AQA Dialogues- christianity & ethics (good conduct, sources of wisdom & authority)

is utilitarianism secular or non-secular

secular

criticisms of utilitarianism

• duties seen as unimportant

• commits naturalistic fallacy (mistake of describing things as good bc of natural properties - e.g. pleasure)

• interests of minorities could be suppressed or ignored ('greatest number' will still leave people out)

how is utilitarianism compatable with christianity

• utilitarianism stresses equality for all and social reform, like Jesus' and St Paul's teachings. Bentham: “everyone counts for one and none counts for more than one”. John Stuart Mill: “to love your neighbour as yourself, constitutes the ideal perfection for utilitarian morality”

• moral decisions are relativist, sometimes rules set aside, utilitarianism is relativist - Jesus did this too e.g. working on the sabbath story and healing on the sabbath

• same end goals: goal of Christianity is to get into heaven (infinite happiness) & goal of utilitarianism is pleasure. both aim for happiness but bentham doesn’t believe that there is a heaven so for him only happiness and pain in this life have moral significance

• both have a moral duty: bentham thinks that we have a moral duty to promote happiness, if you don’t you’re not being ethical. Christians have a duty to follow God’s commands

how is utilitarianism incompatable with christianity

• bentham rejected any ideas of people who deserved happiness more than others - everyone is equal, however christianity sometimes put emphasis + preference on vulnerable and poor.

• self interest is in utilitarianism (greatest good), but christianity often emphasises agape + selfless love

• consequences are more important than motive for bentham, Jesus taught that internal motives are important, and christianity teaches importance of rules. utilitarianism is focused on the individual, if an action comes from an immoral motive but produces a good outcome then it is still good. Mortimer J Adler: consequentialist ethical systems miss the importance of character & virtue

• utilitarianism is based on evidence and reason whereas Christianity is based on faith/revalation from god

• happiness is only intrinsic good for Bentham, but in christianity the sole goods are love of god and love of neighbours - happiness is a byproduct of a loving action

is kantian ethics secular or non-secular

secular although kant believed in god, being ethical shouldn’t be conditional on faith

criticisms of kantian ethics

• 1st categorical imperative isn’t true to the world we live in (not always applicable)

• doing bad acts to bring about good consequences can be good at times e.g. killing in self-defence, or killing one to save the lives of thousands

• disregards emotions

• theory is anthropocentric- humans are a more important element to existence than God

• postulates of practical reason assume religious belief

how is kantian ethics compatible with christianity

• rational basis of Kantian ethics links to Aquinas' thinking + NML (a christian theory)

• 1st categorical imperative links to golden rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. you should only do acts which you could see everyone else do with no contradictions

• 2/3 postulates are religious: God & immortality, summum bonum is similar to the goal of Christianity/the idea of judgement & afterlife

• 2nd categorical imperative aligns with Jesus’ teaching of agape love “and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love”

how is kantian ethics incompatible with christianity

• mostly secular theory, moral obligation comes from rational thought not God. protestants believe that revelation from God is needed from God to gain knowledge about goodness because of his nature (omniscient etc.)

• absolutist, but Jesus at times took a situational approach and NML has double effect

• about duty not love (love is an emotion so not part of good will), and Jesus focuses on love and agape and loving god. Christianity emphasises love. Anscombe: kantian ethics is obsessed with law and obligation. Christians believe that good acts are good because they’re done out of love, not because someone has a moral duty to do them