MORAL SITUATIONS

AN OVERVIEW
Contemporary Moral Trends
Power is might; Might is right!
Morals are what society expects.
The individual is the measure of right and
wrong.
Right is moderation
Right is what brings pleasure
Right is the greatest good for the greater
number
Right is what is desirable for it's own sake.
Right/ wrong is situational.
ETHICAL SYSTEMS (1)

RELATIVISM: all points of view are

equally valid
all truth is relative to the individual
all moral positions, all religious
systems, art forms, political
movements, etc., are truths that
are relative to the individual .
 Forms of Relativism
cognitive relativism
(truth) - : no objective
standard of truth.
No God as absolute
truth.
moral/ethical relativism -
- all morals are relative to
the social group within
which they are
constructed.
situational relativism -
that ethics (right and
wrong) are dependent
upon the situation.
 “ Might is right” ……

“ Superman
Philosophy ”
Friedrich Nietszche
- anti- religion (Xty)
- Anti- Virtue
- No God

Superior Race: Hitler:

Nazism
 “ Right is Indefinable… It is
situational”
Situation Ethics
Relativism
Relativism
"anything goes" philosophy
situation determines actions and if the situation
changes, lying or cheating is acceptable -- as long as
you're not caught. 

if all the things are relative, then there cannot be

anything that is absolutely true between individuals

No common ground from which to judge right and

wrong or truth?

If all moral views are equally valid, then do we have the

right to punish anyone? Can we ever say that something
is wrong? 
 ETHICAL SYSTEMS (2)
SECULAR HUMANISM :
principles of ethical conduct are judged on
their ability to enhance human well-being
and individual responsibility” (Council for
Secular Humanism)

an attempt to function as a civilized

society with the exclusion of God and
His moral principles.
SECULAR HUMANISM
based upon human
reason, actions, and
motives without
concern of deity or
supernatural
phenomena.
UTILITARIANISM (3)
: the end of human
conduct is
happiness

: the discriminating
norm which
distinguishes
conduct into right
and wrong is
pleasure and
pain.
“Right is the greatest good for the
greater number…”
Utilitarianism
Universal Hedonism
The greatest good or happiness for the
greatest number of people.
Social Utilitarianism ( Altruism)
Egoistic Utilitarianism
“ Right is what brings pleasure”

Hedonism
“ Pain and suffering
are things to be
avoided”
“Short cut”
Consumerism:
“culture of having”
ETHICAL SYSTEMS (4)
CONSEQUENTIALISM
“What is right
depends on the
result..”
Teleological Ethics
Greek “telos” : “end”
or “goal.”
Concerned with the
end-point or results of
an action
 ETHICAL SYSTEMS (5)
ETHICAL
ABSOLUTISM
 Absolutism comes in
many versions--including
the divine right of kings
 Absolutism is less about
what we believe and
more about how we
believe it
 Common elements:
There is a single Truth
Their position embodies
that truth
Ethical Absolutism
 Gets some things right :
We need to make judgments (at least
sometimes)
Certain things are intolerable
 Gets some things wrong, including:
Our truth is the truth
We can’t learn from others
“Right is what is desirable for it's
own sake”

Deontology
The good is found in the action itself and
not based on its consequences or
results.
Thus it is our duty to do the right action
“What is right is what is legal”
Legalist Ethics ( Legalism )
What the law says
Nothing beyond what is written:
True meaning of justice??
THEONOMOUS ETHICS (6)
rooted in the very
nature of God.

FAITH requires the

love and service of
one’s fellow man as an
essential expression of
the service of God.

love of neighbor as an
essential expression of
love for God”
 Right is what God revealed

Christian Ethics : on life and words of

Christ
 “ Right is moderation”

Virtue Ethics
Happiness is achieved through the
development of “good habits:” intellectual
(for example knowledge) and practical action
and emotion (for example courage).
“Golden Mean” – neither excess nor
deficiency.
Aristotle : “Three natures of man” :
Vegetative Rational Animal
EVALUATION

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ETHICAL SYSTEMS:
Authoritative or Deontological

Definitive standard
Capable of motivating for self-sacrifice
Obligation, but not discerned from
sense experience
Ethical Norm imposes duty
Universally binding

12/08/21 Christian Ethics Part 1 23

ETHICAL SYSTEMS:
Consequential or Teleological
Assumes the End justifies the Means
telos- end, goal
logos- science, discourse
Immanent Ethical Norm
Mundane
Practical
Doing good brings happiness. The moral
life is the good life.
12/08/21 Christian Ethics Part 1 24
ETHICAL SYSTEMS:
Consequential or Teleological

The outcome of actions/behavior makes

that action right
Moral Task is to determine the means to
the end- happiness
Moral Goodness is concrete, in the
situation, not abstracted

12/08/21 Christian Ethics Part 1 25

Consequentialism…
(1) the character of the act itself is left
out of account

(2) the view that an action is right if and

only if its total outcome is the best
possible.
ETHICAL SYSTEMS:
Consequential or Teleological

PROBLEM:
Often elevates one absolute
above all others
Lacks subtlety and flexibility

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Utilitarianism
Points
1. Actions, as such, have no
moral value. What
matters is their effect on
the state of the world.

