1[1]. overview of moral situations and contemporary moral trends
DESCRIPTION
Sir ValTRANSCRIPT
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE TITLE: CHRISTIAN ETHICS
COURSE CODE/CREDITS: Philosophy 5/Theology 3
“But only God who created man to His own image and ransomed him from sins, provides a fully adequate answer to questions…revealed in Christ His Son who became man. Whoever follows after Christ, the perfect man becomes himself more of a man.”
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course deals with the study of man as a moral being called by God to respond in freedom and responsibility to attain the fullness of life in Christ. It seeks to familiarize the students with the foundations of morality that would equip them with principles and guidelines to confront contemporary moral situations. This also deals with the challenges of Christian Discipleship and the Christian invitation to moral growth through the study of grace, sin, conversion and virtues.
COURSE SYLLABUS
A.General objectives:At the end of the course, the students are expected to:
1. Establish the link between the “external ritual expression of Christian faith and authentic discipleship following Christ in action” (ECCE: Moral Law – Nos. 5& 6)
2. Acquire ethical and religious values which would affect changes of attitude, behavior and values (CA # 60) in the light of contemporary moral problem.
COURSE SYLLABUS
B. Specific ObjectivesAt the end of this course, students are expected to:
1. Acquaint themselves with the moral dimension of the Christian Faith;
2. Trace the roots of contemporary moral situations;3. Acquire facility in making moral-decisions, through
the study of the human person as moral agent;4. Understand the DECALOGUE in the light of some of
today’s moral issues.5. Appreciate the challenges of Christian Discipleship.6. Value Christ’s invitation to grow morally through the
study of the role of grace, sin, conversion, and virtues.
COURSE OUTLINE
I. Introduction: Understanding Contemporary Moral SituationsA. Moral Situations: An OverviewB. Contemporary Moral Trends and Their RootsC. Notions of Morality
1. Popular Notions2. What Morality Is: Clarifications
and TermsD. Understanding Christian Morality
COURSE OUTLINE
II.Man as a Moral BeingA. Man: The Image of God
1. Man as Body-Soul Unity a. Human Needs: Hierarchy of
Needs b. Needs as Values2. Man as a Person a. Intelligent and Free b. Endowed with dignity and
Inalienable rights c. Always an End, Never as
Means
COURSE OUTLINE
B. Man the Traveler: In Pursuit of His Goal1. End/Purpose of Man a. Different Theories of the God and
Happiness b. The Ultimate Happiness: The
Supreme Good2. Pathos of Man: Wounded (fallen) but
Healed (redeemed)3. Historical Man
C. Man Being For Others1. To be Oneself2. To be with and for Others3. To be with and for God
COURSE OUTLINEII. Man as a Moral Agent: Responsible for
his/her ActsA. The Human Acts
1. Human Acts and Acts of Man2. Constituents of Human Acts a. Knowledge b. Freedom c. Voluntariness3. Impairment/Obstacles of Voluntariness
B. Sources of Morality1. Object2. Intention3. Circumstances
C. Interrelations of the Sources of Morality: Toward Personal Integrity
COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Norms and Guidelines for Moral ManA. The Objective Norm: Law
1. Eternal Law2. Natural Law3. Human Law4. Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount: Basic
Christian CharacterB. The Subjective Norm: Conscience
1. Definitions a. As Moral Faculty b. As a Moral Judgment2. Theories of Conscience3. Kinds of Conscience and their Binding Force
COURSE OUTLINE
4. Development of Moral Conscience5. The Christian Formation of
ConscienceC. Concrete Guidelines for Making a Moral Decision
V.Christian Discipleship: The Way Towards Christian MoralityA. Living Authentic Human Life: Christ as a ModelB. Responding to Christ’s Commandment of Love (Agape)C. Living the Life in the Spirit
COURSE OUTLINE
VI.Invitation to Christian Growth and perfectionA. Sin as an Obstacle to Moral Growth
1. Nature of Sin a. Biblical Views of Sin b. Theological Reflection on Sin c. Moral, Grave and Venial Sin2. Kinds of Sin a. Different Kinds of Internal Sins b. Sins of Omission and Commission c. The Capital Sins
COURSE OUTLINE
3. Sources of Sins a. Impact of a Sinfully Distorted World
b. Temptation4. Responsibility for Sins of Others and Sinful
Cooperation a. Seduction b. Scandal c. Cooperation in the Sins of Others
B. Conversion: The Continuous Process for Growth1. Man’s Need for Conversion2. Nature of Conversion3. Conditions of Conversion4. Fruits of Conversion5. Sacramental Enactment and Realization of
Conversion
COURSE OUTLINE
C. Virtues: Habits for Effective Christian Living
1. Nature of Virtues2. Systems of Virtues a. Primacy of Charity b. Diversity of Virtues3. Fundamental Requirements for
Virtue a. Moral Knowledge and Prudence b. Love of Moral Value c. Dominion Over Passions
COURSE OUTLINE
D. Christ’s Invitation to Perfection1. Defective Ideals2. The Call to Perfection in Holy Scripture a. Old Testament b. New Testament3. Essence and Universality of the Call to
Perfection a. Nature and Perfection b. Universality of the Call to Perfection c. Manifold Realization of the Common Call
to Holiness4. Pathways to Holiness
COURSE OUTLINE
VII. The Decalogue in the Light of Current Moral Problems5th – Issues on Life and the Body6th – Issues on Sexuality7th – Issues on Management of Resources8th – Issues on Truthfulness
INTRODUCTION:
PHILOSOPHY/
THEOLOGY/
MORALITY
INTRODUCTION: PHILOSOPHY
A: Etymologically: It comes from two Greed words philos (“love”),
and sophia (“wisdom”). Hence, philosophy is
defined as “love of wisdom”.
