Similarities and Differences Across Ethical Cultures

Ethics Microtheme 3 – Similarities and Differences Across Ethical Cultures
PLEASE NOTE:
FOR THIS PAPER ALL REFERENCES MUST BE TO THE ASSIGNED READINGS AND LECTURES. DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES.
You must make at least four (4) specific references to the course materials.
References should be given parenthetically, e.g., (Brannigan, p. #) or (Lecture #).
You may write this paper in either essay or dialogue form (like a play or screenplay).
We have studied several ethical traditions in this portion of the course. Here they are:
Hindu ethics
Buddhist ethics
Confucian ethics
African ethics
Imagine you are having a conversation with two other people about the classes you’re taking. You describe the “cross-cultural” portion of this course, and you
mention the four non-Western traditions we’ve been studying in recent weeks.
One of your dialogue partners says, “Well, they all seem different, I’m sure, but let’s face it, people all over the world have the same moral issues and
problems, and ethical solutions are pretty much the same wherever you go. There may be differences, but they aren’t significant. Ethics and morals are pretty
much the same everywhere. It’s the similarities that really count.”
Then your other dialogue partner says, “No way. The differences are real. I don’t know much about all those traditions you looked at, but people and cultures
are different, so I’m sure they have very different things to say about what’s good and bad and right and wrong and how you figure out which is which. There
may be similarities, but it’s the differences that matter most.”
Now it’s your turn. Write a two page essay (~500 words) in which you compare and contrast at least two (but not more than three) of the ethical traditions
listed above.
Obviously, cannot give a comprehensive analysis. You need to focus.
Choose just two or three traditions. Look at one or two important similarities and one or two important differences between them.
And be sure to say something about what you think, too. What do you think matters most? The similarities? The differences? Both? Neither? Something else?
Why