A Non-Religious Moral Code (Junior Cert Religious Education): Revision Notes
A Non-Religious Moral Code
Why is living a morally good life important?
From a non-religious perspective, there are important reasons why humans should strive to live morally good lives. Every day, people face decisions that are either right or wrong - from simple choices like returning a lost wallet to more complex ethical dilemmas.
The complexity of moral decision-making means that developing a solid ethical foundation is crucial for navigating life's challenges, regardless of whether that foundation comes from religious or secular sources.
Four main reasons for humans to be morally good
Human beings have four key motivations for wanting to be morally good people:
1. To create happiness
Being moral helps us achieve happiness in the world. When we act ethically, we contribute to our own wellbeing and that of others around us.
2. To obey the law
Being moral ensures we follow the laws of our country. This helps maintain order and stability in society.
3. To serve society
Being moral helps make our society better. When individuals act ethically, the entire community benefits from their positive contributions.
4. To become a better person
Being moral helps each of us develop into a better person. Through ethical behaviour, we grow and improve our character.
These four motivations demonstrate that moral behaviour benefits both the individual and the broader community, creating a positive cycle of ethical action and social well-being.
The theory of natural law
Natural law means that by virtue of being human, every person has an inbuilt (or natural) instinct that tells them what is right and wrong. In other words, the very nature of being human means we have something in our hearts or minds that enables us to know good from evil.
Natural law theory explained
Natural law theory states that every human being has been given an ability to reason or work things out. Because humans have the ability to reason, this theory argues that all humans have a natural ability to instinctively know what is right or wrong.
This law is invisible and written onto our hearts and minds - it's an inbuilt feature of being human. The theory suggests that everyone can access this moral understanding if they take time to think and reflect.
Strengths and criticisms
Natural law theory differs from other moral codes because it's not written down anywhere for people to read. It's accessible through human reasoning rather than requiring external authority.
However, some people criticise this theory because they believe it's too open to interpretation. Others argue it focuses only on the human world and ignores other considerations. Nevertheless, it remains an important theory about why humans should make morally sound decisions.
The debate around natural law theory highlights the ongoing philosophical discussion about whether moral understanding is inherent to human nature or requires external guidance and teaching.
What is philosophy?
Philosophy means 'love of wisdom and knowledge'. Philosophers are people who ask important questions about life, including questions about what it means to be moral. They wonder about life and constantly question the meaning and purpose of life, the nature of good and evil, and how humans can come to know the truth.
Philosophy has developed over many eras and continues developing today. It has played a hugely important role in developing morality in societies since ancient times.
Although some philosophers have religious viewpoints, philosophy can also inform a non-religious perspective. This makes philosophy valuable for developing non-religious moral codes.
Philosophy's strength lies in its methodical approach to examining fundamental questions about existence, morality, and knowledge through reason and critical thinking rather than faith or tradition alone.
The classical era and morality
The Classical Era of philosophy is probably the most important era in creating and developing philosophy, particularly regarding morality. It began in Ancient Greece approximately 500 BCE. Philosophers during this time were concerned with morality and ethics - the study of what is right and wrong.
The great philosophers of this time - Socrates, Plato and Aristotle - were concerned with making Athens morally great. They looked at ways to create a society where people could follow moral laws to restore moral order.
Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE)
Socrates was concerned with answering questions about what was right and wrong, believing this to be the duty of every human being. He wanted to create a universal definition of right and wrong - a one-size-fits-all approach.
Socrates believed that if something was right, then it should be right at all times and in all places. This is referred to as a 'universal truth'. According to Socrates, asking questions and learning about morality were good starting points for living a morally good life. He taught that if a person knows what is good, they should do what is good.
Socrates believed that the only way to achieve true happiness is to live a morally good life. This connection between morality and happiness became a cornerstone of Western philosophical thought.
Plato (c. 427-347 BCE)
Plato, a student of Socrates, continued the mission to figure out what it meant to live a morally good life. Like Socrates, Plato wanted to discover what was good in an attempt to make Athens great.
