Christian Ethics Study Guide Test 1

What are the types of deontological ethics?

- Secular: Kantian ethics, prima facie duties, natural law ethics - Christian: Divine Command theory, denominational statements

What is reason in Kantian ethics?

- The principles of ethics are to be constructed only on the basis of reason - There is only one right answer - Should allow for universal ethics - If something is grounded in pure reason, then it is valid and obligatory for all rational beings

In chapter 4, what is Immanuel Kant's concept of the categorical imperative?

- This is a moral law that is unconditional or absolute for all agents, the validity or claim of which does not depend on any ulterior motive or end. - This is similar to a golden rule.

What are the four primary sources of guidance for Christian decision-making?

1. The Bible 2. Tradition 3. Reason and the Sciences 4. Individual conscience/experiences

Define morality

A first-order set of beliefs and practices about how to live a good life

In chapter 5, what are the three essential characteristics which form the basis for natural law?

A universal ethic, the use of reason, and telos of nature

In chapter 3, what is an argument supporting to human construct view of morality; the subjective, cognitive accounts of ethics?

Cultural relativity and the location of these supposed moral facts

Define descriptive ethics

Describes the way people live without making a value judgment as to whether it is right or wrong

Define philosophical ethics

"The realm of rational reflection upon human behavior" - Ian Markham

What is Marxism, and what is its basic approach to decision making?

- 1st form: the good is that which promotes general, social, and economics equality among all persons - 1st form: classless society where everyone is equal - 1st form: There is a current struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat - 2nd form: in its political reality, the good is that which benefits the state, the government - 2nd form: All actions are to be judged good or bad in terms of their consequences for the cause of communism

In chapter 16, what is an MSP?

- A morally serious person is someone who takes ethical discourse seriously and strives to live in a positive and constructive way. - It is made of seven features: 1. Responsible citizenship 2. Intolerance towards discrimination 3. Obligation to be empirically informed 4. Disciplined reflection on the cultivation of virtue 5. Consciousness of our sociologist conditioning 6. An ordered interior life 7. Commitment to moral conversation

Define ethics

- A second-order, conscious reflection on the adequacy of our beliefs and practices; - The study of morality, a theoretical investigation of morality

What is teleological ethics (consequentialism), and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- Any ethics in which the rightness of any action is determined by its end, result, or consequence; - You choose your action based on the outcome of the choice

In chapter 5, virtue ethics assumes that persons can be trained in doing right and avoiding wrong. What value does MacIntyre see in the virtues, that would be particularly helpful for the modern world?

- Because moral terminology is fragmented, he wants us to create communities that take moral talk seriously. - This is often done in the church. - The goal is not to make the world ethical, but to make the church ethical.

What is Evanelicalism's approach to theology?

- Began as a movement in the 1940s as a separation from Fundamentalism - Conservative roots but some liberal emphases - Conversionism: sinfulness of humanity and the need for God's grace and personal salvation - Biblicism: authority of the infallible Bible - Christocentrism: uniqueness of Christ and necessity for salvation

What does behaviorism (determinism) contribute to our understanding of ethics?

- Behavior is not totally a matter of free choice - People's actions are determined by conditioning - If you believe in behaviorism all the way, you get rid of ethics - We have little control over many of the circumstances that place limitations on us - Interesting correlation to sin; there is an influence of sin in our lives that we cannot completely control

What is Evangelicalism's approach to ethics?

- Bible gives clear guidance for moral decision-making, but not as a rule book (focuses on principles rather than rules) - "New Evangelicals" favor providing services to pregnant women and oppose discrimination against gays and lesbians; also addresses climate change, poverty and economic equality, racism, and sexism

How should Christian ethics be related to other scholarly disciplines, such as Christian theology and the sciences?

- Christian ethics should fall in the middle of these two fields of study. - Without Christian theology, you would simply be studying secular ethics. - Science is important to help us understand what real-life is like and makes the distinction between theology and good Christian ethics

Define normative ethics

- Concerns how people should live; the ultimate goal; - Uses words like "should," "must," and "ought"

What is some extra information about Immanuel Kant?

