We have begun Ethics, the area of knowledge concerned with
understanding the principles of right and wrong. How do we really know what is right and
wrong? Is the ethical what we feel is right? Is it following what everyone does? Is
Ethics the same as religion? Is there an innate understanding of Ethics? Do we learn a cultural code that is specific
to our society? If we just follow the
law, are we being ethical? Is authority always right? Is there a universal system that all
acknowledge and respect? If not, how do we
resolve conflicts between analyses of right and wrong? What ethical issues will we confront in our
daily life?
We will confront ethical issues daily. For example, is it right for animals to suffer to improve human life? Is capital punishment right? What should we do if our government goes to war and we do not agree with the justification of the action? Can a society justify the torture of individuals for the greater good? What do we do if coworkers are maligning and mobbing a colleague?
Our first section concerns Christian ethics and we have isolated issues that arise in using a religion as the basis of ethics. Let us reflect on our own experience. How has our religion taught us right and wrong? Has it been effective on a daily basis? Has it avoided issues that you confront in your life? Do you believe that religious people behave more ethically? Can religion, in some issues, become a barrier to ethical behavior?
If we are not religious or do not wish to be so confessional, what do we think about religion and ethics?
Address the questions to your own level of comfort!
Due: November 14
We will confront ethical issues daily. For example, is it right for animals to suffer to improve human life? Is capital punishment right? What should we do if our government goes to war and we do not agree with the justification of the action? Can a society justify the torture of individuals for the greater good? What do we do if coworkers are maligning and mobbing a colleague?
Our first section concerns Christian ethics and we have isolated issues that arise in using a religion as the basis of ethics. Let us reflect on our own experience. How has our religion taught us right and wrong? Has it been effective on a daily basis? Has it avoided issues that you confront in your life? Do you believe that religious people behave more ethically? Can religion, in some issues, become a barrier to ethical behavior?
If we are not religious or do not wish to be so confessional, what do we think about religion and ethics?
Address the questions to your own level of comfort!
Due: November 14
Religion, plays a very important role in many peoples' lives in today's world. Though I am not Christian, I believe that there are certain aspects in which religion does help guide us.
ReplyDeleteI am a Hindu, but do not refer to my religion for decisions constantly. In my opinion I do not believe that religion makes a person more ethically correct or incorrect. Everyone is born on this planet with the freedom of choice.
While experiencing things around us, humans are able to understand right from wrong. It is then up to them to decide their actions and differentiate right from wrong.
A religious individual does acknowledge the fact that religion help to guide them and teach them right from wrong, yet I believe that it is not just religion. Religion does not necessarily mean people automatically begin to do the right thing.
I personally do not believe that religion teaches us ethics. Though I do believe in god, I don’t think it teaches me ethics. Ethics is something that I have learned through experience, and from what I have been taught by parents. Ethics is something that my parents have helped me understand by helping me differentiate right from wrong. Though most people, do believe that religion and ethics go hand in hand, I believe that they are connected, but do not influence each other.
Religion could help us at certain points to differentiate, but it is certainly not the only and best way to do the ethically right thing.
It is very difficult to establish what is wrong and what is right. Many people follow what everyone else says and do. These people either have no perception of what is right or wrong or they are simply scared of taking a decision. I know what is right and what is wrong by simply using my common sense. The decisions may be also influenced by one’s experiences. Ethics and religion aren’t the same thing. Ethics are a system of moral principles also known as the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions of a particular group or culture. Religion is the collective and individual human reaction to the perception and belief in some kind of supernatural being. However, both ethics and religion are "filters" of right and wrong. Through ethics and religion a human being can understand what is considered to be right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it is not right that animals suffer to improve human life. I have never bought animal fur clothing. I think it is wrong to kill animals for our little whims. I am not referring to meat, which I admit I eat but to those silly fur clothes. We have evolved from animals to humans, therefore we should have the same rights. I believe that capital punishment is right because certain crimes should be punished severely. Ex: kidnappers who rape and kill little boy/girls should receive capital punishment. If our government goes to war and we do not agree with the justification of the action we can’t do nothing. Creating an internal riot in our country would only worsen the conditions. I believe that if the decision has been made there is nothing to do other than wait for the end of the war and then decide whether or not the government is capable of leading the country.
Decision making is always a difficult thing to attain. There are always right and wrong choices but determining such is not an easy task. An important aspect which affects the decisions of people is religion. Most of the times, people are affected by their own religion in making ethically correct decisons. Although, I would not generalize about the affect that religion has on ethics. Sometimes a person can be affected by their religion but this is not the case for most human beings. In my opinion, religion determines a person’s beliefs but not his choices. A very devote person could make choices which are considered ethically wrong in the same way as a non religious person. People could place their personal benefits before ethics. Religion, in fact, is not always a source of righteousness. People may be affected in a negative manner by religion because of some stated rules which every religious person should respect. In my case, I consider religion as a means which could be negative towards decision making. I opinion this because I’m not a very devote person. I personally think that religion cannot be a source of correct decisions which are considered as ethically just. This is because people usually make decisions according to their own character and general benefits especially in this modern world of ours where the simple aspects of life are sovrastated by society’s rules and expectations.
