Philosophy - Ethics

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Philosophy 222: Ethics

University of New Haven

Instructor Brian Bellamy

Lecture Notes for Weeks 1-5

Philosophy 222: Ethics-Introduction

 Ethics and Critical Thinking

 Meta Ethics- questions about the nature and concepts of ethics.

 Is Ethics based on reason or emotions/ feelings/ intuitions?



Considerations for Ethical Evaluations

 The first step in any argument [or in critical thinking] is to be clear on exactly what is at issue, exactly what the

conclusion is.

 Red Herring Fallacy- When an arguer uses an irrelevant point to support their conclusion

 Considerations for Ethical Evaluations

 Ad Hominem Fallacy- an attack on the person, as the source of the argument.

 If someone gives an argument, we must evaluate the argument on its own merits, not the merits of the

person giving the argument.

 Considerations for Ethical Evaluations

 Moral Authority- someone whose life appears to be morally exemplary, and therefore seemingly fit to give advice on

moral and ethical conduct.

 Examples of Moral Authority

 Mark Furman

 Lost Moral Authority in O.J. Simpson trial because of his reputation as a racist…

 Example of Moral Authority

 Rosa Parks

 Exemplar of true moral authority. She demonstrated courage and exercised integrity when she unilaterally protested an

evil and unjust system, although supported by local and

federal laws.

 Considerations for Ethical Evaluations

 The Principle of Charity and the Strawman Fallacy

 Principle of Charity- The principle of being charitable or generous toward the positions and arguments we oppose.

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 Strawman Fallacy- when someone distorts or misrepresents a position in order to make it easier to

attack

 Considerations for Ethical Evaluations

 Examples: Abortion-Pro-life argument

 * It is obvious that my opponent does not value the human life of infant babies.

 *Well now that I think about it, abortion is an excellent way to control overpopulation.

 Studying Ethics (cont.)

 Natural Morality Versus Transcendent Morality

 Natural morality- position that ideas concerning morality and “how to live the good life” come from within our

nature.

 Transcendent Morality- position that ideas concerning morality and “how to live the good life” come from without

from a higher being, i.e. The Creator, God Almighty, Allah

 God’s Commandments and Ethics

 Theological Voluntarism is named so because it makes ethical principles dependent on what God wills. “If God

says, then that settles it!”

 God’s Commandments and Ethics (Cont.)

 Theological Voluntarism- view that “… moral principles are set by God, God doesn’t change and doesn’t make exceptions,

so God’s commandments are fixed and eternal and absolute.

What is right is whatever God Commands, or whatever God

chooses. God does not condemn murder because murder is

wrong; rather, murder is wrong because God condemns

murder.”

 God’s Commandments and Ethics (Cont.)

 Ethical Principles as Divine Commandments

 Consideration: Do Ethical principles exist because God affirms them, or does God affirm these ethical principles

because in God’s wisdom, God recognizes the truth of these

ethical laws?

 Examples: Honesty? Adultery?

 God’s Commandments and Ethics (Cont.)

 Problems with Theological Voluntarism

 God makes the law because God can not be “constrained” to moral law.

 If God’s will does not declare nor is not constrained by the “perceived moral law, then there is potential for

disaster

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 God’s Commandments and Ethics (Cont.)

 God’s Law and Punishment

 * people are morally good in pursuit of reward or fear of punishment, and not for the love being just and doing

good.

 God’s Commandments and Ethics (Cont.)

 Example September 11, 2001 (9/11)

 Religion and Ethics,

 An example of the effective use of Religion and ethics is seen in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Theo-ethical positions

and commitments.

Ethics from Eastern Traditions

Buddhism & Hinduism

 Buddhism

 Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian subcontinent that encompasses a variety of traditions,

beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings

attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as

the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and

Pāli).

 Buddhism

 The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries

BCE.

 Buddhism

 He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end

suffering (dukkha) through eliminating ignorance (avidyā)

and craving (taṇhā), by way of understanding and seeing

dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) and non-self

(anātman), and thus attain the highest happiness, nirvāņa

(nirvana).

