A train is running out of control down
a track. In its path are five people
who have been tied to the tracks by a
mad philosopher. If the train hits
these people, they will surely die.
Fortunately, you can flip a switch,
which will cause the train to switch
tracks and keep the five people safe.
Unfortunately, there is a single
person tied to that track. Should you
flip the switch, or do nothing?
ETHICS
Ethics, or moral philosophy, is the
branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and
wrong conduct. The
term ethicsderives from the Ancient
Greek word ἠθικός ethikos, which is
derived from the word ἦθος ethos
(habit, “custom”).
HOPE EVERYBODY IS
HAVING A FANTASTIC
DAY!!!
AND YES, I AM ALWAYS HAPPY!!!!
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The formation of Greek cultural traditions
 From the 8th century, drew inspirations from Mesopotamia and Egypt
 About 800 B.C.E., adapted the Phoenicians' alphabet to their own language
 The Greek cultural feature: a philosophy based on human reason, rationality
Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)
 Athenian philosopher, determined to understand humans
 Encouraged reflection on ethics and morality
 Integrity was more important than wealth and fame
 "The unexamined life is not worth living"
 Critical scrutiny to traditional ethical teachings
 Condemned to death for corrupting Athenian youths
Plato (430-347 B.C.E.)
 A zealous disciple of Socrates
 The theory of Forms or Ideas
 His Republic expressed the ideal of philosophical kings
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)
 Plato's disciple, but distrusted theory of Forms or Ideas
 Devised rules of logic, scientific method, father of western science
 His Nicomedian Ethics became later basis in Christianity
Legacy of Greek philosophy
 Intellectual authorities for European philosophers until 17th century
 Intellectual inspiration for Christian and Islamic theologians.
 Provided a powerful intellectual framework for future generations
SOAPS-Tone
Speaker
Occasion
Audience
Purpose
Subject
Tone
It is a series of
questions that you
must ask and answer
as you read material
and plan any written
responses
Who is the Speaker
Before you begin to read, you must decide whose “voice” is
being heard (who is telling the story?).
Does the voice belongs to a fictional character or to the actual
writer?
You must determine how to discern those attributes of the
speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece.
Your goal in this section is to determine the speaker and all that
you know about him/her. It is not enough to simply name the
speaker—you must understand the speaker based on
references either in the text or through historical research.
What is the Occasion?
o The time and the place of the piece; the context that
prompted the writing.
All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an
environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl
around a broad issue.
Examples;
Civil War – Historical Timeframe
New Yorker during 9/11 – Immediate Occasion
o Your goal in this section is to determine what prompted the
writer to create this work. Try to address both the larger and
the immediate occasions.
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed.
As you begin to read, you must determine whom the
audience is that the author intends to reach. It may
be one person or a specific group. This choice of
audience will affect how and why you read a
particular text.
Your goal in this section is to identify the audience by
describing some of its characteristics described
either in the text or through historical research.
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. You need to consider
the purpose of the text in order to develop the
thesis or the argument and its logic.
You should ask yourself, "What did the author
want his/her audience to think as they read
his/her writing?’
o Your goal in this section is to determine the
author’s purpose for writing: is it to persuade,
entertain, attack, condemn, support, etc.?
What is the Subject
You should be able to state the subject in a few words
or phrases. This step helps you to focus on the
intended reading or writing throughout the process.
Your goal in this section is to determine the subject
of the text. From that subject, you should also try to
identify additional themes of the text— where do you
see evidence of these themes within the text, and
what impact do these have on the meaning of the text
as a whole?
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author. The spoken word can
convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart
meaning through tone of voice.
With the written word, it is tone that extends meaning
beyond the literal, and you must learn to discern this
tone in the diction (choice of words), syntax
(sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors,
similes, and other types of figurative language).
Your goal in this section is to find words or phrases
that describe the tone of the piece as a whole.
How do you feel?
Lets practice one together!
Cool?
Lets write these in your notes and breakdown a
document together using SOAPS-Tone.
Xenophon, Greek general and diplomat, On Men and Women from Oikonomikos,
c. 370 BCE
"God from the first adapted the woman's nature, I think, to the indoor and man's
to the outdoor tasks and cares. For he made the man’s body and mind more
capable of enduring cold and heat, and journeys and campaigns; and therefore
imposed on him the outdoor tasks. To the woman, since he has made her body
less capable of such endurance, I take it that God has assigned the indoor tasks.