ReplyDeleteBrando Rotelli
The moral and ethical values proclaimed by religion determined for many centuries the laws that governed society. In numerous cases in fact what was considered to be morally wrong for religion was also considered to be illegal by the law. Even though much has changed in modern day society, relics of this system are still present in modern day society. For example, just as declared in the ten commandments, stealing and committing homicide are two illegal acts punished by the law. An example however that clearly highlights a divergence in the religious based system may be seen with the value of the family in society. In fact while stealing and homicide are considered by the law as criminal acts, coveting a neighbor's wife or causing adultery are not considered as such. Deciding whether or not an action is morally incorrect may result as a strenuous task. In fact an action that may be considered by religion morally incorrect may be judged by society as normal and vice verse. With this precept in mind religion does not have the necessary requirements needed to be the only source of decision of ethically correct and incorrect actions.
ReplyDeleteAlessio Favalli
Each religion has different teachings regarding human nature, the meaning of life and the way we should interact with external world. The actions we perform during our life are strictly connected to the meaning we want to give to our existence. Christian precepts teach us that if we behave in a certain way, we will be rewarded after our death. The faith in the presence of a universal “system of justice” that will either reward or punish us depending on our acts, makes us consider the judgment of right and wrong as a very important and intrinsic part of our existence. Christianity taught us what is right and what is wrong through the institution of the Church, considered, by Christian believers, the mediator between man and God. In any case, the principal source of information regarding Christian ethical guidelines can be found in the book of the Bible, and, more specifically, in the Ten Commandments, as well as in various parables. Talking about my personal experience, I learned the Ten Commandments and other Christian teachings from where I was a child, by attending catechism classes. I think that learning ethical rules related to religion certainly helps people confront ethical issues on a daily basis. This is because by having specific guidelines about what is right and what is wrong and by profoundly believing in them (through faith), people are able to face ethical issues by knowing what they should or should not do. In a certain way, religion dictates people what is the “right” and the just way of living and if they really consider themselves as followers of that religion, they would act accordingly. If people have specific “rules” to follow, then they will have less doubts and questions about what they should consider as “ethical”. In any case, it should also be said that Christian precepts regarding ethical issues cannot be considered as universal, since they may differ from the teachings of other religions or from the ethical beliefs of people not belonging to any religion or of atheists. Anyway, there are also some universal ethical beliefs that are accepted as true by all people, as there are some common points between different religions. These principles can be found in people’s usually common conception of fairness, and for example, in the belief that murder is wrong. This fact is supported by the theory of Natural Law, stating that all human beings have innate ethical rules. This is also why I do not necessarily think that religious people behave more ethically than non-religious people. A person cannot believe in the afterlife but still behave ethically, and maybe more ethically than a person that acts religiously. It should also be précised what is meant by “religious people”. A person acting in a religious way but still not applying the principles of his/her religion to his/her life, could not certainly be considered as acting ethically. Moreover, it could even happen for a specific religion to bring obstacles in performing ethical behaviour. An example of this can be found in the principles followed by religious extremists. Domestic terrorism in America is being caused by members of Christian extremism; one example being the Christian fundamentalist Eric Rudolph, who, in 1996, bombed the Atlanta Olympics, many abortion clinics, and a gay/lesbian club in Atlanta, in order to end the “abortion holocaust”. Another evident example can also be seen in Islamic extremism, where men punish sex-refusal by throwing acid onto the women. Terrorist attacks have also been caused by members of Islamic extremism, the most renowned being the attack to the Twin Towers, the 9/11.
ReplyDeleteAlthough religion and ethics are two different things, they both have taught us or have made us understand what is right or wrong. From religion we learn how to appreciate, be kind, be helpful and how not to do to other what we don't want people to do to us. Religion, whether Hindu or Christian, has fixed 'rules' written and explained. Being Catholic I know the sources which tell me whether something is right or wrong: for example the 10 Commandaments, the Beatitudes, the Bible and Christ's teachings. These elements in my religion are guides to what is considered to be right or wrong in my God's point of view. Saying this doesn't mean other religions are wrong, just different. Religion might be effective on a daily basis as you might think twice before you do something or try to empathize with others in order to help them as best we can. I believe that very religious might behave more ethically as they have a more thorough understand of what religion really teaches and they also obviously apply it to themselves better, as I also believe that religion is very personal. Religion may in some issues become a barrier to ethical behavior as the foundations of religion, such as the Bible, have been written in the past. Nowadays society has evolved and changed drastically so it might become an issue to follow religion meticulously in the modern days society.
ReplyDeleteChiara De Angelis
I have lived all of my infancy being a good Catholic: I used to go to church every Sunday morning, I used to pray before each meal and before going to sleep, and I used to take little daily choices asking to myself: "Would Jesus do the same?”. I used to base my decisions on what I learned in church, what I studied in my religion class, what I read in bibles written for children. Christian morality still seems extremely ethic to me, the ten commandments are yes, rules for this religion but they are similar to good principles of an ethic person: eg. respect others and have dignity of your person and of your body. But we shall not forget that the Christian church dictated rules in order to distinguish right from wrong from its perspective: some aspects of ethics are be based on the believes of God and not on the actual right things to do in order to be ethically correct. Following the church's rules considered ethical in my opinion, a good Christian is an ethic person who can distinguish what is wrong from what is right in many aspects, but not in everything. Lets consider the example made in class about the friends Jason (cocaine addict and seller) and Isaac: ethically the church doesn't say how to act these kinds of situations and can't help the Christian to choose the ethically right thing to do. I consider myself an ethical person, even though I am not Christian. I have ethical principles that I follow constantly, similar to many religions' ones. But I also understand that if someone really has faith in a God, a God who gives rules to you on how to act, then you will be more determined to follow those rules. I think religion can help us understanding what is ethical and what is not in some cases, and it gives a stronger motivation to follow ethics. But this doesn't mean that an atheist person won't be as ethically correct as a good Christian. Religion may become a barrier to ethics because it gives very general rules and it is hard to apply to each single case of ethical dilemma.
