Stating an Ethical Principle
The most important part of an ethical argument is the ethical principle—a general statement about what is good or bad, right or wrong. It is the set of values that guides you to an ethically correct conclusion.
You can show that something is good or right by establishing that it conforms to a particular moral law or will result in something good for society. For example, you could argue in favor of a policy restricting access to campus by saying that such a policy will reduce crime on campus or will result in a better educational experience for students.
You can show that something is bad or wrong by demonstrating that it violates a moral law or will result in something bad for society. For example, you could argue against the use of torture by saying that respect for individual rights is one of the basic principles of American society and that by ignoring this principle we undermine our Constitution and our way of life.
Whenever possible, you should base your ethical argument on an ethical principle that is self-evident—one that needs no proof or explanation. (By doing so, you avoid having to establish the principle that is the basis for your essay.) Thomas Jefferson uses this strategy in the Declaration of Independence. When he says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” he is saying that the ethical principle that supports the rest of his argument is so basic (and so widely accepted) that it requires no proof—in other words, that it is self-evident. If readers accept Jefferson’s assertion, then the rest of his argument—that the thirteen original colonies owe no allegiance to England—will be much more convincing. (Remember, however, that the king of England, George III, would not have accepted Jefferson’s assertion. For him, the ethical principle that is the foundation of the Declaration of Independence was not at all self-evident.)
Keep in mind that an ethical principle has to be self-evident to most of your readers—not just to those who agree with you or hold a particular set of religious or cultural beliefs. Using a religious doctrine as an ethical principle has its limitations, and doctrines that cut across religions and cultures are more suitable than those that do not. For example, every culture prohibits murder and theft. But some other doctrines—such as the Jehovah’s Witness prohibition against blood transfusion or the Muslim dietary restrictions—are not universally accepted. In addition, an ethical principle must be stated so that it applies universally. For example, not all readers will find the statement, “As a Christian, I am against killing and therefore against the death penalty” convincing. A more effective statement would be, “Because it is morally wrong, the death penalty should be abolished” or “With few exceptions, taking the life of another person is never justified, and there should be no exception for the government.”