How to be good
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👩 Teacher's Guide
🎯 Objective
Students will be able to:
- Understand and explain the key concepts of this topic
- Apply philosophical reasoning to everyday situations
- Formulate questions about knowledge, meaning, and reality
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📝 Teaching Notes
- Key idea to emphasize: Main philosophical concepts from this chapter
- Common misunderstanding: Students often think philosophy is just knowing facts
- Suggested teaching approach: Focus on questions rather than answers
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💬 Discussion Starter
Ask students:
- What surprised you most about this topic?
- Can you think of a real-life example that relates to what we discussed?
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🧒 Student Worksheet
Concept and Helping Material
How to Be Good: Ethics and Morality
Ethics and Morality: The Study of How We Should Live
Questions about how to be good—what is right and wrong, what we should do, and how we should treat others—belong to the branch of philosophy known as ethics.
Why Do We Care About Being Good?
Philosophers ask:
> What is good?
> What is bad?
> How should I live?
> What makes an action right or wrong?
> What should I do when I can't do both right things?
The Nature of Morality:
Subjective Morality:
> "Good" is just whatever the individual wants
> Morality is personal preference
> No one can say you're wrong about what you believe is right
Cultural Relativism:
> Morality is decided by culture
> "What's right in my culture" is what's right
> Different cultures have different moral codes
Moral Absolutes:
> There are universal moral truths
> Some things are always wrong, no matter the culture
> Some principles are genuinely moral, regardless of preference
Different Ethical Frameworks:
1. Utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill)
> "The greatest happiness for the greatest number"
> An action is good if it produces the most good
> Consider all the effects, both good and bad
> "Utility" = happiness, pleasure, and well-being
2. Deontology (Kant)
> Focus on rules and duties, not consequences
> An action is right if it follows moral rules
> You should treat people as ends, not means to an end
> Never treat someone just as a tool for your purposes
3. Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)
> What kind of person should I be?
> Focus on character and virtues
> The good life is about being good, not just doing good
> Virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice
4. Relativism (Cultural and Personal)
> Morality is relative to culture or individual
> No absolute standards of right and wrong
> "Different strokes for different folks"
5. Egoism
> Act in your own self-interest
> Always choose what's best for you
> Even in helping others, you're really helping yourself
What Makes an Action Good?
Consequences:
Utilitarian focus: Does it create more good than harm?
Example: Stealing food to feed a starving family
Motives:
If you're going to help but expect praise, is it really good?
If you help but no one knows, is it good?
Intentions:
Even if an action fails, good intentions matter
Dilemmas:
1. The Trolley Problem:
> A runaway trolley kills five people if it continues
> You can pull a lever to divert the trolley onto a side track, killing one person instead
What do you do?
2. Whistleblower:
> You know your company is harming people
> Reporting it will save lives but ruin your career and your family financially
What do you do?
3. Lifeboat Ethics:
> You have a lifeboat with limited space
> Rescue boat approaches with three people
> Your lifeboat has only two more spots
> You can save two or three people
Who do you save?
4. The Double Effect:
> A doctor gives a patient a dose of medicine that will:
> 1. Cure their immediate problem
> 2. But also shorten their life by a few hours
> 3. They actually die earlier than they otherwise would
Is this morally acceptable?
