Hello, my name's Mrs. Rawbone and I'd like to welcome you to this lesson on the nature of human goodness.

Today we're going to be thinking about how can we be good and starting off by considering what we mean by goodness in humans.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain how the existence of moral evil contributes to the debate on whether humans are inherently good.

Key words that we'll be using in today's lesson are absolute, relative, inherent, moral evil, and natural evil.

Absolute is something that is always true and unchanging.

Relative is something that is dependent on or connected to something else.

Inherent means naturally part of something.

Moral evil is actions or behaviour done by humans that are intentionally harmful or wrong, and natural evil is suffering and harm caused by natural events or forces.

There are two parts to our lesson today.

We're going to be looking at good and evil, and we're going to be looking at human nature and moral choices.

So let's get started on the first part of our lesson and look at good and evil.

We're going to be using a tool of philosophy in our work today.

Now, philosophers are academics and thinkers who study ultimate questions about existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality, using logic to explore them.

Whether you have a religious or a non-religious worldview, you can use philosophy as a tool to better understand the arguments others used to support their worldviews.

In this lesson, we will explore the existence of moral evil, and use philosophical tools to debate whether humans are inherently good.

So let's think about what we mean by good and evil.

So starting with the idea of good, we can describe it as the presence of positive qualities.

Good is usually understood as doing what is morally right.

An example of this would be kindness.

It's a positive quality and it's also the right thing to do.

On the other hand, we have evil, which is usually contrasted with good.

Unlike good, which is about the presence of positive qualities, evil is often thought of as the absence of those positive qualities.

Therefore, evil can mean a failure to act in morally right ways.

Cruelty might be considered an example of evil.

It's a lack of kindness which contrasts directly with the positive qualities that good has.

So showing kindness is a quality of someone being good and showing cruelty, the opposite is a quality, of someone being evil.

So let's have a think about what we mean by good.

Alex and Sam are debating whether honesty is always good.

Sam says, "Honesty works for all of us.

If we lie, we're not just misleading ourselves but we're also breaking the trust of those who believe in us." Here, Sam is expressing the view that good is absolute.

In other words, she thinks that this good action of honesty works for everyone all the time in all places.

It doesn't change depending on your situation.

Alex says, "I disagree, honesty is not always good.

If lying would protect someone's feelings or avoid causing them harm, then honesty might be bad." In contrast to Sam, Alex is expressing the view that good is relative.

For him, honesty is not always good.

In some situations, perhaps it is, but in others it might not be.

The word absolute comes from the Latin absolutus.

It has two parts, ab and solute.

The meaning of the word ab is from or away.

Solute come from solvere meaning to loosen or free.

So if goodness is absolute, that means it is unchanging and universal.

If it's relative, that would mean the opposite.

It's dependent on or connected to something else.

So let's think about what Sam said earlier.

She said, "Honesty works for all of us.

If we lie, we are not just misleading ourselves, but we're also breaking the trust of those who believe in us." So some philosophers would agree with Sam and think that goodness is absolute.

This means it applies to everyone in the same way, everywhere, all the time.

They might say that goodness is fixed in moral laws.

They might say that goodness exists beyond the physical world, so beyond the things that we see.

Or they might say that goodness can be found in the natural order of the world.

So it's obvious from the natural way in which things work, what goodness is.

So remember Alex from earlier.

He said, "I disagree, honesty is not always good.

If lying would protect someone's feelings or avoid causing them harm, then honesty might be bad." Some philosophers agree with Alex and think that good is relative.

They think goodness changes based on circumstances, cultures or personal beliefs.

They might say that goodness is shaped by individuals.

They might say that goodness depends on the consequences of actions, or they might say that goodness depends on cultural values.

So let's check your understanding of this idea of absolute.

Which two are examples of goodness as an absolute? A, it is always good to help the poor.

B, it is forbidden to eat pork in Judaism and Islam, but not in Christianity.

C, it is good to bow to show respect in Japan, but not in the UK, or D, honesty is right in every situation.

Remember, you're choosing two examples which show that you understand goodness as an absolute.

Take a moment to jot down your answer, pause the video and then come back to me.

Well done if you ticked A and D, it is always good to help the poor, and honesty is right in every situation.

The word evil comes from Old English.

