Christian Ed 10
Being a Moral Person
Name:
Date:
Obligation or Happiness?
Question
What I Think
What My Partner Thinks
Morality:
________________________________________________________________________
What Questions should we ask about morality?
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The Ring of Gyges
Glaucon’s Argument
- Once invisible, Glaucon argues, a person will do all they
want knowing they cannot be caught. They will steal, murder,
and cheat their way to power. They will pursue all hedonistic
desires, having sex with whoever they want to.
- However, Glaucon explains, since people do not have the
ring they cannot act like this.
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Because people do not want to be cheated or murdered they enter into social
__________ with other people: you do not harm me and I will not harm you.
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Thus people are moral or act moral because they _______ to not because they
________ to. This is a Morality of _________________.
Socrates’ Argument
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Socrates argues that a person acts moral not out of
_____________ but out of a desire for ______________
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A person will act virtuous not because they feel they have to
but because they know that being virtuous is a
_________________ and ultimately will lead to greater
happiness than simply acting on spontaneous desires
Glaucon thinks that:
a virtuous shepherd would become corrupt if given the Ring
of Gyges
Socrates thinks that:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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We see that Glaucon believes that doing whatever you want is the ____________
and Socrates believes that being ___________ is the good life
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The good life is a life that brings a person the greatest amount of ____________
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Therefore Socrates argues that people are moral because of their desire for
happiness – we call this a Morality of _______________________
Morality, Rules, and Authority
Essential Question:
Which authority will you conform to? Which rules are you
going to follow?
Thus we return to the beginning: you will follow the rules and authority that you think
will bring you the greatest degree of ___________
You can define happiness as either _______________ or ________________.