Student Handout

NAME___________________________________________________________ Date_________ Period_______

Distinguishing an Ethical Question from Other Kinds of Questions

Ethical, Religious/
Question Reason
Cultural, Legal, Other

Can be answered by moral reflection related to

Under what conditions should what it means to be a ‘person’ and who should have
Ethical, Religious responsibility for someone else’s life. Can also be
people be kept artificially alive?
influenced by religious beliefs.

What type of diet allows for

the best athletic performance?

Is killing someone always illegal?

Is killing a murderer justified?

What is the most appropriate way

to worship?

Should people be able to select

the sex of their child in advance?

How can a child’s sex be determined

in advance of their birth?

How should we decide who receives

organ transplants?

At what age should people marry?

Are same-sex marriages

constitutional?

What ice cream flavor should I buy?

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 Student Handout
NAME___________________________________________________________ Date_________ Period_______

(Scientific, Religious, Cultural,

Legal, Ethical, Other)

Example: You are
driving over the speed
limit because you
need to take someone
to the hospital who is
in need of urgent care.
1. How fast over the speed limit can 1. Legal
you legally go?
2. Cultural
2. How fast do people usually drive over
the speed limit? 3. Ethical
3. Is it acceptable to risk harming others in order to
benefit one who is clearly in need?

Your brother/sister 1. 1.
is very ill and needs
medication you cannot
afford, so you steal it.
2. 2.

3. 3.

Your friend wants you 1. 1.

to try performance-
enhancing drugs.
2. 2.

3. 3.

You apply for a job 1. 1.

and the employer
requests access to
your health records,
2. 2.
including genetic tests
you may have had.

3. 3.

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 Student Handout
NAME___________________________________________________________ Date_________ Period_______

Practice Sheet #3:

Ethical Questions that Arise from the Scenario
For each scenario, identify one or more ethical questions.

Ethical Questions that Arise from the Scenario

Your classmate asks

to see your homework
because they didn’t
finish theirs. Should you or should you not let them?
Is it fair to the others in the class?
What harm can it cause to you or others?

Your classmate asks

to see your homework
because they didn’t
finish theirs. They were
in the hospital all night
with their sick mother.

Your classmate asks

to see your homework
because they didn’t
finish theirs. You have
previously asked them
for their work and you
two are friends.

You need to decide

whether to kill one
person to save the lives
of many people.

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