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Philosophy and Ethics June 7th AS HELP!

I am actually dreading this exam.

The philosophy seems pretty ok with me. Just learn it off by heart. BUUUT I'm really struggling with the ethics side.

I get the ethical theories, but when it comes to applying the ethics I'm just stuck. We got given no notes on applied ethics, nor did our teacher tell us ANYTHING about what the different ethical theories say so we could make our own notes. We're meant to work it out ourselves or something...

I know it seems like I'm being a baby and complaining that I'm not being spoonfed, but I honestly can't think of what all the ethical theories would say about Genetic Engineering/Abortion etc etc.

Does anyone have any advice? Any websites I can try? Are there any notes anywhere (the textbook isn't too great)? Any hints on how to work the applied ethics out?

Thank you!!! :smile:

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well you need to know that the christian approach to ethics is deontological. if something is wrong then its always wrong. for example you would need to be able to say christians think abortion is wrong because in the new testament it says "before i knitted you in the womb i knew you" basicly say what christians believe and back it up with new testament quotes. as for euthanasia arguments from a christian perspective against that would be that life is god given (as it says in genesis) and that humans do not have the right to take it.

on the contrary for a secular view you could mention john stuart mill and utilitarianism namely that people "should do the greatest good for the greatest number" when applying this to an ethical issue you could ask whether the action does more good than harm if it does then the action is an ethical action. e.g. euthanasia is a good action is it stops suffereing etc (hedonic calculus) also mention that mill said pleasure of the mind were of greater importance the pleasure of the body.

could also mention joseph fletcher's situation ethics for a more liberal christians perspective its very similar to utilitarianism.

aristotles virtue ethics says the intentions (whether it is a moral virtue) determine whether an action is good. and that a good action is the mean between two evils. e.g. bravery is the golden mean between cowardice and rashness.

that a brief summary really hope it kind of helps.
thecatoutthebag
well you need to know that the christian approach to ethics is deontological. if something is wrong then its always wrong. for example you would need to be able to say christians think abortion is wrong because in the new testament it says "before i knitted you in the womb i knew you" basicly say what christians believe and back it up with new testament quotes. as for euthanasia arguments from a christian perspective against that would be that life is god given (as it says in genesis) and that humans do not have the right to take it.

on the contrary for a secular view you could mention john stuart mill and utilitarianism namely that people "should do the greatest good for the greatest number" when applying this to an ethical issue you could ask whether the action does more good than harm if it does then the action is an ethical action. e.g. euthanasia is a good action is it stops suffereing etc

could also mention joseph fletcher's situation ethics for a more liberal christians perspective its very similar to utilitarianism.

aristotles virtue ethics says the intentions (whether it is a moral virtue) determine whether an action is good. and that a good action is the mean between two evils. e.g. bravery is the golden mean between cowardice and rashness.

that a brief summary really hope it kind of helps.


oh your AS ok you dont need to know virtue ethics.

you need to be familiar with situation ethics and utilitarianism though.
(i did exam last year and got a good B but im not sure if the modules have changed)
Cluedosays
I am actually dreading this exam.

The philosophy seems pretty ok with me. Just learn it off by heart. BUUUT I'm really struggling with the ethics side.

I get the ethical theories, but when it comes to applying the ethics I'm just stuck. We got given no notes on applied ethics, nor did our teacher tell us ANYTHING about what the different ethical theories say so we could make our own notes. We're meant to work it out ourselves or something...

I know it seems like I'm being a baby and complaining that I'm not being spoonfed, but I honestly can't think of what all the ethical theories would say about Genetic Engineering/Abortion etc etc.

Does anyone have any advice? Any websites I can try? Are there any notes anywhere (the textbook isn't too great)? Any hints on how to work the applied ethics out?

Thank you!!! :smile:


*subscribes* I'm in the same situation.

You said you're ok with the ethical theories....do you happen to have any notes on Christian Ethics you could send me? I only have notes on Situation Ethics, nothing on Divine Command or anything more than Situation Ethics really. I have all the others (Natural Law, Kant, Utilitarianism) but situation ethics is just a blank.

