Explain what is meant by Moral Relativism

Explain what is meant by Moral Relativism Moral relativism is the belief that morality does not relate to any absolute standards of morality to which everyone should comply with. It believes there are circumstances and situations in which actions or behaviour, that is usually considered to be 'wrong', can be considered 'right'. Many of these circumstances are to do with religion and cultures, traditions are frowned upon by outsiders but are acceptable to those within the culture, moral relativism respects their views and beliefs. Moral relativism is the opposite of absolutism. Absolutism believes that there are right and wrong rules which apply to all people all the time. It also believes that an immoral act is intrinsically wrong; it is not made wrong because of its situation or results. An absolutist would not look at a situation from ones perspective; they would look at it objectively and not take into account the consequences. It is deontological as they believe it is ones duty to act in that specific way. Directly opposing absolutism, Fletcher says that no actions in themselves are wrong it is their results that make them wrong and it is love that decides the good from the bad. This love is known as 'Agape' and is a self giving love for all. A clear example of the difference is abortion. A young girl has been raped and is now pregnant with a child; however this child

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Moral absolutism. Moralism seems to be an essential component of American conservatism, whose adherents feel far more comfortable evaluating ethicality in terms of simple rules (i.e. morals) than in terms of harm/benefit.

Mrs Kirk Ethics - Moral absolutism Moralism, also know as moral absolutism, is the practice of interpreting the ethicality of various subjects (actions, people, etc.) as good or bad things based solely in terms of how well they conform to a particular moral code rather than by attempting to evaluate the harm or benefit caused by those subjects. It can also be described as "the belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, devoid of the context of the act." Most moralists allow for some exceptions to their moral rules, permitting conscience and empathy to override in cases where "sticking to the rules" would be clearly harmful. Those who refuse to allow exceptions to moral rules tend to be regarded as extremists Most religion is based on moralism, as one of the defining characteristics of religion is reliance on dogmatic rules for evaluating ethicality rather than an open and rational examination of the effects of ethically-significant entities. Moralism seems to be an essential component of American conservatism, whose adherents feel far more comfortable evaluating ethicality in terms of simple rules (i.e. morals) than in terms of harm/benefit. This sort of thinking seems to form the basis of much of the extreme right's attitude towards homosexuality, for example: homosexuals don't

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Religious Studies - Ethics: Natural Moral Law

Religious Studies - Ethics Natural Moral Law a) Critically examine what is meant by Natural Moral Law. (8 marks) b) Analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Natural Moral Law as a definitive ethical theory. (12 marks) a) Natural Moral Law is the ancient belief that we can deduce what is right and wrong by looking at nature, this being the one moral code that is applicable to all people. The main features of Natural Moral Law as an ethical theory are that it is unchanging, universally applicable and relevant to all circumstances. The theory is absolutist, objective, deontological and thought to be God-given. Natural Law has also been interpreted to promote the idea that human law through government is an extension of divine law. Although Natural Law is consistent with Christian thinking and scripture, it is not reliant upon them and fundamentally, it is a system of morality based on human reasoning. The origins of Natural Law can be found in the ancient world amongst the philosophers Plato and Aristotle who believed that there was a law within nature that could be applied to everyone. In the 4th Century BC, Plato presented the idea through a debate between 'Nomos' (human law) and 'Phusis' (natural law). Aristotle, who wrote 'Nichomachean Ethics', distinguished natural justice from human justice in his claim that human justice was subject to change according

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Utilitarianism essay.

Mark Smith Utilitarianism essay Jeremy Bentham's theory of utilitarianism states that when you make a decision, you should make this decision on how many people will receive pleasure or happiness from this decision. Bentham said that good was happiness. He believed that motives are unimportant and that only consequences count. He argued that motives can not be measured but consequences can. Utilitarianism is not based on religion but on consequences of an action, or thought and reason. Therefore a person can ignore rules and tradition when making a decision. Bentham states, "Morality is not a matter of pleasing God, nor is it a matter of faithfulness to abstract rules. Morality is nothing more then an attempt to bring about as much happiness as possible to the world." Utilitarianism is based on teleology which identifies a theory which is not based on rules. Utilitarianism in it's simplest form can be summed up by the phrase, "the greatest happiness for the greatest number." E.g. most people like eating crisps and a minority likes eating oranges based Benthams theory everybody would have to eat crisps as the majority prefer crisps. Bentham believed that it is simply the quantity of pleasures that counts and that all pleasures had equal value and that one pleasure is no better then another. E.g. Playing chess has the same pleasure value as eating crisps. The hedonic

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Just War

"It is impossible to be a Christian and joined the armed forces!" Do you agree? Support your answer with evidence from Christian (and other) teachings. I believe that it can be very difficult to be a Christian and join the armed forces but I do not believe that it is impossible. War is defined as armed hostilities between peoples, frequently different nations, sometimes between different parties within a nation, as in a civil war, or between one small group and the state, as in a guerrilla war. For followers of world religions often caught up in conflict, war poses fundamental questions about human worth and dignity. Many have questioned the ethics of the great bombing raids of WW II, When British and American bombers rained down fire and destruction on millions of German women and children, and the use by America of the Atomic bombs on Japan. In addition, when the Americans waged war in Vietnam in the 1960's, their express desire was not to kill the enemy but to 'incapacitate' as many civilians as possible. At one time individuals like Alexander and Rameses II were given the title 'the Great' for slaughtering human beings on the battlefield, but today few would view the killing of vast numbers of non-combatants for no rational purpose as anything other than a crime against humanity. The German Protestant reformer Martin Luther, alluding to the story of Samson in the