Plato took Socrates' views about knowing what was right but developed them further. Instead of there being just one way to know what was morally right, Plato argued there were two different ways:
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The correct way: To know what was morally good by understanding it in your mind. To really know something, you had to understand it rather than just know something by its appearance.
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The incorrect way: To only know the truth based on appearances and what things look like. Plato warned that appearances can be deceptive, and following this path would lead to failure in living a morally good life.
The allegory of the cave
Plato used a simple story called the Allegory of the Cave to explain his message. An allegory is a story with a hidden meaning.
Worked Example: Understanding Plato's Allegory
In this story, prisoners were chained together facing the back wall of a cave. They could only see the reflexion of people outside from the fire shining through. The only images they saw were shadows on the wall. When one prisoner escaped and saw the sun, he ran back to tell the others how wonderful it was. However, they declined to leave because they were happy seeing the reflexion rather than the true appearance.
The Hidden Meaning: This story illustrates Plato's teaching that we must work to truly understand things rather than just accepting surface appearances. The shadows represent false knowledge, while the sun represents true understanding.
Aristotle
Aristotle, the final classical philosopher and a student of Plato, was also concerned with ethics and helping people in Athens understand what was right so they could live a morally good life.
While Plato taught there were two ways of knowing truth (one right, one wrong), Aristotle took this theory one step further. According to Aristotle, both ways of knowing the truth were equally important.
For example, to really know something, part of it will always stay the same (what you know in your mind - your intellect) but part will always change (how you see things - your senses). Both aspects are necessary for complete understanding.
Aristotle's synthesis of intellectual understanding and sensory experience created a more balanced approach to knowledge that influenced Western thought for centuries to come.
The age of reason (the Enlightenment) and morality
A second important era in developing philosophy and non-religious understanding of morality is the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment. This took place from the 16th to 19th centuries.
The Age of Reason is seen by many as a major turning point in history and the beginning of the Modern Age. During this era, humans began to turn away from ancient thought and put their trust into something new - human reason and science.
The Age of Reason placed importance on the ability of each person to reason or work things out for themselves. It rejected traditional, outside sources of authority such as monarchies and the Church. During this time, important human developments such as democracy and human rights began.
This period marked a fundamental shift from accepting authority-based knowledge to embracing individual rational inquiry as the primary method for understanding truth and morality.
René Descartes
René Descartes is known as the Father of Modern Philosophy. He was born in France in 1596 and was particularly interested in human existence and how we come to know things.
Descartes urged people to reject all outside sources telling us about ourselves and instead discover the truth about what it meant to live a morally good life. According to Descartes, the only way we can know ourselves, the truth, and what is morally good is to start with ourselves.
'I think, therefore I am'
'I think, therefore I am' is the most important teaching of Descartes, also known as the Cogito Argument. According to Descartes, the only way to know something (such as what is right, what is good, or what is true) is by human intellect and the ability to reason.
Descartes taught that it is our intellect above all else that tells us who we are and what is right and wrong. Our intellect will help us make the right decisions over the wrong ones. This principle became the foundation for modern rational approaches to ethics and morality.
Worked Example: Understanding the Cogito Argument
Descartes' famous statement can be broken down as follows:
- Step 1: Doubt everything you think you know
- Step 2: Notice that even while doubting, you are thinking
- Step 3: Recognise that if you are thinking, you must exist
- Conclusion: The act of thinking proves your existence - "I think, therefore I am"
This demonstrates that through reason alone, we can establish at least one certain truth about our existence.
Summary
Key Points to Remember:
- Natural law theory suggests humans have an inbuilt ability to distinguish right from wrong through reasoning
- People have four main reasons for being morally good: creating happiness, obeying laws, serving society, and becoming better people
- Philosophy means 'love of wisdom and knowledge' and helps develop non-religious moral understanding
- Classical Era philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle) focused on creating universal truths about morality and ethics
- The Age of Reason emphasised human intellect and reasoning as the primary sources of moral knowledge, with Descartes arguing 'I think, therefore I am'