Morality Finals Flash Cards

How does reason help human beings discover truth?

Reason and natural law allow us to recognize that certain acts perfect/diminish us, allowing us to see we are ordered toward a real good.

How does experience shape a person's understanding of reality?

Experience is the interior confirmation of truth, teaching that the human person is made for more than pleasures.

Why does Catholicism believe revelation is a valid source of truth?

Revelation reveals who we are in light of who God is and that human fulfillment is union with God.

Why do human beings rely on authority in everyday life?

Authority safeguards growth so that freedom can endure.

Why is trusting authority not automatically irrational?

When authority is properly understood as a safeguard, it anchors freedom and enables the good to be available to us.

What are the strengths and limitations of each way of knowing? Reason

Strength: Foundation of moral seriousness, grounding the possibility of forming conscience, makes freedom meaningful, and prepares way for revelation. Weakness: If operating alone, morality becomes cold/abstract

What are the strengths and limitations of each way of knowing? Experience

Strength: Acts as a doorway, revealing the movements of the heart. Weakness: If operating alone, morality becomes unstable/reactive

What are the strengths and limitations of each way of knowing? Revelation

Strength: Reveals something we could never understand on our own, changing everything about how we understand truth, freedom, and love. Weakness: If removed, morality loses its supernatural horizon and shrinks to human calculation

What are the strengths and limitations of each way of knowing? Magisterium

Strength: Protects moral life from collapsing into individualism Weakness: If rejected, truth fragments and conscience drifts into individualism

Why are the four ways of knowing meant to work together rather than compete?

(i) Reason discerns the structure of good. It sees that reality has order and the human person has a purpose; (ii) Experience confirms and deepens that insight, revealing from within what fragments/integrates us; (iii) Revelation lifts our vision beyond what reason alone couldn't discover and reveals our identity as images of God, created for communion + beatitude; (iv) Authority safeguards that revealed truth across history so it remains intact and coherent.

Which ways of knowing are most emphasized in modern culture? Which are often ignored?

Oftentimes society promotes reason and experience because it rewards individuality and "finding your own truth". This leads to Revelation and Authority being ignored and looked down upon.

How does Joseph Ratzinger define faith?

Standing firm and receiving understanding.

Why is faith more than blind belief?

Faith, unlike blind belief, involves a personal encounter and movement toward truth.

Why does Ratzinger argue that faith is reasonable?

Faith is a fundamental decision about the meaning of existence and where understanding becomes possible.

What is the relationship between faith and truth?

Faith is standing firm on truth ("solid ground").

Why does faith involve trust?

Faith is a way of seeing that only opens from the posture of trust; it is not something we can make or discover.

What is the relationship between belief and doubt?

Both share the same dilemma: just as the believer is tempted to doubt, the nonbeliever is tempted to believe.

Why does doubt not automatically destroy faith?

faith requires uncertainty to exist. If there was absolute proof/knowledge, you wouldn't need faith. So faith and doubt aren't opposites.

What is the difference between visible and invisible realities?

The visible world is what humans are capable of observing and understanding, whereas the invisible exists outside the visible world and beyond the senses.

Why are some of the most important realities invisible?

The invisible grounds the visible, therefore human life depends on contact with the unseen grounds, making them the most important realities.

Why can realities such as love, dignity, truth, and conscience not be scientifically measured?

Realities such as love, dignity, truth, and conscience have to be approached with reflective thought rather than calculating thought (scientifically measuring)

Why does the inability to measure something not mean it is unreal?

Certain truths exist outside of the visible world and therefore might not be measurable, but they're still real.

Why do human beings often focus more easily on visible realities than invisible ones?

Visible realities can be proven and measured with the human senses, therefore they are more easily reliable.

What are Lewis's three parts of morality?

(i) Harmony within the individual, (ii) harmony between individuals, (iii) ultimate purpose

What does "harmony within the individual" mean?

Inner Integrity; Having balanced virtues and things inside a person

What does "harmony between individuals" mean?

Social Harmony; Relationships with others with an understood common good

Why does morality involve both personal actions and relationships?

You cannot have one with the other, therefore an ultimate goal requires cooperation with others and within oneself

Why does Lewis say morality must include an ultimate purpose or destination?

Without an ultimate purpose, there would be no "right" or "wrong" in morality, just like a fleet of ships has a destination.

What happens when one part of morality is ignored?

Because all three parts are needed to run the human machine, if one part of morality is ignored, the other two will ultimately fail.

