Ethics

**//Spiderman //** **//The Three Musketeers //** **//Maximus (Gladiator) //** **//Angelina Jolie? //** **//The Incredibles //** **//Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke) //** **//Spongebob //** **//Three Monkeys //** Horatio Caine (CSI Miami) **//Monk (TV Show) //** **//Hiro Nakamura (Heroes) //** **//Lisa Simpson //** **//Michael Scottfield (in the show Friends) //** Jack (Lost) **//Mufasa //**
 * //"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." - Isaac Asimov, Biochemist at Boston University //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Literature: //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Author //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Yamamoto (Hagakure) //**

**//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">History: //** <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: justify;">Mohandas Ghandi <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: justify;">Abraham Lincoln **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Muhammad //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Prophets //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Mandela //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Malcolm X //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Albert Einstein //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Martin Luther King Jr. //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Peter the Great //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"Che" Guevarra //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Mother Theresa //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">George Washington //** <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: justify;">Bill Gates **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Bob Marley? //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Salah-aldeen //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">B.B Ghali (UN Leader) //** <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: justify;">Colonel Stauffenberg (Against Nazi Ideology)

**//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">Homework for November 6, 2010: //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">- Describe the process of decision making (Pretend you are a judge and someone came to you to seek guidance. What would you tell him/her?) Explain in less than five sentences //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">- Create a list of five that you find ethical (in red) and explain briefly why. //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">List of Five Ethical People: //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">1. Colonel Stauffenberg - He was ethical as he was a man who was against Nazism in Germany. He wanted to save what is left of war-ridden Germany by overthrowing Hitler's rule and discussing peaceful negotiations with the Allies to cease all firing. Although he was successful at first in gaining control of Berlin, he was eventually cornered by the SS and he was accused of treachery where he was executed after the judgment was given. //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">2. Horatio Caine - He was ethical in solving crime cases and basing every judgment to available evidence. He evaluates them with much precision and he does his best in being just at interpreting results despite any adversaries like the Russian Mafia/The Mob. //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">3. Jack (Lost) - He was ethical because he wanted nothing more than his friends in The Island to be able to escape the barren and dangerous place. He would do it even if it meant he had to sacrifice his life by diving through the deep sea in order to activate the communications center below the sea so that his friends in the surface will be able to make contact with other people as well. //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">4. Mohandas Ghandi - He was ethical because he believed that problems can be resolved without the use of violence and instead he used 'passive resistance' to end the oppressing taxes imposed by the British upon his people. //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">5. Abraham Lincoln - He was ethical because he had liberated slaves by fighting through a inevitable Civil War and he had reunited the States of America after the fall of the Confederate States of America. //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">Process of Decision Making //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">There are a lot of ways to portray the process of decision making and one fine example would be how decisions/judgments are made in court on criminal cases. It also raises the question whether a criminal in trial shall be either convicted if proven guilty or not. Like in all criminal cases, preliminary investigations must be made in order to assess the crime scene or situation and find evidences. From these evidences, connections to possible suspects can be made through careful and unbiased analysis. And when suspects are established, suspects are interviewed in order to assess if motive/s is/are present to know if the suspect/s to committed the crime. And after confirming motive connected to the evidence available, the case makes it to court to be assessed by the judge, the prosecution and the jury if the defendant is guilty or not. //**

//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Step 3? (Your thoughts on this?) //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Intent //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Morality of participantx //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Facts / Truth about events //


 * //<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Moral Dilemma in my Life //**

**//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Cheating during Earth Sciences Finals //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Why is it a dilemma? //****//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">It is wrong in trying to find a easy way out to answer the exams without working hard in studying for the test. //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">One ethical dilemma that I had wanted to do: //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">To lie to my parents in order for me to attend a late night party of one of my friends //**

**//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">What hindered me? //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">No courage to lie; Afraid of what if they ever found out //**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Morality

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Moral: Seen as good by a society

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Immoral: Seen as bad by a society

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Amoral: There is no morality. There is no basis of judgment for there is no consensus.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Moral Act Factors:

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 1. Intention - Did the person really meant the act? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 2. Interference - Was there outside influence that might have affected the decision of doing the act or not?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Moral Relativism

