, Ruth First, Georg Grosz, Cioma Schonhaus, Simha Rotem, Abba Kovner, Dennis Banks, Nat Hentoff, Rosa Luxemburg, John Heartfield, Andre Trocmé, John Howard Lawson, Dalton Trumbo, Edward R. Murrow, Camille Pissarro, Amilcar Cabral, Ho Chi Minh, Indira Gandhi, Dedan Kimathi, Oliver Tambo, Stefan Zwieg, Raphael Lemkin, Stanley Milgram, Jean-Paul Sartre, Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa, Mario Savio, Rodolfo Walsh, Victor Raul Haya de la Torre, Diego Rivera, Raoul Wallenberg, Hannah Senesh, Emile Zola, Emily Hahn, Robert McNamara, Leon Blum, Zosa Szajkowski, Tina Modotti, Gunter Grass, Petra Kelly, Jean Dominique, Rezso Kasztner, Wangari Maathai, Chaim Rumkowski, Roger Casement, Steven Biko, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Leonard Weinglass, William Kunstler, Leon Trotsky, Ricardo Flores Magón, Sylvia Pankhurst, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Daniel Berrigan, Dorothy Day, Vaclev Havel, Bertrand Russell, Gerda Weissmann Klein, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Jacobo Timerman, Greta Thunberg, Mumia Abu-Jamal, or Walter Rodney.