ReplyDeleteThere is no concrete right or wrong because in every culture there are different ways to perceive ethics. Religion is part of our culture and therefore for different religions there are different rights and/or wrongs. Christian ethics bases on the ten commandments which reflect what should be right in our society but other religions don’t follow the same path. Since we’re small we are taught to behave in certain ways within our society and distinguish what is right from what is wrong, also by simply letting an old person sit on the public bus seats before you, such gestures determine if we’re righteous people. The ten commandments haven’t determined to let the old person sit on the bus seat before me, in fact the use of the commandments aren’t applicable every day because I do not find myself in situations which lead me to apply the common theory, therefore religion isn’t the essential way of understanding from what is right to what is wrong. Religious people may find themselves spiritually closer to a supreme being but that doesn’t mean that they will abide to the laws set by the supreme being since they have the possibility to decide. We are humans and we could follow the rules set by our family or community or religion but it doesn’t mean we will. Religion could possibly become unethical when it is practiced with extreme measures and therefore extremist religious people may not tolerate other religions and people because of the its strong beliefs. Being a religious person doesn’t mean you are an ethical person also because it all depends from and overall societal point of view.
ReplyDeletefederica
TOVE
ReplyDeleteReligion has taught me wisdom and love but I can feel it in my heart when something is wrong and there are certain things I just cannot do, whether it is because of my religion or not. I learn a lot through my religion though, for example, a pastor once taught me that ethics is like a saw inside of us. Very sharp and every time we do something wrong it hurts inside of us. But the more we use the saw, the more lose it gets and after several times, the saw is all flat and we can’t feel it anymore. We become immune to the pain or that wrong feeling you have when you know you’re doing something bad. So yes, religion teaches me ethics and how to see people who might not have the same morality as me. I know that everybody has ethics and that God loves everyone, but I know that some people are acting unethical because of environmental factors. One good example is people with Down’s Syndrome. They might not have the highest IQ but they would never do anything unethical. Whereas, some people are very smart but yet still, they murder another person. We are all born with ethics. So religion does not teach me ethics, in the sense of, what should I do and what should I don’t, but it teaches me how to accept other people and see their true hearts not what they have done, and how they might behave but for who they are. They are unethical for a REASON they are not born evil.
Knowing right from wrong seems to involve memorizing a list of bad acts and of good acts that will govern a lifetime of moral decision-making. One choice is determined to be "right" and the other "wrong" based upon your mood or values. So, how do we discern between the two? Do we need a God or a religion? Do we need other people to tell us? Do we need a government to decide for us with its "laws"? Is "right" and "wrong" subject to a majority opinion, or a "vote"? Or, is it something that is set in our human genes, only to be altered by trauma, serious brainwashing, or abuse? I do not believe ethics is taught to us by religion. I am currently very confused about religion and my belief of God’s existence but one thing I am sure of is ethics and the understanding of what is right and what is wrong is something we understand with experience and the help of our parents and friends. Religion can, although, affect one’s decision making, but a small part of it. What I believe is we all have our own conception of what is right and what is wrong and we act and take our decisions based on our values and moral decision taking.
ReplyDeleteGreta Bassoli
Personally, my religious belief is not based on anything to do with morality and ethics. I believe in a God which is onnipresent, and that is a supreme entity to which you can always refer. I can pray to God to make me do the right things , but this does not mean that I will base my choices on what I spiritually believe. Morality is fairly distant from my interpretation of religion. When I need to make choices, I do not refer to any of the christian religious texts such as the new testament, the gospels, the beatitudes and the commandments. This meaning, my brain does not necessarily make the religious connection, it is more oriented towards what humans determine is right or wrong. On a personal level, when I face dilemmas, I look into myself. The choice I decide to make is the one I think is the best both for myself but also for others. I usually take the decisions which cause less harm to the subject/subjects in question. In that moment I am not thinking about the commandment which relates to helping your neighbor or any of the stories of the bible with a similar context. Furthermore,on a daily basis, religion does not help me with my decisions. This is my personal perspective, because religion can affect people's choices, if they are devoted completely to certain principles.
ReplyDeleteEthics is a very complex issue as we don’t all give it the same meaning. Right or wrong is not universal. For some it is linked to religion, for others to the provisions of law. I am Christian, Roman Catholic, and feel that some of the rules given by the Church help discern between right and wrong as for example don’t kill, don’t steal , respect your parents, but ethics must go further and often I have a different opinion.
ReplyDeleteFor instance when scientific research is hindered by the Catholics point of view and creed such as on stem cells, I don’t agree. Thus different religions can have a different opinion on what is ethically correct and what is not. In my opinion scientific work must go on, as long as the human being is treated as such and testing is carried out with their approval and full information on the consequences.
Another issue with ethics and religion is the relationship between the social environment and the different cultures. From my experience in traveling in many countries , I have witnessed different kinds of approach to this issue. In some countries it is normal to have more than one wife at the same time but it is not in the western civilization where it is not only prohibited by law but absolutely unthinkable for moral reasons.
