...Evaluate the claim that conscience is the voice of God (35 Marks) Conscience can be divided into three theories, one being ‘an awareness of what is good and bad ‘believed by St. Paul, secondly the conscience is the power to distinguish good from evil believed by St. Jerome and thirdly, the conscience is the voice of God, believed by St. Augustine. Thomas Aquinas thought that the conscience is a device for distinguishing our right actions from our wrong ones, he believed that we all obey the synderesis rule which means that we all have a innate awareness of good and bad that cannot be mistaken, this is why he reckoned that people do generally tend towards the good and away from evil. However Aristotle had not realized that mistakes can be made when working out what is good and what is evil, as it would be unlikely for every single human being to agree on what is right and wrong. Our conscience does not command our action of choosing right or wrong, but is ‘reason making the right decision’. In relation to the moral Argument, Immanuel Kant said that we all have a sense of moral law. If we feel we ought to do something, this can prove that we have free will, which allows us and our conscience to make the correct decisions when deciding upon the rightness or wrongness of a situation/outcome. But to be free allows for some mistakes, Aquinas agrees that the conscience is infallible, that it is not the voice of god, but it is part of our God given make up. Joseph Butler agreed with...
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...Critically evaluate the claim that conscience is dictated by society an upbringing. Jean Piaget first postulated the idea that conscience is not the voice of God but a result from our upbringing and what we learn. He was a developmental psychologist who studied the behaviour of children. He theorised that children go through different stages in their understanding of the world around them, and it is not until the age of 10 that young people have a fully developed sense of morality. This scientific approach is very plausible because it is based on observations, and makes predictions that can be tested. For example, you can describe two different situations to a six year old, one of which is someone lying and a minor bad consequence arising, the other is someone accidentally causing a very negative consequence. For a six year old, the latter case would ‘make mummy more cross’ because their understanding is that something is bad because it hurts or upsets people. Ask an older child, and they will accurately say that a parent would be more cross with the child who told a lie. Piaget is showing that conscience is something we learn as we grow and develop. This theory seems to contradict Newman’s ideas. Newman was an intuitionist, believing that conscience is ‘the voice of God’. He believed that when faced with a moral decision, we get a sense of moral direction from God, which we can either listen to or ignore. Conscience is an ability to detect the right course of action. For...
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...|Meta Ethics |Conscience |Free Will and Determinism |Virtue Ethics |Environment/Business |Sexual Ethics | |Jan 2012 |All ethical language is prescriptive.’ Discuss. [35] | |Critically assess the claim that free will and determinism are compatible. [35] |3 To what extent do modern versions of Virtue Ethics address the weaknesses of Aristotle’s teaching on virtue? [35] | |For moral issues surrounding sex the demands of conscience override other ethical considerations.’ | |June 2011 |‘Ethical statements are no more than expressions of emotion.’ Discuss. | |Critically assess the view that we are not responsible for our evil actions |To what extent is Virtue Ethics helpful when making decisions about extramarital sex? |Assess the claim that secular approaches to environmental issues are of more help than religious approaches. | | |Jan 2011 | |Critically assess the claim that conscience is the voice of reason. (35) |Our ethical decisions are merely the result of social conditioning. Discuss. (35) | |The environment suffers because business has no ethics. Discuss. (35) |Natural Law is the most reliable approach when making decisions about pre-marital sex. Discuss. (35) | |June 2010 | | |Critically assess the claim that people are free to make moral decisions. (35) |‘The weaknesses of Virtue Ethics outweigh its strengths.’ Discuss. (35) |Assess the usefulness of Religious Ethics as an ethical approach to business. (35) |To what extent are ethical theories helpful when considering...
