The Courage to Be Moral

Workshop # 10
Stephen Schwenke

We all face moral dilemmas. Overcoming them takes courage, discernment, and inner peace – and often some deep moral understanding. This workshop is intended to demystify ethics, and to look at morality from several leading secular moral theories, as well as from that morality that is derived from our Quaker values.

Percentage of time:
Worship/worship-sharing 20; Lecture 20; Discussion 40; Experiential 20

Open to all

My expectations and objectives for the week:

The primary goal of this week is to introduce participants to the critical method of ethics – reflective thinking. Through exploring our understanding of both secular and Quaker moral values, and framing these within the tradition of applied ethics, participants will be empowered to structure their thinking as they seek to understand, respond to, and resolve some specific moral dilemmas. In particular, participants will come to a better understanding of the role of courage in being guided by morality and ethics, by looking at four case studies in recognizing and overcoming moral dilemmas: a soldier, a peacemaker, an athlete, and a caregiver.

A list of the specific areas or topics that I expect to cover:

The workshop will cover the meaning of moral values (secular and religious), and will introduce applied ethics as a way of critical thinking and guiding behavior. It will also briefly introduce some leading moral theories: human rights, virtue ethics, feminist ethics, and Kantian ethics – as well as Quaker ethics (moral decision-making based on Quaker values). The sessions will be based around case studies, and around some moral dilemmas that participants might wish to raise. The workshop will not be a comprehensive or detailed course in ethics, nor will provide definitive answers (ethics seldom does!).  

A rough description of the format:

The first session will begin with silence, and then I will lead participants in an exploration of what moral values are – and which are secular and which are religious (Quaker). We will try to find values that conflict, and see how we might approach the resolution of conflicting moral values. The first session will also introduce the four case studies, and ask for volunteers to roleplay each case study person (soldier, peacemaker, athlete, caregiver). Others will be asked to come up with a moral dilemma to suggest that case study person to resolve. Finally, we will divide into support groups, who in each subsequent day will gather to deliberate and worship-share some possible solutions to that day’s moral dilemma.

In each following day, one roleplaying person each day will present a character sketch of his or her values and character. Some of these will be provided in background notes by the Workshop Organizer, but the individuals will be allowed latitude to expand these character attributes and “personalize” them. Once that day’s roleplayer introduces himself or herself, then the group will pose the moral dilemma. The Workshop Organizer will facilitate a discussion, using one prominent moral theory each day, and some references to Quaker moral values each day, to help the group suggest possible solutions to the moral dilemma. At least 20 minutes of the session will be spent in silence or worship sharing, intended to seek Light and understanding.