Ethics Philosophy
Format APA
Volume of 4 pages (1100 words)
Assignment type : Essay
Description
Task
Topic:
Thomson apparently believes that, at least in many cases, an abortion performed when the mother’s life is not threatened by the pregnancy would not be unjust. What does she need to do in order to establish this? Does she succeed?
Further explanation of this task:
You need to provide a satisfactory discussion of the answers to those questions. In order to do this you will need to understand the whole of Thomson’s article and the whole of the critical discussion of it in the Study Guide. But the question is not about the whole of Thomson’s case. You will need to identify those particular portions of Thomson’s case which are relevant to this question, and then critically examine those portions. You will be discussing whether the relevant arguments in Thomson’s article are good or bad.
As was the case for Assessment Item 1, you will need to show that you have mastered the relevant Study Guide exercises, and you will need to take care to observe the difficult word limit.
Rationale
The essay allows you to display your grasp of the philosophical discussion of the relevant topic. It requires you to show that you understand this discussion, and that you can critically assess it. (Note that this task is directed towards all three of the learning outcomes for this subject – i.e. it allows you to demonstrate that you grasp the basic philosophical techniques of analysis and argument that you are learning, that you have a basic understanding of the ethical theories being discussed, and that you can apply those skills and understanding in the discussion of the particular moral problems discussed.)
Marking criteria
This task (like the task for Assessment Item 1) involves a number of distinct elements. They include the following:
(1) You need to identify the relevant argument that Thomson needs to provide, and you need to show why this argument is needed.
(2) You need to critically evaluate whether Thomson’s actual arguments succeed in doing what’s needed.
(3) You need to present your essay in a well organised discussion written in good clear English.
Overall, you need to do your best to show that you have critically mastered the relevant discussion in the study materials, in the way described for Assessment Item 1 (above). (Note in particular the need to distinguish what is relevant from what is irrelevant to this prescribed question.)
The performance of the task will be graded according to the following marking scheme:
HD High Distinction (85-100%)
Each of the elements 1, 2 and 3 (above) has been performed outstandingly well. You have thoroughly mastered the relevant discussion in the study materials, distinguishing it very clearly from what is not relevant to this particular discussion. And you have presented it very clearly yourself, demonstrating that you are thinking about it with some sophisticated critical independence.
DI Distinction (75-84%)
Overall the task has been performed very well, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 has not been performed outstandingly well. You display a good, solid grasp of the relevant discussion, and the ability to think about it with some real critical independence. But, for example, though you have mastered the statement and critical examination of the argument, your writing could be improved. Or, though your essay is beautifully written, your critical evaluation could be extended, or refined, or polished further. And so on.
CR Credit (65-74%)
Overall the task has been performed creditably, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 could be considerably improved. You show a fairly good grasp of the relevant discussion, and a fairly good attempt to assess it with critical independence. But, for example, though the meat of your discussion is good, your writing could be considerably improved. Or, your critical evaluation of the relevant argument could be substantially extended, or refined. Or, you may have introduced irrelevant material into your discussion, or omitted some relevant material. And so on.
PS Pass (50-64%)
Overall the task has been performed satisfactorily, but not better than satisfactorily. You show an adequate grasp of the relevant discussion, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 could be substantially improved. For example, your writing, though intelligible, needs to be considerably improved. Or your presentation or critical evaluation of the relevant argument could be substantially improved through a clearer or less confused grasp of the material, or through a clearer application of the techniques of the analysis of argument, or by being extended to include omitted points. Or you may display some substantial confusion over the distinction between relevant and irrelevant material. And so on.
FL Fail (0-49%)
Overall the task has been performed unsatisfactorily. One or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 has been performed so unsatisfactorily that, however well the other elements have been performed, the essay is inadequate. For example, your writing is too far below the required standard. Or though you display some understanding of the material, your essay shows serious confusions. Or you have omitted major points. And so on.
NB The feedback provided on your essay will show in detail why your essay is assessed as deserving the grade as described in the scheme above.
Presentation
As for Assessment item 1, above.
Requirements
As above.
Assessment item 3
Examination
Value: 50%
Submission method options
Rationale
The rationale for the exam is the same as that for the assessment essays. But in addition, the exam covers the full range of topics addressed by the subject; hence preparation for the exam requires you to have a good grasp of the spread of the subject matter – not merely of two small sections of it. And the exam allows you to show that you have corrected faults that were detected in your essays, so it allows you to benefit from the development of your own learning within the subject. (Note that this addresses all three of this subject’s learning outcomes: it allows you to demonstrate your grasp of the basic philosophical techniques of analysis and argument, your understanding of the central ethical theories, and your ability to apply those skills and understanding to the range of particular moral problems discussed in the subject.) Those are the important connections between the exam and your learning. But there is a further reason for the exam. In this day and age, where so much assessment material is submitted on-line, we cannot always be certain of its authenticity. The exam enables us to be sure that the work is yours.
