Morality

1. Morality Setting the Stage

2. What is important, here? • Trolley example Michael Sandel - Harvard University • http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=kBdfcR-8hEY • How would you respond in each situation?

3. How did we respond? • Important consideration – we had similar reactions as the situation changed. • What basic assumptions do we all share that caused this? • Life should be preserved (it has meaning, purpose) • We should choose what is best for self and others. • How we acted on these assumptions was at times different.

4. Who cares? • You should! • Studying moral problems and solutions helps to: • Better understand situations we are faced with • Build reasoning ability to do what is best for self and others. • Create a society based on sound principles that are good for all.

5. Morality and purpose • Moral worldview is affected by how we view the purpose of life. • What is the purpose of life? • What qualities do we have that make us distinct? • In order to fulfill our purpose, we need to know what it is, have the option to follow it, and receive help along the way

6. Assumptions in morality • Life is worth living. • We should choose what is best for our self and others.

7. Human purpose… • What is the purpose of life?   • What qualities make us distinct creatures?   • Purpose of life is to seek goodness • We will focus on three important qualities of humanity: Intellect, Free will, and the soul.

8. Case of Euthyphro • What makes something good? • How do we know what is good? • Are things good because they are pleasing to God or are things pleasing to God because they are good?

9. What is the problem? • If things are good because they are pleasing to God then: • Goodness is arbitrary • Goodness is not a universal truth (especially if one does not believe in God • We can never really know what goodness is. • If things are pleasing to God because they are good then: • Goodness exists apart from God, so God is not needed for goodness or morality.

10. The Christian worldview • God is goodness. • Goodness is not external to God. • Goodness is universal, and knowing God helps us to know what is good.

11. Why is there evil? • C.S. Lewis • Mere Christianity • The problem of evil in the world. • How does Lewis account for evil if he also believes God is goodness itself?

12. C.S. Lewis – Good and Evil • Two possible responses to problem of evil: • Christian View: • The good world has gone wrong • However, the memory & possibility of good remains • Dualism: • Two independent, equal powers of good and evil exist in the world. • Assumption: • good and evil cannot be a matter of preference (I prefer lying, cheating, killing) • Therefore, one must be right and the other wrong

13. C.S. Lewis – Good and Evil • How do we know what is right and wrong? • There must be a standard or rule of good prior to the two powers of good and evil. • Good is having the right relation to this standard or the Being who made it. • Why do humans choose bad things? • No one likes badness for its own sake. • Humans do bad things because they go against natural order or • because of the end they will get out of it: power, money, safety.

14. C.S. Lewis – Good and Evil • Wickedness is the pursuit of goodness in the wrong way. • badness is only spoiled goodness • To be bad, one must have intelligence and will, which are good things. • To be effectively bad, one must have good qualities (resolution, clever, existence) • evil is a parasite on goodness, not a thing of its own

15. Why is there evil – other responses • Augustine - Stealing pears • Evil is not a thing of its own but an absence of good. • Bible – Adam and Eve and the fruit • The world is was made good, but later sin and death entered the world through a choice to not do the good thing. • Pride – self over God.

16. Homework • Read chapter one, take notes, and define terms in your notebook.

17. Summary and Review • Explain the C.S. Lewis view • Good/right vs. Evil/wrong • Act vs. Being distinction • In class (as in life) all discussion of good/bad and right/wrong are on the level of act, not being.

18. Textbook article One • Comments or questions? • God created humans to live in loving relationship • Humans were made for love, not mere survival.   • Made in the image and likeness of God: • Intellect – To see and understand the order of things that God established. • Ability to know what is good and right. • Freewill - Ability to choose the good and to love; each individual is held accountable for their actions. • Soul - our innermost principle, animates our body, our reaching out toward God

19. Living a moral life • In order to fulfill our purpose as humans, we need to know what it is (intellect), have the option to follow it (free will), and receive help along the way (soul).

20. Freedom • Journal entry (to be discuss in class): • What is freedom? • Why is it important? • How can it be described as a gift or blessing? • How can it be described as a burden or responsibility?

21. Free Will • The ability to choose what is good and loving in order to achieve true happiness. • Going against the divine law harms our free will as bad actions turn into bad habits.

22. How do we choose between apparent goods? • What brings you happiness? • It’s like Christmas. • Wii or Will? • Wealthy or wooed? • Aristotle: The purpose of humanity is happiness which is achieved through friendship • Friends of utility, pleasure, virtue

23. Aquinas and happiness • Happiness comes through fulfilling what we desire and seek • The essence of the object of our desire relates to the amount of happiness it gives us • Things we use vs. people we love • The only thing that can fulfill us is that which is perfect in itself. • Only God can fulfill completely. • All other things and people point toward this reality • Putting others before self can lead to greater happiness as we focus on greater goods.

24. Homework • Read article 2 & 3. Write and define terms in notebook. • Finish Freedom worksheet and bring in example from culture (one page total).