An exercise in moral reasoning

A. Preliminary Questions

1) From the Gallup poll, I would say that gambling is morally wrong. In my opinion, the act of gambling is similar to committing suicide, in the sense that, one is putting his or her life at high risk or danger. My basis of this claim is based on Complication #1: Shades of Gray, wherein the action of one is wrong if it violates a certain norm. From here, I feel that despite the fact that gambling may something we do for pleasure, it is sometimes overly abused by betting too much money on a certain game, in which you may lose all of your money. In terms of morality, it is different from people to people; however, gambling, for me, is morally wrong, in the sense that we are betting something we worked hard for to be used in pleasure.

2) In some situations, actions are not always considered to be sinful or bad; it will always depend on the situation of whether or not one is aware of the situation being sinful or bad. In a certain situation, one should consider taking the road of caution, so that one may be able to think over and reflect on the given situation. One should also apply moral principles when faced with moral situation. Through the use of moral principles, one is able to reflect on pass experiences of a similar moral situation one had, as a guide to help in deciding the right, moral decision.

3) I would say that I am a moral rationalist because I would not always consider a situation immediately morally right or wrong. I would always consider the use of moral principles, the road of caution, and my past experiences in helping decide whether something is morally right or wrong.

B. “What if…?”

In deciding whether the action or behavior is morally right or wrong, you should look first at the situation at hand. From there, take the road of caution, so that you feel that you are still in a “safe spot” before going on to morally decide the situation.

Then, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the situation. It is a possibility for one to be tempted in saying that ‘this is morally right’ or ‘this is morally wrong’ due to either pleasure or pain. This shows that you are suspicious of the outcome of the situation, and therefore feel the need to consult once again.

Finally after evaluating the pros and cons of the situations, try to reason yourself out on whether to choose the morally right or wrong. It also possible for you to go back and think whether you have a similar experience with facing this kind of situation. That way, it can also help in your decision of what is morally right or wrong.

The use of caution, suspicion, and reason are important in deciding whether your decision in a situation is morally right or wrong. At the end of it all, your decision is what will change the situation. By considering these implications, it is possible for one to morally decide right and avoiding choosing the wrong decision.

Reason vs. Religion

The Last VC — Xavier and South Dartmoor

Both schools were able to exchange different ideas and concepts on the topic of material and spiritual wealth. All of us were able o give substantial input on our opinions and thoughts about this topic.

From this experience, I can say that everything went well with all of us participating actively throughout the conversation. I also feel that the conversation could be made if we talk about our respective schools, rather than just focusing on the said topic. This way, we get to know what similarities and differences both schools have.

If we were provided more time to talk with them, it would be possible for us to further get to know each other and also explore more on the said topic. Overall, I can say that the whole VC was a success, with just little improvements.

CLE Matters

During the 1st Semester, the 3 most relevant lessons/topics that I learned in CLE are the epistemological world views, close reading and analysis of the Bible, and my awareness of social justice in our society.

From learning these lessons, the 2 most important skills I have developed my appreciation towards the literal understanding and close analysis of the Bible. Another skill I developed is the use of reason to my understanding of social injustice.

Overall, the most significant insight I learned during the 1st Semester is that our faith varies differently from person to person, as well as our world views about society and social justice.

Poverty and Social Justice

Social Justice is the idea of creating a society or institution that understands, values, and recognizes the dignity of every human being. Our purpose as members of a certain community is to promote this social justice in our everyday lives. However, there are some obstacles that prevent us from doing so, and that is poverty.

A lot of poor people are suffering due to the effects of poverty. Through social justice, I see now that the poor are poor because of the lack of opportunity and needs; nevertheless, they are rich in spirit and heart. They have what it takes to exceed and to fight back against poverty. We too should help the poor in our own little ways, and thus have a community that help one another.

CLE Worksheets 1 and 2

CLE Worksheet 1

CLE Worksheet 2

Reflection on VC Conference (July 28, 2011)

During the video conference with Nehru World School, the students of each school were able to exchange ideas about their livelihood and culture of their respective countries’ religions. Most of the students were eager to exchange and discuss some of their ideas and thoughts to the other school.

As the students were talking to each other via video conference, the atmosphere of the conversation was very lively; it was somewhat formal, yet it felt that everyone is willing to talk more and share more. The tone of the conversation was friendly, in the sense that, both sides showed respect and listened to each other’s answers. Through the conference, I was able to learn that the one of the Nehru students consider “religion as the root of humanity”, while the Xavier participants said that “religion is a binding factor” for us Filipinos.

I think that for the next VC participants to make an effective dialogue, it will be best if both sides exchange an introduction about their countries historical and religion backgrounds. I believe that talking about each countries’ backgrounds is effective, so that each school can get a feel and understanding about each school. Thus, I can say that the recent video conference was another success for Xavier School.