 Buddhism

 Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great

Vehicle").

 Buddhism

 Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and

includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren

Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai (Tendai) and

Shinnyo-en.

 Buddhism

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 In some classifications, Vajrayana—practiced mainly in Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—

is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it

as a part of Mahayana. There are other categorisations of

these three Vehicles or Yanas.

 Buddhism

 While Buddhism remains most popular within Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world. Estimates of

Buddhists worldwide vary significantly depending on the way

Buddhist adherence is defined. Lower estimates are between

350–500 million.

 Buddhism

 Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various

teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective

practices.

 Buddhism

 Two of the most important teachings are dependent origination and no-self. The foundations of Buddhist

tradition and practice are the Three Jewels: the Buddha,

the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community).

 Buddhism

 Taking "refuge in the triple gem" has traditionally been a declaration and commitment to being on the Buddhist path

and in general distinguishes a Buddhist from a non-

Buddhist.

 Buddhism

 Other practices may include following ethical precepts; support of the monastic community; renouncing conventional

living and becoming a monastic; the development of

mindfulness and practice of meditation; cultivation of

higher wisdom and discernment; study of scriptures;

devotional practices; ceremonies; and in the Mahayana

tradition, invocation of buddhas and bodhisattvas.

 Buddhist Ethics

 Essentially, according to Buddhist teachings, the ethical and moral principles are governed by examining whether a

certain action, whether connected to body or speech is

likely to be harmful to one's self or to others and thereby

avoiding any actions which are likely to be harmful.

 Buddhist Ethics

 In Buddhism, there is much talk of a skilled mind. A mind that is skilful avoids actions that are likely to cause

suffering or remorse.

 Moral conduct for Buddhists differs according to whether it applies to the laity or to the Sangha

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 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 -First Training-

 Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to

protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals.

I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and

not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my

thinking, and in my way of life.

 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 -Second Training-

 Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to

cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the

well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am

committed to practice generosity by sharing my time,

energy, and material resources with those who are in real

need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess

anything that should belong to others. I will respect the

property of others, but I will prevent others from

profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other

species on Earth.

 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 -Third Training-

 Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to

protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples,

families, and society. I am determined not to engage in

sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment.

To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am

determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of

others. I will do everything in my power to protect

children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and

families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 -Fourth Training-

 Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivate

loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and

happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering.

Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am

committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that

inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not

to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to

criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will

refrain from uttering words that can cause division or

discord, or that can cause the family or the community to

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break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all

conflicts, however small.

 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 -Fifth Training-

 Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivate good health, both physical and

mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practising

mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I am committed to

ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy

in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body

and consciousness of my family and society. (continued…)

 Buddhism: 5 Precepts

 I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such

as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and

conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my

consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors,

my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work

to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself

and in society by practising a diet for myself and for

society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for

self-transformation and for the transformation of society.

 Hinduism

 Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent, and one of its indigenous religions. Hinduism

includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Śrauta among numerous

other traditions. It also includes historical groups, for

example the Kapalikas

 Hinduism

 Among other practices and philosophies, Hinduism includes a wide spectrum of laws and prescriptions of "daily morality"

based on karma, dharma, and societal norms. Hinduism is a

conglomeration of distinct intellectual or philosophical

points of view, rather than a rigid common set of beliefs.

 Hinduism

 Karma- Karma (Sanskrit: IPA: [ˈkərmə] ( listen); Pali: kamma) in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or

"deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of

cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra)

originating in ancient India and treated in the Hindu,

Jain, Buddhist and Sikh religions

 Hinduism

 Dharma- Dharma listen (help·info) (Sanskrit: dhárma, Pali: dhamma; lit. that which upholds, supports or maintains the

regulatory order of the universe means Law or Natural Law

and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy

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and religion. As well as referring to Law in the universal

or abstract sense dharma designates those behaviours

considered necessary for the maintenance of the natural

order of things.

