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Year 8

The nature of human goodness

I can explain how the existence of moral evil contributes to the debate on whether humans are inherently good.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 8

The nature of human goodness

I can explain how the existence of moral evil contributes to the debate on whether humans are inherently good.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There is disagreement about the meaning of the word ‘good’ and whether it is an absolute or relative concept.
  2. Moral evil is evil caused by human choice and natural evil is caused by natural events or forces.
  3. There are different philosophical, psychological and sociological perspectives on whether humans are inherently good.
  4. History gives us examples to support both the inherent goodness and the inherent evil of humans.

Keywords

  • Absolute - something that is always true and unchanging

  • Relative - something that is dependent on or connected to something else

  • Inherent - naturally part of something

  • Moral evil - actions or behaviour done by humans that are intentionally harmful or wrong, such as lying, stealing, or violence

  • Natural evil - suffering and harm caused by natural events or forces, such as earthquakes, floods, or diseases, which are not caused by human actions

Common misconception

If humans are capable of moral evil, it means they are inherently evil.

Being capable of moral evil doesn’t mean humans are inherently evil; it suggests that humans have free will and the ability to choose both good and bad actions, depending on circumstances and influences.

Use current examples of evil and suffering to illustrate moral and natural evil.
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Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
The definition of is something that causes significant harm or is morally wrong.
Correct Answer: evil, Evil
Q2.
The definition of is pain or distress which can be caused by both natural events and human actions.
Correct Answer: suffering, Suffering
Q3.
A person’s influences how they understand, experience, and respond to different situations and people in their life.
Correct Answer: worldview, Worldview
Q4.
Which of the following is an example of an ethical decision (a decision about right and wrong)?
Deciding what to eat for lunch.
Correct answer: Choosing whether to tell the truth or lie to protect someone's feelings.
Picking a movie to watch.
Deciding which shoes to buy.
Q5.
Match the key terms below to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:psychology,the study of the mind, emotions, thoughts, and mental processes

the study of the mind, emotions, thoughts, and mental processes

Correct Answer:sociology,the study of society and how social structures influence people

the study of society and how social structures influence people

Correct Answer:philosophy,the study of key questions about existence and how we view the world

the study of key questions about existence and how we view the world

Q6.
What does 'free will' mean?
Correct answer: having the ability to make decisions without any outside influence
having the ability to do whatever you want, no matter the consequences
having the ability to choose your actions, but only when it’s easy
having the ability to make choices based on what others want for you

6 Questions

Q1.
evil refers to suffering caused by natural events, such as earthquakes or diseases.
Correct Answer: natural, Natural
Q2.
evil is caused by human choices.
Correct Answer: moral, Moral
Q3.
Which of these is an example of moral evil?
a natural disaster
Correct answer: theft
a disease
a flood
Q4.
What does it mean if something is considered absolute in terms of goodness?
Correct answer: it is always good for everyone, everywhere
it depends on the situation
it only applies to certain people
it can be different for everyone
Q5.
What does it mean when someone says that goodness is relative?
goodness is always the same for everyone, no matter where they live
Correct answer: what is considered good can change depending on the person or culture
goodness is based only on religious beliefs
goodness is scientifically proven to be the same for all humans
Q6.
Which example below supports the idea that humans can be both inherently good and inherently evil?
Correct answer: some people act kindly, while others act cruelly
everyone acts the same way all the time
people always follow the law
only bad people commit crimes