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An Introduction to Issues of Morality

Workbook

PUPIL’S NAME:

CLASS:

TEACHER:

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• This booklet is broken up into 5 weeks’ worth of work – Week 5 is an end of

unit assessment to show your understanding of the topic.

• You should set some of your home learning time aside each week to complete

each section and carry out the related tasks. Each section should take no

one that the usual 1-hour timetabled RME lesson.

• You can use the internet or a dictionary to help with the tasks.

• Discuss some of the issues mentioned with your family and carers at home

to see if you share the same or different opinions and the discuss why!

• Your teacher is available by email is you need support and is more than

happy to help!

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WEEK 1 – WORK THROUGH PAGES 3 AND 4, THEN COMPLETE TASKS 1 & 2 ON

PAGES 5 AND 6. If you can, send your answers in by email to your teacher.

MORAL ISSUES

These are situations when people often disagree about what the right thing to

do is.

They might both give arguments about the right thing to do but still not be able

to decide or agree.

This is a moral issue.

An example of a moral issue is animal testing.

I believe it is wrong to

test medicines on

animals. They feel pain

and some animals are

just as intelligent as us.

I believe it is right to

test medicines on

animals. A human life is

more important than an

animal. We need to keep

trying to find cures for

diseases such as cancer.

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What is Morality?

Ethics is the study of how we make decisions about what is right and what is

wrong. From childhood, we are told stories where there are obviously “right”

decisions and “wrong” ones. We learn what’s right and wrong by following (or

not) the examples that people have set us; we tend to copy behaviours that are

rewarded and not ones that are punished. Sometimes we follow religious codes

such as the Ten Commandments. Sometimes it’s the laws of the country we live

in that are important. Sometimes we do what will bring the most benefit for the

greatest number of people. And sometimes, we just go with our gut instinct.

It isn’t always easy to decide what is right or wrong – so how do we decide?

Morality is the principles concerning the difference between right and wrong or

good and bad behaviour.

What is a Moral issue?

What makes an action right or wrong? Morality is to do with

questioning behaviour to see if it is right or wrong. Every

situation is different. A moral issue usually presents a

situation with options to choose from. A person may find it

hard to apply the same principles in different situations.

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Task 1 – you can use the internet or a dictionary to help answer the

following questions.

1. What are Ethics?

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2. What is morality?

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3. What are morals?

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4. What does immoral mean?

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5. What is a moral dilemma?

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6. Give an example of a moral dilemma (not animal testing), explain why

people may sometimes have differences of opinion on what is right or

wrong about the issue.

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Remember everyone has moral beliefs. There can be lots of different types of

beliefs and everyone’s can be different.

People do not always agree with each other about what is right and wrong. This

happens when they have different moral beliefs.

Task 2:

Give an example of a moral issue that you may not always agree with

someone about. (The right to smoke, or the right to have guns). State your

point of view. Why might you have a different point of view on the issue

than someone else in your family?

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WEEK 2 – WORK THROUGH PAGES 7 - 9, THEN COMPLETE TASKS 3, 4 & 5.

If you can, send your answers in by email to your teacher.

Why should people be concerned about moral issues?

We all must make moral decisions. In a democratic country, such as the United

Kingdom, we also have some influence over the morality of the society in which

we live. We can campaign and pressure those in charge to make laws and

decisions, such as banning capital punishment, or allowing abortions to be carried

out.

By influencing other people’s views on these issues, it is possible to make a

difference to the kind of society we live in.

Task 3:

Think of examples of (use a dictionary if you need to check what these

words mean).

1. A moral act, for example an act YOU consider to be right –

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2. An immoral act, for example an act YOU consider to be wrong

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3. An amoral act, for example an act that shows no understanding of

right or wrong

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Task 4:

In the columns below put each action listed under the heading you think is

the best fit.

Stealing Killing Respecting Others Burglary

Murder Underage drinking Lying Reporting a crime

Terrorism smoking cannabis animal testing euthanasia

keeping promises Going to war Being loyal to friend’s

telling the truth Giving money to charity

Right

Right and Wrong Wrong

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Task 5:

1. Choose one action you thought was right and give 2 reasons why you

think this. Could this action ever be wrong?

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2. Choose an action you thought was wrong and give 2 reasons why you

think this. Could this action ever be right?

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3. Choose an action you thought was both right and wrong and write a

few sentences to explain why you thought this.

