Introduction to Ethics Chapter 10: Religion and Ethics

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment stating that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

Paul Tillich (1886-1965)

German protestant theologian defined religion as one's "ultimate concern"

Clifford Geertz (1926-2006)

Sociologist and anthropologist who defined religion as a cultural system of symbols

atheism

Belief that there is no God or gods.

agnosticism

Belief that one cannot know whether or not there are gods or a God.

sacred

the quality of being holy, worthy of respect and reverence

profane

The ordinary and commonplace elements of life, as distinguished from the sacred.

intrinsic religiosity

Participating in religious practices as an expression of one's true beliefs and motivations

extrinsic religiosity

Participating in religious practices for the sake of social benefits, public expectations, or non-religious rewards

Divine Command Theory

A theory of ethics asserting that the morally right action is the one that God commands

Euthyphro Dilemma

Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?