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 objectives

Lesson content Possible activities Homework ICT SMRC Literacy Resources

Natural law telos & the four tiers of law

origins of the significant 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 God2. Divine Law: the law of God revealed in the

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.

Research natural law in more detail

Monty Python

PurposeLife

Hobbes

Key Terms: Hobbes, natural state, apparent good, telos, purpose, 4 tiers of law

Hobbes

Bowie

Monty Python

Aristotle Physics II 3

Aquinas Summa Theologica I-II 93-95

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1954-1960

Bible, particularly in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount3. Natural Law: the moral law of God within human nature that is discoverable through the use of reason4. Human Law: the laws of nations

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

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

Aquinas the man – His historical and social situation – The Dominican/Fransican split over the role of human reason and revelation. Dominican use of Natural theology.

Use the powerpoint on Natural Law, slides 1-10. To

Essay:Explain the key ideas behind natural law (30)

Research

Socratic ideas power point

Purposes Key terms: primary precepts, secondary precepts, natural law

Socratic ideas power point.

Aristotle Physics II 3

Aquinas Summa Theologica I-II 93-95

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1954-1960

explain and discuss the further aspects of natural law, such as its link to Aristotle, the use of reason.

Analysis of natural law whether or not

natural law provides a helpful method of moral decision-making

whether or not a judgement about something being good, bad, right or wrong can be based on its success or failure in achieving its telos

whether or not the universe as a whole is designed with a telos, or human nature has an orientation towards the good

whether or not the doctrine of double effect can be used to justify an action, such as

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 sub-Saharan Africa and the denial of contraception

Revision Socratic ideas power point

AnalysisJudgements

Key terms:Decision, judgement, telos, good, human nature

Socratic ideasBowieOliphant

killing someone as an act of self-defence

Assessment

Situation ethics - agape

‘The strengths of natural law outweigh its weaknesses.’ Discuss. [40]

origins of agape in the New Testament and its religious development in the writing of Fletcher

Define Agape Examples of

agape from Jesus e.g. feeding 5000

Research how Fletcher developed agape

Research situation ethics in more detail

Research Love Reading examples in the Bible

Key terms: agape, Fletcher, situation ethics, Jesus, New Testament

New Testament examples e.g. feeding of 5000

Situation ethics the 6 propositions

what they are and how they give rise to the theory of situation ethics and its approach to moral decision-making:

1. Love is the only thing that is intrinsically good2. Love is the ruling norm in ethical decision-making and replaces all laws3. Love and justice are the same thing – justice is love that is distributed

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

LoveEthicsDecision making

Key terms:Love, decisions, ethics, justice, goal, situation

Fletcher, J. (1966) Situation Ethics The New Morality, London: SCM Jones, R.G. (1984) Groundwork of Christian Ethics, London: Epworth Press Messer, N. (2006) SCM Study guide: Christian Ethics, London: SCM

4. Love wills the neighbour’s good regardless of whether the neighbour is liked or not5. Love is the goal or end of the act and that justifies any means to achieve that goal6. Love decides on each situation as it

SE – the four working principles

what they are and how they are intended to be applied:

1. pragmatism: it is based on experience rather than on theory2. relativism: it is based on making the absolute laws of Christian ethics relative3. positivism: it begins with belief in the reality and importance of love4. personalism: persons, not laws or anything else, are at the centre of situation ethics

Use Socratic ideas power-point to demonstrate Fletcher’s relativist theory of ethics.

Definition of AGAPE and 4 working principles.

