Big Picture

A ninety-year-old man went to the doctor and said, “Doctor, my eighteen-year-old wife is expecting a baby.” The doctor said, “Let me tell you a story. A man went hunting, but instead of a gun, he picked up an umbrella by mistake. When a bear suddenly charged at the man, he picked up the umbrella, shot the bear, and killed it.” The man said, “Impossible. Someone else must have shot that bear.” The doctor said, “My point exactly!”

Title: What is the ‘Religious Ethics’?

Date: Thursday 6th September 2012

Lesson Objective

An introduction to Religious Ethics

Have an understanding of the scope of the AS.

Know and apply different types of normative ethics.

Think about the role and importance of ethics in the world.

On an A4 sheet of paper let us know more about you

Divide your sheet into areas and use words/ pictures and symbols to explain:

Hobbies and Interests

(what are you interested in?)

Strengths

(what are you good at?)

School (GCSE results/ A Levels pursued/ grades aimed for)

Weaknesses (what are you not so good at?)

Reasoning (why did you choose Philosophy A Level?)

SHARE THESE WITH THE GROUP

Input Getting to know you . . .

Demonstrate

The Society for Useless Information’s Problem. Pity the organisers of the Society for Useless Information! Deluged by applications they decided to tighten up the entry requirements for membership. Now all prospective members were told they must produce one piece of completely useless information in order to join and get the privilege of membership, which includes access to the Society’s reading room (and more important, for many, smoking lounge). The rule is to be strictly adhered to. But twelve years after the rule decision, the President of the Society faces the harsh truth that since the change no one has joined. It looks as if the Society will have to close down. What has gone wrong?

Input Ethics

What is ethics? Ø  ‘ethikos’ – Greek - character (custom, way to

behave) Ø  Morality from ‘moralis’ – concerned with which

actions are right and wrong Ø  Ethics looks at what you ought to do as

distinct from what you may in fact do. Ethics is usually divided into three areas:

1.  Meta Ethics 2.  Normative Ethics 3.  Applied Ethics

Input Normative Ethics

Prevalent until the end of the nineteenth century

It decides how people ought to act, how moral choices should be made and how the rules apply.

This could be based from a particular religious tradition, a group, a culture or on a philosophical or ideological way of thinking.

This is a traditional form of ethics

There are two main ethical systems within normative ethics:

Ø  Teleological Ethics Ø  Deontological Ethics

Teleos (Greek - ‘end’ or ‘purpose’) and logia (knowledge).

Teleological ethics is concerned with consequences or ‘ends.

If my action causes happiness and love, then it is good.

Not intrinsically good but good by virtue of the result.

One teleological philosopher was John Stuart Mill.

Input Teleological Ethics

Deon (Greek - ‘obligation’ or ‘duty’) and logia (knowledge).

Deontological ethics is concerned with the rules and duties.

It considers the nature of the acts themselves.

Acts are intrinsically right because of some absolute law, perhaps laid down by some God or because they go against duty.

One deontological philosopher was Immanuel Kant.

Input Deontological Ethics

Activity

Read Palmer p11 Look at the dilemmas on pp12-13 Ø  Which of the seven examples are

Ø  Teleological Ø  Deontological Ø  Mixture of both

Homework

Research Find an example of an ethical dilemma in a newspaper/ news website. Written Work Begin a vocabulary list. Write a detailed answer to 2 of the dilemmas from p12-13 Complete the questions from p14 Listening Subscribe to the podcasts:

•  Philosophy Bites •  Ethics Bites

Plenary

•  • 

•  • 

•  • 

Using a shaped diagram, try to sum up the key points of normative ethics in a few clear, structured and easy to remember ways.