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WEEK 3 – READ THROUGH PAGES 10, 11 & 12. THEN COMPLETE TASKS 6 & 7

ON PAGES 13 AND 14. If you can, send your answers in by email to your

teacher.

How moral issues are made

What things influence us and help us to make moral decisions?

Many of our ideas about right or wrong come

from the customs and traditions that we follow.

Where we live, when we are living and who we

live with, all play their part. In some countries

certain things are acceptable while in other

countries they might not be. For example, in

some countries people argue that women should

have certain roles in society because they are

part of the custom or tradition of that society.

What about your conscience? One person’s

conscience might be quite different to another’s.

Should we just accept something is right because

“it feels good?”. Some people’s consciences would say yes, others would say no.

Do some people have a stronger conscience that others? Does that depend on

the kind of upbringing you had? Is it ok to do something others see as “wrong”,

but you are doing for the “right” reasons?

Customs and

traditions

Conscience

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Consequences

Some moral decisions might be made

depending on a person’s circumstances. If for example, someone

had three or four children who were hungry due to extreme poverty, they might

be tempted to go out and steal food rather than starve. Although we

know stealing is wrong, this might be the only moral decision that

could be made to save the children from dying of starvation.

A young girl with no family support or financial stability, who finds herself

pregnant, made decide to have an abortion. Circumstances are crucial to moral

decisions.

Sometimes when somebody wants to do

something the long-term consequences of that

action can stay with that person for the rest of their life It is important that

we understand the impact a decision can have on us before we do something.

Before making a decision, we must ask ourselves the following questions –

Circumstances

How will my

decision

affect my

family

or friends?

How will my

decision

affect my

community?

How will my

decision

affect the

world?

How will my

decision

affect me?

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Religion and moral authority

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Rules are rules

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Good Reasons

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People who follow a particular religion

will make decisions based on Religious

Authority. This means that they will think about what God would like then to do

in any situation. Before making a decision, they might study their holy book or

books or even go to see their religious leaders for advice and guidance. Others

may make decisions knowing that they will have to answer to a figure of

authority if they make a wrong decision – this could be their

parents, teacher, the police or their boss.

And then there are some people who just

follow the rules, that could be the rules of their house, their school, or their

country – they do not question.

Quite simply, there was a good reason you did

what you did, you didn’t look to make your

decision on anything else than there was a reason to do it.

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Task 6:

We have seen that there are various influences which effect the moral

decisions people make. Think about the influences listed below and place them

in order of importance. Write numbers 1 – 9 in the circles

From an early age people get their morals from their families

Many people are influenced by the books they read

Computer games influence your behaviour

Religion can influence people when they are making decisions

As people grow, they are influenced by what their friends think and do

Media, TV and newspapers can influence people’s decisions

Celebrities and iconic figures will help form opinions

Cultural influences such as school, organisations in the community and groups

you can join

Can you think of anymore?

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Task 7:

Now fill in the diagram below with who or what you think influences you the

most when making decisions.

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Week 4 – COMPLETE TASKS 8 & 9 ON PAGES 15 & 16.

Good Reasons

If your teacher asked you to take off your clothes and dance naked on your

desk you would probably say ‘no’ (at least we hope you would!)

There are some things your teacher cannot ask you to do.

But how do you know when they have asked you to do something this isn’t right?

Right and Wrong isn’t always easy – take killing for example.

Is there any difference between these three ways of killing?

➢ Killing an enemy in war.

➢ Stabbing someone in the street because you don’t like their face.

➢ Giving a dying person drugs to end their life as they are in so much pain.

Task 8:

Is there any difference between these ways of killing? Why do you think that

is?

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Absolute and Relative Morality

Task 9 – Using the internet and a dictionary, come up with a definition for

each of these phrases below –

Absolute Morality

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Relative Morality

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WEEK 5 – WELL DONE ON FINISHING THE UNIT! THIS IS THE

ASSESSMENT FOR THE UNIT TO SHOW YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

PLEASE RETURN THIS TO YOUR TEACHER FOR MARKING.

Task 10:

Design a poster on one of the topics highlighted in this unit. Your poster should

say if you agree or disagree with it. Then take a photo of your poster and post

it on Twitter or attach it and send it to your teacher.

Or

Research a topic you feel strongly about – this could be something such as –

Animal Rights, The Death Penalty, Abortion. Then write at least several

paragraphs about your stance on the issue and what you agree or disagree with.

You will need to provide several points to support your argument. Make sure you

introduce the topic, state what it is and say what your view is on the issue.