 Hinduism

 Among its direct roots is the historical Vedic religion of Iron Age India and, as such, Hinduism is often called the

"oldest living religion" or the "oldest living major

religion" in the world.

 Hinduism

 ¨ Hinduism grants absolute and complete freedom of belief and worship.

 ¨ Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all

forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions

which would imply a division of identity.

 ¨ Hence, Hinduism is devoid of the concepts of apostasy, heresy and blasphemy.

 Hindu Tenets and Concepts :- 5 Principle's & 10 Disciplines

 ¨ 5 PRINCIPLES

 ¨ 1. God Exists: One Absolute OM.

 ¤ One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva)

 ¤ Several divine forms

 ¨ 2. All human beings are divine

 ¨ 3. Unity of existence through love

 ¨ 4. Religious harmony

 ¨ 5. Knowledge of 3 Gs: Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra)

 Hindu Tenets and Concepts :- 5 Principle's & 10 Disciplines

 ¨ 10 DISCIPLINES

 ¨ Satya (Truth)

 ¨ Ahimsa (Non-violence)

 ¨ Brahmacharya (Celibacy, non-adultery)

 ¨ Asteya (No desire to possess or steal)

 ¨ Aparighara (Non-corrupt)

 Hindu Tenets and Concepts :- 5 Principle's & 10 Disciplines

 ¨ Shaucha (Cleanliness)

 ¨ Santosh (Contentment)

 ¨ Swadhyaya (Reading of scriptures)

 ¨ Tapas (Austerity, perseverance, penance)

 ¨ Ishwarpranidhan (Regular prayers)

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African Traditional Religions

Ethics & Morality

 African Traditional Religions

 Goal for the week”  Common Themes Approach similar to native American Pan-

Indianism

 Discuss diversity in Africa  Introduce ATR  Discuss ATR Morality

 African Traditional Religions

 Balkanization of Africa

 Africa has long been a continent with political troubles. It is a widespread idea amongst political scientists that

the divisions and conflicts that exist on the continent are

a result of the European colonization in the 19th-20th

Centuries, when state boundaries were drawn by the

colonizers. Now, some sixty years after most African

countries gained independence, the continent is

experiencing a period of turmoil.

 African Traditional Religions

 The term ‘balkanization’ is used in political science to describe a process of breaking up a territory into small,

hostile states. It is derived from the events in the

Balkans, which saw the splitting up of Yugoslavia into

seven states, hostile to each other and resulting in a

series of armed conflicts. This term is applied to what is

happening in Africa today.

 African Traditional Religions

 Berlin Conference (1884-85) was held by the European nations to scramble Africa among themselves with the aid of

diplomacy or by weapons. The conference had positive as

well as negative effects.

 Africans had lost their lands. Almost 90% of the African continent came under the control of Europeans. Only Liberia

and Ethiopia remained free. Africans lost their

independence. They were treated as inferiors and were

forced to work as slaves for long hours.

 African Traditional Religions

 Economically, the imperialists had exploited the mineral resources of Africa. The Europeans understood that Africa

was rich in natural resources and they exploited the

resources.

 Some of the rich minerals were tin, copper, gold and diamonds. The Africans were in famine when the Europeans

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began to plant cash crops like peanuts, palm, cocoa and

rubber. Large number of Africans died of European diseases.

 African Traditional Religions

 In the social sphere, the European domination took the traditional African values and customs. They had also

tarnished the existing social relationships, when they

provided Africans with the education.

 Some of them valued it, while others refused to adopt the European culture. The spread of Christianity by the

European missionaries also affected their society. In

short, the European domination divided the Africans among

themselves.

 African Traditional Religions

 Culturally, the Africans tried to adopt the system of democratic government pursued by the Europeans and ended in

failure. Europeans did not understand their habits and

culture properly and tried to civilize them. The European

intervention created rivalry and division among the

Africans. Various issues confused the Africans and they

longer stayed united.

 African Traditional Religions

 The division of African lands by the Europeans without considering the tribal, ethnic and cultural boundaries led

to series of tribal conflicts and it is still continuing.