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  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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(a) Examine the reasons why some argue that morality is linked to religion (30 mks) (b) Examine and discuss the reasons for arguing that morality should not be linked to religion (15 mks)

RELIGIOUS ETHICS (a) Examine the reasons why some argue that morality is linked to religion (30 mks) (b) Examine and discuss the reasons for arguing that morality should not be linked to religion (15 mks) Ans. (a) In seeking to determine the link between morality and religion it is necessary to look back into previous civilizations such as those of Egypt and India where the existence of God and the divine world was almost unquestioned, and the after-death fate of human beings was decided by the purity and goodness of their conduct during this life. In India for example the principle of universal moral order, called dharma, is to be found in the operation of natural law and in the laws of morality. According to Indian thought, all actions have consequences. As we sow, so shall we reap, and the fruits of actions are like their seed : if we act with harmful or selfish intent, then not only will other people be hurt, but we also suffer in the long run. If we act with benevolent intent, not only will others be helped, but our actions will purify our hearts and bring us closer to God. In ancient Greece however the philosophers began to challenge and question the link between morality and religion and indeed began to question religious belief itself. Plato argued that virtue is knowledge and that people will be virtuous if they know what virtue is, and that evil or vice is the

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Natural Moral Law

Natural Moral Law Natural Moral Law is a universal deontological theory that basis itself as an objective and ideal to order human society. The term 'Natural Law' was introduced by Aristotle (384-322 BCE) in his 'Nicomachaen Ethics.' Those who accept natural law argue that all problems about defining 'good' can be resolved by discovering what is natural. From the time of the Ancient Greek philosophers to the present day Natural moral law remains one of the most powerful Ethical theories. The Sophists argued that no one could violate the laws of nature. They believed that the 'strong should dominate the weak.' On the other hand Plato wrote in his 'Republic' that society be the hunters and the weaker to be doctors of the group. Aristotle and the Stoics believed that Natural Law cannot be changed it is by everybody and therefore can be universalised as a universal truth. The basis of natural law is that there is an objectively ideal way to be human and that it is by this ideal we measure our humanity. If our ideal was reached we would be completely happy, as we would have realised our maximum physical, spiritual and mental health. Natural law argues that reason and the law of the universe tells us what is good. St. Thomas Aquinas a Christian philosopher of the 13th centaury argued that natural law was reflected in nature in a moral way, created by god. The thinking of

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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A Root-a-toot-Duty: An analysis of Kant’s Categorical Imperative

A Root-a-toot-Duty: An analysis of Kant's Categorical Imperative For some time now philosophers have discussed the possibility of the existence of right and wrong. The issues of morality and ethical decision-making play an integral role in human conduct and we are constantly contemplating whether or not the choices we make are 'moral'. As an intuitive species when presented with a choice we are continuously plaguing ourselves with the question of: "Which alternative should I choose and what motive should be behind my choice?" Ultimately it is this unceasingly bothersome question that Kant tries to answer in his passage The Role of Reason. In fact for this question Kant establishes a universal formula - the categorical imperative - by which all acts can be measured as either morally praiseworthy (in accordance with the will) or not morally praiseworthy (in accordance with something other than the will - a means). This 'formula' which, commands us to follow duty as established by the law no matter with whom or what you are dealing, according to Kant is universally applicable for the 'moral' way to behave in any situation The will Kant says, is the faculty of acting according to a conception of law. When we act, whether or not we achieve what we intend with our action is often beyond our control thus the morality of our actions does not depend on their outcome. What we

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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Examine the differences in ethical and Christian views concerning homosexuality

Examine the differences in ethical and Christian views concerning homosexuality Homosexuality is a subject, which is forever being raised in today's media and society. It is constantly brought to the attention of many to be somewhat reassessed in terms of ethical and religious view points, whether through the newspapers or the television. While religious view points used to manipulate society in all matters, it now seems to be the media which influences and guides social attitudes towards homosexuality. For many years, it has been seen as intrinsically wrong to everybody, religious and secular. However, it is fast becoming more and more accepted by a larger number of people. Just the mention of homosexuality in a Roman Catholic Church is bound to be frowned upon or combated with a quick fire of biblical references to show you that homosexuality is wrong in the eyes of God. Catholicism has often been blamed for the development of homophobia, particularly in the West. While this may seem a little unfair, it is most certainly true that homophobia is ubiquitous within this Christian denomination. Many Catholics often refer to what few references there are in the Bible to the subject of homosexuality. For example, the story of the town called Sodom (Gen. 19-21) is one of the most famous indications that people often refer to. Here, a man named Lot is greeted by two of God's

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Absolutism and Relativism

Absolutism and Relativism Objective moral truths In certain moral situations, it is thought by absolutists that a moral truth is objective, which is that it is thought that certain moral situations are either intrinsically right or wrong. This moral truth is universal and unchanging in all circumstances, cultures, times and places. Plato was an absolutist and he thought that as well as things being inherently right and wrong, he thought that goodness itself really exists beyond this world. The highest form, the form of goodness provoked the question of 'What is goodness itself?". Plato thought that goodness itself was the highest form of reality, which is an objective or absolute thing that existed eternally, beyond our limited world. He valued goodness very highly, comparing it to having the same importance that the sun has. Plato thought that every moral situation was either right or wrong, and that our minds which were "distorted between pleasure and pain" could not perceive circumstances correctly, because we could not comprehend goodness itself, and therefore could not judge on which situations were right or wrong. Situations such as youths mugging an old lady or leaving a victim of a hit and run for dead are mostly considered acts of wrong doing. These situations are considered universally wrong, and there is no doubt that these acts are morally wrong. These

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Religious Studies & Philosophy
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