Download Ethical Theory - Watford Grammar School For Boys

Watford Grammar School for Boys Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Scheme of Work
Title: Normative Ethical theories
Year group: 12
Term: autumn
Weeks 14 (2 lessons per week)
Resources: Bowie, Socratic ideas, Oliphant
Learning
Lesson content
objectives
Natural law
telos & the
 origins of the
four tiers of
significant
law
concept of telos
in Aristotle and
its religious
development in
the writing of
Aquinas
 what they are
and how they
are related:
1. Eternal Law: the
principles by which God
made and controls the
universe and which are
only fully known to God
2. Divine Law: the law of
God revealed in the
Possible activities


Read
extract
from
Hobbes
Leviathon which
describes man in
his
‘Natural
state’. Explain
Aquinas’ view of
‘Good
human
nature’ and how
we are inclined
towards
the
good. Students
write
a
comparison.
Read
Bowie
extract
on
Natural law to
ascertain what
an
‘apparent
good’
is.
Homework
ICT
Research
Monty
natural law in Python
more detail
SMRC
Literacy
Resources
Purpose
Life
Hobbes

Hobbes
Key
Terms:
Hobbes,
natural state,
apparent
good, telos,
purpose,
4
tiers of law

Bowie

Monty Python



Aristotle
Physics II 3
Aquinas
Summa
Theologica I-II
93-95
Catechism of
the Catholic
Church 19541960
Bible, particularly in the
Ten Commandments and
the Sermon on the
Mount
3. Natural Law: the
moral law of God within
human nature that is
discoverable through the
use of reason
4. Human Law: the laws
of nations


Natural law –
the precepts





what they are and
how
they
are
related
the key precept (do
good, avoid evil)
five
primary
precepts
(preservation
of
life, ordering of
society, worship of
God, education of
children,
reproduction)
secondary precepts

Students
to
create their own
examples.
Using info on
Sartre (existence
preceeds
essence)
and
Aristole’s
(4
Causes – esp
final
cause)
students should
discuss various
views
on
whether there is
a purpose to
human life.
Watch
Monty
Python
Aquinas the man
– His historical
and
social
situation – The
Dominican/Fran
sican split over
the
role
of
human reason
and revelation.
Dominican use
of
Natural
theology.
Use
the
powerpoint on
Natural
Law,
Essay:
Explain
the
key
ideas
behind natural
law (30)
Research
Socratic
ideas
power
point
Purposes
Key
terms: Socratic ideas power
primary
point.
precepts,
secondary
 Aristotle Physics
II 3
precepts,
 Aquinas Summa
natural law
Theologica I-II
93-95
 Catechism of
the Catholic
Church 19541960
Analysis of
natural law


whether or not
natural
law
provides a helpful
method of moral
decision-making

judgement about
something being
good, bad, right or
wrong can be
based
on
its
success or failure in
achieving its telos

the universe as a
whole is designed
with a telos, or
human nature has
an
orientation
towards the good

the doctrine of
double effect can
be used to justify

slides 1-10. To
explain
and
discuss
the
further aspects
of natural law,
such as its link
to Aristotle, the
use of reason.
Either
use
PowerPoint, or
one
of
the
textbooks
to
evaluate natural
Law.
Does it
rely on God? Is
it too inflexible?
Apply
Natural
law to sexual
ethics to see the
counter intuitive
answers – e.g.
Aids in subSaharan Africa
and the denial of
contraception
Revision
Socratic
ideas
power
point
Analysis
Judgements
Key terms:
Socratic ideas
Decision,
Bowie
judgement,
Oliphant
telos, good,
human
nature
an action, such as
killing someone as
an act of selfdefence
Assessment
Situation
ethics
agape
‘The strengths of natural
law
outweigh
its
weaknesses.’ Discuss. [40]

-
Situation
ethics the 6
propositions
origins of agape
in the New
Testament and
its religious
development in
the writing of
Fletcher





what they are and
how they give rise
to the theory of
situation ethics and
its approach to
moral
decisionmaking:
1. Love is the only thing
that is intrinsically good
2. Love is the ruling norm
in ethical decision-making
and replaces all laws
3. Love and justice are the
same thing – justice is love


Define Agape
Examples
of
agape
from
Jesus
e.g.
feeding 5000
Research how
Fletcher
developed
agape
Research
Research
situation
ethics in more
detail
Give students
one of the four
propositions to
explain in a
circuit.
What does love
mean and how
can it be
applied?
Can love be the
ruling norm?
Find examples
in the modern
world of the 4
propositions
Love
Reading
examples
the Bible
New Testament examples
in e.g. feeding of 5000
Key
terms:
agape,
Fletcher,
situation
ethics, Jesus,
New
Testament
Love
Ethics
Decision
making
Key terms:
Love,
decisions,
ethics, justice,
goal, situation