I have some notes on applied which I can send you as well as I start to make my typed notes on it, if that would help you? :smile:
Im revising the following;

Cosmological Argument
Religious Exp

Utilitarianism
Situation Ethics

I'm sitting AQA so if you got any Q's, please ask.
Reply 5
Also subscribing...don't know what I can offer in terms of notes/help, but I'm also doing these exams on the 7th - spent the day doing abortion/euthanasia (okay...) and natural law (so much to learn!).
Jamieq
Also subscribing...don't know what I can offer in terms of notes/help, but I'm also doing these exams on the 7th - spent the day doing abortion/euthanasia (okay...) and natural law (so much to learn!).


Does anyone know what the utilitarianism and abortion/euthanasia questions were in Jan 2010?
HelenMurray93
Does anyone know what the utilitarianism and abortion/euthanasia questions were in Jan 2010?


What exam board? I have the OCR ones...
Reply 8
HelenMurray93
Does anyone know what the utilitarianism and abortion/euthanasia questions were in Jan 2010?


Abortion:
4(a) Explain how the ethics of the religion you have studied might be applied to abortion.

4(b) ‘Religious ethics fail to consider consequences’. Discuss

Utilitarianism came up with war and peace:
2(a) Explain how Utilitarian’s approach the issues of war

2(b) ‘Pacifism causes more harm than good’. Discuss

This could be a possible question for next Mon actually, doesn't look like the combination of utilitarianism with abortion/euthanasia has come in an exam before.
Actually, I am doing AQA, but thanks anyway.
Anyone wanna give me some help for AS Ethics or A2 BOTH (OCR) notes would be greattttttt

I NEED TO GET INTO LSE and like all of u it seems, ethics is the bit letting me down. Philosophy seems piss easy in comparison!
Reply 11
Hi guys,
If you're stuck with ethics: this is a brilliant website I gave my students when they were screaming about it:

http://rsrevision.com/contents/index.htm

Despite its name, it is genuinely better for ethics than philosophy. Their philosophy takes you off to some random tutor2u website which isn't especially accurate so avoid that!!

If you click on "applied ethics" and click on the topic you want to look at. Down the right-hand side you'll see a list of subtopics i.e. what is abortion/euthanasia etc; case studies; ETHICAL RESPONSES (which will have Util, NML, Kant, etc) and CHRISTIAN RESPONSES (which will have some Divine Command Theory, NML and Situation ethics)

Because this website is for AS and A2, there is also virtue ethics, but as another poster has pointed out, you don't need this for AS so ignore it.

Hope this helps a little
I'm finding it really hard to remember which philosopher said which criticism. I know Kant poke's his nose in pretty much everything. Anyone with any tips on how to remember? :s-smilie:
Reply 13
Im terrified about this exam...im also doing it with OCR on the 7th. i have ethics notes for anyone if they would like them...they are in powerepoint form but are hand. they just have the main points from the different topics in my revision guide.

this has really helped seeing that im not the only one who is terrified! :smile:

thanks for the advice from the different people...slightly made me feel a little bit more in stable ground!
I also have no idea about ethics, especially natural law, what the criticisms are of kants theory, and applied ethics. Christian ethics is jyst my ultimate fail.

I'm alright on all the arguments for gods existence in philosophy, for some reason I just really can't remember all the problem of evil stuff. I know Augustine, ireneaus, inconsistent triad and the free will defence, but I can never remember anything else, did anyone else come into it?
Reply 15
Basically i just started revising yesterday well i should say learning and i cant even get simple things like the cosmological arguement so basically... im screwed
Reply 16
Alex Rogers
I'm finding it really hard to remember which philosopher said which criticism. I know Kant poke's his nose in pretty much everything. Anyone with any tips on how to remember? :s-smilie:



i find i really helpful to makee massive posters on the different theories...you can then link things together and i find it is alot clearer to see who they are agruing with and whether the differnet scholars are even at the same time in history or not!
cheers ill give that a crack :smile:
Reply 18
this is the point where i really regret taking philosophy and ethics, i just cannot remember everything!
and plus i have a psychology exam on monday aswelll, i have so much to revise for!
Clevergecko
I also have no idea about ethics, especially natural law, what the criticisms are of kants theory, and applied ethics. Christian ethics is jyst my ultimate fail.

I'm alright on all the arguments for gods existence in philosophy, for some reason I just really can't remember all the problem of evil stuff. I know Augustine, ireneaus, inconsistent triad and the free will defence, but I can never remember anything else, did anyone else come into it?


The Evidential Problem of Evil may come in handy. What exam board are you with?

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