Understanding the Times: Chapter 10- Ethics

What is ethics? What are the two big questions it seeks to answer?What is ethics? What are the two big questions it seeks to answer?

1. Ethics- the study of moral conduct, values, duties, and goodness, 2. What does it mean to live a good life?, 3. How should we live?

What is the main problem with deontological ethical theories?

1. The main problem is that they don't allow for exceptions, 2. conflicts between moral imperatives don't exist, 3. conflicts do sometimes occur, 4. it makes sense to consider the consequences of our actions over a duty to follow principles

What are some problems with teleological ethical theories?

1. They have a hard time explaining why so many of us act against our self-interest. 2. Although teleological theories require us to act according to outcomes, it's often difficult, if not impossible, to predict consequences. 3. They can be used to justify doing evil in order to bring about good outcomes.

consequences, actions, principal, duty

An ethical system that judges morality by the _____ or the _____ is teleological. An ethical system is judges morality based upon some ____ of ____ is deontological.

God's character

Christianity sees ___ _____ as the basis for human ethics

Law, law-giver

Christians see common ethical systems among different cultures as evidence of a universal ____ and thus a universal ______-______

morality, ethical, evolutionary process

Many Secularists believe human ____ and _____ impulses came not from God, but have been developed as part of the ____ ____.

everywhere, soul, cultures, times

Since God is ___, an ethical system based on his character will resonate in every ____, across all _____, at all ______

Naturalistic, rule-giver, humans

The ethics of Secularism are based on atheism, naturalism, and humanism. This means that secularism is based on a completely ______ view. There is no divine _____-______; ______ make their own rules

atheism, naturalism, humanism

The ethics of Secularism is based on ___, ____, and ____

ethical codes, condemned

There is a basic pattern of similarity among _____ ____. Such things as murder, lying, adultery, cowardice are, for example, almost always ______.

the philosophical study of morality that examines the moral conduct, values, duties, and goodness of people

ethics

hedonism

human beings should maximize their own personal pleasure

utilitarianism

it is ethical to pursue the greatest good for the greatest number of people

the belief that morality is relative to, or defined by, the individual or culture

moral relativism

morality

refers to a personal system of determining right and wrong based on some standard-- what we prefer, what we think is good

ethical egoism

the good life is being free to look after one's own interests

teleological

theories judge actions as right or wrong by their ends, or purposes

Deontological

theories say we ought to do what is right merely because it's right

the belief that we should do what results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people

utilitarianism