What does the Bible say about individualism?
Individualism is an approach to decision-making that presumes benefits for an individual person should be given higher priority than benefits for a wider group. In other words, individualism says the needs of each person outweigh the needs of the larger culture or group. As with any human philosophy, individualism can be used beneficially or as…
What is pragmatic ethics?
Pragmatic ethics is one of the three main schools under the umbrella of ethical relativism. Ethical relativism teaches that right and wrong, good and bad, are relative to the situation, circumstances, or personal conviction. Cultural relativism is another school of relativism, but it is less an ethical framework than a tool for anthropologists to use…
What is the Judeo-Christian ethic?
The term “Judeo-Christian” refers to something that has its source in the common foundations of Judaism and Christianity. The Bible includes the Jewish Scriptures of the Old Testament, so the moral foundations laid down in Judaism are upheld in Christianity. The first use of the term “Judeo-Christian ethic” was apparently by the German philosopher Friedrich…
Why is there so much evil in the world?
Evil is that which is morally wrong or sinful; it can also be defined as the absence of good. Since God is good and the measure of goodness, evil is essentially that which goes against His nature and His ways. Evil exists in our world because some of God’s creatures rebelled and continue to rebel…
What are psychological egoism and ethical egoism?
Psychological egoism is a descriptive philosophical theory that says all human action is motivated by self-interest. Ethical egoism is a complementary normative theory that says all human action should be motivated by self-interest. The former puts forth self-interest as a motivation for human behavior; the latter prescribes self-interest as an ideal basis for human behavior.…
What is situationism?
Situationism is a theory used in psychology that assumes that a person’s behavior is dictated largely by his situation rather than by his personal attributes. For a situationist, external factors, rather than internal motivations, define behavior. For example, a situationist would say that a violent criminal’s environment is chiefly to blame; if the criminal had…
What are the theological virtues?
The theological virtues are faith, hope, and love (sometimes written as “charity”). A virtue is a particular moral excellence (www.dictionary.com/browse/virtue), and the theological virtues are the most excellent qualities that humans can have, as they come only from God and lead back to God. In Catholic theology, the theological virtues are often compared to the…
What is the definition of evil?
Evil is usually thought of as that which is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word evil can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without the moral dimension. The word is used both ways in the Bible. Anything that contradicts the holy nature of God is evil (see Psalm 51:4). On…
What does the Bible say about collectivism?
Collectivism is an approach to decision-making that presumes benefits for a group are more important than benefits for an individual. In other words, collectivism says the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. As with any human philosophy, that idea can be used for good or turned into an excuse for abuse.…
What is consequentialist ethics / consequentialism?
Consequentialism is a theory of normative ethics. It holds that an act is only moral or ethical if it results in a good conclusion. This is in contrast to deontology, which teaches morality is based on duty; virtue ethics, which holds that morality is based on a good character; and ethical relativism, which asserts morality…