- Considered on of the most influential philosophers in Western civilization - Best example of a deontological ethic - He believed that morality should arise from within us

In chapter 1, what is the difference between descriptive and normative ethics?

- Descriptive ethics describes the major ethical traditions both historically and today; - Normative ethics tries to suggest what is right, rather than describing the ways that others believe are right

What is liberalism's approach to ethics?

- Emphasis on love and justice - Emphasis on motive as much as an action - Jesus is the primary example of an ethical human life - Jesus' own ethics were essentially humane

In chapter 1, what is the difference between ethics and morals?

- Ethics are the realm of rational reflection upon human behavior; - Morals are the actual problem that we face in a particular situation or circumstance

What is meant by this reason to study ethics: "Because we crave happiness, and ethics is about happiness"

- Ethics helps us realize the type of person we need to be in order to be happy. - To be truly happy, one must live morally.

What is situation ethics' approach to theology and ethics?

- Extreme variety of liberal ethics - Joseph Fletcher - The one ethical absolute is to do the loving thing - The Bible is a devotional book to synthesize what love will do

What is virtue ethics?

- Focuses on the agent who does the action and shaping their character - There are certain ideals toward which we should strive, which provide for the full development of our humanity -We should be the best person we can be - Similar to teleological ethics, but there is no greater good in the intrinsic value of virtue

What is the purpose of the Torah?

- For Israel's well being - God gives the laws in the service of life Two types of goods addressed by the laws 1. Religious good: for people of any religion, an important question is "how do I live rightly before God?" 2. Social good: what goods for the community deserve protection? - Examples: are laws needed to protect marriage, poor people, and property?

What is hedonism, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- Happiness/pleasure is the chief good in life, so an action is ethical if it leads to or promotes pleasure. - If something causes pleasure, it is good; if something causes pain, it is bad. - It is not the fact of pleasure that is important, it is the type of pleasure.

In chapter 2, how did Nietzsche challenge traditional moral discourse?

- He believed that with the rise of science and the social sciences, God has ceased to be a cultural option. - Things we use to use religion to explain, can now be explained by science

In chapter 4, what was Jeremy Bentham's criterion for utilitarianism?

- He believed the goal of a moral action is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. - The course of action you should take is the one that would benefit the most people. - His criterion was happiness, which he defined in terms of pleasure.

In chapter 4, how did John Stuart Mills modify Bentham's criterion for utilitarianism?

- He insisted that one must recognize distinctions in forms of happiness and not just its intensity. - There needs to be a more elevated calculation of pleasure.

What is Roman Catholicism's approach to theology?

- High view of the authority of the Bible and the Church - God's grace is mediate through the Church

In chapter 6, using Harris's arguments from the Bible, how would you respond to both Harris and the biblical texts concerning slavery? What do you think Christians should do with the biblical texts that promote slavery?

- I believe that Harris is right by saying the Bible never condemns slavery - I also believe that parts of the Bible even seemed to support slavery - The Bible never makes a statement clearly framing its view on slavery - We should look past the aspect of slavery in the Bible and see if there are any other moral principles that we can learn from and apply to our lives

In chapter 8, do you think secular humanism is correct? If so, why? If not, how would you critique it?

- I do not think secular humanism is correct. - I don't understand how we can create morals for ourselves if we are all sinful. - We need a higher power who is perfect to create these standards for us. - What we might see as morally good, might actually be wrong.

What is Divine Command theory, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- I do this, and don't do that, because God says so - There is no question as to why God says something is right or wrong - Is something right because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?

What is meant by this reason to study ethics: "Because it allows us to explore the difference between having "rights" and doing "what is right"

- In some cases, we have the legal right to do things that are not morally right. - For example, according to my rights as a citizen, I could cuss someone out, but this is not morally right.

Explain how justice is emphasized in the Torah. In conjunction with that, give an example of a humanitarian law (compassionate law) in the Old Testament Torah.

- Israel is to be a people of justice - "Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue" - The Covenant Code demonstrates humanitarian attention, above all, for the needy - Humanitarian laws 1. Don't oppress widows, orphans, or foreigners 2. Don't charge interest to the poor 3. Allow the poor and homeless to glean in the field 4. Love your neighbor as yourself 5. Even slaves should be treated with justice and righteousness

In chapter 16, according to Markham, what's wrong with a life characterized by a routine of work, eat, telly, sleep?

