Year 8 - Religious education
Suffering and compassion
Ethics: how do we know what is 'good'?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will use a philosophical lens to consider what we mean by good. They will examine various ethical answers given such deontology, utilitarianism and situation ethics. They will conclude by weighing up the issue of suffering in the world.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain where compassion fits within different ethical theories and whether it can justify suffering.
Key Notes
- Virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism and situation ethics can support decision-making around compassion.
- People may not have an absolute view on ethical issues.
- Compassion may reduce or justify suffering.
- Philosophers create arguments to support their viewpoints.
Vocabulary To Learn
- compassion: the feeling of caring for someone's suffering and wanting to help alleviate it
- justify: to explain why something is right or acceptable
- suffering: the experience of pain or distress
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- If we show compassion, we can eliminate suffering entirely.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism and situation ethics can support decision-making around compassion. People may not have an absolute view on ethical issues.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'compassion'
the feeling of caring for someone's suffering and wanting to help alleviate it.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: If we show compassion, we can eliminate suffering entirely. Correction: While compassion can help reduce suffering, it doesn't always eliminate it, as some suffering may be inevitable or necessary for personal growth and moral development.
More Lessons In This Unit
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