Example where religion and law don’t overlap is the issue on abortion. In certain countries it is legal to abort, while from the Christian point of view it is absolutely unconceivable. I believe the debate on whether abortion is right or wrong will never cease, there is no precise answer because every human being has a different opinion on the subject. Personally, I think that there can be right or wrong causes that can lead to abortion, and thus depending on the situation everyone should have a chance to decide on their own future.
Finally, I can conclude that ethics does not always equal to religious beliefs or to the law, it is very subjective. It does not mean that there is no right and wrong, but that in certain cases they can vary.
Vittoria de Castiglione
The beauty of us human beings of whatever religion is our freedom of choice. We are not machines in which specific codes have been written but we are unique beings equipped with a brain through which we can analyze, think and decide. Also, to be taken into consideration should be our conscience. As many cartoons would refer to it, “our little voice” which always knows what is right and wrong. But how do we distinguish this difference? If you take into consideration an infant he may not be able to differentiate good from evil.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the best way in which we have understood right from wrong is through our growth experiences, through which we have developed common sense and therefore have understood what should be done in different situations. As I grew up as a Catholic and in a Catholic school, I was also taught the Ten Commandments. These I consider simple and obvious guidelines that have certainly helped me in judging situation although if I had a dilemma I would choose through what I fell is right or wrong which may be influenced by religion. Also, the ten commandments being said by a superior being, God, have a much greater impact on catholic human beings than if they were set only as legal rules. People scared of sin, of being condemned to hell, respect these rules. Therefore, religion does condition our decisions, or at least plays a significant part. In my opinion religion can help us in understanding ethics although many more factors must be taken into consideration. In some cases religion can be also be an obstacle for ethical behavior. If we reflect on the Muslim religion, women are considered inferior to men as seen in some passages of the Quran. Ethically men and women are equal and should be considered such but in some aspects religion may block our freedom of choice letting us follow a non-ethical behavior.
Law is certainly another factor which contributes to our decisions although my answer to the question “If we just follow the law, are we being ethical” is no. In some countries torture as death penalty are still legal. I firmly think that we humans have absolutely no power of choosing whether someone should live or die. Another example is that in some countries research upon animals is valid. Even though this may be for a just cause in the scientific advance and discover of new things, animals are still being tortured and this for me is not ethical. Many judge a decision on the basis of whether it is profitable or not and not whether it is just. If a country decides to raise income taxes to an enormous level, as it is happening in Italy, a parent if it has the possibility to evade some of these payments in some ways it will probably do it to give its family a better life. Laws can sometimes lead you to unethical behaviors. It has to be said that in ethics there are different principles. A Kantian will say that it is wrong as a Christian would but someone from utilitarian view would argue that the tax evasion is for a better cause and that therefore it can be considered ethically correct. This view could go against both religion and law because it is not based on the principle that we should do always right but that if the consequences of a bad choice are for greater good then it is ethically correct. I personally do not agree with this view but rather with the virtue theory, through which good choices lead you in becoming a better person.
There are many different opinions on whether or not religion and ethics are related, some feel that religion is the bedrock of ethics while others believe that ethics is based on humanistic assumptions justified mainly, by reexaminations to reason. I personally feel that ethics is a melting pot of both aforementioned top contributors. Religion is based in some measure on the idea that God (or whatever other deity) reveals insights about life and its true meaning. These insights are collected in texts like the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, etc. and are presented as “revelations.” Ethics, from a strictly humanistic perspective, is based on the principles of reason: Anything that is not rationally verifiable cannot be considered justifiable. Based on this, it is not necessary for ethical principles to derive from any religious doctrine. These principles are upheld for their value in promoting independent and responsible individuals — people who are capable of making decisions that maximize their own well-being while respecting the well-being of others. Even thought secular ethics and religion don't quite match, I believe that there is some sort of way to mesh the two and establish a common ground between them. Aristotle said that cultivating qualities (he called them “virtues”) like prudence, reason, accommodation, compromise, moderation, wisdom, honesty, and truthfulness, among others, would enable us all to enter the discussions and conflicts between religion and ethics—where differences exist—with a measure of moderation and agreement.
ReplyDeleteReligion, very important for many but nothing to others.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that those who are not religious have no ethics? No, definitely not. Everybody learns ethics in one way or another, for example I learned them through my parents, they told me was what right and wrong, what was good and evil etc. etc. but where did they learn it I never asked, may be from the Ten Commandments, may be from religion, or may be from their own parents. Personally I think that what is wrong and right we learn it mostly through experience, since many times my parents told me to do or not to do something but until I didn’t run into it I wouldn’t take it neither as a good or bad thing.
Nevertheless, most of the time people do what is best for their selves not considering what is really right or wrong, they just act to their own advantage; so even if you’re faithful to religion you won’t always follow what it says. For instance, the Ten Commandments say that coveting a neighbor’s wife or causing adultery is wrong, this however doesn’t stop people from doing it, even if they’re religious since they act to get want the object of their want, in this case the wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend of a neighbor.
On the other hand, as Machiavelli wrote in “The Prince” (1513) “a man who strives after goodness in all his acts is sure to come to ruin, since there are so many men who are not good” (ch.15) this states that having all the great qualities isn’t enough since the others around you aren’t as good as you may be and you’ll need those bad qualities as well to survive in this society. I personally think Machiavelli was correct, even though I’m always trying to make the right thing, because as good couldn’t exist without evil so righteousness couldn’t stand by itself, wrongness has to exist in order to do the right. In other words, even if the world may be full of wrong decisions making individuals I’ll be the right decision making because I think that righteousness is as vital as air, we can’t live well without it.