The original word is yfel, meaning bad or wicked.

It often referred to things that were harmful, wrong or destructive.

Evil is often described as moral or natural.

Let's look at some examples.

Abuse, bullying, racism.

These are all examples of moral evil.

Tornadoes, earthquakes, drought.

These are all examples of natural evil.

Take a moment, discuss with someone nearby, if you have someone around.

What is different about the causes of each of these types of evil? Pause the video so that you can have a conversation and then come back to me when you are ready.

On the screen here you can see the image of the aftermath of an earthquake.

Natural evil refers to suffering and harm caused by natural events or processes that are not directly controlled by humans.

Examples include earthquakes, hurricanes, diseases, and famines, which often result in loss of life, destruction and widespread misery.

Here you can see a picture of a soldier in a war zone.

Moral evil refers to suffering and harm caused by human actions or choices that are intentionally harmful.

Examples include murder, theft, bullying, and war, which often lead to pain, injustice, and destruction.

Alex and Jun are discussing what they think the worst type of evil is.

Jun says, "I think natural evil is worse because things like earthquakes or diseases happen randomly, and no one is to blame, which feels unfair." Alex says, "I think moral evil is worse because someone is to blame for the suffering and they could have chosen to act differently." When someone is suffering, does it matter whether the cause is natural or caused by another person? What do you think? Why do you think that? Take a moment.

Talk to somebody nearby if there's somebody around or pause and talk to me.

Who do you agree with most, Jun or Alex? And do you think it matters what causes the suffering? Let's check your understanding.

Have a look at the three images below, A, B, and C.

Which of them is an example of moral evil? Take a moment, have a good look.

Pause the video if you need to, jot down your answer and come back to me.

Let's check your answer.

Well done if you chose B, the example of someone breaking and entering into a building.

That's an example of moral evil because it is caused by a human being intentionally.

So let's practise what you have learned.

For task A one, you're going to be thinking about Aisha who's explaining why she believes goodness is absolute, and I would like you to use the sentence starters to explain why Lucas disagrees and thinks goodness is relative.

Aisha says, "I believe goodness is absolute.

It is the same for everyone, no matter where they are.

For example, lying is always wrong, whatever the situation.

What is good depends on moral rules which apply to us all." So Lucas disagrees with Aisha and thinks goodness is relative.

I would like you to use the sentence starters in the speech bubble to help you explain his answer.

He says, "I believe goodness is relative, for example, and what is good depends on." Take some time to reread what Aisha said and then use the sentence starters to write down Lucas' answer.

Pause the video and then come back when you are ready.

So let's have a look at your work.

You could have said, I believe goodness is relative.

It can change depending on the culture, situation or individual.

For example, respecting elders might be very important in one culture while in another personal freedom is more valued.

What is good depends on the beliefs and values of the people involved.

Well done, if you use those three sentence starters and said something along the lines of the example here.

For part two of your task, I would like you to write a paragraph about what is similar and different about moral and natural evil.

You might want to use these sentence starters.

Moral evil refers to actions that are caused by, such as.

An example of natural evil is, because it happens due to.

Moral and natural evil both result in.

The key difference is that moral evil, while natural evil is.

Take your time to write out your paragraph.

Pause and then come back to me When you're ready to check what you've written.

You could have said, moral evil refers to actions caused by humans such as lying or hurting others.

An example of natural evil is a natural disaster like an earthquake because it happens due to nature.

Moral and natural evil both result in suffering, but for different reasons.

The key difference is that moral evil is caused by human choices, while natural evil is caused by nature.

Well done if you've checked your work, and it's similar to this.

The main point is that you've got the key differences, which is that moral evil is caused by humans and natural evil by nature.

So let's move on to the second part of our lesson on the nature of human goodness, and here we're going to be looking at human nature and moral choices.

The word inherent comes from Latin and has two parts in and herent.

In means in or within.

Herent come from haerere meaning to stick or to cling.

So, if something is inherent, it means it is naturally part of something.

It's another way of saying it sticks or clings to something.

So if you say humans are inherently good, this means that you think goodness is a natural part of being human.

Philosophy, psychology and sociology each give us different ways to approach the question, "Are humans inherently good?" Philosophy uses logic to examine morality and human nature.

Psychology explores how thoughts and feelings shape whether people are naturally good.

