Does morality depend on religion by James Rachels? Rachels, Ch 4: Does Morality Depend on Religion? In contrast to a purely scientific worldview that is silent on values and suggests that human life, all life, the earth and the universe will eventually doomed to end.
Seems natural that values of right and wrong (moral values) also come from this worldview.
Does morality depend on religion?
Religion and morality are not synonymous. Though religion may depend on morality, and even develop alongside morality,
morality does not necessarily depend upon religion
, despite some making “an almost automatic assumption” to this effect.
What is morality according to Rachels?
RACHELS’ MINIMUM CONCEPTION OF MORALITY (a core starting point for almost every moral theory): “Morality is
the effort to guide one’s conduct by reasons while giving equal weight to interests of each individual affected
” Morality is conduct guided by impartial reason. a. Effort to guide one’s conduct by reasons.
Does morality depend on God and religion?
What is James Rachels minimum conception of morality?
James Rachels suggests two criteria fulfilling a minimum conception of morality —
reason and impartiality
. By the use of reason Rachels means that a moral decision must be based on reasons acceptable to other rational persons.
What is the relationship between religion and morality?
Morality is thought to pertain to the conduct of human affairs and relations between persons, while religion primarily involves the relationship between human beings and a transcendent reality. In fact, this distinction between religion and morality is a relatively modern one.
Does morality depend on religion Chapter 4 Summary?
Rachels, Ch 4: Does Morality Depend on Religion?
In contrast to a purely scientific worldview that is silent on values and suggests that human life, all life, the earth and the universe will eventually doomed to end
. Seems natural that values of right and wrong (moral values) also come from this worldview.
What does Rachels think about the relationship between morality and feelings?
What does Rachels think about the relationship between morality and feeling? According to Rachels, is morality a matter of personal taste? Why or why not? No,
morality needs for there to be reason reasons given, and if they are sound then others need to acknowledge them.
What was James Rachels arguments?
Rachels, who spent much of his career as a philosophy professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, broke ground by arguing that
actively killing a patient with a terminal illness was no worse morally than letting the person die by doing nothing
.
What would a satisfactory moral theory be like Rachels?
One who treats others well deserves to be treated well in return, while one who treats others badly deserves to be treated badly in return
. Adjusting our treatment of individuals to match how they themselves have chosen to treat others is not just a matter of rewarding friends and holding grudges against enemies.
Is morality dependent on God?
God approves of right actions because they are right and disapproves of wrong actions because they are wrong (moral theological objectivism, or objectivism). So,
morality is independent of God’s will
; however, since God is omniscient He knows the moral laws, and because He’s moral, He follows them.
Are religious people more moral?
A new study suggests that
religious people aren’t more likely to do good than their nonreligious counterparts
. And while they may vehemently disagree with one another at times, liberals and conservatives also tend to be on par when it comes to behaving morally.
What is euthyphro’s view on the relationship between morality and religion?
As the discussion between Socrates and Euthyphro indicates, there are two possibilities regarding the relationship between morality and God: (1)
Morality depends upon God, or (2) that morality is autonomous—independent of God
. The former view allows for two further alternatives.
What is required of a minimum conception of morality?
Rachels proposes a ‘minimum conception’ of morality:
a core that every moral theory should accept, at least as a starting point
.
What is the study of morality?
ethics, also called moral philosophy
, the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong. The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles.
What is morality ethics?
Moral refers to
what societies sanction as right and acceptable
. Most people tend to act morally and follow societal guidelines. Morality often requires that people sacrifice their own short-term interests for the benefit of society.
What is the difference between religious and morality?
Definitions of Religion and Morality
Both from the etymological definition and their regular usage the definitions and meaning of religion and morality (ethics) have no close affinity or semblance. Both have different value system with
morality based on reason while religion is based on faith
.
What is the role of religion in forming the moral character of a person?
What is the first of the two things that Rachels identifies as constituting the minimum conception of morality?
Does morality depend on culture?
Morality refers to a system of beliefs about what is right and good compared to what is wrong or bad.
Morals vary dramatically across time, place and across cultures
. There is a great deal of cultural variation in morality, and social norms relate to a wide variety of behaviors.
What does Stevenson an Emotivist think moral claims are?
Emotivism claims that
moral judgements express the feeling or attitude of approval or disapproval
. To say that ‘Murder is wrong’ is to express one’s disapproval of murder. Ethical language is ’emotive’. So, in one sense, emotivism claims that morality is ‘subjective’.
What is moral skepticism According to Rachels?
Rachels claims that moral skeptics attack the claim that. a.
we have an obligation to consider the welfare of other people when we act
. b. we must respect others’ rights and interests as well as our own.
Does Rachels agree with ethical egoism?
Why reason and impartiality is considered as a minimum requirements for morality?
REASON AND IMPARTIALITY AS REQUIREMENTS FOR ETHICS
It will help them to think rationally what is good and what is bad; and to be just and fair to benefit not themselves but to benefit the majority.
What is Rachels view on the morality of euthanasia?
Rachels challenges the conventional view that passive euthanasia is permissible but active euthanasia is not. This view is endorsed by the American Medical Association in a 1973 statement. But Rachels holds that in some cases
active euthanasia is morally preferable to passive euthanasia on utilitarian grounds
.
How does James Rachels define cultural relativism?
Culture Relativism states that
we cannot absolute say what is right and what is wrong because it all depends in the society we live in
. James Rachels however, does not believe that we cannot absolute know that there is no right and wrong for the mere reason that cultures are different.
What does James Rachels have to say about the difference between active and passive euthanasia?
Is Rachels a utilitarian?
Rachels also attacks the Utilitarianist argument that everybody is equal, and your own happiness is no more important than anybody else’s
. He claims that this is completely impractical, as one can usually increase the happiness of somebody else whenever they buy something.
What makes a moral theory good?
What is Christianity morality?
Christian ethics
emphasizes morality
. The law and the commandments are set within the context of devotion to God but are deontological standards defining what this morality is. The prophets of the Old Testament show God as rejecting all unrighteousness and injustice and commending those who live moral lives.
Do we need God in order to be moral?
Are religious people more moral?
A new study suggests that
religious people aren’t more likely to do good than their nonreligious counterparts
. And while they may vehemently disagree with one another at times, liberals and conservatives also tend to be on par when it comes to behaving morally.
Does morality require God?
Thus,
the commands of morality (and the commands of reason more generally) require a god
because they are, and can only be, the commands of one.
Does morality come from God?
God approves of right actions because they are right and disapproves of wrong actions because they are wrong (moral theological objectivism, or objectivism). So,
morality is independent of God’s will
; however, since God is omniscient He knows the moral laws, and because He’s moral, He follows them.
Where do we get morality from?
An obvious answer is that we have learned to do so
through socialization
, that is, our behaviors were shaped from birth onward by our families, our preschools, and almost everything we contacted in our environments. Morality is an inner sense of rightness about our behavior and the behavior of others.
