Ethics
Religion and Ethics
What is Ethics?
Ethics is the study of how to determine what is the morally acceptable way to behave in society. We will then apply ethical codes of living to modern issues to evaluate whether any ethical code is successful.
What are the topics I will study?
Learners will study four normative ethical theories, providing a range of approaches: deontological and teleological, religious and non-religious. These theories will then be applied to two issues of importance; euthanasia and business ethics. This allows learners to explore contemporary issues and deepen their understanding of the ethical theories.
Within Ethical Language: Meta-ethics, learners will explore how ethical language has changed over time and been interpreted by different individuals.
To develop learners’ awareness of the importance of significant concepts within the study of ethics, they will be required to examine the significant ethical concept of conscience, through a comparison of the works of two key thinkers; Aquinas and Freud.
Finally, in Developments in Ethical Thought, learners will examine areas of sexual ethics, a highly relevant and interesting area of study. Learners will explore how attitudes to pre and extra marital sex and homosexuality have influenced and been influenced by developments in religious beliefs, and also how the four normative theories they previously studied can be applied to these areas.
How can I find out more?
Visit the OCR Religious Studies website.