Religion plays a vital role in our society. It forms better communities, but yet it also has the power to separate people because of their certain beliefs they have. Religion may have caused many terrible things throughout history, but I believe that these bad deeds were a misguided sense of right. Religion sometimes gives people a “purpose” in life, and there are those who could not life without that purpose. If religion may bring out the worst in people, then it also brings out the best in people as well. It gives people the opportunity to do good and to help others, and according to the bible, through these deeds, the individuals then gain the ‘payment’ of happiness after death, being sent to heaven. Our religion has taught us right from wrong by giving us a set of guidelines as a basis. As a catholic, I was raised to memorize the Ten Commandments, and acknowledge the fact that it’s the individual’s own right to adhere to these guidelines or not.
ReplyDeleteSaying that religious people behave more ethically, is an unjust way of thinking. If one were to say that, then they would be categorizing religious people and separating them from the non-religious people. Religion, in some issues, could become a barrier to ethical behavior. An example of this can be shown through the mentality of suicide bombers. They may have been good people at heart, but they were simply misguided into believing that the murder of hundreds of innocent people is the right way to go. In conclusion, Religion has taught us right from wrong, specifically through the Catholic religion, where we are given rules to live by. Knowing that there are a variety of different religions out there in the world, means that each individual was given the freedom to believe in what they want to believe in.
The definition of the word “Religion” is in reality quite broad; religion can be explained as being a collection of “cultural systems” which connect the human physical nature to a spiritual and otherworldly state of mind. Religion’s intention is to establish some form of relation between the human and the spiritual worlds. In attempt to do so, Religion also encourages certain moral values that the people should follow.
ReplyDeleteThe question afflicting the true significance of religion surfaces here. Religion, spirituality, and inhumane figures have been discussed and present in each culture around the globe for centuries, even before the establishment of the three monotheistic religions. For this reason, every religion possesses its own point of view, and moral code it considers ethically right. The issue that arises then, involves a conflict of interest between the various religions: if for one religion a certain action is morally correct, and for another it is not, how can one decide which path is right to follow? At this point, the legal system steps in. Laws, generally (and again this is a very broad view), are intended for the security and well being of a community; thus one country establishes its rules in accordance to a moral code that is equal and justice for everyone. However, laws are not always right, and often actually defend the personal interest of only certain privileged members of society and not majority of the people.
Therefore the question of the value and significance of religion in governmental laws and moral conduct of the people poses a problematic question: to what extent is it correct to assume that Religion is the ultimate authority to subjugate oneself to? For example, when the differences between Christianity and Islam are taken under consideration, numerous differences emerge. These two religions (who in reality are followers of the same “GOD”) have conflicting interests. For Islam, a man may be married to more then one wife (even if with certain restrictions) while Christianity deplores polygamy. Similarly, Islam degrades women to a very low echelon in society, while Christianity supports women rights. Consequently, how can the entire world agree upon what is wrong and what is right? Every culture, every historical background, every single individual’s belief will affect the answer; everyone feels differently in regards to what is ethically correct. In fact, religion is actually a matter of the heart. To find a balance between the differences of religions, and the moral codes of each beliefs I have to agree with Mahatma Gandhi, as he rightly justified religion ethically in the following way: "I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian."
The world will be eternally in conflict over the matter of right and wrong, all we can actually do is try to follow our conscience, our reasoning and our heart.
Religion hasn't been very influential on my life, as neither of my parents were believers when they raised me, and, although my mother had been raised Catholic, they chose to raise neither me nor my sisters religiously. I believe the extent to which an individual acts ethically depends solely on the individual himself, and will vary greatly between people with similar religious backgrounds as with people with completely different ones. Because of this, I don’t think religious people behave more ethically. In fact, if by how ethical someone is one takes into account the reason for the actions, religious people who act “morally” solely for fear of eternal punishment would not be acting ethically. One must also note how people who base their morals only on religious dogma will not question the authority from which they get told what to do and do not think for themselves. This can lead to misled individuals committing horrific crimes, as can be seen in the case of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Similarly, in the case of individuals suffering from mental disorders, having hallucinations of a supernatural being such as an angel or God will have a lot more impact on a religious person than it would on one who isn’t.
ReplyDeleteHow do we distinguish between right and wrong ? Does religion tells us what to do and how to behave in certain situations? I personally think that religion doesn’t necessarily connect to the ethics. Every religion has different believes but those don’t always teach you what is right or wrong. There are people who are not religious, me for example but that doesn’t mean that those people don’t have ethics or morality. There are many things that are proven to be right or wrong but others we find out on our own. Every individual has its own point of view and its own principals and based on them he/she decides what is right or wrong. I think that there is not one right or one wrong, and there is no one to decide that for us, neither church, government or religion we are ones who create our personality and our future. This means that something that is right for me may be wrong for someone else, because that person has different opinion or understanding of certain things. In conclusion religion can guide people , give them strength but it can’t help you in making important decisions and distinguishing is something is right or wrong. Another example can be a person who is a Christian Orthodox but doesn’t agree with certain beliefs and thinks that some things are different that doesn’t mean that a person isn’t moral or doesn’t have ethics.
ReplyDeleteIn life you are the one who make decisions about your present and future. You are responsible for your choices and acts and there is no one you should blame or count on.