7 Cardinal Virtues (Aristotle):
1. Wisdom (Sophia)
> Knowing what is truly important
> Making good decisions
2. Courage (Andreia)
> Facing danger without losing your values
> Standing up for what you believe even when it's hard
3. Temperance
> Self-control, moderation, not excess
> Knowing when enough is enough
4. Justice (Dikaiosyne)
> Treating others fairly
> Giving everyone their due
5. Prudence (Phronesis)
> Practical wisdom
> Knowing how to apply general principles to specific situations
6. Magnanimity (Megalopsychia)
> Noble spirit, greatness of soul
> Not being petty, even when treated unfairly
7. Faith/Reliability (Pistis)
> Trustworthiness
> Keeping promises even when it's inconvenient
Common Moral Rules:
Golden Rule:
> "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
> Treat others how you want to be treated
Silver Rule:
> "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you"
> Similar but acknowledges differences in preferences
Non-Maleficence:
> "First, do no harm"
> Never intentionally cause harm
Beneficence:
> Act in ways that help others
> You should help when you can
Justice and Fairness:
> Treat people equally
> Give people what they deserve
> Don't use people
Honesty and Integrity:
> Don't lie even when it's convenient
> Keep your promises
> Be consistent
Responsibility:
> Take responsibility for your actions
> Make amends when you wrong others
Duty and Moral Obligation:
> Some things are right to do simply because they are right
> You have a duty to act ethically even when you'd rather not
Ethics and Self-Interest:
Does being good benefit you?
Selfish vs. Altruistic:
> Some help others out of self-interest
> Others help out of genuine concern
Virtue ethics says: Being good makes you better as a person
> Good character is its own reward
Moral Development:
Moral Absolutists:
> Some things are always wrong, no exceptions
> Sometimes good people do bad things—wrong is still wrong
Moral Relativists:
> Some things are wrong in this situation but might be okay in another context
> Cultural differences matter
Professional Ethics:
Medical Ethics:
> Do no harm
> Respect for life
> Respect for patients' autonomy
> Justice and fairness
Legal Ethics:
> Lawyers have obligations to clients, courts, and the truth
Business Ethics:
> Companies have obligations beyond profit to customers, employees, and society
Environmental Ethics:
> Should we consider nature's interests?
> Environmental protection vs. Economic development
> Intergenerational justice: leaving a good world for the future
Political, Military, and Journalistic Ethics:
Military Ethics:
> When is violence justified?
> How do soldiers know right from wrong in war?
> Non-violence and "just war" theory
Journalistic Ethics:
> Freedom of the press vs. responsibility
> Truth vs. sensationalism
> Protecting sources vs. security
Questions for Reflection:
If everyone acted selfishly, would society be good or bad?
Is it ever right to harm someone to help someone else?
What makes someone moral if they act the same way but have no choice?
Is it bad to kill one person to save five?
Key Point:
Ethics reminds us that being good is a choice that requires:
- Critical thinking about what's really right
- Understanding the consequences of actions
- Developing good character and habits
- Taking responsibility for your choices
- Recognizing that moral decisions are often difficult but essential
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Vocabulary and Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language |
| Epistemology | The branch of philosophy about the nature and scope of knowledge, its limits and validity |
| Concept | An abstract idea or general notion |
| Argument | A reasoned, logical presentation that supports or defends a claim |
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Hands-On Activity
What You Need: Paper, pens, and 5-10 objects around the room
What You Do:
1) Form groups and discuss a philosophical question together
2) Each group shares their different perspectives
3) Discuss how different people might answer the same question differently
Think and Talk:**
- How does this relate to what you learned about "How to be good"?
2. What does epistemology study?
3. Which famous philosopher is associated with the causal theory of knowledge?
4. What is the difference between a belief and knowledge?
5. What does the mind-body problem question?
6. What is aesthetic appreciation concerned with?
7. What is the problem of evil?
8. What is political philosophy concerned with?
9. What is the principle of benevolence?
10. What does 'time and identity' philosophy explore?
11. What is a logical fallacy?
12. What does 'language games' mean?
13. What is the 'meaning of life' question?
14. What is a thought experiment?
15. What does 'skepticism' mean?
16. What is 'epistemic justification'?
17. What is the nature of consciousness?
18. What does 'ethics' study?
19. What is the 'Is-Ought' problem?
20. How can philosophy help us in daily life?
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Reflection
- Think about a question you've always wondered but didn't know how to ask. What might philosophy help you explore?
- From this topic, what new idea challenged your thinking or changed how you view something in the world?
- What philosophical question do you think is most important to answer in your lifetime?