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...‘right’ and ‘wrong’ mean is the most important purpose of ethical language.’ Discuss To what extent is ethical language meaningful? Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of emotivism. Virtue Ethics ‘The problem with Virtue Ethics is that it gives no definite answers to moral problems.’ Discuss. ‘Virtue ethics is not the best approach to ethical decision making.’ Discuss ‘Modern virtue ethics is very different from those taught by Aristotle.’ Discuss Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Virtue Ethics. Conscience Assess the view that conscience should always be obeyed. ‘Conscience is innate.’ Discuss ‘Conscience is vital when making moral decisions.’ Discuss. Assess the view that conscience is not a reliable guide to ethical decision making. ‘Conscience need not always be obeyed.’ Discuss ‘Conscience is a reliable moral guide.’ Discuss Assess the view that conscience need not always be obeyed. Evaluate the claim that conscience is the voice of God. Sexual Ethics ‘Sex and relationships are matters of personal choice.’ Discuss. ‘Virtue ethics is a good approach to the issues surrounding sex and relationships.’ Discuss ‘No ethical theory offers a satisfactory approach to issues of sex and relationships.’ Discuss ‘Some ethical theories are of more help than others when making decisions about sexual issues.’ Discuss. Critically assess the view that Natural Law is of no use when discussing sexual ethics. Environment ‘Kant’s theory of ethics is of no...
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...Most people understand conscience as something which tells us right from wrong, it is generally seen as a moral faculty, sense or feeling which compels individuals to believe that particular activities are morally right or wrong. Many ethical debates have been addressed on whether conscience is innate or developed. When conscience is described as innate, it means that it is inborn within you. From a religious viewpoint, an innate conscience is one which is God given or the voice of reason as a moral guide to what is right and wrong, whereas if it is argued that the conscience is not innate then it is described as being learned or developed according to psychologists. If conscience is innate and God given then does that mean God has told people to act immorally? However if Conscience is not innate then the blame for people acting immorally is shifted to society. St Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Butler and Cardinal John Newman are key scholars who believe that conscience is innate and inborn within a person. Key scholars and psychologists who believe that conscience is not innate are Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Erich Fromm and Humanist. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) did not think of conscience as being the voice of God but as the natural ability of people to understand the difference between right and wrong. He believed that all people aim for what is good and try to avoid evil he called this the synderesis rule. Aquinas said that it was innate to seek good because sin is falling short...
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...Without God? | Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Religion Can Morality Exist Without Religion? | | Rajoo Kamal-Wilnoff (10781867)Sociology 321.3, Section X01Professor Bryan PukMay 28, 2014 | “Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.” – Isaac Asimov | Can We Be Good Without God? Can we be good without God? The question has been a controversial one throughout history and a variety of positions are apparent regarding the relationship between religion and morality. Theists undoubtedly find in God a source of moral strength and resolve which enables them to live lives that are better than those that they would live without Him, but it would seem arrogant and ignorant to claim that those who do not share a belief in God do not often live good moral lives. Should the question really be about the objectivity of moral values, and whether said moral values are simply social conventions, or mere expressions of personal preference? Are they valid independently of our apprehension of them, and if so, what is their foundation? Moreover, if morality is just a human convention, then why should we act morally, especially when it conflicts with self-interest? Are we in some way held accountable for our moral decisions and actions? This paper explores the ontological claim that the morality does not require religion, religious motivation or guidance to exist, based on the opposing views presented in two essays “Religion, Morality and Conscience” (1996)...
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...Recipients of religious experiences usually say what has happened to them has drawn them into a deeper knowledge or awareness of God. • It is very important to remember that the experience itself is not a substitute for the Divine, bit a vehicle that is used to bring people closer to the Divine. • The experience that each individual has is absolutely unique and cannot be shared with anyone. • Finally, genuine religious experiences seem to be encouraging, they do not condemn the individual, but help them to live a better life or, for example, to help others. Arguments from Religious Experience from William James. The most famous commentator on Religious Experience is William James (1842 – 1910) He recognised that the term mystical is used in a wide variety of contexts but suggested that using it to refer to “any person who believes in thought transference and spirit return” is far too ambiguous. His famous work “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, published in 1902 includes his categorisation of the four characteristics which, he claims, will enable us to identify mystical experiences, namely Passivity Ineffability Noetic quality Transciency These characteristics require detailed consideration. Passivity William James suggests that while undergoing an experience, the person “loses control” to a more powerful being, namely God and is overwhelmed. The effects of this loss of control include: • Individuals assuming entirely different...
