What is the moral and ethical responsibility of all of us to ensure that all people have the resources, supports, services, and opportunities they need so that we can build healthy and safe communities for all people, as Crystal Dieleman proposes in her TedTalk (Tedx Talks, 2015).

This is a discussion, not an essay. It will not need a cover page. Below are all of the requirements for this discussion post.

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read Chapter 3 of the How Should One Live? An Introduction to Ethics and Moral Reasoning, and Chapter 2 of John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism . You should also read or view the resource your instructor has supplied for this discussion, which you will find in the instructors discussion prompt.

In the ancient Greece of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, a symposium was a banquet held after a meal, an after-party of sorts that usually included drinking, dancing, recitals, and engaging conversations on the topics of the day. For our purposes in this course, the Symposium discussions will not involve dancing, recitals, or a banquet, but they will provide food for thought on current ethical issues and direct application of the ethical theory discussed in each of these weeks.

For this Symposium discussion, your instructor will choose a topic of current ethical interest and a resource associated with it for you to read or watch. Your task is to consider how utilitarianism applies to the controversy, dilemma, event, or scenario selected by your instructor. It is a chance for you to discuss together the ethical issues and questions that it raises, your own response to those, and whether that response aligns with a virtue ethics approach. The aim is to identify, evaluate, and discuss the moral reasoning involved in addressing the chosen issue.

The requirements for the discussion this week are

Your first post is due by Day 3 (Thursday).
You must post a minimum of three separate posts: a primary or main post that addresses all elements of the discussion prompt and two reply posts.
Your main post must answer all the questions in the prompt and show evidence of having read the resources that are required to complete the discussion properly (such as by using quotes, referring to specific points made in the text, etc.).
All posts (including replies to peers) are expected to be thought-out; proofread for mechanical, grammatical, and spelling accuracy; and advance the discussion in an intelligent and meaningful way.
You are encouraged to post your first reply to others by Day 6 (Sunday).
The total word count for all your posts should be at least 600 words, excluding references.
In-text citations and references should follow APA guidelines. See the APA StyleLinks to an external site. resource in the Writing Center.
To satisfy the posting requirements for the week, posts must be made by Day 7 (Monday).

Please read the general discussion requirements above, as well as the announcements explaining the discussion requirements and answering the most frequently asked questions. If you are still unsure about how to proceed with the discussion, please reply to one of those announcements or contact your instructor.

In the course of the weeks discussion, you will need to do the following (not necessarily in this order):

This week, we will consider how utilitarianism applies to the criminal justice systems treatment of individuals with mental illness.

Please read/watch the following resources to help you formulate your discussion and position on the topic:
Mental health and criminal justice | Crystal Dieleman | TEDxMoncton

Read:Lee, C. (2007). The judicial response to psychopathic criminals: Utilitarianism over retribution. Law and Psychology Review, 31, pp.125-136. Retrieved from Ashford Library

This symposium is a chance for you to discuss together the ethical issues and questions that it raises, your own response to those, and whether that aligns with or does not align with a utilitarian approach. The aim is not to simply assert your own view or to denigrate other views, but to identify, evaluate, and discuss the moral reasoning involved in addressing the best ways to approach mental health recovery from a utilitarian perspective consider the following questions:
What are the treatment options other than prison? What is the moral and ethical responsibility of all of us to ensure that all people have the resources, supports, services, and opportunities they need so that we can build healthy and safe communities for all people, as Crystal Dieleman proposes in her TedTalk (Tedx Talks, 2015). What is our personal responsibility to help treat those with mental illnesses?

Your posts should remain focused on the ethical considerations, and at some point in your contribution, you must specifically address the way a utilitarian would approach this issue by explaining and evaluating that approach. If you have a position, you should strive to provide reasons in defense of that position. Make sure to include at least one academic, APA formatted citation and matching reference as support to your position.When responding to peers, you should strive to first understand the reasons they are offering before challenging or critiquing those reasons. One good way of doing this is by summarizing their argument before offering a critique or evaluation.You must post 4 posts over 3 days: 1 initial post and 3 participation posts. Your posts should add up to at least 400 words total.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

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