difference between right and wrong

Question 1

how do we define moral responsibility?

Answer 1

-for one not to be held morally responsible for their actions they must have two things
1. couldn’t help doing it
2.not aware action undertook is wrong
-some young children may not be held morally responsible. Young children still dont have complete mental capacity to understand right and wrongs.

Question 2

4 categories of those who cant take full moral responsibility

Answer 2

1. babies/ young children
   2.severe learning difficulties/needs
   3.permanently cognitively impaired (dementia)
2. temporarily forgotten the difference

Question 3

what are sources of persons moral awareness?

Answer 3

-some argue we all have innate moral sense
-basis of David Humes approach to mortality

Question 4

David Hume

Answer 4

-argues human have an innate ability to understand right and wrong
-he called this built-in moral sense a ‘faculty of sympathy’
-his example is that all ppl feel that its morally right to help someone who is stressed or in need
-to some extent Hume argues Faculty of Sympathy is universal.

Question 5

second source of moral awareness

Answer 5

-learn about right and wrong from our social contact. from our parents and others in society as we grow up and that those moral principles form basis of our social life
-morality linked to particular cultural and social traditions.
-culturally conditioned and will therefore vary from society to society and over time.

Question 6

third source of persons moral awareness

Answer 6

-religious morality
-each religion presents its followers with fundamental moral principles and sets of practical moral rules which define the way of life of that particular religious group

Question 7

consciousness

Answer 7

-human brain evolved over millions of years
-as it becomes more complex it took on quality of consciousness
-consciousness gives us the illusion of FW but we really are just witnesses of our own minds