- It is a metaphysical problem; - The unreflective life does not fully appreciate the miracle of being human. - Also, the unreflective life handles stressful moments extremely badly

What are natural law ethics, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- Just as certain natural, physical laws are built into the structure of the universe, there are also universal moral laws - We discover them the same way we discover natural laws Basic principles: 1. It is good to live up to one's nature - An immoral action goes against the rational nature of humans 2. There is a natural end or purpose to natural processes that should not be interrupted - What is unnatural is immoral 3. Natural law is the basis of international law - There are certain basic rights we have because we are humans

Give an example of an Old Testament law that would be difficult to use in our society

- Laws regarding when a man sells his daughter as a slave - Don't mix different kinds of plants or materials - If a man has sex with a slave woman, his only punishment is a slap on the wrist - An adult child who struck one of his parents was to be put to death - A woman found not to be a virgin at the time of marriage was to be stoned to death - Law that prohibits cross-dressing

What is Ultra-Conservatism's (Fundamentalism) approach to ethics?

- Legalistic: Bible is a rule book; deontological ethics - Universal Biblical norms are absolute; Scripture is the final authority - Issues are in clear black and white - Pessimistic regarding the fate of this world

What is autonomy in Kantian ethics?

- No authority external to ourselves is needed to constitute or inform us of the demands or morality - No leader is needed; we can figure out ethics for ourselves - If we are moral people, we will all come to the same conclusion of what is good

What is Ultra-Conservatism's (Fundamentalism) approach to theology?

- Opposition to modernity - The old ways are best - Biblicism: sole authority of the inerrant Bible - Conversionism: need for salvation for God's grace and conversion experience - Christocentrism: absolute necessity for Christ

What is liberalism's approach to theology?

- Positive attitude towards change and modernity - Demythologizing: restatement of Christian faith for the modern world - Validity of science and modern critical methods of Biblical interpretation - Stress on the humanity of the Bible - Sin is an evil social condition

In chapter 16, why does Markham say that responsible citizenship is more than merely not engaging in illegal activities?

- Responsible citizens should not engage in destructive acts. - These include not just illegal acts, but also those that are morally inadvisable. - For example, living off state benefits just because you are too lazy to find a job is wrong, but it is not illegal.

What are the types of teleological ethics?

- Secular: hedonism, utilitarianism, and Marxism - Christian: liberation theologies

What is meant by this reason to study ethics: "Because of the conflicting assessments of morality in society"

- Some say moral conduct is in decline, and there are signs of de-civilization and cultural rot. - Some say moral conduct is not in decline, and we are no better or worse than our ancestors in the past. - Finally, some say moral conduct is improving. We are better than our ancestors, and we are living in the least violent time in human history.

In chapter 4, what is a difficulty of deontology?

- Sometimes our obligations conflict, and sometimes the obligation seems to conflict with a desired outcome. - Would you lie to save a Jewish family? - Do you blow up your friend in the cave so you and others can live?

What is meant by this reason to study ethics: "Because moral values often conflict with each other"

- Sometimes two very good values are in tension with one another, and we must choose to follow one. - Examples include choosing between fairness and loyalty and deciding if it is always ethical to tell the truth. - Ethics also tells the difference between norms and rules.

What is meant by this reason to study ethics: "Because it allows us to explore the question "how ought I to live?," and "why should I play fair in a world where many others don't?"

- Soul-making is the process of developing a personal identity that enables you to live a successful live. - These questions are critical to one's identity development.

What is utilitarianism, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- The good is that which brings the greatest benefit/well-being to the greatest number of people. - Example, in the train-track scenario, a utilitarianist would say to pull the lever to save the most people; - First you identify the various courses of action available, then you ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived from each; lastly, you choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm

In chapter 4, which difficulty with utilitarianism does Markham consider most significant?

- The problem of justice; - It requires us to opt for the course of action that brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number, but what if the majority of people find happiness in immoral things. - Example: 20 sadists and 1 normal person

Explain the relationship between the covenant and the Torah. How does Paul Hanson's diagram help us understand this relationship?