And sociology looks at how society influences ideas about goodness.

Let's see what each of those disciplines has to say about the question of inherent goodness.

In order to answer that, philosophy might ask a question such as, what does it mean to be good? Philosophers could have different answers to that question.

They might say, we have an inbuilt sense of duty, or we are born potentially good.

Psychology might ask a question such as, are humans naturally inclined to kindness? Leading some psychologists to say, we are shaped by rewards and punishments, or that we have a drive for personal growth.

Sociologists might ask, how do social experiences shape us? They might conclude that we are led by society's rules and norms or that goodness is relative to cultural values.

So let's check your understanding on human nature and different explanations for it.

Which of the following is a sociological explanation of human nature? Is it A, people are shaped by society's rules and norms, not born good or bad.

Is it B, humans are born with the potential for goodness but must develop it.

Or is it C, behaviour is shaped by rewards and punishments.

Take a moment to think carefully and jot down your answer.

Pause if you need to and then come back to check what you've written.

Well done if you chose A, people are shaped by society's rules and norms, not born good or bad.

So sociologists might say that we develop our nature based on what we experience around us.

So what does history tell us about whether humans are inherently good or bad? Historically, there are lots of examples of humans being good, so maybe humans are inherently good.

In this picture here we can see an image taken during the COVID-19 pandemic when doctors, nurses, medics, and many others went above and beyond their duties.

Perhaps you can think of other examples of inherent human goodness.

Unfortunately, history also gives us examples of human badness.

In Rwanda, in 1994, extremist Hutu forces killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

And here in this image we can see some of the children who were left parentless after that crisis.

Perhaps you can also think of more examples that illustrate humans are inherently bad.

So let's check your understanding.

Choose which letter completes Laura's sentence.

She says, acts of kindness, the idea of inherent goodness in people.

Is it A, acts of kindness oppose the idea of inherent goodness in people.

Is it B, acts of kindness challenge the idea of inherent goodness in people, or is it C, acts of kindness, support the idea of inherent goodness in people.

Take a moment to think and jot down your answer.

Pause if you need to.

Well done if you chose C, acts of kindness, actually support the idea of inherent goodness in people.

So let's practise what you have learned.

I'd like you to decide where each of the following statements fits on the scale.

We have over on the left, humans are inherently bad.

Over on the right, humans are inherently good, and a view somewhere in the middle that humans can be good or bad.

Here are the statements.

Number one, lots of people show kindness even when it doesn't benefit them.

Number two, our upbringing and environment can shape our behaviour in different ways.

Number three, people often work together to create positive change.

Number four, people sometimes hurt others even when they know it's wrong.

And number five, sometimes we are driven by greed and fear.

You could draw out a scale on a piece of paper and write the numbers for the relevant statements underneath each part of the scale.

So over on the left any statements that you think suggest humans are inherently bad.

On the right, any that suggest they're inherently good, and you have the option of putting some in the middle.

Either way, they can be good or they can be bad.

Take some time to write down your answer.

Pause the video and come back when you're ready to check what you've written.

So let's have a look at what you could have said.

You could have put statement four over on the left.

Humans are inherently bad.

People sometimes hurt others even when they know it's wrong.

You might also have put statement five here.

Sometimes we are driven by greed and fear.

You might have put statement two, our upbringing and environment can shape our behaviour in different ways in the middle because it suggests we could become good or we could become bad.

And finally, you might have put statement one over on the right.

Lots of people show kindness even when it doesn't benefit them, as an example of humans are inherently good.

Along with statement three, people often work together to create positive change.

Well done if you put those statements in the right places and if you've shown that you understand there are lots of different views on this question of inherent goodness.

We've learned a lot in today's lesson on the nature of human goodness.

We've learned that good can be absolute, unchanging, or relative, context-dependent.

We've learned that moral evil is caused by human choice, while natural evil results from natural events.

We've learned some philosophical views, which include humans having potential for goodness, being naturally selfish or having an inbuilt sense of duty.

We've learned some psychological views highlighting the influence of instincts, growth and rewards, and some sociological views which suggest humans are shaped by society and social interaction.

We've also seen that history offers examples of both inherent human goodness and evil.

Well done on working through this lesson today.

Thank you very much for your hard work.