Initial Post Instructions

Rather than living in chaos, danger, and the hostility of our neighbors, we find ways to live together. It isn't easy, but can we avoid doing so?

If everybody has self-interest in their own welfare and safety, then everybody also has self-interest in the welfare and safety of others. Self-interest involves community interest, and we must think about what we are willing to give up in order to get that safety and stability for ourselves, our families, our community, our nation, and even the world.

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are just two examples of social contract moralists. Locke's philosophy helped Thomas Jefferson formulate the United States Declaration of Independence. We are interested in what it means to live together in an orderly way under a social contract.

For the initial post, address one of the following sets of questions:

• What is a time when you or someone you know of experienced a conflict between duty to self and loyalty to the community? What would logical reasoning say should be done in that case? Why that? What would an Ethical Egoist say to do? Why would they say to do that? Note what you feel is the best course of action.
• What is a time when you or someone you know experienced a clash between professional duties and familial duties? Reference a professional code such as that of the American Nurses Association or American Bar Association in explaining the clash. What moral values should have been used in that case? Why those values? What would social contract ethics have said to have done? Why would social contract ethics say that? Note what you feel is the best course of action.
• Articulate and evaluate a time when you or someone you know saw personal obligations collide with national obligations. How did that tension involve differing positions on a moral debate? Did those positions rely on any key moral theories? If so, how so? If not, why not? Note what you feel is the best course of action.
• (((((((((( Minimum of 2 sources cited ))))))))))))) (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside scholarly source)
• A.P.A format for in-text citations and list of references

Once again let me say how important it is that you read the instructions and requirements for the discussion assignment. I will focus or hit upon some of them in this post, but that does not mean that if I don't mention it, it is not still required.

For your discussion this week, like you did for week 1, you will be asked to think of a situation that has impacted you or someone you know personally. You then will need to choose from the self versus society conflict situations that best fits the scenario you or the person you know experienced. Those conflict situations again are:

...duty to self or duty to community.

...professional duties and duties toward family.

Or ...personal obligations and national obligations.

For the option you choose you will need to examine what factors, like professional standards, personal feelings, tensions, moral theories, etc., impacted the situation.

Your two posts, including your initial thread, and at least one follow up response to a classmate or myself, can be made on any of the eight days from Sunday through Sunday, but posts should be made on two different days.

Here are a series of online resources that might assist you with this discussion. Please consider the source when using any outside resource.

What are Competing Rights? -http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-competing-human-rights/4-what-are-competing-rightsLinks to an external site.

When Individual Rights Conflict With the Common Good -https://www.courthousenews.com/when-individual-rights-conflict-with-the-common-good/Links to an external site.

20 Examples of Conflicts of Interest at Work -https://everfi.com/blog/workplace-training/conflicts-of-interest-at-work/Links to an external site.

Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

Authors: American Psychological Association

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

Publication Date: 2019-10-01

Edition: 7th

A.P.A Citation

American Psychological Association. (2020).Publication manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.).American Psychological Association.

Title: The Elements of Moral Philosophy

Authors: James Rachels, Stuart Rachels

Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill Education

Publication Date: 2018-03-20

Edition: 9th

A.P.A Citation

Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill Education.