Learning

Year 11 General Unit 2, Mod 1 - Living a Good Life

Challenges people encounter when dealing with moral and ethical issues

The Good Life

 

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Goodness may mean different things to different people.

What makes something good is not always clear. Yet all people desire goodness. People want to be good, they want to experience good things. And the opposite is true, people want to avoid or remove all that is not good. The pursuit of what is good and avoidance of what is not good means dealing with moral and ethical issues.

This module looks at the challenges people face when dealing with these issues. 

Key Terms

Morality is concerned with right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. 

Ethics refers to a system of moral principles by which human actions and proposals may be judged good or bad, right or wrong. 

Conscience is a person's most inner core and sanctuary where they listen to God's voice

Focus Questions

  • What is morality?

  • What is ethics?

  • What are some examples of moral or ethical issues?

  • What do people typically find challenging about moral and ethical issues? 

Focus Areas

  • All people desire goodness and want to be good even though this may not be understood. 

  • Morality and ethics are terms (often used interchangeably) involving right and wrong. 

  • People make choices based on an understanding of what is morally good and / or what is considered right and wrong (ethics). 

  • Making good moral choices can be challenging for people. For example: 

    • There may be different ideas about what is good and/or right and wrong. 

    • The choice to be made may appear unclear, complex or difficult. 

    • Being responsible and choosing to do what is right and good may be difficult for a person.

  • Catholic consider that when making decisions on moral matters people need to consider: 

    • The action itself 

    • The intentions 

    • The circumstances (including consequences) 

  • It is not morally right to do a bad thing to gain a good result.

  • For a person to act responsibly they need: 

    • personal freedom &

    • adequate knowledge.

  • An informed and formed conscience is required for moral responsibility.