Why should I be good?

Do not use the words ‘good’ or ‘goodness’ in your answer. What does the word ‘good’ mean?

You are in a sweet shop with some friends. The owner of the shop is not looking. One of your friends tells you to steal some sweets. What should you do? Why? The sweet shop

Why wouldn’t you steal the sweets? I might get caught and get in trouble. The shopkeeper will be unhappy. It’s against the law. I wouldn’t like it if someone stole from me. I would feel like a bad person. If everyone did it, then the sweet shop would have to close down.

Motivations Reasons to do good thingsReasons not to do bad things 1)Rewards 2)Following rules and laws 3)It makes you feel good 4)Making other people happy 5)Would like it if others did the same to me 6)The world would be a better place if everyone did the same 1)Fear of punishment 2)Breaking rules and laws 3)It makes you feel bad / guilty 4)Hurting other people 5)Wouldn’t like it if someone did the same to me 6)The world would be a worse place if everyone did the same

Humanists believe human beings are special and human life is valuable Humanists don’t believe in a god, or believe we can never know if there is a god Humanists don’t believe there is any evidence for an afterlife: we should therefore make the most of this life Humanists believe human beings should try to live full and happy lives and help others do the same Key beliefs of humanists

Humanists don’t believe we will be rewarded or punished for our behavior after we die. Humanists, like many people, think we should not just think about rewards and punishment when deciding what to do. If this were the only reason to be good, then we might not do the right thing if we saw no opportunity for reward, or danger of punishment. They believe we should be motivated to do good things because: We should treat others the way we would like to be treated If everyone tries to do the right thing, we can make the world a better place; if everyone does the wrong thing, then everyone will be worse off Making other people happy can make us happy Why do humanists believe we should be good?

Reason: thinking about the consequences of our actions. Empathy: considering how others will feel. Reason and Empathy can help us understand why we should be good. Humanists believe we don’t need to believe in a god to be good. Reason and Empathy

‘A humanist is someone who does the right thing even though she knows that no one is watching.’ Dick McMahon ‘Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead.’ Kurt Vonnegut Quotes on being good

Does it matter why we are good as long as we are good? Are some reasons to be good simply selfish reasons? Are some reasons to be good better than others? Are reasons important?

A new girl arrives in your class. She has come from another country and doesn’t know anyone. Some of your friends say that you should not try to make friends with her. They say there is no room for new people in your group of friends. What should you do? Moral dilemma 1

You are walking across the school playground at the end of break time when you notice a toy on the floor. It is a toy that you have always really wanted. Your friend says you should put it in your bag and take it home. No one else is looking. What should you do? Moral dilemma 2

You are playing in a football match and the score is 1:1. In the final minute your teammate crosses the ball to you. You are not confident at heading the ball but you can reach it with your hand and punch it into the goal. The referee is looking the other way. What should you do? Moral dilemma 3

You really want the new album by your favourite pop group but you don’t have enough money to buy it. A friend says he knows a website where you can download it for free. He says it’s not the same as stealing. What should you do? Moral dilemma 4

A friend asks you to keep a secret. You promise not to tell anyone else. Later that day you feel like you really want to tell your friend’s secret to someone else. Telling it to just one other person wouldn’t hurt would it? What should you do? Moral dilemma 5

Remember the reasons humanists believe we should be good: We should treat others the way we would like to be treated If everyone tries to do the right thing, we can make the world a better place; if everyone does the wrong thing, then everyone will be worse off Making other people happy can make us happy What would a humanist do? Think about the moral dilemma and discuss what you would do and why. Now think about what a humanist would do and why they would do it.

Why wouldn’t you steal the sweets? I might get caught and get in trouble. The shopkeeper will be unhappy. It’s against the law. I wouldn’t like it if someone stole from me. I would feel like a bad person. If everyone did it, then the sweet shop would have to close down.

How might a humanist respond to these questions and statements about why we should be good? 1)The possibility of getting a reward is the best reason to be good. 2)If you knew you wouldn’t get caught, why wouldn’t you steal something? 3)If you don’t believe in a god there is no reason to be good. Humanist responses

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