Topics in Ethics and Morality

Altruism

• Altruism is a selfless act.

Annulment

• Annulment is a church's determination of whether a marriage is valid or invalid.

Asylum Seeker

• An asylum seeker is someone seeking refuge from persecution.

Atheism

• Atheism is the belief that there is no god.

Charity (as virtue)

• Charity, as a virtue, involves providing help and raising money for those in need.

Charity (in justice unit)

• Charity, in a justice context, refers to voluntary aid for those in need.

Common Good

• The common good refers to the benefit of all people within a community.

Conscience

• Conscience is an inner sense of right and wrong.

Consumerism

• Consumerism is the ideology of increasing material possessions.

Contextualism

• Contextualism is interpretation based on context.

Contract vs Covenant

• A contract is a legally binding agreement, while a covenant is a bond between individuals (e.g., people, God).

Circumstances (of a decision)

• Circumstances are the situation surrounding an action.

Deism

• Deism is the theory that God created the world and then left it to its own devices.

Depression

• Depression is prolonged sadness.

Determinism

• Determinism is the belief that one's decisions are pre-ordained.

Distributive Justice

• Distributive justice ensures fair distribution of goods and welfare.

Dominion

• Dominion describes the power and responsibility to govern creation.

Ecological Justice

• Ecological justice involves caring for all of creation.

Epigenetics

• Epigenetics studies changes in organisms that arise from gene expression, not from changes to the genetic code.

Ethics

• Ethics is the study of values.

Exploitation

• Exploitation involves using people's labor.

Faith

• Faith is belief in something without scientific proof.

Food Security

• Food security is one's ability to acquire sufficient food for future needs.

Fortitude

• Fortitude is the quality of mind that enables one to face difficulty.

Freedom

• Freedom is the power to act and speak as one wishes without restraint.

Freegan

• Freegans reject consumerism.

Free Will

• Free will is the ability to choose one's own actions.

Hope

• Hope is the belief that things can improve.

Human Being

• A human being possesses the potential to act for the good of oneself and others.

Human Dignity

• Human dignity is a moral concept referring to the inherent worth of human beings.

Identity

• Identity is the sense of self, encompassing personal characteristics and connections.

Ikigai (jobs, careers, vocation)

• Ikigai refers to the purpose in life, balancing work with vocation.

Individualism

• Individualism prioritizes the individual over the group.

Intention

• Intention is the purpose behind an action.

Justice (as virtue)

• Justice, as a virtue, is fairness towards others.

Laws, Rules

• Laws and rules are the highest form of norms, governing behavior.

Legal Justice

• Legal justice establishes the relationships within a society based on laws.

Literalism

• Literalism adheres to the exact meaning, or the strict meaning of a phrase, text, or law.

Living Wage

• A living wage is an income sufficient for basic living expenses.

Marginalization

• Marginalization is the act of relegating a group to a lower social standing.

Marriage (contract and covenant)

• Marriage is both a legally binding contract and a covenant, a sacred bond.

Maxims

• Maxims are statements expressing general truths.

Migrant

• A migrant is someone moving to another area for work or living.

Morality

• Morality is choosing and doing good.

Moral Relativism

• Moral relativism is the belief that moral acts are judged based on personal opinion rather than a universal moral standard.

Narcissism

• Narcissism is an excessive self-love and admiration, often accompanied by a lack of empathy for others.

Natural Law

• Natural law refers to basic truths used for moral conduct.

Norms

• Norms are criteria for judgments on what constitutes appropriate behavior.

Objective Truths

• Objective truths are universal moral laws applicable to all humans.

Oppression

• Oppression is prolonged cruel or unjust treatment.

Political Correctness

• Political correctness involves using language in a way that minimizes offense.

Poverty

• Poverty involves lacking basic financial resources for needs.

Powerlessness

• Powerlessness is being dominated by those in authority.

Prophet

• A prophet is a person who speaks on behalf of God.

Prudence

• Prudence is caution and careful judgment in practical matters.

Rationalizing

• Rationalizing is providing a seemingly logical justification for one's actions.

Reason

• Reason is the mind's capacity for logical thought and judgment.

Rehabilitation

• Rehabilitation is restoring someone to a healthy and normal life.

Refugee

• A refugee is someone forced to leave their country due to conflict.

Responsibility

• Responsibility involves accountability for one's decisions and actions.

Retributive Justice

• Retributive justice focuses on punishment for criminal acts to maintain order.

Self-Sufficiency

• Self-sufficiency is the ability to meet one's own needs.

Social Contract

• A social contract is an agreement among individuals to live together in a society.

Social Justice

• Social justice aims to rectify inequalities in the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within society.

Solicitude

• Solicitude is care and concern.

Solidarity

• Solidarity is unity or shared support among groups.

STOP method: method of decision making

• The STOP method is a decision-making process.

Catholic method to make decisions

• The Catholic method specifies a method for decision making.