Georgetown Preparatory School



Christian Ethics, Personal and Social

The Virtuous Man in the Public Arena

It was the desire of Ignatius Loyola that the Jesuit school educate the virtuous man who would be active in the public arena. Toward this end, Junior Religion is a yearlong course in Christian Ethics, Personal and Social. In the first semester, we will examine what it means to be virtuous by drawing on the Classical philosophical traditions, the Doctors of the Church and the Scriptures, as well as the modern thought that has advanced it. In the second semester, we will examine, through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, the cultural, social and legal structures that constitute the local and global public arena to understand better the demands of a faith that seeks justice.

First Semester

The Virtuous Man

INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL ETHICS

What is Ethics?

Normative not descriptive endeavor

Ethical terms

Moral, immoral, amoral pre-moral

Ethics and Social Sciences

Psychological, Anthropology, Sociology provide realistic view of the human-important for normative endeavor

Concepts and Misconceptions in Ethics

Bias, Relativism, Dogmatism, Rationalizing, Fallacy

Four Ways of Ethical Thinking

Truth, Consequences, Fairness, Character

Truth

Responsibility, Acknowledgement, Discernment, Conclusion

Consequences

Utilitarian calculus, Is utilitarian an unethical premises, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill

Fairness

Deontology, Thucydides, Kant, Categorical Imperative John Rawls, Veil of Ignorance

Scope of fairness, Principle of Autonomy

Character

Character and Seven Classic Virtues

Aristotle and Eudaimonia, Doctrine of the mean, Character Types

Apply Four Way Methods to case studies

Writing case studies and issues analysis

CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC ETHICS

Catholic World View/Catholic Meta Ethics

Scripture Based

Incarnational

Ignatian

Relation to Aristotle, Kant Utilitarianism

Thomas Aquinas, Natural Law, Reason

Sin,

Original, personal and social

Grace

Conscience Formation

Reconciliation

Theological virtues

Pietas, Christianitas

Apply case studies to Catholic Ethics

Second Semester

The Public Arena

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL ETHICS

Background

Charity vs. Justice

What happened to Justice?

Faith that does Justice, Arrupe

Justice

What is the Public Arena?

Pietas, Christianitas

Rights Theories

Social Sin: Reconciliatio et Paenitentia

Catholic Social Teaching:

Principles vs. clear norms; difficulty in interpretation

Themes of CST

Concrete Method for applying CST

1. Investigate: What are the facts, reality?

2. Consult: What are the laws? Social Norms?

3. Values: What does Scripture and Tradition say?

4. Conclusion

Investigate the issues of injustice through the lens of pertinent papal encyclical or synod doscuemnts

Texts required: An Ethical Life: A Practical Approach to Ethical Reasoning by Richard Kyte and Laudato Si by Pope Francis

Assessments: First Semester and 3rd quarter-discussions, tests, essays. 4th Quarter- project

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