Intro to Morality

Morality in the Modern World

• This part of the course has 2 areas.

• Area 1: The Relationship between Religion and Moral Values.

• Area 2: Medical Ethics

Area One:The Euthyphro DilemmaPossible Relationships between

Religion and Moral ValuesGuiding Principles: Interpretation

of Sacred Writings; The Golden Rule; Virtue Theory; Utilitarian Ethics; Kantian Ethics.

Some Big Questions in Ethics:• If I do a good thing for a

bad reason, does it matter?• Do the ends justify the

means?• Do the needs of the many

outweigh the needs of the few or the one?

• Is what’s wrong for you necessarily wrong for me?

• Is an action right or wrong depending on the situation?

Should anyone ever cheat on their partner?

Should we help people who are starving in other

countries?

Is it ever right to go to war?

Is it right for a woman to have an

abortion?

Starter Q: 

What do we mean by the word Morality?

How ‘Moral' are the Following People?

 Number the following people between 1-10. 1 = They have a very good sense of Morality (Are Good)10= Poor Sense of Morality (Are Evil)

How Do We Make Moral Decisions (Decide what is right or wrong?)

In Pairs Complete the Following Brainstorm.

How Do People Make Moral Decisions?

• You’re close to a breakthrough with a new medical treatment, but to complete your work you must carry out some particularly slow and painful experiments on animals. What do you do?

• The parent’s of a car crash victim allow their son’s body to be used for transplants, but only if the parts go to white patients. Do you accept their condition?

• A railway drawbridge operator is closing the bridge for the express train that’s about to arrive when he sees his son trapped in the machinery. To close the bridge will kill his son but save the train. To open the bridge will save his son but the train will not be able to stop in time. What should he do?

• An unattractive man (or woman) offers to give a million pounds to charity if you spend one night with him. What do you do?