1. Higher RMPS Lesson 1 An introduction to morality

2. Learning intentions After todays lesson you will be able to: define the terms morality and meta-ethics explain the terms autonomous and heteronomous.

3. Morality Morality is something that is concerned with right and wrong. Human beings make decisions about what is right and wrong every day. THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES…

4. Right and wrong Jump the queue getting on the school bus Make fun of a younger pupil on the way to school Hold the door open in the corridor for the people coming behind you Pay for your crisps and can of juice before you leave the shop

5. Walkabout talkabout 20 minutes

6. How do we know what is right and wrong?

7. Meta-ethics is the study of what makes things right or wrong. Have you heard anyone saying that humans just have a sense of morality, they just know the difference between right and wrong – some people believe that all humans have a sense of morality. So where do we get this sense of morality from? Surely it has to come from somewhere, or does it? Many believe it comes from a greater being - God?

8. The relationship between moral values and religion Some people believe that moral values are autonomous. The word auto means self. To believe that moral values are autonomous means that we decide our moral values ourselves. We use human reason to decide what is right and wrong. We do not decide by listening to religious teaching whether our moral values are autonomous or not.

9. Some people believe that moral values are heteronomous. The word hetero means different. To believe that moral values are heteronomous means that moral values are decided by someone different, usually a greater being like God. Heteronomous means that moral values are decided by what religions teach. The relationship between moral values and religion

11. Quick recap Morality is something that is concerned with right and wrong. Meta-ethics is the study of what makes things right or wrong. To believe that moral values are autonomous means that we decide our moral values ourselves. To believe that moral values are heteronomous means that moral values are decided by someone different, usually a greater being like God.