- What about killing?

Utilitarianism 2
2. the only aspect of the
state of the world
having any direct
moral significance is
the happiness or
misery of people.

- takes pleasure in
the sufering of
other people.
( Right to do so?)
3. The only relevance of the
state of a family or a
society is the effect it has
on its individual
members.
4. All people are, ethically
speaking, equal, in all
situations. One person's
happiness is precisely as
important as another's.

Well being of a criminal

about to rape wife? Same
well being as the wife?
ETHICAL SYSTEMS:
Existentialism/Humanism
Each is responsible for the
authenticity of his/her actions
Ethical behavior is self-realization
Or, an expression of human freedom
(Sartre, and others who deny there is
any essential human nature)
Joseph Fletcher : Love is the ultimate
measure of right or wrong.
12/08/21 Christian Ethics Part 1 31
Critique … Humanism
A Belief with no Purpose
or Objective Values

universe exists for no

purpose.
no one is obligated to be
moral.

fails to provide moral

objections to immoral
behavior.
Critique… Humanism
Life Without Real Meaning
- No God : we lose any
transcendent purpose to give
meaning to our individual lives.
NIHILISM
achievements, sacrifices, good and
beautiful acts , the ugly and dark
acts of others, are ultimately futile
efforts of life.
NO possibility for life after death.

The Pope or Osama Bin Laden:

same
Eat, drink and be merry – for
tomorrow we die.
The Christian Response and Secular
Humanism

Topic Secular Humanist Christian

-God does not exist. God: highest Entity, Creator

- “Man is the measure of all and worshipped
things.”
God

Jesus Christ: God, Incarnated :

lived a sinless life ; Died on
the cross , rose from the
mere man. dead to prove He had
Jesus
conquered sin and death.
Christ
 Secular Humanist Christian

Live in our lives, giving us His

peace, joy, righteousness,
An interesting purpose for living,
Jesus teacher, but died, forgiveness of sins, and
Christ and stayed dead eternal life.
like any other
man.

Acts and talks in light of

Evolution: the the truly scientific
only way to evidence (as well as
Creation explain the Biblical revelation)
existence of that God is the
life. Creator.
Topic Secular Christian
Humanist

Does not accept it Reverences the Bible as the

as the Word of God. Word of God.
The
Bible

People should feel

good about People have great value and
Self themselves worth: image of God . 
Esteem regardless of their
behavior.
Each person : unique and
special and for His glory.
positive self-talk.
God has a great purpose for
each of us.
Topic Secular Christian
Humanist
Some human life: Man : all life is precious.
not so special.
Sanctity
of Life Abortion, euthanasia,
Supports abortion,
and infanticide are
euthanasia, and
infanticide . horrific sins.

ok, as long as it guilty of violating God’s

“doesn’t hurt standards.
anyone else.”

Sin All behavior that I we can be forgiven and

wish to do is cleansed in Christ.
acceptable.
Topic Secular Christian
Humanist
Physical life is all
there is: goal -get
as much happiness Lives in light of Ultimate
and gain as many End.
Goals things before time
runs out and one
ceases to exist.
Sex is a gift: sexual beings.
When used as God intended
Man highly evolved
(i.e., within a marriage
animal : sexual relationship), sex can bring
gratification is not great joy to a husband and
to be denied as wife.
Sex long as it “doesn’t can lead to great harm if
hurt anyone.” misused : disappointment,
frustration, and deep emotional
pain and regrets.
Topic Secular Humanist Christian

No sexual acts Only heterosexual sex

should be between a husband
Sexual considered and wife is acceptable
Deviancy improper as long to God.
as “it doesn’t
hurt anyone.” Other sexual behaviors
are perversions.

There is no
absolute right and
God has
wrong. Everything established some
Moral depends on the things as
Relativism situation.
absolutely right
and others as
absolutely wrong.
Topic Secular Humanist
Values, morals, and
ethics are determined
by each person .
Tolerance
To tell someone else
that their behavior is
“wrong” or “sinful” is
considered to be
intolerant.
Affirm same-sex
marriages or civil unions.
Encouraging "single
Family
parenting by choice."
child’s first responsibility
is to be a representative
of the state, not
necessarily to the
parents.
Christian
Values, morals, and ethics
are revealed in His Word.
To overlook sin in our
society, in the name of
“tolerance” leads to great
harm to our society .
Family unit as created by
God to represent our
relationship with Him.
Parents do a better job at
raising children than
government organizations.
Recognize the importance
of foster parents and
stepparents in family units.
Topic Secular Humanist Christian

Rely on Scriptures
Morality and Based on critical for knowledge
Justice intelligence unaided by concerning right
Scripture and wrong, good
and evil

Science and Instruments meant to Tools to be used in

Technology serve human ends the service of
without reference to man to the glory
God. of God