Philosophy Flashcards
What are the five pillars of faith?
Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj
What is Shahada?
The first pillar of faith. It is said before prayer, and three times in the ceremony to become a Muslim, and is a confession of faith. It states ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah’. It makes the Muslim come closer to Allah and become an actual Muslim. It also helps them to follow the other four pillars more carefully.
What is Salat?
The second pillar of faith. Muslims must pray five times every day in the direction of the Ka’bah in Mecca. Before praying, they must cleanse themselves with water, however. Salat purifies the person praying and allows them to reflect on what they will do and have done. It helps them become a better person and come closer to Allah.
What is Zakat?
Zakat is when a Muslim gives a small percentage (2.5%) of their savings if they can afford, and give it to charity. It discourages prejudice and encourages generosity. It also teaches Muslims the importance of helping others who are less fortunate, and make them more sympathetic and understanding.
What is Sawm?
Sawm occurs during the month of Ramadan. It is the act of fasting from dawn to dusk every day, and teaches Muslims control and patience. It also allows the Muslim to acknowledge all that they have and how lucky they are to have it: Sawm makes them more thankful.
What is the Hajj?
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that every single Muslim must make at least once in their life if they are well and wealthy enough to do it. It gives the Muslim time to reflect about their purpose in life and as a Muslim, and what they can do to become a better person. It also gives them a sense of community as they walk, and think about how lucky they are to not suffer the pain that they are currently suffering regularly, like many people do. They go through a number of important historical events in the Islamic religion as they continue through their journey, bringing them closer to Allah.
What is the Kantian theory?
Developed by Kant, it is a theory based on absolute morality and deontological ethics (ethics based on duty). This means that it has rules that cannot be broken or bent, and allows for no flexibility. We should always do the moral thing, even if the consequences aren’t necessarily good: it is the duty to be moral. It stated that you should treat people as ‘ends not means’, meaning that you should treat people as you would like to be treated. He also explained that ‘ought implies can’, which means that we can all do the right thing in most cases, so we should always do the right thing.
What is utilitarianism?
A teleological theory (ethics based on the consequence of actions) based on relative morality fathered by philosopher Jeremy Bentham, this theory stated that we should always do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is a three-part theory:
- Motives- we are motivated by wanting to have pleasure (a person who seeks pleasure is a hedonist).
- Utility- the usefulness of an action in how much pleasure it brings to people.
- Hedonic calculator- calculates the amount of pleasure as an outcome.
What is situation ethics?
This theory states that you must do the most loving thing in the situation, and is based on agape love: the powerful, unconditional love that was encouraged by Jesus saying that you must always love your neighbour, no matter what. It is a modern, new morality made by Joseph Fletcher, a priest that explained that it was ok to break the rules, as even Jesus broke them to do the most loving thing. It went by only two rules: ‘love God’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. It was a relative theory.
What is natural law?
Fathered by Aristotle and developed by Aquinas, natural law is an absolute theory, which should be followed universally. Aristotle used the metaphor 'if a stone is thrown into a river in Greece, it sinks. The same is true in Persia' to reinforce the idea that ethical rules should apply universally, and natural laws apply universally. Aquinas further developed this theory to merge with the Christian idea that we are all given ideas of natural laws by God, and that we all are born with an idea of right and wrong. He reinforced this point by arguing that 'we all want to do good and avoid evil', as he was an optimist. To do this, we had to follow the five primary precepts: Protect the innocent Reproduce Ordered society Worship God Learn
What is a moral act? Give an example
An act that is considered to be right, good and selfless.
Eg. A woman drops £50 on the street and you pick it up to return it to her.
What in an immoral act? Give an example
An act that is considered to be wrong, bad and selfish.
Eg. A woman drops £50 on the street and, instead of giving it back to her, you keep it for yourself.
What is an amoral act? Give an example
An act that is done without understanding of right or wrong.
Eg. A baby smacks another baby in the face.
What is a non-moral act? Give an example
An act that is not concerned with right and wrong.
Eg. Choosing what to wear for a normal day.
What is the divine command theory?
The divine command theory is based on what God considers to be good, or what is pious. This theory consists of believing that what is right or wrong comes from God.
