John R. Hoffman is a Professor of Biology, public speaker and a scientist examining the recovery of the nervous system after injury. Since 2006 he has written several unpublished manuscripts and he is currently working on the first Nathaniel Smythe novel and short story collection. He spends his spare time with his family and running.

11 Religion and the Fact-Value Problem

Objectives:

By the end of this lecture, the student will be able to:

  1. Identify and provide examples of how different ethical systems can contribute to different responses to the same situation.

Part 1 Religion and Ethics

This mini-lecture examines the relationship between religion and ethics. The handout for this presentation can be downloaded and printed.

Reading:
Chapter 10 Religion and Ethics. Pojman & Fieser (2009) Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong, pp. 170 – 187

Part 2 The Fact-Value Problem

This mini-lecture examines the Fact-Value problem. The handout for this presentation can be downloaded and printed.

Reading
Chapter 11 The Fact-Value Problem. Pojman & Fieser (2009) Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong, pp. 170 – 187

Assignment: The God Particle and morality.
The Fact-Value problem examines the attempt to define and describe moral statements using an objective and quantifiable (i.e. a scientific) approach. Religion assigns moral views in a relationship through faith to their God. In the movie “Angels and Demons,” scientists isolate the God Particle in an attempt to understand the origins of the universe (the moment of creation). There is much in the natural world that is not currently understood using a scientific approach and scientists have “faith” that they can learn the answers with additional observations of things such as subatomic particles or antimatter.

In your small group, discuss whether or not it is possible to combine religious faith with scientific laws to provide the basis for morality.

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