SLUH Junior Morality
2nd Semester 2005

from The Preamble to the Constitution Jesuit Secondary Education Association
...Jesuit schools must go beyond the criteria of academic excellence, important as that is, to the far more challenging task of bringing about a true metanoia* in their students, that Jesuit schools must move vigorously toward participation in community affairs, that they must more honestly evaluate their efforts according to the criteria of both Christian reform in social structures and renewal of the Church.


*This word, coined from the Greek, refers to a radical conversion and change of heart, by which a person turns from selfish concerns to complete and unreserved generosity of God and His Kingdom.

First Week: January 18-21 (four days)
Tuesday we will return and review exams, check grades, and close up first semester. Your Faith exam will be the first entry in your 3-ring morality binder. We will highlight those things from the first semester we will need to carry over into this semester. Five Foundational Lessons, Five Steps to Critical Thinking, Five Common Thinking Errors will be very important.
I will share with you an email I received and ask your reaction. Then I'll separate you into agree/not sure/disagree with the basic idea of the email. Then I'll ask you to consider why you responded as you did: what is your bias? your prejudice? what underlying assumptions inform this intellectual (and emotional?) response?

"The chief business of twentieth-century philosophy is to reckon with twentieth century history."
-R. G. Collingwood


On Wednesday, we will take a pretest and I'll show you the web site for the course.

On Thursday, I will give you an essay question, "How can a good, intelligent, often religious, usually educated and sophisticated, persons cold bloodedly kill another person?" Then we will look at "An Introduction to Moral Theory" from Ethics Update. We will discuss a few specifics. The major hope is to get each student to look at the underlying ideas/feelings/values that underlie their moral choices.

On Friday, we will begin class by a10 point test on Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Check Exam Preview for guidance. Then we will break into five groups of four and studying an example of "ethnic cleansing." This will be a starting point for many questions and topic will face this semester.

Second Week: January 24-28
Classwork and homework Small group on genocide. Powerpont and web site due Friday, January 28.

Third Week: January 31-February 4
Classwork. Small group presentations genocide.
Homework: Read and mark Catechism handout. Click here for the Morality section: Part III, section 1, articles 3-8 on Morality. Complete worksheet, due on Friday.



Catholic Moral Teaching


from the Catechism Catechism section on morality: Part III, section 1: Man's Vocation in the Spirit. Worksheet: The Catechism on Moraltiy John Paul II's major encycle on Catholic Christian morality is Veritatis Splendor "The Splendor of Truth."

article: Calvin and Hobbes and John Paul: The Morality Debate by James Q. Wilson, NY Times, November 26, 1993

Key Teachings of Jesus
Jesus Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7

Fr. Knap's handout
  • Explain the Catholic idea of conscience as both a power and a process.
  • Be able to list, explain well and apply at least one method of moral decision
    • L-I-S-T-E-N method
    • O-P-T-I-O-N method
    • 8 step method

"The Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching"
America magazine, 10/31/98.

Major Themes of Catholic Social Teaching


Fourth Week: February 7-11
Classwork Monday discuss Speciall Assignments. Tuesday Pat Margherio's presentation on Romeo Dellaire. Wednesday and Thursday review and discuss section on morality. Friday 10 point test then watch a NOW segment with Samantha Power.
Homework Read and study 10 Building Blocks of Catholic Social Justice. 10 point test on Friday.

Fifth Week: February 14-17 Four day week/Faculty Retreat on Friday
Classwork Monday Tuesday and Wednesday Speaking of Faith/Reinhold Niebuhr: Moral Man and Immoral Society
Homework Read and mark Fr. Knapps' article on three ways to form your conscience. Choose one of these and know it well. 20 point test on Thursday: Neibuhr (open notes) and Knapp article.

Sixth Week: February 19- Four day week/Faculty Retreat on Friday
Classwork The Ethics of Jesus: Jesus's Sermon on the Mount and other key Gospel passages; O'Malley's The Moral Practice of Jesus Seventh Week: February 28-March 4
Classwork Two other moral systems: Buddha and Confucius.

Eighth Week: March 7-11

Ninth Week: March 14-18 Review & Exams Four

Spring Break and Easter Week: March 21-28

Tenth Week: March 29 to April 1: Review exams and key third quarter ideas.

Eleventh Week; April 4-8: John Paul II: The Millennial Pope Death of John Paul II, April 2, 2005

Twelfth and Thirteenth Week; April 11-22: Just War

Fourteenth Week; April 25-29: Block Week Global Warming and

Fifteenth Week; May 2-6 : Medical Ethics

Fourteenth Week;May 9-13 Medical Ethics

Fourteenth Week;May 9-13 Businessl Ethics





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