ABSTRACT
Table 2 Line Drawing Analysis Chart with Values from the Case Feature Negative paradigm 50/50 Positive paradigm Size of the gift Very large X No value Timing of the gift Before decision X After decision
The last step o f the Line Drawing Analysis is essentially an easy one. The permissibility o f the actual situation is determined by the balance o f the Xs. I f more Xs are closer to the negative paradigm than they are to the positive para digm, then the action being considered leans toward being morally impermissible. While the case may not be the absolutely worst case in terms o f moral permissi bil i ty, it is sufficiently close to warrant extreme caution. I f more Xs are closer to the positive paradigm than the negative paradigm, then the action leans toward being morally permissible. The degree o f closeness as wel l as the relative impor tance o f that feature measured against the others are also important factors to con sider. For example, in Table 2, there is one X that is barely on the positive side o f the midpoint line. There is also one X which resides next to the negative paradigm. Thus, when considering this case, the extremely negative X in the second feature would outweigh the slightly positive X . The conclusion that would be drawn from the values given in Table 2 would be that the gift o f the wristwatch would lean towards being morally impermissible.
