South 고등학교 2학년 Ethical Issues Inquiry
Chapters: 5
1. Understanding ethical inquiry
Facts versus values · Methods of ethical inquiry
- Moral Reasoning: Thinking Clearly About Right and Wrong – Moral reasoning is careful thinking about what we ought to do. It starts by separating facts (what is, which can be checked) from values (what ought to be). To judge an action, look at four parts: the intention, the means, the circumstances and the consequences. A sound moral judgement joins a principle (such as "do not cause needless harm") with true facts about the case. Virtues like honesty, fairness, care and courage help us act on good judgements. People still act wrongly because of peer pressure, self-interest, ignorance, weak will and excuses. Moral imagination, stepping into the shoes of everyone affected and looking for new options, makes decisions wiser. A simple inquiry method (problem, facts, options, tests, decide, review) helps solve real dilemmas, and good reasons are why being moral matters: it builds trust, protects others and shapes who we become.
2. Civic life and ethical inquiry
Happiness and brain science · Privacy vs public interest · Discriminatory speech · Exclusive nationalism and refugees
- Happiness and the Good Life – Everyone wants to be happy, but the word has several meanings: good luck, a pleasant feeling, or a whole life that goes well. Pleasures give quick, short happiness that fades as we get used to them; friendships, skills, good character and meaning build lasting happiness. Hedonists see pleasure as the goal; Epicurus chose simple pleasures and a calm mind; Aristotle saw happiness (eudaimonia) as living well through virtue; the Stoics focused on what we can control; utilitarians seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number; Kant asked us to do our duty and so become worthy of happiness. Religions add love of others, gratitude and trust that life has a meaning.
- Human Rights: Meaning, History, Types and Protection – Human rights are the basic freedoms and protections that belong to every person because they are human. They are universal, inalienable, indivisible and rooted in dignity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) set a common standard, later made binding through treaties. Rights are protected by constitutions, courts, commissions, the UN and civil society, and they can be limited only by fair laws that protect others.
3. Life and ethics in the AI age
Ethics of the metaverse · Bias in big data and algorithms · Ethical use of AI
- Digital Footprints and Netiquette – A digital footprint is the trail of data we leave online. Active footprints are shared on purpose (posts, comments, forms); passive footprints are collected without us noticing (cookies, browsing history, location, IP address). Footprints are hard to erase and can be seen by others later. We live in a digital society where learning, banking, shopping and government services are online; a responsible user of it is a digital citizen (netizen). Net etiquette means being ethical (respect copyright, share reliable information), respectful (privacy, diversity, no bullying) and responsible (avoid oversharing, don't feed trolls). Communication etiquette asks us to be precise, polite and credible; social media etiquette asks us to choose passwords and privacy settings wisely, think before uploading, and verify before sharing.
- AI Ethics: Using Artificial Intelligence Fairly and Safely – AI systems learn patterns from data and then make decisions. AI ethics asks whether those decisions are fair, safe and respectful. The main issues are bias (unfair data gives unfair results), privacy (personal data needs consent and protection), transparency (people should know why an AI decided something), accountability (a human stays responsible), safety and misuse (deepfakes, false information), and social impact (jobs, the digital divide, the environment). Responsible AI means checking all of these before and after an AI is used.
4. Ecological life and ethics
Companion animals and welfare · Climate crisis and responsibility
- Animal Welfare – Animal welfare is how well an animal is coping with the life it lives: its body, its feelings and its ability to behave naturally. Animals are sentient: they can feel pain, fear and pleasure. The Five Freedoms list what every animal in our care needs: food and water, comfort, health, normal behaviour and freedom from fear. People who keep pets, farm animals or lab animals have a duty to meet these needs.
- Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect – Climate is the average weather of a place over about 30 years. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap some of the heat the Earth gives off. Humans have added a lot more of these gases by burning fossil fuels and cutting forests, so the Earth is warming. This causes melting ice, rising seas and more extreme weather. We can cut emissions (mitigation) and prepare for changes (adaptation).
5. Applying ethical inquiry
Ethics in my future career · Carrying out an inquiry
- Career Ethics and Work Ethics – Work ethics are the values that guide how we do our jobs: honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect and safety. Work gives money, growth and a way to help others. Every profession adds special duties, such as a doctor keeping secrets or an engineer putting safety first. When a hard choice appears, a simple ladder helps: stop, find facts, see who is affected, list options, choose, and test.
- Moral Reasoning: Thinking Clearly About Right and Wrong – Moral reasoning is careful thinking about what we ought to do. It starts by separating facts (what is, which can be checked) from values (what ought to be). To judge an action, look at four parts: the intention, the means, the circumstances and the consequences. A sound moral judgement joins a principle (such as "do not cause needless harm") with true facts about the case. Virtues like honesty, fairness, care and courage help us act on good judgements. People still act wrongly because of peer pressure, self-interest, ignorance, weak will and excuses. Moral imagination, stepping into the shoes of everyone affected and looking for new options, makes decisions wiser. A simple inquiry method (problem, facts, options, tests, decide, review) helps solve real dilemmas, and good reasons are why being moral matters: it builds trust, protects others and shapes who we become.