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Ethics and the Unexamined Life – Chapter 1 Class notes that correspond with the online Ethics PHL 122 Session 2 PowerPoint presentation Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

“Many people believe that morality and religion are inseparable – that religion is the source of basis of morality and that moral precepts are simply what God says should be done… The three great religions in the Western tradition – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, provide their believers commandments or principles of conduct that are thought to constitute the moral law, the essence of morality. For millions of these adherents, the moral law is the will of God, and the will of God is the moral law.” (9)

Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

Those who assume this view endorse a theory of morality known as the divine command theory. This theory “says that right actions are those that are willed by God, that God literally defines right and wrong… On this view, God is a divine lawgiver, and His laws constitute morality.” (11) –

What do you consider to be the strengths and challenges associated with this theory?

Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

However, just like nonreligious ethical and philosophical systems differ (remember The Heinz Incident?), “religious views of ethics also very – often fundamentally. The world’s great religions vary, in fact dramatically, and so do their denominations, and so do specific congregations within denominations. Even individual religious persons may find themselves, in their own thinking, pulled in different directions.” (Toolbox, 38).

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Can you think of some specific illustrations of how religious views differ between congregations or denominations?

Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

Do you agree, or disagree: “Despite how people sometimes talk, there is really no such thing as “the” Christian view of gay marriage or capitalism or preemptive war, any more than there is any one Jewish or Buddhist (or atheist) view either. There are many Christian views, as there are many views in general…..” (Toolbox ,38)

Believers Need Moral Reasoning 

Another difficulty arises when believers of the same faith tradition are attempting to understand specifically what their sacred text might be telling them to do. For example, most religious texts command a believer to “not kill” an innocent person. But if “the only way to save the life of one person is to kill another,” and we want to obey the Divine Command, what is the right thing to

2 do? (9) If , for example, the life we’re trying to save is the leader of a country, and the person who would die is a common citizen, would that make the death of an innocent person more logically acceptable? Or, what if the death of one innocent person would potentially save ten? And, what if your child/spouse/or parent was one of the ten who potentially may be saved by the death of one, would your views change? 

Situations such as these “force the believer to interpret religious directives, to try to apply general rules to specific cases, to draw out the implications of particular views – in other words, to do ethics.” (9)

Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

“How do we proceed when religion seems to divide us on moral matters?... You will see, I hope, that there are ways to enter the ethical discussion not so much as Catholics or Muslims, agnostics or atheists, but instead as people united by certain basic values we are aiming to understand and put into practice together, meanwhile valuing our disagreements as invitations to more learning.” (Toolbox, 39;40) –

What in the above statement to you agree or disagree with? What would you add, or say differently?

Religion, Morality, and Ethics 

When using The Divine Command Theory as a basis for ethics, one needs to be careful to also base their moral decisions on the three primary elements of ethics: –

The Preeminence of Reason

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The Universal Perspective

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The Principle of Impartiality

The Elements of Ethics 

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The Preeminence of Reason: “The backbone of critical moral reasoning is logical argument. This kind of argument (not the angry-exchange type!) consists of: –

A statement to be supported: The assertion to be proved, the conclusion

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The statements that do the supporting: The reasons for believing the statement.

“Our use of critical reasoning and argument helps us keep our feelings about moral issues in perspective. Feelings are an important part of our moral experience. They make empathy possible, which gives us a deeper understanding of the human impact of moral norms… Careful reasoning, however, can inform our feelings and help us decide moral questions on their (logical) merits.” (7)

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When using The Divine Command Theory, this question needs to be considered as well: Can we also support our faith-based ethical decision with a logical argument that is based upon sound reasoning?

The Elements of Ethics 

The Universal Perspective: “Logic requires that moral norms and judgments follow the principle of universalizability – the idea that moral statements (a principle, rule, or judgment) that applies in one situation must apply in all other situations that are relevantly similar.” (7)

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Is our faith-based ethical decision not only founded upon sound reason, but also a moral ideal that applies to other situations that are relevantly similar?

The Elements of Ethics 

The Principle of Impartiality: “From a moral point of view, all persons are considered equal and should be treated accordingly. This statement of impartiality is applied in all moral statements… It means that the welfare and interests of each individual should be given the same weight as others. Unless there is a morally relevant difference between people, we should treat them the same…” (8)

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Is our faith-based ethical decision founded upon sound reason, applicable to other situations that are relevantly similar, and one in which all persons (unless there is a morally relevant difference between people) are considered equal and treated accordingly?

Religion, Morality, and Ethics: How might people of faith respond?

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Religion, Morality and Ethics -How might people of faith respond? The Universal Golden Rule 

Christianity: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

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Confucianism: “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.” Analects 12:2

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Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Udana-Varga 5,1

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Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.” Mahabharata 5,1517

Religion, Morality and Ethics - How might people of faith respond? The Universal Golden Rule 

Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” Sunnah

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Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” Talmud, Shabbat 3id and "...thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.", Leviticus 19:18

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Taoism: “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

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Zoroastrianism: “That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another whatsoever is not good for itself.” Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5 http://www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html...