Fletcher, J. (1966)
Situation Ethics The
New Morality,
London: SCM
Groundwork of
Christian Ethics,
London: Epworth
Press
SCM Study guide:
Christian Ethics,
London: SCM
that is distributed
4.
Love
wills
the
neighbour’s
good
regardless of whether the
neighbour is liked or not
5. Love is the goal or end of
the act and that justifies
any means to achieve that
goal
6. Love decides on each
situation as it
SE – the four
working
principles
SE
–
conscience


what they are and
how
they
are
intended to be
applied:
1. pragmatism: it is based
on experience rather than
on theory
2. relativism: it is based on
making the absolute laws
of Christian ethics relative
3. positivism: it begins with
belief in the reality and
importance of love
4. personalism: persons,
not laws or anything else,
are at the centre of
situation ethics



what conscience is
Use Socratic
ideas powerpoint to
demonstrate
Fletcher’s
relativist
theory of
ethics.
Definition of
AGAPE and 4
working
principles.
Essay:
Socratic
Evaluate the ideas
claim
that
situation
ethics
is
redundant in
our modern
world. (30)
Define
conscience
Find
different
People
Laws
Key
terms:
agape,
pragmatism,
relativism,
positivism,
personalism
Socratic ideas

Fletcher, J. (1966)
Situation Ethics The
New Morality, London:
SCM
Groundwork
of
Christian
Ethics,
London: Epworth Press
SCM
Study
Christian
London: SCM
out
Conscience
Judgements
Definitions
guide:
Ethics,

Fletcher,
J.
(1966)
and what it is not
according
to
Fletcher, i.e. a verb
not a noun; a term
that
describes
attempts to make
decisions creatively
Analysis
SE
of



whether or not
situation
ethics
provides a helpful
method of moral
decision-making
whether or not an
ethical judgement
about something
being good, bad,
right or wrong can
be based on the
extent to which, in
any given situation,
agape
is
best
served
whether Fletcher’s
understanding of
agape is really
religious
or
whether it means
nothing more than
wanting the best
for the person
involved in a given
situation


Debate
Silent debate
scholars views
of
situation
ethics
Key terms:
Conscience,
Fletcher,
judgement
Situation Ethics The
New Morality, London:
SCM
Groundwork
of
Christian
Ethics,
London: Epworth Press
SCM
Study
Christian
London: SCM
guide:
Ethics,

Kant – duty
and
hypothetical
imperative


whether or not the
rejection
of
absolute rules by
situation
ethics
makes
moral
decision-making
entirely
individualistic and
subjective

origins
of
the
concept of duty
(acting
morally
according to the
good regardless of
consequences) in
deontological and
absolutist
approaches
to
ethics
what it is (a
command to act to
achieve a desired
result) and why it is
not the imperative
of morality

Use 3 of the
Moral
dilemmas in
‘Exploring
ethics’ (green
ring bound
book) p.52-3.
In the
feedback
tease out the
difference
between
consequences
and motivedeontology
and teleology.
Then use
Rosenstand
‘moral of the
story’ p219 –
top 222 to
explain the
Further
Socratic
research into ideas
Kant’s
background
Duty
Key
terms:
Consequences duty,
hypothetical
imperative,
deontological,
consequences
Bowie
Oliphant
Socratic ideas
Exploring ethics
Rosenstand

Kant, Groundwork of
the
Metaphysic
of
Morals, Chapter 2
Discovering Right and
Wrong,
Stamford:
Wadsworth
Approaches to Some
Famine Problems’ in
ed. Shafer-Landau, R.
(2013) Ethical Theory:
An
Anthology,
Chichester:
WileyBlackwell

Kant
–
categorical
imperatives
and
3
postulates

what it is (a
command to act
that is good in
itself regardless of
consequences) and
why it is the
imperative
of
morality based on:
1. Formula of the law of
nature (whereby a maxim
can be established as a
universal law)
2. Formula of the end in
itself (whereby people are
treated
as
ends
in


good will.
Also slide 8.
Use slide 6 to
explain
the
difference
between
autonomy
(following the
good will) and
heteronomy.
Then
either
Oliphant 7173 or Bowie
56-57
to
explain Duty.
Use slides
9+10 to
introduce the
Hypothetical
and
categorical
imperativesslide 10 has
activities.
Students to
define the
two.
Summarise
What
are Socratic
strengths and ideas
weaknesses of
Kant?
Command
Key
terms:
Act
categorical
Consequences imperative,
maxim,
kingdom of
ends
Socratic ideas

Kant, Groundwork of
the
Metaphysic
of
Morals, Chapter 2
Discovering Right and
Wrong,
Stamford:
Wadsworth
Approaches to Some
Famine Problems’ in
ed. Shafer-Landau, R.
(2013) Ethical Theory:
An
Anthology,
Chichester:
Wiley-
themselves and not means
to an end)
3. Formula of the kingdom
of ends (whereby a society
of rationality is established
in which people treat each
other as ends and not
means)

Analysis
Kant
what they are and
why in obeying a
moral command
they are being
accepted:
1. Freedom
2. Immortality
3. God
of Learners should have the
opportunity to discuss
issues raised by Kant’s
approach to ethics,
including:
 whether or not
Kantian ethics
provides a
helpful method
of moral
decision-making
 whether or not
an ethical
judgement
about something
being good, bad,
Blackwell
the three
formulations
of the CI and
how it is a
method for
autonomy and
testing
maxims.
Bowie is
suitably brief.

