Ethics and Religious Studies | The Nature of Morality

Module 1: Normative Ethics - The Nature of Morality

Hello everyone! Welcome to your study notes for "The Nature of Morality". Ever wondered what makes an action 'right' or 'wrong'? Why do we feel that helping someone is good, but lying is bad? This chapter is all about exploring these big questions. We'll break down the basic building blocks of ethics in a simple way. Understanding this is super important, not just for your exams, but for making thoughtful and informed choices in your everyday life. Don't worry if it seems tricky at first – we'll go through it step-by-step!

Moral Principles: The Basic Recipe for Being Good

Think of moral principles as the fundamental ingredients for making good decisions. They are broad, general ideas about what is right and wrong that are meant to apply to everyone, everywhere.

Some Basic Moral Principles

Here are a few key principles you need to know:

• Kindness: This is about being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Example: Taking a moment to help a classmate who is struggling with their homework.

• Harm Avoidance: This is a very famous principle, often summed up as "Do no harm." It means we should avoid causing physical or emotional pain to others.
Example: Choosing not to spread a rumour about someone, even if you've heard it from others.

• Respect for Autonomy: 'Autonomy' is a fancy word for a person's ability to make their own choices and live their own life. Respecting autonomy means letting people make their own decisions, as long as they aren't harming others.
Example: Your friend decides to join the dance club instead of the basketball team with you. Even if you're disappointed, you respect their choice because it's their life.

• Loyalty: This means being faithful and committed to people, groups, or ideas. It's about standing by someone or something you believe in.
Example: Defending your friend when others are speaking unfairly about them.

Moral Principles vs. Moral Rules: What's the Difference?

This is a common point of confusion, but it's easy once you see the pattern! Don't worry, we'll make it clear.

Moral Principles are the 'WHY'. They are universal and broad.

Moral Rules are the 'HOW'. They are specific actions or behaviours to restrain us.

Analogy Time!
Think about health.
• The Principle is: "Be healthy." (This is a universal, general goal).
• The Rules are: "Don't smoke," "Eat five portions of vegetables a day," "Exercise 30 minutes." (These are specific, restraining actions to achieve the principle).

Here's how it applies to ethics:

• Principle: Respect for life (Universal idea)
• Rule: "Do not kill." (Specific behaviour restraint)

• Principle: Honesty (Universal idea)
• Rule: "Do not lie on your university application." (Specific behaviour restraint)

Key Takeaway

Moral principles like kindness and harm avoidance are broad, universal guides for good behaviour. Moral rules are specific commands (like "do not steal") that help us follow those principles by restraining our actions.

Moral Reasoning: Thinking Through a Dilemma

It's easy to know what to do when the choices are simple. But what about complex situations? That's where moral reasoning comes in. It's the step-by-step process we use to think carefully about a moral problem to reach a logical and justified conclusion.

The 3 Steps of Good Moral Reasoning

Think of yourself as a detective solving a case. You need to be logical and unbiased!

1. Clarification of Moral Concepts:
First, figure out what the problem is really about. What values are in conflict? Is it a question of honesty vs. loyalty? Or fairness vs. compassion?
Example: Your best friend copied their homework from the internet. The teacher asks if you know anything. The concepts in conflict are loyalty (to your friend) and honesty (to the teacher). You must clarify this first.

2. Upholding Rational Thinking:
Make your decision based on logic and reason, not just on your emotions or gut feelings. Think about the consequences and the principles involved. Example: Instead of just feeling scared and saying "I don't know," you could think rationally: "If I lie, I'm dishonest. If I tell the truth, my friend gets in trouble. What is the most responsible thing to do here?"

3. Sustaining an Open-Minded Attitude:
This is crucial! You must try to see the situation from all perspectives, without being biased by your own self-interest (what benefits you) or prejudice (your pre-existing negative judgments).
Example: You might think from the teacher's perspective ("They need to ensure academic honesty") and your friend's perspective ("They might have been really stressed and made a mistake"). Acknowledging these different views is key to open-mindedness.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Justifying your actions based only on feelings: "It felt right" isn't a strong argument.
• Only thinking about yourself: Moral reasoning requires you to consider others.
• Jumping to conclusions: Take your time to think through all the steps.

Key Takeaway

Moral reasoning is a rational process of clarifying concepts and staying open-minded to make a justified ethical decision. It's about thinking, not just feeling.

Pluralism: One World, Many Values

Hong Kong is a perfect example of a pluralistic society. This means it's a place where people with very different backgrounds, beliefs, and moral values live together. Pluralism accepts that there isn't just one single "correct" set of morals that everyone must follow.

Chinese and Western Values: A Quick Look

In our society, we often see a mix of Chinese and Western values. It's helpful to know the general themes, but remember these are just generalizations!

• Traditional Chinese Values often emphasize:

• The importance of the group over the individual.
• Social harmony and avoiding conflict.
• Filial piety (respect for parents and elders).

• Traditional Western Values often emphasize:

• Individual rights and freedoms.
• Autonomy and personal choice.
• Justice and equality before the law.

Example: When deciding on a career, someone influenced by traditional Chinese values might heavily consider their parents' wishes. Someone influenced by traditional Western values might focus more on their personal passion and individual goals. Both are valid approaches!

How to Live Together in a Pluralistic Society

If everyone has different values, how do we avoid chaos? There are two main tools:

1. Seeking Consensus:
This means trying to find common ground or shared values that we can all agree on. Example: While cultures might disagree on some things, most people in Hong Kong would agree on the importance of principles like "honesty in business" or "caring for the elderly." These points of consensus help our society function.

2. Respecting Differences:
When we can't find a consensus, we must practice tolerance and respect. This doesn't mean you have to agree with other people's values, but you must respect their right to hold them peacefully.

Did you know?

The "Golden Rule" ("Treat others as you would like to be treated") is a great example of a near-universal moral principle found in Confucianism, Christianity, and many other traditions. This is a powerful point of consensus!

Key Takeaway

Pluralism is the existence of many different moral views in one society. We manage this by seeking consensus where possible and showing tolerance and respect for differences.

Morality and Religion: A Complicated Friendship

A big question in ethics is: "Do you need to be religious to be a good person?" The relationship between morality and religion is complex, and there are three main ways to see it.

The Three Possible Relationships

1. Contradictory:
Sometimes, a command from a religious text or tradition might conflict with modern, rational moral principles.
Example: Historically, some religious texts were used to justify slavery. Today, our moral reasoning, based on principles like harm avoidance and respect for autonomy, tells us that slavery is profoundly wrong. In this case, religion and morality are in contradiction.

2. Mutually Supplemented (They help each other):
This is a very common view. Religion can provide powerful stories, communities, and motivations to be a good person. At the same time, moral reasoning can help people interpret their religious beliefs in a more compassionate and just way.
Example: The Christian story of the Good Samaritan powerfully teaches the moral principle of kindness, motivating believers to help strangers. Morality gives the principle, and religion gives a compelling story to support it.

3. Not Related (They are independent):
This view holds that morality does not depend on religion at all. A person can be fully moral using only reason, empathy, and human experience. You can figure out that hurting people is wrong just by thinking about it logically and imagining how they would feel. No divine command is needed.
Example: An atheist (someone who doesn't believe in God) can be a doctor who dedicates their life to saving others, motivated purely by compassion and the rational principle of harm avoidance.

Quick Review

• Contradictory: Religion and morality clash.
• Mutually Supplemented: Religion and morality support each other.
• Not Related: Morality can exist without religion.

Key Takeaway

There is no single, simple relationship between morality and religion. It can be seen as contradictory, mutually supportive, or entirely separate. All three views are important to understand.