Q: What is Philosophy?
Classical Definition: It is the science which studies the final or ultimate causes of all things in the light of human reason.
INTRODUCTION: THEOLOGY
Etymology: (THEOS: GOD / LOGOS:STUDY/SCIENCE)
HENCE, THEOLOGY IS THE SCIENCE OR STUDY OF GOD
Q: What is Theology?
THEOLOGY AS SCIENCE
In the sense that theology as a study of Godis also a systematic body of knowledge
However, unlike other human sciences, theology solely relies on divine revelation
DIVINE REVELATION
Through revelation, God makes himself known…
…as well as his plan of salvation
God’s revelation comes to us even through
the most ordinary circumstance of our life.
Divine revelation can only be accepted by FAITH
Revelation is God’s initiative.
Through revelation God establishes a relationship with humanity
FAITHenables us to see God’s intervention even in
human history
Through theology: we learn of a God who is active in human affairs…
Not a God who watches from a distance
Hence, THEOLOGY is:
The study of God and his relationship with man and the world
Studied through the use of reason illumined by faith
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Where am I going?
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Ethics?
A: Etymologically: It comes from two Greed word ethos, meaning a characteristic way of doing things, or a body of customs. Hence, it is a study of human customs or ways of doing things.
Classical Definition: It is the science of the morality of human acts. It is a science because it is a systematic body of knowledge meant to guide men in their pursuit of the good and happy life.
Ethics is therefore a practical science; it is not a speculative science that merely theorizes. Ethics is meant to be applied, i.e., it teaches how men ought to live.
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Note: Ethics can be divided into two:
A. General Ethics – concerns the individual and what he ought to do to live happy and fruitful life in this world.
B. Special Ethics – concerns the individual as a member of society. All problems concerning society and the social orderare taken up.
THE IMPERATIVES OF ETHICS
Ethics presupposes some imperatives or sine qua non, “those with which” Ethics would not be possible. These imperatives are:
1. the existence of God or a Supreme Being
2. the existence of human freedom;
3. the existence of an afterlife, i.e., life beyond
the grave, or the immortality of the soul
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Morality?
A: Mortality is the quality of goodness or badness of human acts. It is also the rightness or wrongness of human acts as they conform or do not conform to standards.A: Human acts are those that are done with full knowledge and full willingness or deliberation. Acts that are done without full knowledge or full willingness or deliberation or both are termed acts of man.
Human acts must conform to a standard to determine
whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, moral or
immoral.
MORAL THEOLOGY• Moral Theology seeks to relate the Christian to the complex realities of living in the world. • Interested on the implications of the Christian faith.
A. Ethics of BeingB. Ethics of Doing Ethics of Being Ethics of Doing
Interiority of the person. Interiority of the person get expressed in behavior
Actions are always expression of a person.
Right actions come from a good person
It pays attention to what is happening to the person performing actions rather than on the actions the person performs.
Attends not only to the duties and obligations of the person acting but also to the circumstances which make up the moral situation
It asks: What sort of person should I become because I believe in Christ?
It asks: What sort of action should I perform because I believe in Christ?