The British were the most successful imperialistic power in

Africa. The imperialist policies of British created wars

with the Africans. For example, Boers hated the British

repressive policies and clashed with them. Zulus also

clashed with British. In both wars, Britain won and the

Africans were defeated.

 Indigenous groups of Africa include

 -See List

 African Traditional Religion

 By definition, one cannot find a single encompassing book on religion in Africa called African Traditional Religion

to which all the peoples of Africa draw their religious

inspiration. In other words, it is unthinkable to say every

tribe in Africa has the same body of ideas, belief system,

liturgy and sundry religious practices as it relates to

God.

 African Traditional Religion

 However, following extensive field researches in Africa as a continent, regularly occurring, constant, decimal

features have been discovered in the religious world views

of African peoples.

 African Traditional Religion

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 These include:  (i) Belief in God.  (ii) Belief in Divinities.  (iii) Belief in Spirits (Deities).  (iv) Belief in Ancestors.  (v) The practice of Magic, Charm and Medicine.

 African Traditional Religion

 All these have come to be seen as the basic structure or features of African Traditional Religion. Africans embody

all these features in words, thoughts and deeds in their

daily lives with pervasive sacredness and solemnity. This

is, with some degrees of variations because of differences

in their ecologies, cultures and traditions

 African Traditional Religion

 Many of the gods in any one tribe are clearly real people in the history of the tribe. They were first worship as

ancestors and gradually move to the higher grade of gods.

 ATR- Morality

 The practical aspect of belief in ATR is not only worship but also human conduct. Belief in God and in the other

spiritual beings implies a certain type of conduct, conduct

that respects the order established by God and watched over

by the divinities and the ancestors.

 At the centre of traditional African morality is human life. Africans have a sacred reverence for life, for it is

believed to be the greatest of God’s gifts to humans.

 ATR- Morality

 To protect and nurture their lives, all human beings are inserted within a given community and it is within this

community that one works out one’s destiny and every aspect

of individual life.

 The promotion of life is therefore the determinant principle of African traditional morality and this

promotion is guaranteed only in the community.

 ATR- Morality

 Living harmoniously within a community is therefore a moral obligation ordained by God for the promotion of life.

 Religion provides the basic infra-structure on which this life-centred, community-oriented morality is based.

 ATR- Morality

 John Mbiti’s famous phrase “I am because we are; and since we are, therefore I am,” captures this ethical principle

well. The implication is that one has an obligation to

maintain harmonious relationships with all the members of

the community and to do what is necessary to repair every

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breach of harmony and to strengthen the community bonds,

especially through justice and sharing.

 ATR- Morality

 And this is not simply a social need but a religious obligation since God, the divinities and the ancestors, the

guarantors of this order of things, are quick to punish

defaulters. Any person who infringes a moral norm in

traditional African societies has not only the members of

the community to fear for reprisals but also God and the

spiritual beings.

 ATR- Morality

 “In order to aid man in ethical living, God has put in him the ‘oracle of the heart’… the ‘inner oracle’… This ‘oracle

of the heart’ is a person’s conscience, the law of God

written in him. A person is at peace when he obeys his

conscience.” On the contrary, when he disobeys this ‘inner

oracle,’ he lives in constant fear, especially in fear of

all natural manifestations of divine power.

 ATR- Morality

 ] The Igbo express this in a proverb: “Ọbụ onye ñụlụ iyi asị ka egbe igwe na-atụ egwu” (It is only one who has

committed perjury that is afraid of the thunder).

 ATR- Morality

 Perhaps because of their strong attachment to the community, Africans have a very strong sense of justice.

Without justice, life in the community would be impossible;

there would be no harmony.

 ATR- Morality

 A victim of injustice often makes a direct appeal to God. Africans believe that God, who is just and who sees and

knows everything, hates injustice as is illustrated by the

following Akan proverb: “Nyame mpe kwaseabuo nti ena wama

obiara edin” (It is because God hates injustice that he has

given each one a name).

