Morality Unit 1

Nihilism

Nihilism

the belief that nothing has any meaning or real value

Dignity

being worthy of respect or esteem

Inherent

inborn, coming from the nature of something(it’s essence)

Free Will

the human ability to choose, rooted in reason

Subsidairty

a higher unit of society should not do that a lower unit can do as well or better

Common Good

to the benefit or interest of all

Solidarity

virtue of social charity or friendship

What words have Germanic roots

Common Good(gut) and Free Will (wyllan)

Words with Latin Roots

Nihilism, Dignity, Inherent, Subsidiarity, Solidarity.

What it means to say that we are made in the divine image

• We are made out of love, for love, and to love one another and all creation

• God gave us the ability to think, to choose, to love

• We possess dignity above and beyond other animals

• We can enter into a covenant with God

How original sin wounded out original nature

• pain and death entered human life

• we lost the ability to see God and the peace of our nature

The difficulty in defining “good” and “evil” and what is necessary to define it

• “Good” depends upon an ideal. A concept or value help to be of utmost importance

• without this ideal “good” and “evil” mean nothing

What distinguishes humans from animals

• free will and dignity

• humans have rationality, animals have an instinct

God’s purpose in creating humans

to be stewards of creation, to love and care for it

Why we are made as sexual beings

• procreation

• to live out our purpose in loving and creating life

• it reflects the status as a composite being with a body and soul