Requirements
See the marking criteria below.
Marking criteria
The exam will ask you questions to which you will be required to give essay-type answers. The exam will offer you a choice of questions: you will not be required to answer every question. The questions available will range over particular aspects of each of the main topics covered in the subject. These topics include the topics with which Assessment Items 1 and 2 were concerned (but the relevant exam questions may not concern exactly the same aspects of those topics as were covered by the assessment essays). Hence the exam will require you to display an adequate grasp of a reasonable coverage of the whole subject, and it will offer you the opportunity to demonstrate that your grasp of the subject has improved because of what you have learned through the earlier assessment of your essays.
Because preparation for the exam plays this key role in your learning in this subject, and because the exam is a key test of the authenticity of your work, you need to pass the exam in order to pass the subject (however well you have done in your earlier assessments).
Your exam answers will be marked according to the same measures as were used to assess your earlier essays. (See, once again, those detailed marking criteria below.) So, in each case you need to do your best to show that you have gained a critical mastery of that part of the study materials relevant to the particular question. But allowance will of course be made for the fact that you are writing these answers under exam conditions. (Accordingly we mark exam answers in a less exacting way than that in which we mark assessment essays.)
So long as you pass the exam, your final mark for the subject will be calculated as the aggregate of your three assessment marks (given their respective weightings).
Each exam question will involve a number of distinct elements. (These elements are sometimes referred to as marking criteria, for your answer will be marked according to how well these elements of the task are performed.) They include the following:
(1) You need to clearly state the arguments relevant to the particular question.
(2) You need to critically evaluate these arguments, employing the relevant techniques to show whether and exactly how they are good or bad.
(3) You need to present your answer in a well organised discussion written in good clear English.
Overall, you need to do your best to show that you have mastered the relevant discussion in the study materials, and that you are thinking about it critically yourself. This includes your showing that you understand the wider discussion so that you can properly distinguish what is relevant from what is irrelevant to the particular question you are answering. (You will do this by not discussing what is irrelevant. Or, if you do need to mention some irrelevant material, you will point out that it is irrelevant and perhaps explain why it is.) And because the best way to show your understanding is to show that you can enable someone else to understand that matter, we will be assessing how well your essay would give an uninformed reader a clear grasp of the discussion. (Because time in the exam is severely limited, you may find that you cannot present your discussion as fully as you would wish if you were writing in order to make it completely clear for a genuinely uninformed reader. Nevertheless, you should regard this as what you should aim at as much as possible – especially in those parts of the discussion that are most difficult.)
The performance of the task will be graded according to the following marking scheme:
HD High Distinction (85-100%)
Each of the elements 1,2 and 3 (above) has been performed outstandingly well. You have thoroughly mastered the relevant discussion in the study materials, and can present it very clearly yourself, demonstrating that you are thinking about it with some sophisticated critical independence.
DI Distinction (75-84%)
Overall the task has been performed very well, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 has not been performed outstandingly well. You display a good, solid grasp of the relevant discussion, and the ability to think about it with some real critical independence. But, for example, though you have mastered the statement and critical examination of the argument, your writing could be improved. Or, though your essay is beautifully written, your critical evaluation could be extended, or refined, or polished further. And so on.
CR Credit (65-74%)
Overall the task has been performed creditably, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 could be considerably improved. You show a fairly good grasp of the relevant discussion, and a fairly good attempt to assess it with critical independence. But, for example, though the meat of your discussion is good, your writing could be considerably improved. Or, your critical evaluation of the relevant argument could be substantially extended, or refined. And so on.
PS Pass (50-64%)
Overall the task has been performed satisfactorily, but not better than satisfactorily. You show an adequate grasp of the relevant discussion, but one or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 could be substantially improved. For example, your writing, though intelligible, needs to be considerably improved. Or your presentation or critical evaluation of the relevant argument could be substantially improved through a clearer or less confused grasp of the material, or through a clearer application of the techniques of the analysis of argument, or by being extended to include omitted points. And so on.
FL Fail (0-49%)
Overall the task has been performed unsatisfactorily. One or more of elements 1, 2 and 3 has been performed so unsatisfactorily that, however well the other elements have been performed, the essay is inadequate. For example, your writing is too far below the required standard. Or though you display some understanding of the material, your essay shows serious confusions. Or you have omitted major points. And so on.
Material provided by the University
Exam paper and writing booklets.
Material required by the student
Writing instruments.
