Theo 204 Study Guide Assignment
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Concordia University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
204
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
9
Uploaded by KidManateePerson870
1
Laura Colombo Fiore
40178021
November 22, 2023
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 1
Imagine that you are returning merchandise to a large department store. The value of the
merchandise is $500. As you are returning the goods, you notice what you think is an error on
the part of the clerk. Instead of crediting your account the proper $500 amount, the clerk credits
your account with $1,000. In order to come to a correct understanding of what has happened in
this example which will allow you to decide what it is you should do, identify how the five
operations of moral questioning found in Chapter one play out in this example: What is it? Is it
so? What am I going to do? Is that action the right thing to do? Are you going to do it?
The first step in moral questioning is establishing and implementing situational awareness
of what is happening in that situation. Before one must properly decode what, the correct answer
is the “what” inquiry is essential. Thus, the “what” inquiry can take on numerous forms involving
the selection and evaluation process. Therefore, within the circumstance of the study question,
when the individual is returning items to be refunded, and the cashier charges your account with
double the amount you are supposed to pay, the action of moral questioning would come into play.
Therefore, in this case, the “what” inquiry would verify if the clerk were entering the correct
amount to be repaid on the cash screen. Therefore, we ask ourselves, “Is the clerk doing his job
properly?” “What is the right amount I am supposed to be returned?” or “Has he entered the right
amount?”.
2
We may also utilize the sounds we hear as the clerk enters the digits into the credit card
machine as a clue to the “what” question. Secondly, the following operation in moral questioning
follows the “what” question by determining which questions fit our situation. This operation thus
translates to the “is it so” question. Hence, when the clerk enters the wrong amount to be
reimbursed, we can see it either on the cash screen or the display screen of the credit card.
Therefore, this would underline and match the evidence and disprove the other answers as they do
not match. Thus, the “what” and the “is it so” questions become cohesive and intertwine into the
situation.
Furthermore, the “what” and “is it so” questions are involved in determining the facts of
the situation. Therefore, they operate simultaneously and separate from the moral questions which
lead us to what we should and will eventually do. Moreover, the next set of operations is involved
in the “act” area, which involves the moral aspects of choosing what to do in a situation and if this
choice is indeed the right choice. It is important to note that the “act” questions carry us to judge
the problem at hand based on our already known values. Therefore, in this situation, after having
gathered the facts that the clerk has doubled the reimbursement sum, we will then think to
ourselves the best way to navigate the situation at hand. Therefore, we will weigh the options if it
is best to say something to the clerk or not mention the error and gain more money. Thus, this
situation can affect me positively if I do not mention the error. Moreover, I am 500$ richer than I
had been at the start, and the large department store and clerks will be affected negatively. The
large department store thus loses 500$, and the clerk may be fired for what can be perceived as a
careless action.
3
Although, based on my moral values, that have been passed down through the generations
and help us act in ways that fit the general requirements of communal living.
1
Therefore,
functioning from my moral compass, I know that the right choice would be to speak up and
mention the error. However, this internal judgment does not transform into moral action until we
can make the right choice that we are morally inclined to make. Thus, the final step in this situation
would be to vocally tell the clerk that he has made an error to correct the reimbursement to the
right sum. At this point, the firm decision to act appropriately has been made. Therefore, having
acted in a manner that aligns with my moral values, I will mention the $500 error to the clerk.
Chapter 3
Describe a situation, either from your own experience or someone you know, where a moral act
led to freedom. Explain why you think the moral act led to freedom. In your explanation, refer to
the four ‘types’ of freedom that Melchin explains in Chapter three.
A situation concerning moral action leading to freedom would be the involvement of a
family member in a bike versus automobile accident. A few years back, my cousin had been biking
to work, while on his bicycle, he had been struck by a car. The impact of the vehicle led him to be
propelled into the air. The velocity of the projection and how he landed caused him to suffer double
leg fractures, which resulted in him needing to have surgery to realign his bones. Through a very
lengthy recovery, he was able to walk again. Due to the accident, my cousin had been prescribed
heavy pain medications. Opioids can be very beneficial for someone when used correctly, but the
misuse holds the ability to lead to addiction and dependence.
Therefore, within this regard, my cousin had unwillingly made the choice to follow the
path of addiction. This individual thus had hidden his addiction problem by masking it with pain
1
Melchin, Kenneth R. 1998.
Living with Other People : An Introduction to Christian Ethics Based on Bernard
Lonergan
. Toronto Ontario: Novalis ; The Liturgical Press. 25.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
medication throughout the length of his treatment from his parents and extended family. It should
be noted that once he had fully healed from his accident, his parents became very protective and
aware of their son's actions. Through this awareness, his parents noticed strange patterns within
his actions. My cousin began staying out late and coming home at strange hours. His mother
confronted and brought these actions up to him, but he was always quick to shut them down. It
was not until his mother made the choice to search through his belongings and found oxycodone,
an opioid which he had taken during his treatment plan. His parents brought up what they had
found, and this is when he decided to admit and come clean about his addiction and his apparent
struggles. It was through the decision to speak up and share the struggles he had been facing that
he made his own decision to be free of the control imposed by addiction.
Thus, through the events mentioned earlier, we have the ability to see the first way of
viewing freedom in moral deliberations, which is freedom from domination. Negative attributes
mainly overshadow the first view, but it implies an assertion in your choices and how those issues
may dominate you. In the following weeks, my cousin entered a facility to help his addiction, all
actions that had been done voluntarily and willingly. He recognized that he needed help, and he
knew he did not want to hurt his parents any longer. Through a fundamentalist perspective, he
knew that his actions that led to his addiction were not a moral act, and he was determined to
perform the operations of moral knowing and doing.
