Instructions for Students: This paper must be no less than 1,000 words and should demonstrate a thorough awareness of the topic, as well as the ability to engage in philosophical reasoning. Late papers will be penalized at -5 points for the first day late and an additional -1 point for each day following. You must provide complete citations for any outside resources that you use. Failure to cite your sources is academic misconduct and will result in a failure of the assignment (for more information, see the academic honesty section of the syllabus and the handout on academic misconduct and proper citations). If you have any doubts about whether your paper is properly cited, I am happy to look at it for you in advance of the due date.
The Assignment: The coronavirus pandemic is the largest public health crisis of the past 100 years. It has necessitated countless scarce resource allocation decisions, which have been addressed in various ways across the globe.
Part I: Use the complete lives system laid out by Persad, Wertheimer, and Emanuel to address specific scarce resource issues that have arisen due to the coronavirus pandemic. Apply their system as clearly and specifically as you can, to show how those decisions would be made under the complete lives system.
Part II: Present the strongest arguments you can against using the complete lives system to resolve scarce resource allocation issues that have arisen due to the coronavirus pandemic. Explain how differing assessments regarding the importance of various moral principles leads to a disagreement over the strengths and weaknesses of the use of the complete lives system in coronavirus-related allocations.
Part III: How do you think coronavirus-related scarce resources should be allocated? Do you think one of the systems we have studied is morally preferable? If so, explain that system and explain why you think it is best. Otherwise, lay out your own system, identifying the moral principles that it prioritizes, giving arguments as to why you think those principles are the most important.