How can a society appear successful externally while still being morally unhealthy?

You cannot make men good by law; and without good men you cannot have a good society.

Why is morality incomplete without asking what human beings are ultimately for?

Without an ultimate purpose, there would be no "right" or "wrong" in morality, just like a fleet of ships has a destination.

What is virtue?

A habit that inclines one to act in good manner

Why is virtue connected to habit formation?

Virtue is a habit learned through repetitive actions until it's ingrained in a person.

How do habits shape moral character?

Reveals the more stable qualities of a person

What is the difference between isolated actions and overall character?

Habit is the distinction between an act and character, revealing the more enduring qualities of a person. ("That's not like him")

Why does virtue ethics focus on the kind of person someone becomes?

Determines if a person is virtuous based on whether or not they do the right thing for the right reasons with the right attitude.

How can repeated choices shape a person over time?

The repeated choices become a part of a person ("second nature")

Why is freedom connected to virtue rather than merely doing whatever you want?

Belief is rooted in the 4 cardinal virtues of justice, fortitude, prudence, and temperance working together.

What is the difference between freedom and license?

license is the ability or right to do whatever you want despite what is good or evil. Freedom is the ability given by God to choose what is good.

Why does Catholic morality reject the idea that freedom means "doing whatever you want"?

Because human nature is flawed by original sin. Acting based just on desires leads to sin, which is why we need to follow God's will.

How does virtue make authentic freedom possible?

Virtues are similar to good habits in that they orient a person towards what is good. It helps a person to be more willing to choose the good in freedom.

Why can self-control actually increase freedom?

Self control helps to shake bad habits, giving a person more freedom to orient themselves towards good

How do modern culture and Catholicism sometimes define freedom differently?

Modern society treats freedom as subjective, meaning everyone chooses their own morality. Catholicism believes freedom is linked to an objective truth made by God.

What is the difference between "looking at" and "looking along" an experience?

Looking at: Standing outside of the subject matter, but only "viewing" the experience; Looking along: Standing inside the subject matter, actually experiencing it

What example does Lewis use in "Meditation in a Toolshed"?

Inside a toolshed, looking at vs. along a sunbeam from the doorway.

Why are both perspectives important? (Looking at vs along)

Both are true/valid, therefore one must look both along and at everything.

How does "looking at" something differ from personally experiencing it?

"Looking at" doesn't involve personal experience, rather an outside view of someone else experiencing it

How can "looking along" help explain faith or religious experience?

"Looking along," like morality, requires a person to look beyond what they can physically observe in order to understand the bigger picture.

What are the Four Levels of Happiness?

Level 1: Pleasure,

Level 2: Ego (gratification/status/success),

Level 3: Good Beyond Self (love/service),

Level 4: Ultimate Good/Transcendance (God/truth/meaning)

Why are the levels (of happiness) arranged hierarchically?

The higher the level, the truer and fuller the happiness becomes

Why are lower levels of happiness not bad in themselves?

Levels 1 and 2 aren't bad because pleasure and success still provide relief/motivation.

Why do lower levels (of happiness) become problematic when treated as ultimate?

If treated as ultimate, a person will still be unhappy, because neither can satisfy deeper needs or answer bigger desires such as love and purpose.

What is Level 1 happiness?

Pleasure

What are examples of Level 1 happiness?

Fun, entertainment

Why is pleasure a genuine good?

It's real and helps us enjoy life

Why can pleasure never fully satisfy the human heart?

Pleasure is fragile/temporary

How can overreliance on pleasure become destructive?

It depends on mood, comfort, and circumstances, so when overrelied on, things such as friendships become fragile and only important when pleasurable.

What is Level 2 happiness?

Ego/Gratification/Success/Comparison

What are examples of Level 2 happiness?

Status, admiration, achievement

Why does comparison often create insecurity or anxiety?

It shapes the person to become someone who cannot rest in the good of another.

Why can achievement fail to produce lasting fulfillment?

Achievement fades fast (becomes your "normal") and doesn't fulfill deeper desires such as love or justice.

How can competition become unhealthy?

Competition can create vices of pride and insecurity

Why does envy often emerge at Level 2?

Level 2 creates constant comparison and a desire for success, causing one to will ill for others in order to boost their own status.

What is Level 3 happiness?

Love/Service

Why is self-gift deeper than pleasure or achievement?

It gives deep and lasting happiness

What are examples of Level 3 happiness?