Essay: Evaluate the claim that situation ethics is redundant in our modern world. (30)

Socratic ideas

PeopleLaws

Key terms: agape, pragmatism, relativism, positivism, personalism

Socratic ideas

Fletcher, J. (1966) Situation Ethics The New Morality, London: SCM Jones, R.G. (1984) Groundwork of Christian Ethics, London: Epworth Press Messer, N. (2006) SCM Study guide: Christian Ethics, London: SCM

SE – conscience what conscience is

and what it is not

Define conscience

Debate

Find out different scholars views

ConscienceJudgements

Definitions

Key terms:Fletcher, J. (1966) Situation Ethics The

Analysis of SE

according to Fletcher, i.e. a verb not a noun; a term that describes attempts to make decisions creatively

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

whether or not the

Silent debate of situation ethics

Conscience, Fletcher, judgement

New Morality, London: SCM Jones, R.G. (1984) Groundwork of Christian Ethics, London: Epworth Press Messer, N. (2006) SCM Study guide: Christian Ethics, London: SCM

rejection of absolute rules by situation ethics makes moral decision-making entirely individualistic and subjective

Kant – duty and hypothetical imperative

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 motive- deontology and teleology.

Then use Rosenstand ‘moral of the story’ p219 –top 222 to explain the good will.

Further research into Kant’s background

Socratic ideas

DutyConsequences

Key terms: duty, hypothetical imperative, deontological, consequences

BowieOliphantSocratic ideasExploring ethicsRosenstand

Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, Chapter 2 Pojman, L. (2012) Discovering Right and Wrong, Stamford: Wadsworth O’Neill, O. ‘Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems’ in ed. Shafer-Landau, R. (2013) Ethical Theory: An Anthology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

Also slide 8. Use slide 6 to

explain the difference between autonomy (following the good will) and heteronomy. Then either Oliphant 71-73 or Bowie 56-57 to explain Duty.

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 themselves and not means to an end)

Use slides 9+10 to introduce the Hypothetical and categorical imperatives- slide 10 has activities. Students to define the two.

Summarise the three

What are strengths and weaknesses of Kant?

Socratic ideas

CommandActConsequences

Key terms: categorical imperative, maxim, kingdom of ends

Socratic ideas

Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, Chapter 2 Pojman, L. (2012) Discovering Right and Wrong, Stamford: Wadsworth O’Neill, O. ‘Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems’ in ed. Shafer-Landau, R. (2013) Ethical Theory: An Anthology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

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)

what they are and why in obeying a moral command they are being accepted:

1. Freedom2. Immortality3. God

formulations of the CI and how it is a method for autonomy and testing maxims. Bowie is suitably brief.

Analysis of Kant

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, right or wrong can be based on

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 theories.

Revision Ethical judgements

Key terms: Kant, analysis, ethical judgment

Assessment

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

Kantian ethics is very helpful in moral decision-making.’ Discuss. 40

Use the Socratic ideas slides from 14-20 for the benefits and 21-29 (not 27) for the negatives. Students to summarise in a table.

Utilitarianism – utility & the hedonic calculus

the use of the significant concept of utility (seeking the greatest

Explain what is Bentham’s ‘Principle of Utility’ – what are the three

Further research on utilitarianism

Socratic ideas

Pain vs pleasureHappiness

Key Terms: hedonic calculus, utility, pain, pleasure,

DialogueSocratic 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 Consequentialism, 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 Mill, J.S. (1863) Utilitarianism Singer, P. (1993) 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)

ConsequencesPleasure vs. pain

Key terms: act, Bentham Bentham, J. (1789)

An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Mill, J.S. (1863) Utilitarianism Singer, P. (1993) Practical Ethics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

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/showing relevant section of textbook.

Rule utilitarianism what it is (following

accepted laws that lead to the greatest overall balance of good over evil,

Recreate the pig analogy.

Research what Mill rejected and accepted

Research Peter Singer and preference utilitarianism

Research 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

from Bentham Recreate higher

and lower pleasures in 2016

Mill, J.S. (1863) Utilitarianism Singer, P. (1993) Practical Ethics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Analysis of utilitarianism

Learners should have the 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

Debate Silent debate Brainstorm key

for and against

Judgements Key terms: judgements, ethics, Utilitarianism, Mill, Bentham

Socratic ideas