Moral and Ethical Decision-Making
This section covers Moral and Ethical Decision-Making, the domain that tests whether you can reason about right and wrong using ethical frameworks, not just state personal feelings.
Frameworks
- Conscience: a judgement of reason that must be formed by Scripture, Church teaching, facts and advice; an erroneous conscience can be wrong but still binds if the person is not responsible for the error.
- Natural law (Aquinas): basic human goods known through reason. Virtue ethics (Aristotle and Aquinas): act as a virtuous person would, aiming at flourishing.
- Deontology (Kant): act only on maxims you could will as universal law; treat persons as ends.
- Consequentialism/utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill): judge by outcomes and the greatest happiness. Situation ethics (Fletcher): love as the only absolute.
- Catholic moral method: object, intention and circumstances; double effect; lesser evil; cooperation.
Worked example
Scenario: you could lie to protect a friend from bullying. Reasoning: identify the moral object (lying), intention (protection) and circumstances (risk). Apply tests: the Golden Rule; universalizability (would I accept being lied to?); double effect (is the bad effect foreseen but not intended?). A strong answer weighs truth-telling and protection, distinguishes lying from withholding information, and proposes a proportionate response such as seeking adult help. It does not just say 'lying is always wrong' or 'do what feels right'.
Traps
- Subjectivism: 'It is right because I feel it'.
- False dilemma: assuming only two options exist.
- Confusing legality with morality.
- Ignoring intention or circumstances.
- Quoting a rule without applying it to the case.