1A Lesson for “Do the Right Thing” (46)

 

Part One. Study Questions.

 

One. What is cultural relativism? See pages 46 and 47 in which we see that different cultures have different moral standards.

 

Four responses to the ticket crisis:

 

1. moral absolutism says it’s forbidden to steal, period.
2. Contractual agreement takes priority over stealing prohibition.
3. An uncaring society deserves to be victims of theft and, by implication, other crimes.
4. Nihilism; screw it; anything goes because there is no such thing as right and wrong

 

Two. What is the essay’s main question? Do we universally share a moral sense or are morals an artificial construction designed to inhibit the Hobbesian throng?

 

Hobbesian refers to the worldview, from the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, that human beings are animals or barbarians unless the force of fear keeps their barbaric impulses in check.

 

Some criticize the Hobbesian worldview, which I share for better or worse, as being paranoid, unduly pessimistic, and misanthropic. Of course, a Hobbesian would call himself a “realist.”

 

Three. What is Kant’s Moral Imperative? See page 49, top.

 

Four. How do the two genders moralize differently? 49, top.

 

Five. What are moral instincts? An unspoken revulsion to several categories of human behavior.

 

1. betrayal
2. cowardice
3. cruelty
4. sloth (laziness)
5. greed
6. selfishness
7. willful ignorance
8. using and manipulating others
9. leeching or being a parasite of others
10. dishonesty, especially with intent to deceive (as opposed to sparing someone’s feelings or protecting someone)

 

 

Six. How does the term tsika confuse the assertion that morality is universal? Because tskika emphasizes manner, and we can infer appearances, more than it does morals. See page 54.

 

Seven. What is the moral emphasis with toddlers? Mean and nice vs. right and wrong. See page 55.

 

Part Two: Writing Option for Essay #4 (based on #5 “Writing” on page 59)

 

Write a contrast essay that highlights the differences between morality as an innate sense and morality as an artificial convention taught by culture. Is the distinction between “innate morality” and “conventional morality” legitimate? Explain with 4 mapping statements.