2
Therefore, within this second notion of self-
determination freedom, there are two further subtypes: essential freedom and practical freedom.
Essential freedom is one's self-efficacy to perform moral actions, whereas effective freedom is the
specific factors that may restrict one's execution of these virtuous actions. These restrictions
2
Melchin, Kenneth R. 1998.
Living with Other People : An Introduction to Christian Ethics Based on Bernard
Lonergan
. 74.
5
include abilities, skills, virtues, feelings, and inclinations that we have become.
3
Hence, in the case
of my cousin, he had been implementing essential freedom when he decided not to tell anyone of
his struggles.
Melchin's last form of freedom refers to the fact that the operative ranges of this capacity
are restricted.
4
After analyzing the situation through this lens, my cousin certainly faced difficulties
that led him to believe that he might not have been successful throughout his recovery. Thus, he
probably faced underlying feelings of depression, anxiety, and withdrawal, etc.
Chapter 4
Drawing on Melchin’s explanation in Chapter four, in what sense is there a distinctive Christian
Ethics, or a Christian understanding of responsibility? Be specific in your answer. How has this
distinctiveness played itself out in a story from your own life or in someone you know about,
whether in fiction or real life?
In chapter four, Melchin describes Christian faith as an attitude of hopeful anticipation.
This faith is based on the belief that God works in our lives, personally and socially. This belief
gives us the confidence to experience God's activity repeatedly. Furthermore, our faith enables us
to reinvest our hopes in God's ability to destroy evil.
5
This is why our responsibility to deter evil
is intertwined with our faith. As Christians, we believe in the power of goodness because of our
faith, which drives us to take responsibility for deterring evil.
Believing in the power of goodness can act as a protective barrier against evil, preventing
it from reaching individuals. Christianity recognizes that sin is a part of human nature while
acknowledging the existence of evil. Christians are responsible for making the right moral choices
3
Ibid, 75.
4
Ibid, 75.
5
Ibid, 105.
6
to keep our faith in Christ. In case of any mistakes, our belief in goodness can help us regain our
footing. We trust that God will guide us back to the right path if we ever doubt His existence, and
our responsibility is to maintain faith. Looking at things from a situational perspective, if someone
loses their faith in goodness, it could lead them to succumb to evil, which can be devastating. To
theorize if a parent had just lost their child to a traumatizing battle of cancer. On various occasions,
after the loss of a child, parents may become depressed and essentially lose faith in the good that
exists in the world. Thus, they may believe that the only way out of their circling depressive
thought would be to end their life.
Through personal experience, the loss of a close family member to cancer is often
traumatizing, and it often leaves the relentless question of "why" with the family members.
Although there will never be an answer to why this event happened, retracing one's steps back to
one's faith may aid and restore one's belief in the good and redirect us from the evil of depressive
thoughts or questions. When we decide to take charge of our actions by giving ourselves over to
the power of God, reprise is capable. Moreover, the action of reprise and restoration depicts how
the Christian faith is not merely a belief in responsibility which stands in the face of the forces of
evil, […] it is a personal encounter with the power of grace that restores us as responsible agents
of this good.
6
Chapter 5
Identify an event or cluster of events in which you can see the three historical forces (progress,
decline and redemption) actually at work in the event. Explain each of these ‘forces’ and also
how they interact with each other.
6
Ibid, 105.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
7
The outcomes of one's social life can be attributed to a variety of factors. Among the most
apparent are the influences at play and an individual's engagement with society. These influences
can either advance or diminish progress, and ultimately lead to redemption. Progress can be seen
as synonymous with development, as it represents the cumulative result of personal accountability
and social interaction within a structured historical framework.
7
Individuals and societies alike
strive to achieve prosperity, but obstacles such as sin and other adverse experiences, whether self-
inflicted or externally imposed, can impede progress and lead to decline. As a result, development
may be temporarily halted.
Finally, there is the notion of redemption. Redemption often referees to the reverse of
decline. So, if one is on the path of decline, they can be salvaged; “God’s redemptive grace is
mysteriously at work, ever-present, ever active in the events of society and history, reversing the
effects of sin and advancing the work of responsibility.
8
A possible scenario where historical forces come into play is when an individual commits
a serious crime, such as aiding in a kidnapping, and is subsequently arrested. The person will face
criminal charges and appear before a judge who will determine their prison sentence. The
individual's life will come to a halt, and they will not progress or develop further. As a result, their
decline will begin, and they may lose relationships and experience a decrease in happiness.
During their time in prison, the individual may have a chance for a bail hearing. If they are
granted bail, they will be released from prison and monitored by a probation officer. This could be
an opportunity for redemption, where the individual can prove their worth to society by
contributing to the community through volunteer work, obtaining a stable job, rebuilding
interpersonal relationships, and asking for forgiveness.
7
Ibid, 107.
8
Ibid, 108.
8
An additional example would be the progressive results from the natural development of
human intelligence. The development of an individual's intellectual capacity is a significant factor
in facilitating the achievement of an authentic life. The ability to discriminate between what is true
and what is good is a fundamental aspect of authenticity. However, there may be instances when
one's life appears to be spiraling downward due to external factors or a lack of inquiry into the
circumstances at hand. Such a decline can have repercussions not only on one's personal life but
also on the wider world.
9
Works Cited
Melchin Kenneth R. 1998. Living with Other People: An Introduction to Christian Ethics
Based on Bernard Lonergan. Toronto Ontario: Novalis; The Liturgical Press. 25-108.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help