Ethical Foundations: Freedom, Conscience, and Human Dignity

Ethical Principles and Personal Responsibility

Understanding Freedom

We possess the freedom to act, which can lead to both happiness and sorrow. Authentic freedom applies to oneself and to others.

Acting with Good Conscience

We must always act thoughtfully, considering what to do. The first step to developing conscience is learning to listen.

Criteria for Ethical Evaluation

Ethical decisions are guided by established rules and values.

Defining Attitude

An attitude is the habitual disposition to act in a certain way, in accordance with a particular value.

Freedom: Response and Constructive Action

Freedom is also defined as the ability to respond appropriately and constructively.

The Concept of a Standard

A standard is a rule to be followed, as it determines how something should be.

Accountability and Consequences

Accountability involves understanding why one acted a certain way and bearing the consequences of those actions.

The Sacred Value of Human Life

Foundational Principles of Human Life

• Consciousness is the common heritage of all humanity.
• Human life possesses intrinsic value, independent of circumstances.
• Christians express gratitude for the gift of life.
• No individual holds absolute ownership over their own life or the lives of others.
• Acts like war and terrorism constitute grave attacks against human life.
• Euthanasia is understood as the voluntary interruption of life.
• Science must serve the promotion and care of human life, not its manipulation.

The Christian Meaning of Life

For Christians, life exists because God willed it. Life is considered a precious gift.

Christian Responsibilities Towards Human Life

Upon receiving human life, a Christian's responsibilities include:

• Receiving it with gratitude.
• Caring for it diligently.
• Defending it steadfastly.
• Understanding its profound nature.
• Promoting its flourishing.

The Absolute Value of Human Life

Human life is a sacred value. While self-defense is permissible, the fundamental right to life must always be upheld and valued.

Six General Principles for Human Life Under Threat

When human life is threatened, these principles apply:

• Do not murder: The fundamental prohibition against taking innocent life.
• Transcending retaliation: Moving beyond the law of "an eye for an eye."
• Optimal conditions: Ensuring the best possible conditions in every situation.
• Intrinsic value: Human life has value in itself, independent of circumstances.
• No absolute mastery: No person is the absolute master of their own life or the lives of others.
• Conception as beginning: Human life begins at the moment of conception.

Principles Regarding the Manipulation of Human Life

Three key principles guide the ethical use of science and technology concerning human life:

• Service to life: Science and technology must serve the promotion and care of human life.
• Moral limits: Not everything technically possible is morally good.
• Respect for nature: Human life cannot be manipulated or treated as something other than what it inherently is.