South 고등학교 2학년 Humanities and Ethics
Chapters: 6
1. Humans and self
Body and mind · Myself as a moral agent
- Philosophy of Mind: How Are Mind and Body Linked? – Philosophy of mind asks what the mind is and how it links to the body. Dualism (Descartes) says mind and body are two different things, which raises the problem of how they interact. Physicalism says the mind is what the brain does. Consciousness is our inner experience, like a torch that lights what we attend to. The unconscious (Freud) holds wishes, memories and habits we are not aware of. Related questions: what makes me the same self over time, how emotions join body and mind, and whether machines could ever think.
- Self-Identity: Who Am I, and How Do I Live It? – Identity is your sense of who you are: your roles, values, strengths and dreams. We know ourselves through reflection. Self-esteem is how much we value ourselves. A strong moral identity means our actions match our values.
2. Relating to others
Self in relationships · Friendship and love
- Friendship – A friend is someone you choose to spend time with, trust and care for, and who does the same for you. Friendships start from shared interests and time together, grow with trust built by honest words and help, and last when friends can listen, say sorry and forgive. A true friend wants what is good for you, even when it is hard to hear; a flatterer only says what pleases you. Friendship differs from family and from romantic love: it is freely chosen and between equals, and it adds a lot to happiness and well-being.
3. Freedom and equality
Freedom and equality East and West · Inequality and real opportunity
- Political Philosophy: The State, Power and Justice – Political philosophy asks big questions about living together: Why do we need a state? What makes power rightful (legitimate)? What is justice? How much freedom and equality should people have? Social contract thinkers (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau) explain the state as an agreement. Plato and Aristotle described the ideal state and the forms of government; Cicero saw the republic as the people's shared property under law. Rawls, Mill and thinkers from many traditions (Confucius, Kautilya, Ubuntu) help us weigh liberty, equality, property and community.
- Social Justice: Fair Shares for All – Justice means giving each person their due. Social justice is about fair sharing of goods, services and chances in society. Three principles guide fair sharing: equal treatment for equals, reward in proportion to effort and skill, and extra help for special needs. They must be balanced. John Rawls suggested choosing society's rules from behind a 'veil of ignorance', not knowing what position we would get; a rational person would then protect the worst-off. Pursuing social justice means first securing basic needs (food, water, housing, health, education, minimum wage) for everyone. People disagree on how: free-market supporters want open competition with a small state; others want the state to provide welfare. India uses a mix.
4. Diversity and inclusion
Conflicting opinions and tolerance · Virtual and real worlds
- 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.
5. Coexistence and sustainability
Work and self-realisation · Climate crisis and responsibility
- 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.
- 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).
6. Meaning of life
Human imperfection · Finitude and meaning
- Human Nature: Are We Born Good, Selfish or Blank? – Human nature means the qualities all humans share from birth. Thinkers have given three classic answers. Born good: Mencius (China) saw inborn 'sprouts' of kindness, shame, respect and right judgement that grow with care; Rousseau (France) said people are naturally good but corrupted by unequal society. Born selfish: Xunzi (China) said human nature is self-seeking and goodness comes from deliberate effort, rules and study; Hobbes (England) said that without government life would be a war of all against all. Born blank: Locke (England) said the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa) written by experience; Gaozi said nature is like water that can flow either way. Many modern views are mixed: we have both caring and selfish tendencies, and environment matters a lot. All views accept that humans are imperfect and unfinished, so we can learn and grow. This leads to the question of the meaning of life: thinkers have found it in virtue and flourishing (Aristotle, Confucius), in love and service, in faith, or in meaning we create ourselves (Frankl, Sartre, Camus).
- Value of Life: Why Life Matters and How to Live Well – Every human life is limited: we are mortal. Many thinkers say this is exactly why time is precious. Ethics separates two kinds of value: instrumental value (useful for getting something else, like money) and intrinsic value (worth in itself). Most traditions say a human life has intrinsic value, so it deserves respect whatever a person can do or earn. Purpose gives direction: Viktor Frankl found that people can bear a lot if they see a "why"; Japanese ikigai and the Indian four aims of life (dharma, artha, kama, moksha) are ideas about purpose. Philosophers also separate merely surviving from flourishing: living well means growth, relationships, contribution and meaning, not only staying alive. Views on death differ: Epicurus said death is nothing to the living person; Buddhism teaches impermanence; Confucius told a student to first understand life; many faiths speak of what comes after. This lesson helps you think about your own purpose with care, and with the help of people you trust.