- There are many covenants in the Bible, and they are to love God, practice justice/righteousness, and to practice compassion _ Loving God: have no other gods before me - Practice Justice: points to a relationship in the broader society and community - Practice righteousness: personal term that refers to what is right in personal relationships; content of righteousness varies based on relationship - Practice compassion: the only actions that have moral values are those that spring from compassions; compels people to help others - Paul Hanson's model puts covenant obligations in the middle with the previous obligations around it like a tripod - The model helps us understand that the teachings of the Bible say that to be right in the eyes of God, there are obligations towards one another as well - For the covenant to be operating as God intended, Israel had to be meeting these obligations in all three directions; if not met, covenant and community collapses

What is Christian situation ethics?

- There is only one moral imperative and universal command, and that is to love - In every situation you have to ask yourself, what is the loving thing to do? - Love God and then love your neighbor - We cannot lay our personal moral principles in advance - All other biblical laws help implement the love commands - Joseph Fletcher is a major proponent of this - He wrote Situation Ethics and built off the ideas of Emil Brunner

What are Kant's categorical imperatives?

- These are actions we simply have to do - We impose a moral law on ourselves, and the law gives rise to obligation to act in certain ways - Obligatory for everyone - 1st formulation: act in conformity with that maxim and that maxim only which you can at the same time will to be a universal law - 2nd formulation: always treat humanity, whether in yourself or other people, as an end it itself and never as a means

What are prima facie duties, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- These are self-evidently necessary - Their rightness is so obvious they don't need any further proof or justification to those that have reached a certain degree of maturity Specific duties: 1. Duties resting on previous acts of my own - Promises/ implied promises - Wrongful acts, entailing duties or reparation 2. Duties deriving from previous acts of other men 3. Duties of distributive justice 4 Duties of beneficence 5. Duties of self-improvement 6. Duties of care not to injure others or non-maleficence

In chapter 6, what is Esther Reed's polyphonic approach to the Bible? Do you think that approach to the Bible helps Christians deal with the slavery texts? Why or why not?

- This describes a distinctive way to author a novel - The lives of the people in the Bible are expressed in many voices that reveal the truth of Christ - This could help Christians navigate slavery texts because the books of the Bible were written by different authors - Each author expresses a different viewpoint on slavery, from which we must interpret

What is deontological ethics, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- This focuses on law, duty, and obligation - Teaches that some acts are morally obligatory without regard to their consequences

What is personalist ethics, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- View morality as an expression of individual feeling, conscience, or love - "You do your thing, I'll do mine" - Popular idea in modern culture

What is ethical egoism, and what is its basic approach to moral decision-making?

- We have no duties to anyone but ourselves, every individual ought to maximize his or her own welfare - Promote one's self interest - Leading representative is Ayn Rand - She believed the achievement of man's happiness is his highest moral purpose

In chapter 3, what are the two main options regarding the nature of ethical assertions?

1. Aspect of the factual realm that has been built into the nature of ethics; objective, realist nature 2. Individual to the culture, and therefore a human construct that free individuals to pick and choose their own ethical system; subjective, non-cognitive nature

Explain why it is important to study ethics

1. Because we crave happiness, and ethics is about happiness 2. Because it allows us to explore the question "how ought I to live," and "why should I play fair in a world where many others don't?" 3. Because it allows us to explore the difference between having "rights" and doing "what is right" 4. Because moral values often conflict with each other 5. Because of the conflicting assessments of morality in society

What are the intrinsic problems of using the Bible as a source of ethical guidance?

1. It is an ancient book - The most recent part was written 1900 years ago, and we live in a very different world than when the Bible was written 2. There is a cultural gap between the Biblical period and us - Examples are the approval of slavery in the OT and NT, the purity and cleanliness rules in the OT, and the patriarchal and misogynistic society 3. The Bible is not a systematic textbook on ethics - It does not deal systematically with specific issues 4. The Bible does not always speak with one voice on a matter - Examples: divorce and war 5. The strangeness of Scripture - Examples: man having multiple wives morally, levirate marriage, punished for seeing a doctor 6. The moral problems raised by the Bible itself - Examples: slavery, genocide, submit to ruling authorities

What are the main types of liberation ethics and describe them?