The Abrahamic Religions

Ethics & Morality in

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Abraham was a person who lived during the Iron Age, sometime after 2000 BCE, in the city of Ur, in Mesopotamia.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Accounts of his life vary, but all have two common threads:

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 Abraham (or Abram) was called by God to take his family and migrate to another place.

 Abraham was the ancestor of many peoples—most prominently the Semitic (after the origin of their languages) peoples,

among whom were the Hebrews, , the Ethiopians, and Arabs.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Among Abraham’s descendants were the major prophets of the monotheistic tradition.

 The land where Abraham and his descendants settled came to be called the Holy Land, a region on the eastern

Mediterranean coast between Mesopotamia and Egypt, and the

desert toward its south—the land where the prophets

described in the Biblical and Qur’anic scriptures lived,

traveled, and preached.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Today, that land includes all or part of several modern countries, including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi

Arabia, Yemen, and parts of Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Jews, Christians and Muslims believe that God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in

One God, and to worship Him, to keep that faith and teach

the practice of worship to his children down the

generations, and God would preserve, protect and multiply

the children of Abraham.

 This covenant became the legacy, or trust, for the children of Abraham to continue.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Abraham had two sons, Ishmael (son of Hagar) and Isaac (son of Sarah), whom he settled in different parts of the

Arabian Peninsula, the latter near Jerusalem, and the

former near Makkah.

 According to the scriptures, Abraham was promised that his offspring would become the fathers of great nations.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 These nations are the people who are now called Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

 They are called monotheists, meaning people who believe in one God, the Creator of all that is in the universe and on

earth.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 All of the monotheistic faiths share a belief that God, the Creator, has “spoken” to humankind over time. The word for

this divine communication is “revelation.” It comes from

the word “reveal” (to make visible or apparent).

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 Adherents of the Abrahamic religions believe that God revealed Himself to certain individuals called prophets

over the course of human history.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 They believe that God communicated five main messages:

 (1) the nature and qualities of the one God;

 (2) the purpose and nature of the universe created by God;

 (3) the need to worship one God;

 (4) the purpose of human life and the need to live a righteous life and the news of judgment after death, and

reward or punishment in the afterlife,

 (5) morals and laws which people are told to follow.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 The Abrahamic faiths have in common a belief in angels as God’s messengers to human beings. The angel of revelation

is named Gabriel. The human beings chosen by God as bearers

of revelation to other human beings are called prophets.

Some of them were chosen and inspired to teach people,

while the major prophets received revelations that have

been memorized, recited and written in holy books or

scriptures over the centuries.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Believers in the Abrahamic faiths have preserved these scriptures and traditions of the prophets and the story of

their unfolding in human history. They have continued to

write, recite, and study the words of revelation that were

first communicated orally, then recorded in books.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 The scripture of Judaism is the Torah, which is the first part of the Tanakh. The Torah contains the revelation that

was given to Moses. The Tanakh includes the Torah and the

books of the Prophets, the Psalms, Proverbs and other

writings, 24 books in all. It contains history, law, poetry

and song. It is written on a scroll and recited in Hebrew

as apart of Jewish worship.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 The scripture of Christianity is the Bible, including the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible of Judaism, including the

first five books, called by Christians the Pentateuch), and

the New Testament.

 The New Testament includes the books that describe the life and teachings of Jesus and the history of the early Church.

 As the titles of the parts of the Bible indicate, it was compiled from the writings of many authors over time.

Christians believe that it was inspired in these authors by

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God. There are 66 books in most versions of the Christian

Bible.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 The scripture of Islam is the Qur’an. It consists of 114 chapters called surahs, and over 6000 verses called ayat.

 Muslims believe that it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23

years.

 The Qur’an describes and affirms the basic spiritual and moral messages of the Torah and the Bible.

 The Qur’an text states that it is a continuation of God’s message to humankind from earlier revelations.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 One condition for groups of people to be able to live together in one society is that they share a set of morals

and values.

 The most basic set of moral and ethical values in the Biblical tradition is the Ten Commandments, which was part

of the revelation taught by Moses, and are revered by Jews

and Christians as they appear in the Torah and the Old

Testament.