Marija
I believe that Religion is one of the ways to approach the subject of ethics. Religion teaches the fundamental ideas of right and wrong. Through religion, Christians learn the principles of right and wrong. The bible is specifically the source of Christian teachings, and through specific anecdotes in the bible, people are taught to distinguish right from wrong (for example the ten commandments are the most basic of guidelines on ethics). Therefore I do believe that religious teachings are ethically correct and therefore benevolent. However I don't believe that the church is the only source of ethical judgment. In face the church has been accused of corruption in the past and therefore the church should not be looked to as the main authority for ethical judgments. In fact, it is possible to attain knowledge of ethics without the church. In modern day life, ethics are generally taught by parents. Therefore to conclude the argument, I do believe that religion is able to teach ethics, but religion is not the only way that ethics can be learned.
ReplyDeleteI believe that religion is not ethics, or vice versa. For me, religion is a tool to guide us towards behaving ethically. It is not the only way to learn how to make ethical decisions, but it helps provide a framework of basic rights and wrongs from which we can build upon based on our beliefs and experiences. As a Christian, I find that the Bible does provide answers to many issues that occur in our daily lives. It may not be a literal meaning, but the basic principles still apply (for example- Do not covet your neighbor’s goat nowadays really means don’t be jealous and be happy with what you have). I don’t believe that religious people automatically behave more ethically than non-religious people. Many religious people act ethically in their lives through the belief that they’re lives are being judged by God, whereas people who are not religious do it merely for the way they feel about themselves and their desire to live a satisfying life. I believe that in some cases, especially with word-by-word rather than basic theme translations, religion can be a barrier to ethical behavior. One should be able to act, and looking back at that action still feel as though what they did was right. Particularly in the Old Testament, there is very little tolerance for those who are different or non-believers. This can seriously become a barrier to ethical behavior if one follows those teaching and does not act against what they think is wrong or do something they really believe is right, if they believe that it is or isn’t the will of God. Therefore, I believe that religion is a framework, but not a complete ruling authority on what is ethics. It should help guide believers to make good decision in their lives, but should not act as a barrier against their personal beliefs of what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Wiley
To many people, religion is a set of laws that monitors their behaviours and this is one of the main reasons as to why most people in our society today do not favour religion. However, they have misinterpreted the whole idea. Yes, religion might be a little bit restrictive but then again it depends on how one interprets the religious texts. The main purpose of religion is to instill morals and ethics in individuals. However, ethics is not necessarily derived from religious principles even though they are in a way interconnected. Religion is mainly based on the God whereas ethics relies on concepts concerning good and evil, right and wrong etc. Every religious denomination has its own beliefs and these beliefs have an impact on the way we think and how we react to something. You will find that many people think differently maybe because of their cultural background or religious background or even family background. This way, it is challenging to come to a single conclusion as to what is right or wrong. This is a common theme in our day to day life. Different people have different opinions on certain issues. Ethics could partly be derived from religion but not necessarily because people who don’t belong to a particular religion could still act morally in a certain situation. I am a Christian but I rarely follow the religious principles of Christianity. However there is a part of me which is morally aware when it comes to ethical issues I act accordingly and I must say most of the knowledge I use, I have obtained over the years from my religious background but then again it might not be the case for other people.Religion might not be effective on a daily basis but at least we learn a few helpful things from it
ReplyDeleteI personally do not believe in there being a superior being, and am therefore not a religious person. Religion has too many contraddictions, and it doesn't appeal to me logically. For example, ihf God were omniscent and omnibenevolent, then he would not want evil. At the same time, he is omnipotent, and thus should have the power to eliminate evil. But then some say that good cannot exist without evil.. so God is not omnipotent? Or is he not omnibenevolent? But God is defines as "the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness".. So something is wrong. All these contraddictions lead me to question God's existence. Nevertheless, I do believe religion and ethics are closely connected. The commandments teach one to respect others, love them, and never hurt. However, the same rules are valid in society. It doesn't matter if you are religious or not, I believe people behave ethically if they have it within them. I don't think behaving ethically is something that can be learned. Some people behave ethical at times because they know that if they would behave otherwise they would be judged. I think behaving ethically is something that should come naturally to people, indifferently from whether they are religious or not.
ReplyDeleteIf during our TOK course we discovered that absolute truth rarely applies to any area of knowledge, “absolute” is a word which certainly doesn’t apply to ethics. More specifically, being ethics the main branch of philosophy which addresses concepts regarding our moral code, and questions about right and wrong, or good and evil, it mainly focuses on controversial matters, and thus, on relativistic truths. It’s precisely this relativism, however, which makes ethical decisions so difficult for human beings to categorize; and it’s religion’s role to provide a more schematic, straightforward, and “ready for understanding” series of moral codes for a regular human mind to receipt. From the Christian perspective, for example, the Ten Commandments represent the quintessence of the basic requirements for just living which believers are required to fulfill. However, myriads of controversies arise with any attempt to condense the “laws for moral and dutiful living”. For example, to what extent does circumstance influence the judgment on ethical behavior? Considering the Commandments, can a criminal robbing a bank be condemned to the same ethical verdict as a peasant stealing a loaf of bread? Is that “Do not steal” unbendable in its absoluteness? Or, is a child who was abandoned by his parents justified in despising them, or is he an unforgivable sinner? Ultimately, to what extent do exceptions exist in religious moral judgments? Wouldn’t that same exception make the straightforwardness of the religious faith tremble? - but in a certain way wouldn’t a lack of flexibility in case-to-case judgment deprive religion of its completeness?