1. Latin American - Liberation theologies started here - God should take the side of the poor instead of favoring the wealthy - Goal is to liberate those who are poor and oppressed - Based on Marxist thought 2. African American - Christianity is a religion of liberation; any message that is not related to the liberation of the poor is not Christ's message - Liberation from racial oppression 3. Feminist - Women were oppressed by pay wages - Liberation of gender 4. Womanist - Black feminist - Liberation from racism, gender, and economic oppression

In chapter 3, what is an argument supporting the idea of ethical objectivity?

1. Nature of moral language 2. Concept of justice 3. Areas of agreement in the moral code across cultures 4. Danger of the rational egoist

According to chapter 6, what are some difficulties in using the Bible for ethics?

1. The canon - Christians disagree about precisely what makes up the Bible 2. The relationship between the two testaments - Jesus changed some of the laws from the Hebrew Bible - Some parts of the Bible conflict - It does not answer some difficult questions 3. There are parts of the Bible many modern Christians would consider unethical - Example: God told Saul to kill everyone and got mad at him when he didn't do this; the Bible seems to support slavery 4. The Bible has not always been used to support the case for liberation and justice - Examples: patriarchy and women's rights 5. Level of justification - Why do we treat the Bible as the revealed word of God and not some other Holy Book?

What are the extrinsic difficulties of using the Bible as a source of ethical guidance?

1. We are culturally conditioned in our hearing of the Bible - We shape the Bible and what we hear from the Bible 2. Many of our most critical modern problems are not addressed in the Bible at all - Examples: stem cell debate, nuclear and chemical warfare 3. The relation of the Bible to those outside the Christian faith - Even if all Christians agreed about the Bible, what about those who don't go to the Bible at all as a source of guidance? 4. The way the Bible has been distorted - It can be used to justify almost anything, including war, racism, and silence while a nation commits genocide

What are the two major exponents of virtue ethics that were discussed in class?

Aristotle: Secular - The goal of life is eudaimonia (success and living well) - Virtues are the means to attaining eudaimonia Stanley Hauerwas: Christian - Jesus is the model for a virtuous life - Ethics sould concern character and not the situations themselves

What is Kantian ethics, and what is its basic approach to moral decision making?

Autonomy, reason, and categorical imperatives

Identify the contributions of Old Testament prophecy to the study of ethics. How is justice emphasized in the writings of the OT prophets?

Emphasis on justice and righteousness - Prophets determined justice in terms of practical economics and social relations 1. Amos and Micah say you must not exploit or oppress the poor 2. Isaiah says you must defend the orphan and do justice for the widow - Worship and ritual acts performed by persons devoid of justice are meaningless 1. Amos says God wants for the people to practice justice and righteousness, not just religious ceremonies 2. Isaiah says God cannot stand worship practices done in iniquity 3. Hosea says that love for God is more important than religious rituals

In chapter 4, what is an argument Pope John Paul II made against consequentialism in Veritatis Splendor?

He said that these theories are not faithful to the Church's teaching, when they believe they can justify, as morally good, deliberate choices of kinds of behavior contrary to the commandments of divine and natural law.

In chapter 1, why does Markham say that thinking about ethics can be dangerous?

It can cause hidden tensions between moral ideas to appear

What do Micah 6:8 and Isaiah 58: 3-9 contribute to the study of biblical ethics?

Micah 6:8 - You should do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God Isaiah 58:3-9 - The purpose of fasting is for what you do for others rather than how you deny things for yourself - You should be taking care of those who need it

What is Roman Catholicism's approach to ethics?

Natural law ethics

In chapter 5, which Christian movement most uses natural law today?

Roman Catholic Church

What are the types of personalist ethics?

Secular: ethical egoism (objectivism) Christian: situation ethics

In chapter 5, what medieval theologian is most associated with natural law?

St. Thomas Aquinas

Define meta-ethics

The attempt to understand the metaphysical, epistemological, semantic, and psychological presuppositions and commitments of moral thought, talk, and practice

Define Christian ethics

"The critical evaluation of human conduct from a Christian perspective" - Roger Crook