Starter quiz
- The definition of ______ is something that causes significant harm or is morally wrong.
- 'evil' ✓
- The definition of ______ is pain or distress which can be caused by both natural events and human actions.
- 'suffering' ✓
- A person’s ______ influences how they understand, experience, and respond to different situations and people in their life.
- 'worldview' ✓
- Which of the following is an example of an ethical decision (a decision about right and wrong)?
- Deciding what to eat for lunch.
- Choosing whether to tell the truth or lie to protect someone's feelings. ✓
- Picking a movie to watch.
- Deciding which shoes to buy.
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- Match the key terms below to the correct definitions.
- psychology⇔the study of the mind, emotions, thoughts, and mental processes ✓
- sociology⇔the study of society and how social structures influence people ✓
- philosophy⇔the study of key questions about existence and how we view the world ✓
- What does 'free will' mean?
- having the ability to make decisions without any outside influence ✓
- having the ability to do whatever you want, no matter the consequences
- having the ability to choose your actions, but only when it’s easy
- having the ability to make choices based on what others want for you
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Exit quiz
- ______ evil refers to suffering caused by natural events, such as earthquakes or diseases.
- 'natural' ✓
- ______ evil is caused by human choices.
- 'moral' ✓
- Which of these is an example of moral evil?
- a natural disaster
- theft ✓
- a disease
- a flood
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- What does it mean if something is considered absolute in terms of goodness?
- it is always good for everyone, everywhere ✓
- it depends on the situation
- it only applies to certain people
- it can be different for everyone
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- What does it mean when someone says that goodness is relative?
- goodness is always the same for everyone, no matter where they live
- what is considered good can change depending on the person or culture ✓
- goodness is based only on religious beliefs
- goodness is scientifically proven to be the same for all humans
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- Which example below supports the idea that humans can be both inherently good and inherently evil?
- some people act kindly, while others act cruelly ✓
- everyone acts the same way all the time
- people always follow the law
- only bad people commit crimes
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- There is disagreement about the meaning of the word ‘good’ and whether it is an absolute or relative concept.
- Moral evil is evil caused by human choice and natural evil is caused by natural events or forces.
- There are different philosophical, psychological and sociological perspectives on whether humans are inherently good.
- History gives us examples to support both the inherent goodness and the inherent evil of humans.
Common misconception
If humans are capable of moral evil, it means they are inherently evil.
Being capable of moral evil doesn’t mean humans are inherently evil; it suggests that humans have free will and the ability to choose both good and bad actions, depending on circumstances and influences.
Keywords
Absolute - something that is always true and unchanging
Relative - something that is dependent on or connected to something else
Inherent - naturally part of something
Moral evil - actions or behaviour done by humans that are intentionally harmful or wrong, such as lying, stealing, or violence
Natural evil - suffering and harm caused by natural events or forces, such as earthquakes, floods, or diseases, which are not caused by human actions
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