ReplyDeleteFrom these open-ended questions posed, it may be perceived that religion aims to orderly and systematically arrange a matter as subjective as ethical behavior. The main problem arises in considering the elements which affect ethics, as well as finding permanent factors with which to evaluate them. Cultural background, personal life stories, or raising environment should all be considered before judging an individual on his/her moral conduct. For example, the son of a Mafia boss, whose family and environmental teachings during childhood were to break the law (going as far as killing) for “the greater good of all”, the possibility of him engaging in criminal activities, and severely rupturing the “standard ethical conduct code” is much greater than that of a normal individual. Did the criminal’s son choose to be such? Should he, however, be judged with more indulgency? Religious entities often suggest he shouldn’t, being him a rational human being who has “free will” to choose between right and wrong. However, ideas that penetrate one’s brain since young age may be difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate. Also, even after agreeing to ethically condemn an individual, how does one decide to what extent a person is guilty? Should one consider the intentions while committing a particular unethical act, the level of pain inflicted to others, the degree of sorrow one felt after having performed it?
The answer lies in the fact that even if some kind of method existed, permitting the methodical collection and organizion all these factors, the variables could not simply be inserted into a mathematical formula which would process the information to release the “degree of guiltiness” to any decimal place. Ethics, in its study of human moral choices, deals with the most profound and incomprehensible parts of human nature; and, unfortunately (or not), Ten Statements will never be able to synthesize its impenetrable intricacy.
ReplyDeleteMattia Barina
First of all, I believe that most matter and ways of doing certain things are because of us. The human race has, slowly, over the years, determined what is right and wrong. We don’t know what is truly right or wrong, but it’s each individuals intuition and natural feelings towards such actions. Ethics is not the same as religion, for religion is when you have faith in something, however ethics is more just understanding the good, the bad, the evil, the right, the wrong..etc. Ethics is not just a matter of following the laws of your country, it is determining what is morally right in that certain situation. Authority is most definitely not always right, it is just set up in order to create some kind of organization within each country. We humans live through ethical issues daily, yes, and some of us are constantly thinking about it too. Such as the animal suffrage, or the torture of individuals for greater good. Every person will interpret these concepts in a different manner, however I believe that animals have no right to suffer. The torture of individuals for the greater good, well, imagine that there is a mass serial killer, and the police capture him and decide to make him suffer. He has committed a crime, and hurt hundreds of people, consequently I do believe that it is right to make him suffer. However the human torture for innocent people is absolutely incorrect. This leads to the point that each individual sees different circumstances in different ways, and proving that there is no set right or wrong. Christian Ethics, religion, has taught us the rights and wrongs of someone else’s opinion, and it teaches us to follow it. It is effective to a certain level. Not everyone follows the same religion, and not everyone will follow the same rights and wrongs. I believe that religious people may indeed be more ethical, however they still have their own minds, and their own ways of thinking that something may be wrong, even though the religion says otherwise. Ethics is a circle, which all comes back firstly to the individual’s opinions, and then to the opinions of the population as a whole.
ReplyDeleteEthics and religion can be mixed just as well as chocolate milk as they can be separated in one glass in common like water and olive oil. To determine what is right and what is wrong is not always an easy decision. What is right and what is wrong can also vary from person to person, this because every one has different beliefs and follows different principles. An example of ethics and religion not mixed well is a person who doesn't believe in God but believes that the 10 commandments or beatitudes are the perfect rules to follow in life. This could differ her decisions of right and wrong from a dedicated Catholic because of her slightly different beliefs. Moral relativism and the virtue theory don't have to be forcefully part of religion. However, consequentialism and duty based theories are based on religion such as Utilitarianism and Christian. Ethics and religion are two different things, but sometimes a firm believer is his/her religion, will also follow the moral or ethical principles that that religion teaches. However the two aren't the same for religion is faith in a superior being while ethics teaches us the best way to live our lives in the present. In my opinion I believe that sometimes the right decision may go against either religion or ethics, or both. So in conclusion, no one can tell us what is right or wrong, because everyone has different perspectives and different beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are many different ways to approach ethics - religion being one of them - but not the only limiting factor. When I was younger religion played a large role in my life, and often guided some of the decisions I made, however when I grew up I began to see decisions regarding ethics not only from a religious point of view but from a variety of perspectives. To a certain degree, I realized that when I got older issues regarding ethics became to complex to answer simply with religion. Religion does teach the basic fundamentals of ethics, such as what is right (good) and wrong (evil) but today many questions are much more complex than a simple yes or no answer. Issues such as capital punishment fall under this category, should an individual accused of murder be allowed to live in peace and harmony? Or should this individual be condemned to death for their actions? These issues surpass the ability to be solely responded with religion. A majority of ethics and ethical decisions come from the way in which an individual was raised, and the principles they grew up with. Therefore I think that ethics is the combination of many different factors - the collection of evidence and a variety of perspectives can often push someone to analyze and evaluate the ethics of a particular situation. Religion in some ways can become a barrier because often times there are exceptions to religion, which cause disagreements in ethics. I believe that religious or not, people have the same opportunity to be ethical.
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ReplyDeleteI myself am not a particularly religious and indeed I am very confused when addressing what it is that is right or wrong. In the past and currently I deal with ethical issues irrationally most of the time…as I rely on the ”feeling” that comes to decide whether something is right or wrong. This clearly has put me in distressing situations many times.
