Morality Unit 3

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

More of a child’s brain development

Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development

A moral way to look at it

May not reach all stages

6 stages

Carol Gilligan’s Theory of Moral Development

3 full stages

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Subjective Morality

* **Relativism**
*  an individual or culture determines an action to be right or wrong.

Objective Morality

* **Absolutism**
* There is one moral code “out there” in the universe regardless of our opinion. 
* Right and wrong are bigger than personal/collective opinions.

Pros and cons of Relativism and Absolutism

Human Act

A purposeful act by a person with the original intentions being carried out

Involves Freedom, Intention, and Knowledge

Act of a human

An act that was carried out by accident, not following the original intensions.

Freedom for/Freedom from

A choice we pursue that one is free when one can choose between good and evil. (Freedom from constraints)

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for is to do something

from is to avoid

Intention

An orginal plan or goal

Head knowledge/Heart knowledge

A person is aware of the rightness or wrongness of what he is about to do and brings knowledge to his actions. Either relating to common sense or emotional sense.

Self-determination

Freedoms influence who we become; pursuit of existence

Goal of morality as human flourishing

* To live intentionally

How to anzlyaze a moral act

Think about:

* Freedom, Intention, Knowledge
* Means
* Consequences

Values

Whatever we subjectively judge worth having (e.g. work, inner peace, money), doing (e.g. helping others, gardening, social action), or being (healthy, happy, successful).

Virtues

A lived moral value; a manifest moral quality of a person (e.g. patience, prudence, kindness, courage).

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**Our virtues are based in our values; they are the lived examples of what we find important.**

Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” of Virtue

* **for Aristotle, a virtue is a mean between two vices**
* Cowardness (too little fear)
* Courage (virtue)
* Recklesness (To much fear)

Thomas Aquinas

Held the concept of Natural Law

What is the overriding principle of Natural Law

Do good and avoid evil

Four primary principles of natural law

* To preserve life
*  To marry, to have & educate kids
*  To search for the truth
*  To live in society

What are the two understandings of natural law

1. *Moral Order in the Universe*

*2.  Human Inclination to know/do the good*

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Reason/Nature

Since human persons are RATIONAL creatures, it is good for them to act in accord with their reason

Ontology

**what something is made of/to be naturally**

teleology

**what something is meant for/what purpose something serves**

Natural law and ontology and teleology

***Ontologically*** **we are made in the image and likeness of God with reason.**

\n ***Teleologically*** **we are made to use this reason to be in right relationship with God (“Do Good and Avoid Evil”).**

What is natural law

* Not really “law” in the usual sense
* Turning to nature 
* In the Scriptures, God’s law “written into our hearts”
* Discerning moral order in the universe and in ourselves as made in the image of God
* Accessed through **use of reason**

Plato’s Ring

**Let’s say you have a ring. When you put on this ring, you become completely invisible. You can do whatever you want and no longer have to face the consequences of your actions, yay!**

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**Plato says everyone would be self-centered with this ring.**

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Six major ethical approaches:

* Christian Ethics
* Virtue Ethics
* Utilitarian Ethics
* Deontological Ethics
* Common Good Ethics
* Libertarian Ethics

Christian Ethics

Following christian values

Virtue Ethics

Never making a bad decision

Just being good.

Utilitarian Ethics

Pleasure - Pain = happiness

Deontological Ethics

Doing what is best for society

Common Good Ethics

Serve the people

Whats best for soicety

Veil of ignornace

Libertarian Ethics

* All about freedom
* Limiting influence of goverment
* the rights to be respected are NONINTERFERENCE rights. These generally fall under the heading of rights to life, to liberty or to property.

The Three Theological Virtues

* Faith
* Hope
* Love

**The Theological Virtues are gifts from God, and, through our cultivation of these gifts, they perfect our humanity.**

Fatih (Theological Virtue)

 **Faith is the “eyes of being in love with God”. It is an ultimate trust in one’s own belovedness, which orients our entire selves towards God.**

Hope (Theological Virtue)

**Hope is the love of the future. It is not to be confused with optimism, which often results in toxic positivity. Hope is a love of something which is always just a little bit not yet.**

Love (Theological Virtue)

**Love, also known as “Caritas” (Charity) or “Agape”. A love which seeks nothing in return, a total giving of one’s self to the other.**

Purpose of Beatitudes:

**the signs of what it means to be a good human being, an ethical government, a moral country.**

The Beatitudes

Blessed are those who mourn \n \n Happy are those who thirst for righteousness \n \n Blessed are the merciful \n \n Blessed are the meek \n \n Blessed are the poor in spirit