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> "There is no proof of consensus of moral standards in the universe." <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">In the different societies, there are different standards of morality, which then creates division between how people view something as moral or immoral.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Arguments on Self-Interest Theory

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">A. Definitional Argument(Anything you "want" to do, is seen as a selfish act.) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- To satisfy only one’s personal interest, if there is not anything in for that person, he or she won’t do it (e.g. helping out old lady – need to but do not enjoy, tennis – enjoy) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Mother Theresa and Donald Trump (different tastes in what they want) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Humans “DO” what they want <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: No distinguishing between self-regarding desires and other-regarding desires <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Robs the word selfish of its meaning <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Working for charitable causes <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Humans are born pure/good/clean

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">B. Evolutionary Argument (Competition) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- People are just naturally selfish (Survival of the fittest; e.g. Capitalism – Competitive nature) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Survival is the aim <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Empathy contradicts the idea of survival of the fittest, e.g. monkey would sacrifice food in order to avoid inflicting pain on another) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Humans have empathy

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">C. Hidden Benefits Agreement <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- “Repay the debt” take advantage of people’s problem, increase our reputation (donating blood), reciprocity <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Idea that there is reward after sacrifice to look good (e.g. superhero – posthumous award) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Reciprocity – Dharma “I scratch your back, you scratch my back.”, “What goes around comes around.” <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Motive – What if the intent wasn’t to gain good reputation but rather to simply help out someone (e.g. hiding of Jews by French people in Chambon, Oskar Schindler)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">D. Fear of Punishment Agreement <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- We are afraid of consequences, driven by fear (idea of deterrents) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Mother Teresa (was she simply driven by thought of punishment in the after life? Of course not. If God knew about it, he would have punished them even before they die) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Avoiding: Bad, Punishment, Negative <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: ‘Ring of Gyges’ – grants invisibility; although tempting, there would be some things that we just won’t simply do; People do have emotions and wouldn’t want to hurt the wrong people <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">- Criticism/Delta: Not all acts are based on fear (e.g. Mother Teresa)

<span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-size: 11pt;">The prophet Mohammed described Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as the ‘Religions of the Book’. (Drawing upon this, many Muslims celebrated Moses’ (who some say Mohammed viewed as a brother prophet) successful flight from Egypt as described in the book of Exodus of the Bible, chapter 2, verses 11 – 25.

<span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> The Book of Exodus is a useful springboard for us. Chapter 35, verse 2 says: “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.”

<span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> Our TOK homework springs from this. Bring to class on a laptop doc or hand written notes your answers to the following:

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 * 1) <span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"> What are your thoughts of this passage from a religious text? In looking at how the verse (line from the bible) was written, I would say that it is seen that the Seventh Day of the week has been allotted (or rather imposed) upon to us by God or Allah as law. It would seem that it is somewhat wrong to impose upon us but as humans, we are not perfect and God is the one who provides us guidance and comfort (as some would call it) so we offer this day as a day of giving praise and thanks for the blessings that we have received.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Now find a passage / verse / rule from any religion that, like this one, is not universally followed. Bring the words and the details of your reference to class. (Please do not come unprepared for this part – if you need to speak to an adult for help, please do) In Buddhism, there is no personal "God". Gautama Buddha believes that the way we portray that there is a God is that because we cannot find answers to the mysteries left unanswered in life. Gautama Buddha also instigated that there is no concept of "heaven" and "hell" as believed in the state of inner being and if we are able to find inner peace by conquering our own bodies, we have then achieved the state of "heaven" and if we have failed to do so, that is were the belief that "hell" exists.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-size: 11pt;">What are your thoughts on the passage / verse / rule you found from another religion? In looking at how Buddha's beliefs and views differ from the traditional beliefs of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, we see Buddha contradicts and probably negates the most important of the teachings of the three major religions of the world, "God" and "Heaven & Hell". Buddha's teachings aren't focused into what is imposed by society but rather what is imposed unto us by nature and by ourselves to satisfy our discomfort.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** To abstain from dancing, singing, music and entertainments as well as refraining from the use of perfumes, ornaments and other items used to adorn or beautify the person **.