WHAT IS REAL? Day 6, Q3—RS3

JOURNAL QUESTION: What impact do you think mass media or social media has on what people believe is right and wrong? Think about the stories that are on TV, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. What impact does it have on you? What impact would it have on your little brother or sister?

O.U.R. TERMINOLOGY OBJECTIVIST UTILITARIAN RELATIVIST Believe that there are certain “objective moral truths” Certain actions or practices are always right or wrong UTILITARIAN The best choice is the one that results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people Certain individual freedoms are sacrificed for the greatest good of others RELATIVIST Believe that moral decision making is situation dependent There is a wide variety of moral codes, all of them right

OBJECTIVE TRUTH How is truth “OBJECTIVE?” It is UNCHANGING It doesn’t depend on any person’s feelings It is not decided upon by majority vote (Cardinal Ratzinger) No single person in the world today contains the whole TRUTH

RELATIVISM This is the OPPOSITE of OBJECTIVE TRUTH The belief that EVERYTHING in the world depends on your personal OPINION There is nothing in the world that is certain, unchanging or applicable to everyone Morality depends on your individual perception about right and wrong.

Other terminology NATURAL LAW (p. 13) All human beings share a common human nature Certain core beliefs are innate, not learned INTRINSICALLY IMMORAL (EVIL) ACTS: Certain actions are wrong in and of themselves and can never be justified (p.9) No matter what the circumstance and intention, they are always wrong OBJECTIVE MORAL TRUTH: There are certain truths in the world that are unchanging "Truth is not determined by a majority vote“ Cardinal Ratzinger

GOOD AND EVIL Both Good and Evil exist in the world Evil that simply exists in the world is “ontic evil” Ontic evil is ONLY determined by the ACT in C.I.A. Examples:

QUESTION: Is it possible for someone to allow some (ontic) evil to happen but still do the right thing? YES Sometimes we allow evil to happen even if it was the right thing. Committing evil is not the same thing as sinning.

Intrinsically Evil Acts Acts which, in and of themselves, independent of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely wrong. (CCC 1756)

Examples: blasphemy perjury murder Adultery ___________

From the Catechism: #1753 A good intention (for example, that of helping one's neighbor) does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. Thus the condemnation of an innocent person cannot be justified as a legitimate means of saving the nation.

Proportionalism Has to do with comparing or balancing the good and evil effects that an action causes in a given situation in relation to the end pursued. Everything depends upon the proportion established between the consequences of an act.