KEY TERMS FOR ETHICAL ANALYSIS

1. KEY TERMS FORETHICAL ANALYSIS New Testament Ethics Summer 3, 2007 Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D. RL399W/RL509

2. Religious Praxis • Beliefs • Symbolic expressions of faith experience • Figurative language of metaphor, analogy • Rituals • Symbolic enactments of faith experience • Aesthetic language of music, art, movement • Lifestyle (morality/ethics) Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

3. Morality • A style of living based on right principles • Standards of conduct • How a person ought to feel, think, and behave • Christian morality • The behavioral routinization of faith-filled vision Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

4. Mores • Normally accepted patterns of behavior in a society/culture • Social customs (even including such things as table manners) • For R. Taylor, virtually indistinct from morality Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

5. Moral reflection is a primary-level activity “Operates at the intersection of the person and the world” Focuses on specific choices in concrete situations E.g., Joseph Cardinal Bernardin’s “Seamless Garment” Ethical reflection is a secondary-level activity Involves a reflective analysis of morality Raises critical questions about the principles enunciated in moral discourse (i.e., their meaning, validity, implications) E.g., Joseph Cardinal Bernardin’s “Consistent Ethic of Human Life” Morality ≠ Ethics Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

6. Moral Imperative • What gives authority to a particular kind of moral action • What creates a demand for a particular kind of moral action • The basis for the particular actions resulting from a moral demand Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

7. In popular contemporary use: “The systematic and conscious process of understanding, evaluating, and interpreting morality” (Hall, et al., Introduction to Religion, 125) In religious terms: A philosophical vision of the relational implications of the faith experience Ethics Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

8. Can focus on the question of what to do (i.e., an ethic of action) Can focus on the question of who to be/become (i.e., an ethic of virtue) Ethical Reflection OR Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

9. Deontological ethic Divine command Natural law Teleological ethic Ethical egoism Utilitarianism Action Ethics Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

10. Virtue Ethics Who should I be/become? • E.g., Aristotle’s striving for excellence • E.g., Thomas à Kempis’ Imitatio Christi Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

11. Moral Demands in Action Ethics • Action Ethics Involves Two “Poles” of Moral Demands • External pole • The wisdom of a tradition; its fundamental beliefs & stories • Specific commands or precepts transmitted by the tradition[1] • Mitzvoth (Commandments) of Judaism • Ten Commandments and Beatitudes of Christianity • The Precepts of the Church for Roman Catholics • Internal pole • Direct, “unmediated” religious experience[2] • Note that this refers to the quality of the experience, not its expression • E.g., one’s experience of selflessness may lead one to behave with compassion toward others. The compassion flows from the experience, and in some ways is its expression, but it is not part of the religious experience itself ------ [1]Cf. Varna, asrama, dharma system (caste, life-stage, duty) of Hinduism; “decorum” of Confucianism; Shari’a of Islam. [2]Cf. Bodhi-dharma as the basis for all behavior in Buddhism; the enlightenment experience as leading to the imperative of love for all beings. Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

12. Moral Demands in Action Ethics • Connection • These two poles are not in opposition but rather in dialectical relationship to one another. • Both are essential to moral decisions; both are present in moral action. • Cf. Paul's notion of conscience (e.g., 1 Cor 10), that one must have full conviction in order to be engaging in moral action • Cf. Rabbinic Jewish conviction that intention (kavanah) is key to whether or not one is acting in accordance with Torah. Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

13. Integrity in Virtue Ethics • An Ethic of Virtue does not focus on moral demands • Focuses on identity • Who do you choose to be? • What kind of person do you choose to become? Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

14. Resources for Virtue Ethics • Two sets of resources for responding to these questions • The Action Ethic’s “external pole” for moral demands may still function in the sense of raising areas of concern for personal development • The “internal pole” continues to function for a religious ethic of virtue, since religious experience shapes one’s view of oneself and the world in which s/he lives Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

15. Enacting an Ethic of Virtue • Conscience is key • How others evaluate you is insignificant in comparison to how you evaluate yourself • Cf. Paul's “law of the Spirit of life” which is written on the heart (Rom 2:12–29; Rom 8) • “Above all, to thine own self be true.” Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.

16. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS • What is of ultimate value to you? • How could someone else tell this about you? • What are the key values that you derive from this Ultimate Value? • How should one apply these values/ethics? • What are the sources of your moral demands, i.e., where do your “oughts” arise? • What are your resources for ethical reflection? • Scripture? • Tradition? • Community? • Experience? Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.