Discuss how
to evaluate
ethical
theories –
using
coherence or
usefulness.
Give students
time to reflect
upon the
benefits/
weaknesses of
Kantian ethics
over other
ethical
Revision
Ethical
judgements
Key
terms:
Kant, analysis,
ethical
judgment


Assessment
right or wrong
can be based on
the extent to
which duty is
best served
whether or not
Kantian ethics is
too abstract to
be applicable to
practical moral
decision-making
whether or not
Kantian ethics is
so reliant on
reason that it
unduly rejects
the importance
of other factors,
such as
sympathy,
empathy and
love in moral
decision-making

theories.
Use
the
Socratic ideas
slides from 1420 for the
benefits and
21-29 (not 27)
for
the
negatives.
Students
to
summarise in
a table.
Kantian ethics is very
helpful in moral decisionmaking.’ Discuss. 40
Utilitarianism
– utility &
the hedonic
calculus


the use
significant
of utility
the
of the
concept
(seeking
greatest
Socratic
Explain what is Further
research
on ideas
Bentham’s
‘Principle
of utilitarianism
Utility’ – what
are the three
Pain
vs Key
Terms:
pleasure
hedonic
Happiness
calculus,
utility, pain,
pleasure,
Dialogue
Socratic ideas

Bentham, J. (1789)
An Introduction to the
balance of good
over
evil,
or
pleasure over pain)
in teleological and
relativist
approaches
to
ethics

what
it
is
(calculating
the
benefit or harm of
an act through its
consequences) and
its use as a
measure
of
individual pleasure
aspects of it.
Discuss
and
evaluate
the
strengths and
weaknesses of
Consequentialis
m,
egalitarianism
and Hedonism
as
absolute
founding
ethical
principle.


In pairs
evaluate 2
situations
from a
Utilitarian
point of view.
(will need to
make up these
situations in
advance)
Using
Powerpoint,
dialogue
article or one
of the other
text books,
explain the
Hedonic
Bentham
Principles of Morals
and Legislation
Utilitarianism
Practical
Ethics,
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
(Felcific)
calculus.
Discuss
whether
pleasure and
pain can be
measured this
way. Are they
opposites?
Would this
include
animals?
Act
utilitarianism

what it is (calculating the
consequences of each
situation on its own merits)
and its use in promoting
the greatest amount of
good over
Nonsense
on
stilts!
A
critique
of
Bentham’s ‘Pig’
Philosophy.
Ask
students
what they think
the ‘pig-man;
fool-Socrates’
quote means.
Introduce
(using on of the
text books or
power-points)
Mill’s ideas on
Quality not just
quantity
of
pleasure
and
his being less
Egalitarian and
Essay: Explain
the
key
principles
behind
act
utilitarianism.
(30)
Consequences Key
terms: 
Pleasure vs. act, Bentham Bentham, J. (1789)
pain
An Introduction to the
Principles of Morals
and Legislation
Utilitarianism
Practical
Ethics,
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press

Rule
utilitarianism

what it is (following
accepted laws that lead to
the
greatest
overall
balance of good over evil,

more Elitist
What is better,
Opera or Punk?
Class votes on
which is more
pleasurable
from a range of
pairs, such as
Ballet
or
Ballroom,
pleasures of the
aristocracy and
those of the
masses. At the
end tell them
they are wrong
if they disagree
with you as a
‘competent
judge’ who has
experienced
both.
Apply
this to Mill’s
theory,
by
reading/showin
g
relevant
section
of
textbook.
Recreate
the
pig analogy.
Research what
Mill
rejected
and accepted
Research
Research
Peter Singer
and
preference
utilitarianism
Pleasures
Key
terms:
pig,
Mill,
higher, lower,
rule

Bentham, J. (1789)
An Introduction to the
Principles of Morals
and Legislation
or pleasure over pain) and
its use in promoting the
common good
Analysis of Learners should have the
utilitarianism opportunity to discuss
issues
raised
by
utilitarianism, including:
 whether or not
utilitarianism
provides a helpful
method of moral
decision-making
 whether or not an
ethical judgement
about something
being good, bad,
right or wrong can
be based on the
extent to which, in
any given situation,
utility
is
best
served
 whether or not it is
possible
to
measure good or
pleasure and then
reach a moral
decision




from Bentham
Recreate higher
and
lower
pleasures
in
2016
Debate
Silent debate
Brainstorm key
for and against
Utilitarianism
Practical
Ethics,
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
Judgements
Key
terms: Socratic ideas
judgements,
ethics,
Utilitarianism,
Mill, Bentham