Chapter 12

Question 1

secularization theory

Answer 1

• religion is on the decline, and people around the world are discovering new secular and rational ways to make sense of their lives
• • However, in much of the world, religion remains a significant force

Question 2

Ethic of Community - Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft relations

Answer 2

• 2 means by which individuals relate to each other in a group:
• • Gemeinschaft: “community”; small organizations in which interpersonal relationships are especially important and central to people’s identities; people feel connected to others; related to interpersonal self-construal; obligations associated with relationships would be moral obligations
• • Gesellschaft: “association/society”; focus on autonomous individuals who are only bound to others through social obligation; impersonal and contractual; people aren’t obligated to others, so formalized rules are necessary to keep people in line; independent self-construal; morality of justice is most important

Question 3

Moral obligations are viewed as both…

Answer 3

• Objective obligations (people must behave a certain way, even if there’s no explicit law stating it)
• Legitimately regulated (people should be prevented from engaging in moral violations, and should be punished if they do so)

Question 4

Ethic of Community in India

Answer 4

In the Ben Study (should he steal train ticket - justice violation, or miss his best friend’s wedding - interpersonal violation), Indians are much more likely to resolve the conflict by fulfilling their interpersonal obligations than Americans are (ie. steal the ticket to save the wedding) → staying true to interpersonal obligations isn’t a personal choice, it’s a moral one

Question 5

SES and ethic of divinity

Answer 5

People with lower SES are more likely to show concern for ethic of divinity

Question 6

culture wars

Answer 6

• Culture War exists in the US between those who have an impulse toward orthodoxy and those who have an impulse towards progressivism
• • Orthodoxy: committed to the idea of a transcendent authority that existed long before us, is more knowledgeable and powerful, and operates independently of people; this authority put its moral code in a sacred text that should not be altered (individuals should adapt themselves to it)
• – More aligned with ethic of divinity
• • Progressivism: emphasize importance of human agency in understanding and formulating moral code; because social circumstances change, the moral code must change along with them
• – more aligned with ethic of autonomy

Question 7

morality of thoughts

Answer 7

Can differ depending on religion → Christians more likely to emphasize thinking in moral ways, whereas Jews are more likely to emphasize behaving in moral ways

Question 8

culture and fairness: 2 ways to distribute resources

Answer 8

• Meritocracy: system that rewards individuals on the bases of equity (more common in individualistic societies)
• • Can lead to high motivation, but also breed competition and disrupt harmony
• Seniority system: time with the company or age is being rewarded → principle of equality (more common in collectivistic societies)
• • No competition among individuals which increases harmony, but individuals may not be motivated to work as hard