Choose one of the following topics and write an argument in answering the questions from the topic you have chosen. This essay is due on 10/14/14 by 11:59 pm on turnitin.com.

Your research should be documented by citing at least three credible sources such as the textbook, a newspaper, a biographic article, book, or website. Wikipedia and any similar online reference sites where the content may be authored by anyone are not considered credible sources for scholarly writing.
Your essay should be 1000–1250 words (4-5 pages) in length, double- spaced, and in APA format.
Keep the following points in mind:
1. The essay is well-organized and logically structured.
2. The hypothesis (or purpose) is clearly stated and arguments are presented logically to support the hypothesis (or purpose).
3. The essay integrates key concepts from the readings, research, and class discussion.

Cultural Relativism Essay
1. Cultural ethical relativism holds that ethical values vary from society to society and that the basis for moral judgments lies in these social or cultural views. For instance, it is considered ethical to eat certain foods or consume alcohol in some cultures, but unethical in others and some cultural societies have different forms of punishment for violations such as theft or adultery. Does the diversity of moral outlooks in cultures show that right and wrong are determined by culture? Why or why not? How does cultural diversity affect ethical decisions?
The right to die

Suppose that Jones is terminally ill and his physician are reasonably certain that he only has about a week to live. But his life during his remaining time will be very painful and misery-ridden. Jones and his family agree that it would be preferable for Jones to die a drug-induced painless death now than for him to linger on in misery for the next week or so. His physician agrees. Would it be morally permissible for Jones to allow himself to be put to death in these circumstances?

Moral status of the fetus:

This topic explores the ethical issues of abortion. In this essay, you will apply concepts from the topic about the moral status of the fetus.

Do an internet search on abortion, then consider the following case. The sex of a child can now be determined before birth. In the waiting room of a local women’s clinic, June has started a conversation with another woman, Ann. She finds out that each is there for an amniocentesis to determine the sex of her fetus. June reveals that she wants to know the sex because her husband and his family really want a boy. Because they plan to have only one child, they plan to end this pregnancy if it is a girl and try again. Another pregnant woman, Ann, also wants to know the sex of her fetus. Ann’s reason is different from June’s. She is a genetic carrier of a particular kind of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked disease that is inherited through the mother. Only males develop the disease, and each male child has a 50 percent chance of having it. The disease causes muscle weakness and often some mental retardation. It causes death through respiratory failure, usually in early adulthood. Ann does not want to risk having such a child, and this abnormality cannot yet be determined through prenatal testing. Thus, if the prenatal diagnosis reveals that her fetus is male, she plans to end this pregnancy.

After considering the reasoning of these two women, consider and respond to the following questions:
1. What do you think of the use of prenatal diagnosis and abortion for purposes of sex selection in these cases?
2. What is the moral status of the fetus in June’s case? What is the moral status of the fetus in Ann’s case?
3. Apply consequentialist/utilitarian reasoning to evaluate each woman’s decision.
4. How might nonconsequentialist/Kantian reasoning differ in evaluating each woman’s decision?

Racial profiling:

This learning topic explores the moral issues regarding equality