South 중학교 3학년 Ethics (Moral Education)
Chapters: 4
1. Relationship with oneself
Why be moral · Moral imagination · Moral identity and character · Purpose in life · Happiness and good habits
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
2. Relationships with others
Family ethics today · Friendship · Love and sexuality · Neighbours and community · Information-age ethics · Peaceful conflict resolution · Preventing violence
- Family Ethics: Living Well Together as a Family – A family is a group of people who live with, care for and depend on each other. Families come in many shapes: nuclear, joint, single-parent, blended, couples, grandparent-led. Family ethics means the fair and kind ways members treat each other: equal respect, shared work, honest talk, and care for children and elders. A healthy couple relationship rests on free choice, trust and equality. Every family meets problems; good talk, fair sharing and outside help get it through.
- 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.
- Respect, Consent and Gender Equality: Sexual Ethics for Teens – Sexual ethics means treating your own body and other people with respect. Consent must be clear, free, informed and can change at any time. Pressure, fear or power make a "yes" invalid. Everyone has equal rights whatever their gender, and anyone can ask a trusted adult for help.
- Civic Ethics: Common Good, Citizens and the State – Civic ethics asks how we should act as members of a community. My own good and the common good can clash, as with a shared well. Fair sharing keeps the resource alive for everyone. Citizens owe duties to neighbours and to a fair state; officials must be honest; and people may peacefully refuse an unjust law, which is called civil disobedience.
- 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.
- Safety Education: Staying Safe at Home, on the Road and with People – Safety means spotting hazards early and acting before harm happens. Risk = likelihood × harm. Keep exits clear and use stairs in a fire, follow traffic rules and wear a helmet or seat belt, wash hands and use medicine correctly, and in any unsafe situation with a person: say NO, GO away and TELL a trusted adult.
3. Relationship with society and community
Dignity, rights, gender equality · Universal norms and cultural diversity · Global citizenship · A just state · Just society and moral community · Understanding North Korea · Peace and unification
- 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.
- Cultural Diversity – Cultural diversity means many groups with different ways of life live together. Ethnocentrism judges others by your own culture; cultural relativism first understands a custom in its own setting. Prejudice and stereotypes block respect. Societies have a mainstream culture, subcultures and countercultures. Universal human rights set the limit: differences deserve respect, harm to people does not.
- Global Citizenship – A global citizen belongs to local, national and world communities at the same time. The world is interconnected, and problems such as poverty, hunger, conflict and climate change are shared. Global citizens know their rights and duties, care about people far away, reduce their ecological footprint, and act locally while thinking globally.
- 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.
- Peace Education: How People Build Lasting Peace – Peace is more than 'no war'. Negative peace means no fighting. Positive peace means fairness, trust and a good life for all. Violence can be direct (hitting, war), structural (unfair rules that keep people poor) or cultural (ideas that make harm look normal). Thinkers gave us tools: Mozi taught equal care for all and opposed attacking wars; Kant said fair governments, a league of free states and kindness to visitors can make peace last; Gandhi showed non-violent resistance. Conflicts are solved step by step: cool down, listen, find needs, think of options, agree. After division or war, reconciliation is built like a bridge: talks, truth, apology, trade, family meetings and shared projects. Germany (1990) and South Africa's truth commission are examples; divided peoples such as on the Korean peninsula still discuss how peaceful unification could happen.
4. Relationship with nature and transcendence
Harmony with nature · Science and technology in life · Life and death · Suffering and hope
- Environmental Ethics: Who Deserves Our Care? – Environmental ethics asks what we owe to nature, animals and future people. Picture a circle of moral concern. Anthropocentrism keeps only humans inside; nature has instrumental value (useful to us). Sentientism (Singer, Bentham) adds animals that feel pain: animal welfare says reduce suffering, animal rights (Regan) says animals must not be used as mere tools. Biocentrism (Schweitzer, Taylor) gives every living thing value. Ecocentrism (Leopold's land ethic, deep ecology) values whole ecosystems. Many Eastern and Indigenous traditions see humans as part of nature. Intergenerational justice and sustainability add future people. Real cases (dams, forests, animal testing, climate) often bring these views into conflict.
- Ethics in Science and Technology – Science and technology give great power, so we also ask "should we?" and not only "can we?". Science ethics means weighing benefit against risk, keeping people, animals and nature safe, being honest with data, taking responsibility for how results are used, and letting citizens share in big decisions about science.
- 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.
- Resilience: Hope, Optimism and Perseverance – Resilience is the ability to cope with hard times and slowly bounce back. Suffering comes to everyone and painful feelings are normal. Resilient people explain setbacks as temporary and changeable (realistic optimism), keep trying after failure (perseverance), lean on supports such as family, friends, community, faith and healthy habits, and hold on to hope and meaning. Resilience is not a fixed trait; it can be learned and practised.