Conscience and Moral Principles

Conscience and Moral Principles

What is Freedom?

Freedom is the God-given power to act of one’s own accord;

A person who is free no longer acts under the influence of someone else. [1730–1733, 1743–1744]

God created us as free people and wills our freedom so that we decide wholeheartedly in favour of the good, indeed for the greatest “good”—in other words, for God.

The more we do what is good, the freer we become.

Multiple Select

God created us as free people and wills our freedom so that we might decide :

• wholeheartedly in favour of the good

• Which party to go to.

• our pizza orders

• what to wear

Two questions required for responsible decision-making

• Young children cannot always be held responsible for their actions. There are three reasons why this is so:

• they do not have a developed sense of right and wrong

• they do not recognise how pressure from others, or their own emotions affect them

• they are less able to make deliberate choices and are more likely to act on impulse.

Multiple Select

Young people cannot make their own decisions because

• Their brains are not developed

• They do not understand how pressure from others affects them

• They have not developed a sense of right or wrong

• Their dress sense is silly

• They are more likely to act on impulse

Open Ended

What is Freedom?

Teenagers and Freedom

For reasons mentioned above, children can never be given complete freedom.

Teenagers, on the other hand, can be given greater freedom because their ability to judge the circumstances of their actions grows as they mature.

Teenagers can make responsible decisions by asking themselves two questions:

Have I sufficient relevant knowledge?

Have I sufficient personal freedom?

Morally good Choices

Everyone is looking to make choices that deliver long-term happiness.

People regret choices that cause unhappiness. People have discovered that there is one key requirement if a choice is to lead to longterm happiness .

The choice must be a morally good choice.

A morally good choice is one directed to what is truly good and conducive to long-term happiness.

Choices

Choices that are not morally good are called ‘immoral choices’.

The harm and unhappiness that an immoral choice leads to cannot be foreseen at the time. Many people carry emotional hurts and find it difficult to relate fully with others because of choices they or others may have made a long time ago. 

Unhappiness and immoral choices

Not all unhappiness is the result of immoral choices.

There are other causes as well.

People make immoral choices because they are tempted by some short term benefit.

Rather than focussing on their true happiness, they give in to some internal or external pressure.

Multiple Select

What is a morally good choice?

• A choice is a choice is a choice.

• A morally good choice is one that is conducive to one's long-term happiness.

• Is a choice that leads to long term unhappiness

• Is a Choice that is not responsible

Why do people find it difficult to make responsible choices?

People find it difficult to make responsible choices for a variety of reasons.

These include:

- Lack of sufficient understanding

- Habits of wrongdoing

- Strong emotions

Task: Why do you think people deliberately enter into situations that weaken their ability to make responsible decisions...

1. Brainstorm examples of situations that people enter that may weaken their ability to make responsible decisions.

2. Identify two scenarios from your brainstorm and outline:

the potential impacts that the decision may have on themselves, their friends and family or others in the community.

Responsible Decision Making

Responsible people are honest with themselves about the inner and external pressures that make it hard for them to behave responsibly. They do everything that they can to avoid occasions of risk. 

People do not need to be free of weaknesses to be responsible.

What is necessary is that people recognise their personal weaknesses honestly and strive to overcome them.

They should try to avoid situations which exploit their weaknesses and lead them to make irresponsible decisions. 

Multiple Select

Responsible people are.....

• Do everything they can to avoid risk

• They are very strong

• Go to the gym everyday

• Honest with themselves about their weakness

Moral Instruction

Actions that are genuinely good are also morally right.

To make responsible choices, people need to understand moral principles, and learn how to apply these principles to everyday situations.

This requires moral education.

Many people lack the adequate moral education needed to decide what is good and right in the particular instance. 

Inner Pressure

People experience inner pressures such as negative attitudes (such as a sense of superiority over others), cynicism and lack of trust, habits (such as tending always to say ‘yes’, to be negative, to be critical or to ‘fly off  the handle’.) 

Such inner pressures can make it difficult for you to give due thought to a situation before acting.

Responsible people strive to understand the inner pressures they experience and try to avoid or overcome negative ones. They do not imagine themselves to be perfectly in control of their lives, but are honest about their personal weaknesses. 

Task

Go on to the class website

https://sites.google.com/d/0B8cV2WeGhFz2c0tuTExkemlvczA/p/0B7y-5wj1oky3NGtfUkxOZkxDaHc/edit?resourcekey=0-yf6DNasV5deHV7j5I7T9kA

and read the extract on Desmond Dos.

Watch the video on the next slide

Youtube Video

Watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3DcIDrQU8g

Multiple Choice

Who is Desmond Dos?

• American Bravery Award Winner in WWII

• Just another man

• Australian Soldier

• Vietnam war Veteran

Multiple Choice

What is Desmond Dos famous for?

• He went to WWII without carrying a weapon

• He won the gold medal for pole vault

• He was the world's fastest runner

• Just another Human Being

Moral Principles

The first principle is that human beings should always behave in God-like ways. 

All other moral principles are based upon this principle.

Moral Principles

- relate closely to God,

- behave in loving ways,

- do good,  

- care for themselves properly,

- avoid doing wrong.

Moral Principles

- treat every human being with respect,  

- be just always,

- treat human life as sacred

- respect the goodness of creation, because God sees all of creation as good (Genesis 1:31). 

Moral Principles

Every human being is obliged to live by these principles.

To live by these principles leads to a genuinely happy life and brings long- term happiness to oneself as well as to others. 

These principles are not clear to everyone because of original sin/ wrongdoing in the form of poor choices.

Natural Law

WHAT IS NATURAL LAW?

God created human beings with the ability to reason. Humans are able to use their ordinary intelligence to determine what is right and what is wrong according to the moral principles God wants them to obey. 

The moral law that follows from the understanding of these principles by human reason is called ‘natural law’ because reason is part of human nature.

Multiple Choice

What is natural law

• It is the law of nature

• Everything the light touches is our kingdom. But a king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun.

• The law that follows from understanding moral principles by using our reasoning is ‘natural law’

• Just look in to your heart and you will find the answer

Types of Law

• God's Law- This is God's plan for all of us.

• Divine Law- This is the law as outlined in the bible.

• Natural Law: The moral law that follows from the understanding moral principles is called ‘natural law’ . This law does not change.

• Human Law: Human law is made by human beings for the common good of most Humans. This law changes from time to time.

Examples of Human Law that go against Natural Law

• Assisted Dying Legislation

• Environmental laws that allow pollution

• Capital Punishment laws