Cаn the аrt be sepаrated frоm the artist? The fоllоwing scenario is made up for this exam. Congratulations! You are a very popular radio DJ in a large metropolitan city with over 5 million residents. Your show includes a beloved segment on Sunday evenings called “I’ll Be Missing You,” where recorded messages from loved ones for those who have recently died are played over the song “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. This segment was first introduced on your radio station in the wake of the 9/11 attacks as a way for listeners to process collective grief and honor those who had passed. All subsequent DJs from then-on have continued the tradition. Since then, it has become a weekly ritual (especially cherished within the Black community) as a moment of public mourning, cultural connection, and emotional healing. Many callers have shared that the song’s original meaning, a tribute to rapper Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, who was murdered in 1997 (Faith Evans was his wife), adds power and weight to their own memorials. The tradition has become one of the most emotionally resonant parts of your show, and many listeners have even played past recordings at funerals or family events. However, recent developments have put you in an ethical bind. Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy or Diddy), the producer and performer of the song, is now facing federal charges including racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution. While he has denied the allegations and no verdict has yet been reached, the details emerging from the trial and his “white parties” have been disturbing to many. Some listeners have called or written in, saying they can no longer stomach hearing the voice or music of someone accused of such acts. Others believe continuing to use the song glorifies or legitimizes him, even if unintentionally. It is also important to note that after the conviction of R Kelly for the production of child pornography, your station stopped playing his music. At the same time, a larger portion of your audience (especially among older Black listeners) has passionately defended keeping the segment as-is, arguing that the song has taken on a meaning far beyond its origin and remains a powerful anthem for mourning and remembrance. You must now decide: Do you keep playing “I’ll Be Missing You” as the background for the memorial segment, honoring the tradition and emotional meaning it holds for so many, despite the allegations against the artist? or Do you change the background music and segment name, in order to disassociate the segment from Sean Combs and what he may represent, risking backlash from listeners who feel the tradition is being erased or broken? To help answer this question, you devise a thought experiment of creating a council of 3 philosophers (that we have covered in your CEI Ethics class). Which three philosophers would you choose to sit on your council and what important perspective do they each offer? What advice do you think each philosopher would give? Make sure to cite evidence from the reading to justify your reasoning. How would each philosopher answer the other’s points? Finally, I want you to make a decision on the issue and explain your reasoning. Excellent responses will include correct term usage, definitions, examples, and cited quotations with page numbers to support the points you are making. Try to approach the dilemma thematically rather than philosopher-by-philosopher. That is, discuss the major ethical tensions: such as tradition vs. justice, art vs. artist, communal meaning vs. individual accountability, and bring in the philosophers as part of your analysis of those themes.