Assignment Scenario
You and your partner are jointly members of the Quinault Indian Nation Tribal Planning Committee. The Committee is meeting to decide whether (or how) to permit bio-prospecting of Pacific yew trees for the cancer drug taxol. The Committee will meet during our class session to discuss and vote on the measure.
Preparation
- Read the case "Cancer Cure or Conservation". You do not have to answer the questions at the end of the case. (Note that while the Native American dialogue in this case is fictitious, the dialogue from the other characters is not.)
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For each of the expert witnesses described in the case, analyze what their ethical values seem to be. Use the ethics terminology introduced so far in the course to explain the moral framework from which they likely make their claims.
- Decide what position you and your partner will take on the issue. Why did you take that position? What ethical frameworks do you find persuasive and that you are using to justify your vote? Why was this moral frameworks convincing while others are not? (Note this comparing of ethical frameworks is the field of metaethics, the evaluation of each ethical positions on the basis of some other criteria. Examples of criteria include which ethic is more: Christian, beautiful, rationally consistent, descriptive of experience, likely to result in legislation, etc.)
- Write out/take notes of your reasoning so you'll have them available for the discussion. I'll also ask you to turn in these notes.
Format and Grading
Your instructor will be the chair of the Committee meeting.
- Each pair will give a two minute speech describing what their vote will be and why.
- After that, there will be open discussion. Remember that each pair functions as a team.
- At the end of class we'll take a vote as to how we will use (or not use) the trees.
- We will then analyze what the various ethical theories were and how did we do in putting them in dialogue with each other.
You will be graded on whether the quality of your argumentation in your speech(es) and shown in your notes is acceptable.