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...Religious Language......................................................………p.1 Religious Experience........................................................…...p.7 Miracles..................................................................…………...p.12 Nature of God............................................................………...p.16 Life and Death.........................................................…………..p.20 G582: Religious Ethics Meta-ethics...........................…………………………………….p.25 Free Will and Determinism………………………………….……p.28 Conscience.......................…………………………………….…p.32 Virtue Ethics………………………………………………………..p.36 Sexual Ethics…………………………………………………...….p.40 Environment and Business Ethics……………………………….p.44 Religious Language Introduction The problems of religious language: • If we use language univocally about God, then we are limiting him / making him like a human • If we use language equivocally about God, we cannot be sure what the word means when applied to God • Are statements about God supposed to be cognitive – if so, what evidence proves / disproves them? • Are statements about God supposed to be non-cognitive – if so, do they have any meaning? The Verification Principle The Vienna Circle This group of philosophers argued that a statement is only meaningful if it can be verified empirically, or if it is a tautology. This idea is...
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...one must stand firmly in christ and in understanding him, lest fall for anything. The bible says that christians must ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’ (1 Peter 3:15) Furthermore understanding and being able to explain christian thought allows christians to evangelize to non believers. Matthew 16:15 says "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" Finally, better understanding one's beliefs strengthens faith and relationship with God. 2.Discuss the relationship between Faith and Reason. Faith can be defined as a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. Hebrews says “Now faith is the conviction concerning those things that are in hope, as if it were these things in action, and the revelation of those things that are unseen” Reason can be defined as a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event. the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of...
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...but also enables one to both fully live life, free from the entanglements of poor choices, and to discover what others often fail to see. In fact, the ordinary details of life become extraordinary as one looks for truth. Thus, seekers of truth relish not in only in anticipation of a potential future, but also in the present experience as he or she examines, engages, and interacts with expressions, manifestations, and consequences of truth. Naturally, one may ask how I am defining “truth.” Simply put, my definition of truth is that which corresponds to reality, identifies things as they are actually are, can never fail, diminish, change, or be extinguished must be able to be expressed in logical propositions (logical), and is sourced in the God of the Bible who is the Author of all truth. I take it that the truth of a judgment consists in the identity of its content with a fact; it is a “true-truth.” So, when I look at the Grand Canyon, I’m not seeing a copy or picture of the Grand Canyon in my mind, I’m actually seeing the Grand Canyon. Notwithstanding, the pursuit of truth can be difficult given the amount of competing truthclaims being made in this information-saturated world by some of the most academically qualified, brilliant, mesmerizing, popular authorities and representatives, and intellectual, emotional, and spiritual movements that...
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...ETHICS 101 A COMMON ETHICS LANGUAGE FOR DIALOGUE Compiled by the Ethics Across the Curricula Committee DePaul University Institute for Business & Professional Ethics 1 E. Jackson Blvd, Ste 7000 Chicago, IL 60604 http://commerce.depaul.edu/ethics bf 208592 ETHICS 101 A COMMON ETHICS LANGUAGE FOR DIALOGUE Compiled by the Ethics Across the Curricula Committee ©2007 IBPE. All Rights Reserved Chaired by Patricia Werhane, Director, Institute for Business & Professional Ethics, DePaul University. A subcommittee of the Ethics Across the Curricula Committee created this document. The members include: Andrew Gold, Professor, College of Law; Laura Hartman, AVP & Professor of Business Ethics, Department of Management; Karyn Holm, Professor, Department of Nursing; Scott Paeth, Asst. Professor, Religious Studies Department; Charles Strain, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs; Marco Tavanti, Asst. Professor, Public Services Graduate Program; David Wellman, Asst. Professor, Religious Studies Department. This guide draws from various resources prepared by others including copyrighted materials reprinted with the permission of the Markkula Center for a Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University (www.scu.edu/ethics), from Larry Hinman, Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory, 3rd edition (Belmont CA: Thomson Learning, 2003), from Marco Tavanti, “Thinking Ethically” (unpublished), David Ozar, “A Model for Ethical Decision-Making.” (unpublished)...