 The Abrahamic Religions

 This part of the belief system is an important reason why Muslims are taught to respect Jews and Christians as fellow

“People of the Book.”

 The Qur’an includes all of the ten commandments – many of them stated in a similar way, with the exception of the

Sabbath (day of rest).

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Moral codes within Judaism  The Ten Commandments  The Levitical Code

 Levitcus 11-26

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Christianity  Coptic Church  Eastern Orthodox  Roman Catholic  Protestant

 Mainline: Congregational, Episcopal, etc

 Evangelical: Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran

 Pentecostal, Church of God in Christ, Assemblies of God

 Non Denominational  Sects: Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc

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 The Abrahamic Religions

 Moral Codes within Christianity  The Beatitudes & Love Ethic of Jesus

 Matthew 5:17-43

 The Abrahamic Religions

 Moral Codes from the Qu’ran  1. "The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the best of

you in conduct" (49 : 13).

 2. "And do good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with thee, say not to them, fie; nor

chide them; and speak to them a generous word. And make

thyself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and

say, My Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up when

I was little" (17 : 23, 24).

 3. "And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves too" (17 : 31).

 The Abrahamic Religions  4. "And when about the one buried alive it is asked. For

what sin was she killed?" (81 : 8, 9).

 5. "Righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah . . . and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near

of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and

the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives" (2 :

17).

 The Abrahamic Religions  6. "And they (the woman) have rights similar to those (men

have) over them in a just manner" (2 : 228).

 7. "And keep them (your wives) in good fellowship" (2 : 229, 231).

 8. "The believers are but brethren, so make peace between your brethren" (49 : 10).

 9. "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are firm of heart against the disbelievers, merciful among

themselves" (48 : 29).

 The Abrahamic Religions  10. "Say to the believing men that they cast down their

looks and guard their private parts."

 "Say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts, and not display their beauty

except what appears thereof; and let them draw their head-

coverings over their bosoms" (24 : 30, 31).

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American Ethics

Justice & Equality

 Sources of American Moral Thought

 Judeo-Christian ethics-the Dominant Religion  Protestant Interpretations of Scripture dating back to

the arrival of Puritan Congregationalist to Virginia

and New England

 Founding Documents  U. S. Constitution  Bill of Rights  Supreme Court Declarations

 Judeo-Christian Influence

 Evidence that Judeo-Christian ideas pervade American society

 Protestant work Ethic  Sabbath Rest  Honor of Parents (National Holidays)  Secularization of Christian Observances  Marriage  Others?

 The Bill of Rights

 The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These

limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty

and property.

 The Bill of Rights

 They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and

reserve some powers to the states and the public.

 The Bill of Rights

 While originally the amendments applied only to the federal government, most of their provisions have since been held

to apply to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment.

 The Bill of Rights

 The amendments were introduced by James Madison to the 1st United States Congress as a series of legislative articles.

 They were adopted by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789, formally proposed by joint resolution of Congress

on September 25, 1789, and came into effect as

Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the

process of ratification by three-fourths of the States.

 The Bill of Rights

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 Originally, the Bill of Rights implicitly legally protected only white men, excluding American Indians, people

considered to be "black” (now described as African

Americans), and women.

 These exclusions were not explicit in the Bill of Right's text, but were well understood and applied.

 The Bill of Rights

 The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American law and government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and

culture of the nation, and is a significant source of moral

thought.

 The Bill of Rights: Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging

the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the

people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for

a redress of grievances.

 The Bill of Rights: Amendment II A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security

of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,

shall not be infringed.

 Declaration of Independence

 Most quoted excerpt  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men

are created equal, that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among

these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 The Civil Rights Movement

 American Moral thought was put to the test in the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20

th century, where African-

Americans, led by clergy and community leaders, began to

call American on Moral hypocrisy.

 Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham City Jail

 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Theo-Ethical Formation  Education: Morehouse College, Crozier Divinity School

of PA (Subsumed by Colgate-Rochester Divinity School

of NY), and Boston University- Ph.D. in Systematic

Theology

 Third generation Minister in the Afro-Baptist Tradition

 Reared in the segregated American South of the 1930s- 40s

 Birmingham Correspondence

 The 8 Alabama Clergymen’s Letter

18

 On April 12, 1963, while Martin Luther King was in the Birmingham jail because of his desegregation

demonstrations, eight prominent Alabama clergymen

published the following statement in the local

newspapers urging blacks to withdraw their support

from Martin Luther King and his demonstrations.

 Birmingham Correspondence  Although they were in basic agreement with King that

segregation should They accused King of being an

outsider, of using "extreme measures" that incite

"hatred and violence", that King's demonstrations are

"unwise and untimely", and that the racial issues

should instead be "properly pursued in the courts."

Four days later, King wrote his Letter from the

Birmingham Jail in reply.

 http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/mlk_day/sta tement.html

 Birmingham Correspondence

 Observations from clergymen’s letter  The clergymen were either unaware or did not care

about the effect that systemic racism had on the

“Negro”. In the beginning of the letter, the clergymen

claimed this letter to be a second, “appeal for law

and order and common sense’ in dealing with racial

problems in Alabama.” The clergymen apparently are

unaware that there had never been anything lawful,

orderly, or rational about racial problems in Alabama.

This fact was the very reason that the protestors were

protesting.

 Birmingham Correspondence

 Observations from clergymen’s letter  Concerning the clergymen’s accusation that the

negroes’ protest was inciting violence, it appears

that the clergymen were apathetic or unmoved by the

plight of Birmingham’s Black citizens. For the Black

citizen, to live under Birmingham’s unequal and unjust

system was to suffer violence on a daily basis, in

that, their human dignity, and God-designed,

personhood was constantly under attack. Violence did

not begin with the protests.

 Birmingham Correspondence

 Observations from clergymen’s letter

 What is most provoking about the clergymen’s letter is that they seem to be completely unaware of the protestors’

religious motivations. As far as the letter, signed by

these eight religious leaders from the Judeo-Christian

tradition, has any “religious” appeal, it could have been

19

submitted by a group of moderate secular humanists. As

such, the clergymen plead with the protestor to allow the

unfair treatment of Birmingham’s Black citizens to be

handled by government (courts) and negotiation.

 Birmingham Correspondence

 King’s Response  http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmin

gham.html

 L

 Birmingham Correspondence

 King uses Sources of American Moral thought in His defense.  One of the ways that they are effective is to compare

his struggle with racism to the struggles of ethically

renowned, historical figures like: Jesus "Love your

enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them

that hurt you, and pray for them which despiteful use

you, and persecute you.", Abraham Lincoln "This nation

cannot survive half slave and half free.", as well as,

Thomas Jefferson, who said, "We hold these truths to

be self-evident, that all men our created equal....”

 Birmingham Correspondence

 King uses Sources of American Moral thought in His defense.  In paragraph nine, King begins by stating his claim

with "Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust

in its application". He then follows his claim with

specific evidence to support it. "For instance, I have

been arrested on a charge of parading without a

permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an

ordinance which requires a permit for a parade". Then

he offers his logical conclusion with "But such an

ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain

segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment

privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.”

 Birmingham Correspondence

 Two of the Main Successes of the Civil Rights Movement was the passage of two acts of legislation.

 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub.L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241, enacted July 2, 1964) was a landmark piece of

legislation in the United States[1] that outlawed

major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic,

national and religious minorities and women.[2] It

ended unequal application of voter registration

requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the

workplace and by facilities that served the general

public ("public accommodations").

 Birmingham Correspondence

20

 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. §§ 1973– 1973aa-6)[1] is a landmark piece of national

legislation in the United States that outlawed

discriminatory voting practices that had been

responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of

African Americans in the U.S

 Influence of the Civil Rights Movement

 The Moral appeal of the Civil Rights Movement has influenced:

 The Women’s Movement  The Anti-War Movement  The Anti-Poverty Movement  The Elderly Movement  The Gay Rights Movement