ReplyDeleteNow that we are addressing all of this in class, I believe that ethics is separated from religion as there are many principles in the Christian religion, or in any other religion for that matter that do not apply to many people. These people can be considered as “ethical” even if not believers as they are capable of being perfectly righteous. Religion has not taught me what is right or not as much as society has. In the present day by now there are rights and wrongs that have been set down as so, such as murder, lying, thievery etc. Ethics should be a phenomenon that affects and lays down a sort of law for everyone in the same way. One of my opinions includes that due to the fact that there are many different types of religions and that some people question them to be true or not, it is clear that ethics cannot be founded by or instilled by one of them. Then again, the question that ethics has to apply to everyone and is supposed to be the same for everyone comes up and therefore, through this theory then religion indeed would be the basis for ethics. Honestly, I don’t know how to answer these questions. Ethics is such a broad and abstract thing that the way people use it disgusts me. People say that religion is their ethic but then they use confession to wipe out their sins and leave most things “in god’s hands” and it almost seems as if they have an excuse for the motivation of half the things they do. And then there are other people who don’t believe in religion and use that to say that they don’t believe that what they are doing is wrong because they don’t believe in God, still dumping their mischief on religion and its absence of it in their lives.
How do we really know what is right and wrong?
ReplyDeleteI have always been quite interested in Ethics and have been awaiting our lessons on it in Theory of Knowledge. I believe I am a person of strong moral understanding and i am also very opinionated. Sometimes these two qualities of mine clash. It is difficult to have such strong perspectives and yet listen to others who think differently. I am always up for a debate but it is quite difficult to change my mind on certain issues. For example, when it comes to the Ethics of society I get very frustrated with the "selfishness" I see around me. Yes, it is true that all humans are selfish at times, but it happens too often when it should not. Many people in our society do not understand the meaning of right and wrong. They consider the "right" aspect of things if it favors their own ideology. We have to learn to understand that in a situation there is not just ONE right or wrong, but there are many and there are none at the same time. What is right and wrong is all opinion. It is what we feel and sense is right that becomes our basis of ethics and morality in life. My right, may be some else's wrong. We have to learn not to conform to other people's ideas of ethics because they may not always be what we believe in.
Asking whether the law is ethical is very interesting and makes me think a lot. In my idea of ethics, it is not. So many things have occurred because of the law that have made people ugly. People have been served unjustly either by being condemned or by being set free on wrong account. An example of this is, of course, the famous Casey Anthony. The law is not right nor wrong in my eyes, but once you break a law, you are considered to have done something wrong.
On religion - I am not very confident in my religious beliefs. I doubt often and therefore get very confused when speaking about ethics in a religious point of view. Most of the time I do not understand the religious perspective on issues.
Religion does have the ability to teach us what to do or what not to do, but there are always those who do not follow. Religious people aren’t all ethical and in every group in society there will always be a mixture of people who do what is right and those who do what is wrong. In the Christian religion, the Bible tells stories from which we can learn. We are not only told of what is ethical but we are also told that there is always a reward for those who are ethical whether it is a reward of salvation or simply feeling of having done something right. Though in my opinion, the Bible might have helped people behave ethically in the past, in modern days fewer people pay attention to the Bible. Even those who do might not be able to fully comprehend the morals since times have changed but the stories still lie in the past. Nevertheless, religion will always have a part in teaching ethics, though as time passes, its importance has diminished.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is too broad to just comment on it, there are so many ethnic groups with different religions and cultures all affecting the way they believe things. In my opinion religious people set there barriers on what is right and wrong according to their beliefs. Then I believe the atheists or non-religious people set there barriers of what is right and wrong by the books of laws. Then there are the people who just don´t care as long as everyone is happy. Ethics and Religion cause big issues in our world and in my opinion it´s a waste of time discussing about them really, in fact there are so many counter arguments to what is right or wrong that it´s a never ending discussion leading to nowhere. So when asking me what I believe in i wouldn´t really care what answer I give you, as long as you happy and we don´t have to have this discuss it again. When it comes to ethics I end up going with my gut or heart, depending on what people think and say I will base my opinion on. However, in all I don’t think many people like discussing about religion or ethics, because in the end the one who argues better or the one who has better facts and did his research wins the argument, but even though he might be wrong because we don´t have any evidence for what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteAlessia:
ReplyDeleteChoices, this is what life is all about. There may be right or wrong choices, but every choice will make the individual, that has taken this choice, grow from a characterial point of view. Decisions are always hard things to make, this is because in order to determine if a choice is right or wrong it is not easy. One of the many things that affects decision making, is religion. In fact, most of the people are affected by their religion and by what they firmly believe, when some choices have to be made. However, in my opinion religion isn't always the main aspect that could affect the decisions made by an individual. This is because religion may determine a person’s beliefs but not his choices. Decisions made by a very religious person may be ethically right or wrong, and the possibilities of this decisions to be right or wrong are equally the same to the choices made by a non religious person. As a consequence, it is possible to say that a choice made, by following specific religious principles, it is not always right. People have different opinions about religion and at the same time look at religion from different perspectives, so people may be affected both: in a negetive or positive way by religion because of their way of looking at it. Personally, I do not retain religion, one of the main sources to which a person should base their personal important decisions and choices, and I am saying this, since I don't consider myself a very devote person. In my opinion choices are made by individuals based on their personal interests and benefits. Religion is only a minimum part of what a single person may look at, when taking or making a decision. To conclude, it is possible to say that religion cannot be considered a source of correct decisions which are considered to be ethically just.