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...Educate-Yourself The Freedom of Knowledge, The Power of Thought © Current News | Introduction | Colloidal Silver | Chemtrails | Sylphs | Emerging Diseases | Forbidden Cures |Ozone | Immunity Boosting | Nutrition | The CIA Mind-Body Connection | Ozone | Bioelectrification | Story on Drugs | Vaccine Dangers | Cancer | Newsletter | New World Order | NWO News | Pam Schuffert James Casbolt | Phil Schneider | Al Bielek | Trevor James Constable | Mind Control | Brice Taylor | Ted Gunderson | The Relfes | Free Energy || Montalk Dr. Robert Bitzer | T. Lobsang Rampa | Ruth Drown | ZS Livingstone | David Brandt | Red Elk | Phil Ledoux | Gary Wade | BBB | The Draft | Veterans Awaken Tone Gen | Depleted Uranium | Discussion | Dowsing | Police & Tasers | Rev. Sun Myung Moon | British Israel | The End Times | Amy Goodman Gatekeeper 'Peak Oil' | Amitakh Stanford | Military Draft | Rosie's Predictions | Project Blue Beam | Otto Skorzeny | Insights on Aliens | Cell Towers | Cell Phone Dangers CPS/DCF Tyranny | Adrenal Burnout | The Women Warriors | Orgone Adventures | Dr. John Coleman | Railroading Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald | Henry Makow Bush Family & Nazis | Holistic Dentists | Metal Free Dentistry | Water Supply Sabotage | Dr. Hulda Clark Books | Planet X Sequel | 'Undocumented Immigrants' War on Terror | Tavistock | U.S. Concentration Camps | FEMA | Aliens Are Coming! | Guiding Principles | Global Warming | Gang Stalking | Monoatomic Gold Spiritualsim | Hope | Healing...
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...2012 INTRODUCTION When the Ontario Human Rights Code became law in 1962, creed was one of the original grounds of discrimination. This was likely to deal with the fact that at the time, there was significant overt discrimination against religious minorities. Over time, Canada’s legal and societal approach to creed rights has evolved significantly. However, it continues to be one of, if not the, most complex and controversial area of rights law. Perhaps more than any other ground in human rights codes, creed rights tend to give rise to strong opinions, even among those who may not otherwise have much to say about human rights. Everything from what is creed (and what beliefs and practices are protected under the ground of creed), how creed claims are proven, how creed must be accommodated and what to do where creed bumps up against other rights have led to judicial interpretation and public debate. In Quebec, the provincial government appointed a Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences 1 in response to public discontent concerning accommodation of, among other things, creed rights. This may be in part because creed is unique in some respects. It encompasses not just innate personal characteristics but also covers associated practices and beliefs. Rights in relation to religion have been recognized as not just equality rights, but also among the “fundamental freedoms” of every Canadian as listed in s. 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms....
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...In Conjunction with History of Ethics Instructor: Robert Cavalier Teaching Professor Robert Cavalier received his BA from New York University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Duquesne University. In 1987 he joined the staff at Carnegie Mellon's Center for Design of Educational Computing (CDEC), where he became Executive Director in 1991. While at CDEC, he was also co-principal in the 1989 EDUCOM award winner for Best Humanities Software (published in 1996 by Routledge as A Right to Die? The Dax Cowart Case). He also coauthored the CD-ROM The Issue of Abortion in America (Rountledge, 1998) Dr. Cavalier was Director of CMU's Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy from 2005-2007. He currently directs the Center's Digital Media Lab which houses Project PICOLA (Public Informed Citizen Online Assembly), and is also co-Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Program for Deliberative Democracy. Co-Editor of Ethics in the History of Western Philosophy (St. Martin's/Macmillan, England, 1990), Editor of The Impact of the Internet on Our Moral Lives (SUNY, 2003) and other works in ethics as well as articles in educational computing, Dr. Cavalier is internationally recognized for his work in education and interactive multimedia. He was President of the "International Association for Computing and Philosophy" (2001 - 2004) and Chair of the APA Committee on Philosophy and Computers (2000-2003). Dr. Cavalier has given numerous addresses and...
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...National Service Training Program Introduction • Republic Act (R.A.) 9163 – also known as National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001 • Republic Act 9163 is an act establishing the National Service Training Program (NSTP) for tertiary level students, amending for the purpose Republic Act 7077 and Presidential Decree 1708 and for other purposes. • R.A. 9163 – enacted on January 23, 2002- date of approval and signature of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. • What is the guiding principle in establishing the NSTP? Section 2 of R.A. 9163 affirmed that it is the prime duty of the government to serve and protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of the citizens to defend the security of the state and in fulfillment thereof, the government may require each citizen to render personal, military or civil service. • What are the goals of the State from among the youth in nation building? In recognizing the vital role of the youth in nation building, the state shall promote their civic-consciousness and develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and advance their involvement in public and civic affairs. • What should the state do to pursue the afore cited goals? The youth shall be motivated, trained, organized and mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the service of the...
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