Loyalty, Sacrifice, Care

Why do service and sacrifice often produce deeper fulfillment?

It produces deep, meaningful joy, builds community, and strengthens your soul.

How does contributing to others shape human happiness?

Contributing to others creates deep, long lasting happiness.

Why is Level 3 more stable than Levels 1 and 2? (levels of happiness)

Love, justice, service, and friendship fill the heart in a way success and pleasure can't (and again, creates deep, lasting happiness)

What is Level 4 happiness?

Transcendence

Why does Catholicism believe human beings are ultimately ordered toward God?

Humans sense that the good things on earth point to something deeper; only God can fulfill the deepest desires of the human heart

Why can finite things never completely satisfy infinite desire?

Human happiness desires something beyond what finite things can provide.

Why does Level 4 (happiness) provide meaning even during suffering?

Level 4 is eternal and unbreakable, meaning that it will provide meaning even during suffering.

What does Lewis mean by "First Things" and "Second Things"?

"First Things" = The greater, more meaningful good, "Second Things" = The lesser, real but subordinate good

Why do people often chase "Second Things" as ultimate goals?

Secondary goods provide temporary satisfaction and pleasure

What happens when secondary goods become the center of life?

When secondary goods become the center of life, their original value is lost.

Why do people often lose both "First Things" and "Second Things" when priorities become disordered?

When priorities are disordered, both the meanings and values of the "First" and "Second" things are corrupted and lost

How does Lewis's argument connect to the Four Levels of Happiness?

Just like the Four Levels of Happiness, Lewis distinguishes between lesser sources of temporary, worldly pleasure, and greater, more valuable sources of ultimate happiness and truth, as well as the importance of ordering the greater goods above the lesser.

What is fortitude?

Ability to face difficulty well (courage/bravery)

Why is fortitude necessary for the moral life?

Fortitude is the bridge between knowing what is right and actually doing it.

What does "attack" mean in fortitude?

Strength to directly deal with difficulty

What does "endurance" mean in fortitude?

Enduring difficulty that can't/shouldn't be immediately resolved

Why is endurance often harder than attack?

Unlike bravery, endurance/perseverance requires persisting in the good for a long time, despite failure/rejection.

How does suffering reveal character?

By suffering or experiencing discomfort, a person's true values and foundational beliefs show.

Why is courage necessary for meaningful love and happiness?

Without fortitude, one won't be able to be virtuous when it counts

What is the difference between "freedom from" and "freedom for"?

Freedom From = Focused on being free to do what one desires; Freedom For = Focused on being free to do what is good

Why is "freedom from" incomplete by itself?

freedom from is not inherently enough because even when completely free, "freedom from" lacks a purpose because the free time isn't oriented towards a goal.

What does Catholicism mean by "freedom for"?

The power to act with excellence and love what is truly good

How does authentic freedom relate to truth and virtue?

freedom requires knowing the truth about what God made humans for, virtue allows one to choose what is good with more ease

Why is freedom more than doing whatever you want?

acting however you want destroys the morality that comes along with freedom. Without moral good, humans typically choose lesser goods.

What does Pascal mean when he says love cannot be based merely on qualities?

Qualities can be removed without removing the "self," therefore, since love is based on the self, it cannot rely merely on qualities.

Why are qualities such as beauty, intelligence, or success unstable foundations for love?

Those qualities can be removed from a person without the "self" being lost, therefore genuine love can't be placed on characteristics.

Why must authentic love go beyond usefulness?

Authentic love (agapé) "never fails," therefore it proceeds beyond usefulness.

What gives human beings dignity?

Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, which makes our dignity intrinsic.

Why does dignity not disappear through suffering or illness?

A person's worth is defined not by what they can accomplish, but by the unconditional love given to us by God

How does Catholicism evaluate euthanasia and end-of-life issues?

euthanasia is not acceptable, it is viewed as murder. People are required to accept ordinary care, but when extraordinary care is presented (treatments that offer little hope or benefit), it is up to the patient to decide. Saying no to extraordinary care is not considered suicide, it's considered accepting the natural limits of life.

What is objective truth?

a reality that is independent of the mind/individual

What is subjective opinion?

judgements based on feelings

What are examples of objective truths?

2+2=4, the earth revolves around the sun, water freezes at 0 celcius

What are examples of subjective opinions?

chocolate is the best icecream, nerds are the best candy, water is the tastiest drink