Narrative Thought Experiments and Cases
1. Find your case/scene.
2. Determine the facts from the case/scene.
3. Determine the suggested outcome (if any) by the author.
4. Determine which character you will be or comment on.
5. Write Intro (stating pro or con if a suggested outcome is in the case. If there is no
suggested outcome, then state roughly where you will go)
6. Set out the key practical facts of the case.
7. Set out the key moral, epistemological, metaphysical, and/or aesthetic issues.
(There should be at least 3.)
8. Apply the three relevant moral, epistemological, metaphysical, and/or aesthetic
issues to solve the case or to resolve the problem and go through your solution in
an introspective fashion.
9. Conclusion (significance and general import of this policy that guided your
solution—both abstractly and concretely from an actual case in the world today).
Criteria for Grading:
A. Is the essay written from a clear standpoint that reflects the personal worldview of
the central character chosen?
B. Does the essay engage and develop relevant practical, professional, and ethical
principles?
C. Is there an analysis of the embeddedness of the practical, professional, and ethical
principles?
D. Is there a connection to an ethical theory, epistemological, metaphysical, or
aesthetic principle? Is the connection adequately developed?
E. Is the context of the personal and shared community worldviews set out?
F. Is there a clear conclusion to the conundrum of the case resolved in a decisive
way that is supported by developed argumentation?
