Lecture Notes on Religious Ethics and Authority

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from lecture notes on authority, ethics, and related philosophical ideas.

Authority (religious ethics)

Recognized source or guide for moral decisions: sacred texts, leaders, tradition, or conscience.

Rabbi, Priest, Protestant Minister (joke)

Represent different relationships to authority: tradition/debate, Church authority, personal conscience.

Roman Catholic Magisterium

Official teaching authority (pope and bishops), guiding moral decisions through scripture/tradition.

Catholics & Papal Teachings on Birth Control

Some accept papal authority; others prioritize conscience or modern views, seeing teachings as optional.

Criticism of Biblicism

Treating the Bible as a rigid rulebook; Situation Ethics emphasizes love as the only absolute.

Positional Authority (examples)

Parents (Chinese student respecting family values); Teachers (instructions followed due to their role).

Knowledge-based Authority

Based on expertise (e.g., scientists), differs from positional authority (role: priest, parent).

Authority of Religious Texts (change over time)

Some traditions texts remain central; in others, authority has declined, seen more as one voice.

Role of Experience in Ethical Decision-Making

Experience often outweighs tradition; people use personal/community experience to determine right/wrong.

Personal Religious or Moral Authority

Moral authority comes from empathy, science, and shared values leading to justice and love.

Magisterium (Roman Catholicism)

Teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church, vested in bishops in communion with the pope (Bishop of Rome), responsible for authentic interpretation of the Word of God in written form and tradition.

Ultimate Teaching Authority (Roman Catholic Church)

The Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome.

Humanae Vitae

Document declared the use of artificial contraceptives as illicit by Pope Paul VI.

Significance of Humanae Vitae (Roman Catholic ethics)

Reaffirms the authority of the Magisterium and prohibits artificial contraception, reflecting traditional Catholic teachings.

Biblicism (Joseph Fletcher)

Using the Bible as a rigid rulebook; Fletcher criticized this approach and preferred a situational ethic based on love.

Ethical Rule (Joseph Fletcher)

The law of love for one’s neighbor.

"Law of Love" Justification (Joseph Fletcher)

Situations where violating one or more of the Ten Commandments may be morally justified.

John Calvin & Ten Commandments

16th-century theologian who viewed the Ten Commandments as moral absolutes that must be followed in every detail.

Authority Based on Position

Authority derived from the role someone holds (e.g., teacher, parent, pastor) that is respected beyond simple power or coercion.

Cultural Example of Parental Authority

A Chinese student who didn’t drink alcohol because her parents disapproved, even though she wasn’t religious.

Pedagogical Style in China (vs. American)

Chinese students were expected to listen and take notes without asking questions, as asking questions was seen as disrespectful.

Humorous Student Question (China)

"Who killed President Kennedy?"

Anecdote About Blind Trust in Authority

Students wrote “Baravia” instead of “Bavaria” in their notes because the professor misspoke, and only corrected it when he did.

Authority Based on Knowledge

Authority earned through expertise, research, and experience in a given field.

Modern Example of Knowledge Authority

Dr. Anthony Fauci, for his expertise on pandemics and coronaviruses.

Illustration of Dr. Fauci's Authority

Knowledge-based authority must be earned through years of study and is not automatically given.

Importance of Understanding Types of Authority

So individuals can make informed ethical decisions based on various perspectives.

Sacred Scripture (Ethical Authority)

Judaism: Torah; Christianity: Bible (Old/New); Islam: Quran; Buddhism (Theravada): Pali Canon

Catholicism & Authority (Younger Generations)

Many do not see the pope’s teachings as absolute and selectively follow certain doctrines.

Diversity Within Christianity

"Christianities" – acknowledging the many branches and interpretations.

Key Ethical Question (Lecture Closing)

"As you see things, what, if anything, counts as authority today?"

Thomas Aquinas

Medieval theologian who argued for a divinely created moral order; natural law theorist; believed humans can use reason to discern moral truths.

C.S. Lewis

20th-century Christian writer who supported the idea of an objective moral order created by God; natural law supporter.

Jean-Paul Sartre

Atheist existentialist who claimed humans create their own meaning through freedom and choice; wrote Existentialism Is a Humanism.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who argued some truths are self-evident (e.g., basic geometric truths); skeptical of innate ethical truths.

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the U.S. Declaration of Independence and claimed certain rights (like liberty and equality) are “self-evident.”

Objectivism

View that there is an objective moral order in the universe, often created by God; includes thinkers like Aquinas and Lewis.

Subjectivism

View that moral values are created by individuals and are subjective; associated with Sartre.

Essence Precedes Existence

The belief that essence (meaning or purpose) comes before existence; humans discover rather than invent moral truth.

