Secular Ethical Systems

The Greek word 'eudaimonia' means:

• Justice

• Right

• Freedom

• Peace

• Happiness

According to Aristotle, ethical inquiry begins with the recognition that:

• All things are intrinsically valuable

• We have a goal or purpose (a telos) for which we strive

• We have fundamental duties that we must observe

• We are given certain rights we ought to defend

• There are ethical and unethical behaviors that must be identified

Utilitarianism is an ethical system that believes:

• Something is moral when it produces the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people

• Fairness is the fundamental aspect of ethical conduct and people should look at the situation outside of their vested interest in the outcome to determine what is right

• The intent behind an action is what determines what is good or bad

• Morality is defined as the existence of pleausre and the absence of pain

• Happiness is doing what it best for yourself

What is Kant's categorical imperative?

• You must not consciously harm another person

• You must always act in the best interest of the community

• You must treat human beings as means rather than ends

• You must act according as if your values apply to everyone

• You must act in accordance with your religious principles

According to Aristotle, virtues are:

• Acquired through philosophical reflection

• Acquired through prayer as a gift from God

• Acquired through habit

• Innate to all human beings

• Learned from society

The "golden mean" for virtue:

• Must fall halfway between two extremes: deficiency and excess

• Must always fall slightly towards the excess, since most people initially are not virtuous enough

• Will be -- depending on the virtue -- in different places relative to excess and deficiency

• Is the mean value of the Golden Rule

• Must always fall slightly towards the deficiency, since most people have a difficult time being virtuous

Kant's ethical framework is based on the belief that:

• Happiness in the end of the moral life

• Having a good will is the only thing of intrinsic worth anywhere in the universe

• Actions are good if they have bad consequences and good if they have good consequences

• Individuals have rights and their rights must be protected

• The concept of good is derived from the concept of being generous to others

John Rawls argues that rights are:

• Inalienable to human beings because we have the capacity to reason and make choices

• "God-given" because we all have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of property

• Protected and limited by the state

• The outcome of a social contract between free and rational beings

• Based on the notion that men and women are made in the image and likeness of God

If Aristotle was alive today, his comments on the philosophy of relativism would be as follows:

• He would reject it because all human beings share the same basic nature and must live lives of virtue in order to achieve their goal or telos

• He would embrace relativism as a philosophy that is compatible with his notion that we are free to choose our own path to happiness

• He would accept it because relativism allows us to keep the appetite part of our being under control

• He would reject it because the way to happiness cannot be known with any degree of certainty

• He would reject it because living a good life entails that our actions must produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people

Which statement is most aligned with Kant's idea of morality?

• Since human beings are flawed, they must rely on an outside principle of morality that guide their actions

• Reason alone is the source of all sound moral principles, and since human beings have reason, they are equipped with what they need to live a moral life

• Reason alone is not sufficient to live a moral life. We also need to submit to the will of God

• Happiness is the true anchor of living a moral life

• For an act to be good, it must have good consequences