Midterm Exam Flashcards
An action’s morality to be based on whether the action itself is right or wrong, not on the consequences.
Deontology
An action’s morality is based on the consequences, not on the action itself. It is mainly motivated by self-interest.
Teleology
A sociological or anthropological discipline that attempts to describe the morals of a particular society
Descriptive Ethics
This refers to the discipline that produces moral norms or rules.
Normative Ethics
An area of ethics that investigates the meaning of moral language or the epistemology of ethics and considers the justification of ethical theories and judgments.
Metaethics
Emphasizes the full LIBERTY of the individual to decide for YOURSELF what is right or wrong.
Libertine
A principle of right action that is binding on groups and group members, which guides and regulates appropriate behavior. It is narrower in focus than values but broader than rules. Semi-specific definitions for behavior but still some vagueness. Christian Example: (revalue of modesty): Ladies should not wear blouses/shirts with a deep vee (i.e. revealing) or short skirts; men should not wear pants too tight.
Norms
A ______________ is a case where one has two moral “oughts” in conflict with no way to satisfy both–one must sin or sin. A ____________ is a specialized form of dilemma where one will be in conflict and suffering IF one does the “Right Thing.”
Moral Dilemma vs Moral Conflict
Is something right or wrong? Is an act good or bad because God commands it?
Euthyphro Dilemma
The doctrine of Two Wills
Competing moral demands and the choice to have control of our own actions. We cannot be forced to sin against our own will.
Another, higher power, deciding what’s right
Paternalistic
There are moral absolutes that never change and don’t conflict causing any moral dilemma. When moral issues do arise, the answer is to trust in God.
Common Characteristics between Conflicting and Graded Absolutism
Recognizes our human limits may leave us unclear as to what the absolute morally acceptable option is.
Biblical Absolutism
Tends to impose a black/white absolute without honestly wrestling with and acknowledging the unclearness of the known options.
Non-Conflicting Absolutism
Tends to recognize a simple, small range of moral absolutes. This leaves more room open for discussion.
The narrow base of Absolutes.
Biblical Absolutism
Tends to include more items in the list of what is absolute. May ascribe divine authority to human additions to God’s absolutes.
A broad base of Absolutes
Nonconflicting Absolutism
Oriented to a moral character as a basis of choices and behavior, build character to produce morality.
Biblical Absolutism
Oriented to Rule-Compliance, with character as the result of the rule.
Nonconflicting Absolutism:
Strengths Biblical Absolutism
- They are God’s absolutes to define and to share
- Removing all human definitions and rely on a new covenant and new birth.
- The moral results are the result of character, not by self-imposed morals.
Strengths of Non-Conflicting Absolutism
the strengths are:
- That it shows there are solid absolutes that are unchanging and formed by an unchanging God.
- The weaknesses are that it is legalistic in nature, relying on a man to determine God’s “absolutes”.
- Depend on a rule-compliance oriented system that requires human willpower to uphold.
Common Characteristics of Conflicting and Graded Absolutism
There are moral absolutes that never change but sometimes conflict and within a moral dilemma, we are trapped between a sin and a sin and must decide which absolutes carry greater importance than others.
Situation Ethics
No action is moral or immoral until in a specific situation.
All actions are morally neutral until they are in a specific situation.
Moral right and wrong are determined in a specific situation.
What is the pithy phrase/concept often used to diagnose something as SE,
and what does it mean?
“Whats the loving thing to do to the neighbor” we want beneficial results from a
“Ends justify the means of achieving the goal”
Loving the neighbor is the goal, so any method/means to get to the goal is justified.
How does SE view itself against “legalism” and “relativism?”
Legalism: policy over people hurts people.
Antinominalism: no universal standard or law hurts people.
Situation ethics is the answer to that imbalance.
Not relativist because there is an absolutes.
What is the one “absolute” in SE? How is it defined (what it is and what
is it not).
ONE ABSOLUTE is to love thy neighbor. The only commandment. Love wills the neighbors good.
All moral laws are relative to love. If we must break a commandment in order to love your neighbor than it is okay
How did Fletcher use Scripture to support his position and how did we
critique that?
God is love.
What are the 3 characteristics of a moral system and how Beckwith sees Moral Relativism comparing to those?
Morality is a supremely authoritative guide to action, trumping considerations of preference, taste, custom, self-interest, or individual custom
Morality includes a prescriptive code of conduct that actions, attitudes, and motives ought to follow.
Morality is universal. They are public and equal for any situation and person.
Moral Relativism rejects these characteristics because it is a subjective morality without absolutes. They can change and morph according to culture (1), are run by personal conviction and choice of action alone, not by any absolute standard or code of conduct (2), and finally, moral relativism states that there can be no universal morality; “what’s right for you isn’t always going to be right for me”.
What did Beckwith argue about Moral Relativism and Tolerance? What is needed for true tolerance? Is Moral Relativism truly tolerant?
is subjective and relative, and tolerance is only logical if aligned with moral truth, which is objective and absolute. Therefore, true tolerance and relativism cannot align. In order for there to be true tolerance, there must be moral absolutes and disagreement, if there are neither it is not tolerance.
Voluntarily emptying of one’s self and personal rights for a sacrificial/redemptive purpose. This model is in the DNA of the Gospel and the 10 comm. In this model, we have agency and choice. We are following a God who made himself an example, and an example that we can choose to follow. They are the ethics of how to use your personal power in a God-like way.
Kenotic Model
The 10 comm. are rules to be followed simply by not “breaking” them. Do your best because God will forgive the rest, as a result, we are good because of all the bad things we “don’t” do.
Rule-Compliance Model
For Sexual Ethics, organize and identify concepts attached to Biblical book/chapter (and secondarily the name attached to it as Jesus or Paul)
Leviticus 18 and 20 focus on biblical law and sexual ethics.
Deuteronomy 22: Protecting virginity
Proverbs 15-2: Sex is the basis for building a sense of exclusivity in a relationship.
Conflicting Absolutism
_______________ Focus on MINIMIZING EVIL, and therefore is morally obligated to do the lesser evil (violating the least weighty absolute). You are held culpable for violating a moral absolute- There are no exemptions from moral duty. One must ask God’s forgiveness as they sinned.
Graded Absolutism
_____________Focus on MAXIMIZING GOOD, and keep the moral focus on doing the GREATER GOOD by performing the weightier of the absolutes and leave the other undone. You are not held culpable for failing to perform the lesser good and the agent is exempted from the lesser duty.