Existence Precedes Essence

The belief that humans exist first and then define their own meaning and values through choices and actions.

Natural Law Tradition

School of thought that argues a universal moral order can be found in nature and discerned through reason.

Ontological Claim

A philosophical claim about what exists—used here to refer to the belief in a real, objective moral order.

Epistemological Claim

A philosophical claim about how we come to know what is true—used here for the idea that reason can reveal moral truths.

Value Cognitivism

The belief that humans can discover moral truth through rational understanding and reflection.

Naturalism

Attempt to derive moral values from observations of nature and animal behavior.

Naturalistic Fallacy

Error of assuming that moral values can be directly derived from facts about nature; challenges naturalism.

Self-Evident Moral Truths

The philosophical idea that some ethical truths are immediately known and do not need to be proven.

Open Question Argument

An argument suggesting that just because something is a certain way in nature doesn’t mean it ought to be that way.

Conscience / Moral Instinct

An internal sense or instinct that guides moral decision-making; debated whether it's innate or taught.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over whether our personality and behavior are shaped more by genetics or by environment and experience.

Two Main Approaches To Ethical Decision-Making

Deontological (duty-based) and Consequentialist (outcome-based) approaches

Deontological

Comes from the Greek for "duty"; it refers to ethics based on moral duties or obligations, regardless of consequences.

Types of Deontological Models

Rule model and Command model

Consequentialist Approach

An approach where the morality of an action is judged based on its outcomes or consequences.

"Gunman at the Door" Scenario

Lying to save your brother’s life is viewed as ethically acceptable based on the outcome (favors consequentialism).

Willowbrook State School Hepatitis Study

Mentally handicapped children were deliberately exposed to disease to test gamma globulin (challenges consequentialism).

Rule Deontology

Ethical approach based on fixed rules (e.g., “Do not kill”), often categorized as negative injunctions or affirmative duties.

Negative Injunctions vs. Affirmative Duties

Negative injunctions tell you what not to do (e.g., don’t steal), while affirmative duties tell you what you should do (e.g., respect your parents).

Mafia Anecdote Illustration

That different groups may have their own moral rulebooks—rule content varies by context and culture.

Smoking Policy Anecdote Illustration

Ethical rules and institutional norms evolve over time; rule content changes but the rule-based style of ethics remains.

Negative Rights (Rights of Forbearance)

Rights that protect from interference, such as privacy or freedom of speech; respected when others do not act.

Positive Rights (Rights of Entitlement)

Rights that require others to act on your behalf, e.g., the right to health care or wages for work done.

Why Positive Rights Are Controversial

Because they require specific actions or provisions by others, raising questions about responsibility and resources.

Command Model of Ethics

Ethics based on obedience to authority—moral duty arises from a command issued within an authority relationship.

How Command Model Differs from Rule Model

Rule model is based on general moral laws; command model is based on obeying a specific authority’s directives.

Pacifism

The belief that war and other forms of lethal violence are always wrong.

Types of Pacifism

1. Withdrawn pacifists (e.g., the Amish) live in isolated communities and avoid social engagement. 2. Activist pacifists (e.g., Gandhi, MLK Jr., Roland Bainton, Ron Sider) oppose violence but actively work for social justice through peaceful means like protests and boycotts.

Deontological Argument for Pacifism

Lethal violence is intrinsically wrong regardless of consequences. Example: Christian pacifists argue killing violates the principle of loving others. (Bainton)

Consequentialist Argument for Pacifism

The harm caused by war always outweighs any potential benefits.

Key Activist Pacifists

● Mahatma Gandhi ● Martin Luther King Jr. ● Roland Bainton ● Ron Sider

Just War Tradition

The belief that while war is always evil, it can sometimes be the lesser of evils and morally justifiable under strict conditions.

Jus ad bellum

Justice in going to war—criteria that must be met before war is morally justified: 1. Just cause 2. Just intent 3. Last resort 4. Lawful authority 5. Reasonable hope of success 6. Due proportionality

Jus in bello

Justice in the conduct of war—some methods (e.g., targeting civilians, using WMDs) are never justifiable, even if effective.

Pacifists vs. Just War Theorists on Proportionality

Pacifists argue no amount of good can outweigh war's evils. Just war theorists argue some wars (e.g., WWII vs. Nazi Germany) can be the lesser evil.

Crusading Approach

A highly positive view of war when it serves a "just cause." Originated with religious wars (Crusades); now applies to fanatical groups like ISIS who believe their cause justifies all actions.

Modern Example of Crusading Approach

ISIS — a group that sees its cause as so righteous that it justifies any means, including violence and terrorism.