You should discuss the conflict associated with the issue, that is, the freedom from harm versus the right to effective treatment. You might want to consider the information discussed in class (legal and ethical issues), the information from the reading assignment (chapter 18; reading assignment), or other outside sources you may consult on the issue. Keep in mind the types of people who are unable to provide informed consent.

Like most good discussion papers you should consider taking the approach of a formal essay. Formal essays typically begin with an argument or position on the topic being discussed (called a thesis). The rest of the paper is the presentation of evidence in support of this position, and finally a conclusion reiterating the thesis and reason for this argument. Keep in mind that your position or argument is irrelevant – you may be for one position, or another, or both, or neither. What we are looking for is the sophistication of the defence of your argument.

An alternate approach may be a review of the current zeitgeist (the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate) on this topic. This would definitely involve a comparison of past views (including the reading assignment) and current views (other, or outside sources) on the topic. Keep in mind you only have 3-4 pages to complete your paper.