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