And knowing that he had created in the woman and had imposed on her the
nourishment of the infants, he meted out to her a larger portion of affection for
new-born babes than to the man. And since he imposed on the woman the
protection of the stores also, knowing that for protection a fearful disposition is
no disadvantage, God meted out a larger share of fear to the woman than to the
man; and knowing that he who deals with the outdoor tasks will have to be their
defender against any wrong-doer, he meted out to him again a larger share of
courage. Thus your duty will be to remain indoors and send out those servants
whose work is outside, and superintend those who are to work indoors, and
watch over so much as is to be kept in store, and take care that the sum laid by
for a year be not spent in a month. And when wool is brought to you, you must
see that cloaks are made for those that want them. You must see too that the dry
corn is in good condition for making food.”
Who is the Speaker?
Xenophon, Greek general and diplomat, On Men and Women from Oikonomikos,
c. 370 BCE
"God from the first adapted the woman's nature, I think, to the indoor and man's
to the outdoor tasks and cares. For he made the man’s body and mind more
capable of enduring cold and heat, and journeys and campaigns; and therefore
imposed on him the outdoor tasks. To the woman, since he has made her body
less capable of such endurance, I take it that God has assigned the indoor tasks.
And knowing that he had created in the woman and had imposed on her the
nourishment of the infants, he meted out to her a larger portion of affection for
new-born babes than to the man. And since he imposed on the woman the
protection of the stores also, knowing that for protection a fearful disposition is
no disadvantage, God meted out a larger share of fear to the woman than to the
man; and knowing that he who deals with the outdoor tasks will have to be their
defender against any wrong-doer, he meted out to him again a larger share of
courage. Thus your duty will be to remain indoors and send out those servants
whose work is outside, and superintend those who are to work indoors, and
watch over so much as is to be kept in store, and take care that the sum laid by
for a year be not spent in a month. And when wool is brought to you, you must
see that cloaks are made for those that want them. You must see too that the dry
corn is in good condition for making food.”
Xenophon
Xenophon was a Greek historian, soldier,
diplomat and a scholar of Socrates
Many of his books were “Socratic” written,
where Xenophon portrays his writing as if
Socrates is speaking himself.
What is the Occasion?
Historical Timeframe /
Immediate Occasion
The evolution of gender roles and expectations.
Political power become major part of everyday life.
Men rise to power, creating a social structure to
follow and respect.
Men were to be in charge, while women stood
behind them and supported them and the city.
Influential writers like Socrates, Plato, and
Aristotle.
Democracy = land owning men, demining women
roles further.
Who is the Audience?
What is the Purpose?
What is the Subject?
What is the Tone?
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
If he put the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s slave, he
shall pay one-half of its value.
If anyone is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to
death.
If anyone steal a water wheel from the field, he shall pay five shekels in
money to its owner.
If anyone open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the
water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn
for his loss.
If a man marry a woman and she bear sons to him; if this woman then
dies, then her father shall have no claim on her dowry; it belongs to her
sons.
Specific laws from the Code of Hammurabi, a king who in the 18th
century BC created a vast empire including what had been Sumer and
much of the rest of Mesopotamia.
Who is the Speaker
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
If he put the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s slave, he
shall pay one-half of its value.
If anyone is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to
death.
If anyone steal a water wheel from the field, he shall pay five shekels in
money to its owner.
If anyone open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the
water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn
for his loss.
If a man marry a woman and she bear sons to him; if this woman then
dies, then her father shall have no claim on her dowry; it belongs to her
sons.
Specific laws from the Code of Hammurabi, a king who in the 18th
century BC created a vast empire including what had been Sumer and
much of the rest of Mesopotamia.
What is the Occasion?
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
If he put the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s slave, he
shall pay one-half of its value.
If anyone is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to
death.
If anyone steal a water wheel from the field, he shall pay five shekels in
money to its owner.
If anyone open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the
water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn
for his loss.
If a man marry a woman and she bear sons to him; if this woman then
dies, then her father shall have no claim on her dowry; it belongs to her
sons.
Specific laws from the Code of Hammurabi, a king who in the 18th
century BC created a vast empire including what had been Sumer and
much of the rest of Mesopotamia.
Activity Time!
1. Get with your number partner
2. Everybody needs to have their own paper
3. - Write your partner’s and your name
- Write you block period
- Title it SOapstone
4. As a team, figure out in the following passage who is the Speaker and
what is the Occasion.
5. Be prepared to read your answers out-loud to the class! And everybody
who is listening must be taking notes.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a
check. When the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which
every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that
all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.” It is obvious today that America has
defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of
color are concerned.
Martin Luther King Jr. “I Had A Dream” Speech 28th August
1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.