WJEC EDUQAS GCSE Philosophy and Ethics - key concepts

Adultery GIVE EXAMPLE

voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person
and a person who is not their spouse

Divorce

to legally end a marriage

Cohabitation

to live together in a sexual relationship, without being
married, or in a civil partnership

commitment

a sense of dedication and obligation to someone or
something

Contraception

methods used to prevent a woman from becoming
pregnant during or following sexual intercourse

Gender equality

people of all genders enjoying the same rights and
opportunities in all aspects of their lives

Responsibilities

actions/duties you are expected to carry out

Roles

position, status or function of a person in society, as well as
the characteristics and social behaviour expected of them

Afterlife

life after death; the belief that existence continues after
physical death

Environmental sustainability

ensuring that the demands placed on natural resources can
be met without reducing capacity to allow all people and
other species of animals, as well as plant life, to live well,
now and in the future.+

Euthanasia

from Greek, eu 'good' + thanatos 'death'. Sometimes
referred to as 'mercy killing. The act of killing or permitting
the death of a person who is suffering from a serious
illness.

Evolution

the process by which different living creatures are believed
to have developed from earlier. Less complex forms during
the history of the earth.

Abortion

when a pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the
birth of a child.

quality of life

the extent to which life is meaningful and pleasurable

Sancity of life

the belief that life is precious, or sacred. For many religious
believers, only human life holds this special status, 10 commandments

Soul

the spiritual aspect of a being; that which connects
someone to God. The soul is often regarded as non-
physical and as living on after physical death, in an afterlife.

Good/evil

good - that which is considered morally right, beneficial and
to our advantage
evil - that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked
and wrong

Forgiveness

to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment
and the desire seek revenge against a wrongdoer

Free will

the ability to make choices voluntarily and independently.
The belief that nothing is pre-determined

Justice

fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and
opportunity,

Morality

principles and standards determining which actions are right
or wrong

Punishment

a penalty given to someone for a crime or wrong they have
done.

Sin

deliberate immoral action, breaking a religious or moral law.

Suffering

pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss. Suffering
can be physical, emotional/psychological or spiritual.

Censorship

the practice of suppressing and limiting access to materials
considered obscene, offensive or a threat to security. People may also be restricted in their speech by censorship
laws.

Discrimination

acts of treating groups of people, or individuals differently, based on prejudice,

Extremism

believing in and supporting ideas that are very far from
what most people consider correct or reasonable.

Human rights

the basic entitlements of all human beings, afforded to
them simply because they are human.

Personal conviction

something a person strongly feels or believes in,

Prejudice

pre-judging; judging people to be inferior or superior
without cause.

Relative and absolute poverty

absolute poverty - an acute state of deprivation, whereby a
person cannot access the most basic of their human needs.
relative poverty - a standard of poverty measured in relation
to the standards of a society in which a person lives, e.g.
living on less than X% of average UK income.

Social justice

promoting a fair society by challenging injustice and valuing
diversity. Ensuring that everyone has equal access to
provisions, equal opportunities and rights.

Creation

The idea the universe was planned and brought into being by a divine power.

Human dignity

An individual or group's sense of self-respect and self-worth