Quotes from Readings
Which reading is this quote from “The question is not whether you can get away with it, but whether you can live with yourself if you do.”
Colin McGinn in "Why Not Be a Bad Person"
You find Bill Gates wallet with $1000 inside. Are you going to return it?
Yes, because it is the morally right decision.
The study of what is right and wrong and how people should act. It’s a branch of philosophy that looks at moral principles.
Ethics
A cashier hands you $10 more than you should have received in change. Do you keep the money?
Yes, because money is money, and that is free $10.
Telling the truth and not lying or cheating.
Honesty
Which reading is this quote from “No one is just willingly, but only when compelled.”
"The Ring of Gyges"
You see someone being bullied by a group of your friends. Do you stand up to the bullies or remain silent?
You stand up to them even though they are your own friends because it is the right thing to do.
Putting the needs and well-being of others before your own, often helping without expecting anything in return.
Selflessness
Your wife/husband desperately needs a type of medicine, but you cannot afford it. Will you steal the medicine from a local pharmacy?
Yes, because that is your partner's life at stake.
Doing the right thing even when it is difficult or scary.
Courage
Which reading is this quote from “The Golden Rule does not tell us what to do; it tells us how to decide what to do.”
R. M. Maclver in "The Deep Beauty of The Golden Rule"
A train is running down a track where it would kill 5 people, but if you flip the switch, it will go down another track it will only kill one. Are you flipping the switch?
No, because if you touch the switch, you are committing an act of murder.
Putting your own needs and interests above others, sometimes without caring how it affects them.
Selfishness
Do you have a moral obligation to save a child drowning in a shallow pond, but the only cost is that you muddy your most expensive clothes?
Yes, because you are saving an innocent life.
Treating others kindly and valuing their feelings and rights.
Respect
Which reading is this quote from “The achievement of his own happiness is man’s highest moral purpose.”
Mr. Nordstrom leaves the answers to the hardest test of the year on his desk and leaves the room. Are you taking pictures of the answers?
Yes, because who would not take up that opportunity?
A moral principle that says you should treat others the way you want to be treated. It appears in many religions and philosophies.
Golden Rule
You receive a package at your home that belongs to your neighbor, but it has something you really want but cannot afford. Do you keep the package?
No, you give it back because you would want them to do the same for you.
Being accountable for your actions and doing what you are supposed to do.
Responsibilty
Which reading is this quote from “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never merely as a means.”
Immanuel Kant in "Dignity and Self Respect"
Your own dog because he means more to you than the random stranger.
The idea that what is right or wrong depends on the person, culture, or situation. There are no absolute moral rules that apply to everyone.
Relativism
You discover your best friend's partner is cheating on them. Do you tell them the truth or keep it to yourself, knowing it would destroy all of their happiness?
Yes, because no matter what, they will find out at some point and be heartbroken.
Caring about others and wanting to help when they are suffering.
Compassion