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About: Theory Building Activities: Mountain Terrorist Exercise

Module by: William Frey

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Name: Theory Building Activities: Mountain Terrorist Exercise
ID: m13764
Language: English (en)
Summary: This exercise, based on Bernard Williams' "Jim and the Jungle" scenario, helps students see the way they use ethical theories in their everyday reasoning. Williams' scenario is constructed as a classical dilemma--a no win situation that offers two courses of action both of which are bad. While Williams' intention was to criticize deontological and utilitarian ethical approaches for undermining personal integrity, this reformulation of the scenario into that of the Mountain Terrorist Exercise provides a ready means of distinguishing the ethical approaches of virtue, deontology, and utilitarianism. Students discuss the exercise. The instructor then shows how the different positions set forth fall under certain ethical categories. This debriefing can then be followed by a formal presentation that sets forth these three ethical theories in terms of their similarities and their differences. This module is being developed as a part of an NSF-funded project, "Collaborative Development of Ethics Across the Curriculum Resources and Sharing of Best Practices," NSF SES 0551779.
Subject: Humanities
Keywords: Computer Ethics, Engineering Ethics, Ethical Dilemma, Ethical Theory, Ethics
Document Type: -//CNX//DTD CNXML 0.5 plus MathML//EN
License: Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 2.0)
Authors: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu)
Copyright Holders: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu)
Maintainers: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu)
Version: 1.11 (history)
Created: Jul 26, 2006 5:58 am GMT-5
Revised: Aug 21, 2007 7:13 am GMT-5

Version History

Version: 1.11 Aug 21, 2007 7:13 am GMT-5 by William Frey
Changes: 
Added a Spanish translation of the scenario prepared by Dr. Halley D. Sanchez of UPRM
Version: 1.10 Mar 2, 2007 8:29 am US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Updated abstract
Version: 1.9 Jan 26, 2007 4:54 am US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Added minor stylistic and formatting changes (adding emphasis on bullets in Wrap Up)  Also made minor grammatical edits
Version: 1.8 Jan 25, 2007 3:34 pm US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Minor Edits in Wrap Up
Version: 1.7 Jan 25, 2007 2:36 pm US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Added section headings
Version: 1.6 Jan 25, 2007 2:04 pm US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Changed Conclusion Heading to Module Wrap-Up
Version: 1.5 Jan 25, 2007 1:34 pm US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Concluded module with items that help students to see accomplishments they have gained from working through exercises.  Included Muddy Points responses and an ending that makes the transition to moral exemplars.
Version: 1.4 Jan 25, 2007 12:06 pm US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Added conclusion.
Version: 1.3 Jan 13, 2007 6:06 am US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Mostly stylistic edits.  A conclusion was added that outlines meta-tests and talks about the danger of framing ethical problems as no-win dilemmas
Version: 1.2 Jan 12, 2007 11:38 am US/Central by William Frey
Changes: 
Simplification and stylistic edits, especially in the third, reflective part of the module.  Attempt to make taxonomy and table clearer.
Version: 1.1 Aug 10, 2006 3:03 pm GMT-5 by William Frey
Changes: 
Old abstract was eliminated and a new one substituted.  A module introduction written for students was added.  Finally, the descriptions of activities 3 and 4 were expanded.

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