Question 2 (Internet Plagiarism)

Although both seem to make a compelling argument, I am more inclined to agree with Sadler than Hunt. Brooke J. Sadler, an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of South Florida, poses several reason why internet plagiarism is wrong. She explains how plagiarism, at its core, is an intent to deceive, a violation of trust, theft of another’s ideas, and unfair to those who didn’t plagiarize. She believes it is important for students to educate themselves on the different forms of plagiarism and how serious it is. On the other hand, Russel Hunt who is a professor of English at St. Thomas University believes there are some unexpected benefits to internet plagiarism. He believes that internet plagiarism in school challenges the faculty, and essentially the system itself, to come up with new and perhaps better ways to teach their students. Hunt’s argument seems to be more inductive in that it is focused on something that could possibly happen rather than something that certainly will happen. He can’t know for certain whether or not allowing students to plagiarize will have all of the benefits he speaks of. Whereas Sadler’s argument strictly focuses on what plagiarism is and how it affects those who do it and those who do not.