Character Action
MORAL THEOLOGY“Special attention needs to be given to the development of moral theology. Its scientific exposition should be thoroughly nourished by the scriptural teaching. It should show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in Charity for the life of the world.” (Optatem Totusis, 16)
Five Guidelines to the Development of Moral Theology1.Vocation of the Christian
- Call to Holiness- Invitation from Christ to a personal response of love.
2.Love God through one’s neighbor- The life of Christian must live daily in word and deed.- As a service for others not purely between God and individual.
3.More Biblical- More thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching.- Imbued with a deeper sense of the Word of God as revealed in scripture and of the history of Man’s salvation revealed in the bible.
4.More Scientific - constant dialogue with other field of study.5.On Going Task
- Socially oriented and must come into grips with contemporary problems.
MORAL THEOLOGY
“Someone came to Him…”For the young man, the question is not so much
about rules to be followed, but about the full meaning of life. This is in fact the aspiration at the heart of every human decision and action, the quiet searching and interior prompting which sets freedom in motion.
This question is ultimately an appeal to the absolute Good which attracts and beckons us; it is the echo of a call from God who is the origin and goal of man’s life.
In order to make this “encounter” with Christ possible, God willed His church.
“Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”It is essential and unavoidable question for the life
of every man, for it is the moral good which must be done, and about eternal life.
People today need to turn to Christ once again in order to receive from Him the answer to their questions about what is good and what is evil.
“There is only one who is good.”The answer to the question, What good must I do to
have eternal life?, can only be found by turning one’s mind and heart to the “ONE” who is good; only God can answer the question about what is good, ultimately means to turn towards God.
“If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments”
God has already given an answer to this question. He did so by creating man and ordering him with wisdom and love to his final end, through the law which is inscribed in his heart. The natural law is no other than the light of understanding infused in us by God, whereby we understand what must be done and what must be avoided. God gave this light and this law to man at creation.
The Ten Commandments are part of God’s revelation. At the same time, they teach us man’s true humanity. They shed light on the essential duties, and so indirectly on the fundamental rights, inherent in the nature of the human person.
Without love of neighbor made concrete in keeping the commandments, genuine love for God is not possible.
Jesus brings God’s commandments to fulfillment, particularly the commandment of love of neighbor, by interiorizing their demands and by bringing out their fullest meaning.
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Ethics?
A.MORAL SITUATION: AN OVERVIEW
B.CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS
An overview of the moral situation presents to us the contemporary moral trends
The present generation is characterized by the extraordinary increase and gravity of
threats to life
THE THREATS TO LIFE DIRECTLY AFFLICT
THE WEAK AND THE DEFENSELESS
THREATS TO LIFE:
A.WHATEVER IS OPPOSED TO LIFE
Murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide
B. WHATEVER VIOLATES THE INTEGRITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
mutilation, torments inflicted on body and mind
C. WHATEVER INSULTS HUMAN DIGNITY
Subhuman living conditions slavery
imprisonment human trafficking disgraceful working
conditions
ALL THESE ARE:Poisons to human society
Against the order of reason
THEY ARE:Expanding with new prospects
Opened up by scientific technological progress
IRONY
Progress in science and technology
Regress in moral life
GRAVE CONCERN:
Broad sectors of public opinion JUSTIFY certain crimes against life
HOW?
By invoking the rights of individual freedom and
By obtaining exemption from punishment even authorization by the state, so that
these crimes can be done with total freedom
IT IS GRAVE AND DISTURBING THAT CONSCIENCE IS DARKENED BY WIDESPREAD CONDITIONING
AS A RESULT,IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT
TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
SYMPTOMATIC OF MORAL DECLINE
C. ROOTS AND SOURCES OF CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS
1. Profound Crisis of Culture
CULTURE
pattern of human knowledge, customary belief, and behavior of a racial, religious, or social group
the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time
the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices
CAUSE: Skepticism in relation to the foundations of knowledge and ethics
EFFECTS: difficulty in grasping clearly:
- The meaning of human existence
- The meaning of man’s rights and duties
MAN FINDS HIMSELF LOST
2. Existential and Interpersonal difficulties
EXISTENTIAL
grounded in existence or the experience of existence
Aggravated by the complexity of society where people
no longer want to take responsibility for their neighbors
3. Situations of Acute Poverty, Anxiety or Frustration
CONCLUSION:
THE CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS MAKE THE CHOICE TO DEFEND AND PROMOTE LIFE
DEMANDING AS SOMETIMES TO REACH THE POINT OF
HEROISM
2[1]._NOTIONS_OF_MORALITY.ppt