Ethics Vocab
Theme A: Relationships and families
Cohabitation:
A couple living together without being married/in civil partnership.
Compassion:
Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others.
Contraception:
Precautions taken to prevent pregnancy and to protect against contracting or transmitting STIs (sexually transmitted infections).
Divorce:
Legal ending of a marriage.
Extended family:
Family unit comprising two parents and their children, but also grandparents, cousins etc.
Family planning:
Planning when to have a family and how big a family to have by use of birth control practices and/or contraception.
Gender discrimination:
Acting on prejudices against someone because of their gender.
Gender equality:
Belief that all genders have equal status and value, so discrimination against any is wrong.
Gender prejudice:
Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their gender.
Heterosexuality:
Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the opposite gender.
Homosexuality:
Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the same gender.
Nuclear family:
Family unit made up of two parents and their child(ren).
Polygamy:
The practice of having multiple spouses (wives and/or husbands).
Procreation:
Having a child; seen as a duty in many religions.
Remarriage:
Marriage for the second time, after divorce ending an earlier marriage.
Vows:
Promises made during a marriage ceremony.
Theme B: religion and life
Abortion:
The deliberate ending of a pregnancy.
Afterlife:
Beliefs about what happens to ‘us’ after our body has died; in many religions this relates to life after death or immortality in some form.
Animal experimentation:
The use of animals for medical research and product testing.
Awe and Wonder:
Sense of wonderment at nature; often linked to the feeling that God is involved/revealed through it.
Big Bang Theory:
Scientific theory about the origins of the universe; belief that the universe began almost 14 billion years ago with a reaction of particles from a singularity followed by a process of inflation and expansion.
Death:
The end of the physical, bodily life.
Dominion:
Belief that humans have been given control/charge of the world.
Environment:
The world around us; this can be made up natural or artificial surroundings.
Euthanasia:
Assisting with the ending of life for a person who is terminally ill or has degenerative illness; often known as assisted suicide.
Evolution:
Scientific theory of the development of species which involves a process of natural selection and survival of the fittest.
Natural resources:
Resources which are found in nature – fossil fuels (eg coal, oil, natural gas), plants etc.
Pollution:
Contamination of an environment with harmful substances.
Quality of life:
The standard of health, comfort and happiness/fulfillment experienced by a person or group.
Responsibility:
Having a duty or obligation to act in a certain way.
Sanctity of life:
Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals.
Scientific:
Knowledge based on what can be observed (eg regularities in nature) and experimentation.
Stewardship:
Duty given by God to humankind to look after the created world, and all life within it.
Theme D: religion, peace and conflict
Conflict:
Dispute between sides, can be between individuals, groups or nations.
Forgiveness:
Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on.
Holy War:
War that is believed to be sanctioned by God.
Justice:
Bringing fairness back to a situation.
Just War:
Set of rules for fighting a war in a way believed to be justified and acceptable to God.
Nuclear deterrence:
Having nuclear weapons with the aim of deterring/preventing other states attacking for fear of retaliation and nuclear war (possibly leading to Mutually Assured Destruction).
Nuclear weapons/war:
A weapon of mass destruction which causes widespread damage and loss of life. Nuclear war would be a war fought using these weapons.
Pacifism:
Belief that all violence is wrong, which then affects all behaviours.
Peace:
The opposite of war; harmony between all in society.
Peace-making:
Working to bring about peace and reconciliation.
Protest:
A statement or action to express disagreement; can be an organised event to demonstrate disagreement with a policy or political action.
Reconciliation:
Making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups/sides after disagreement.
Retaliation:
To pay someone back for their harmful actions.
Terrorism:
Use of violence and threats to intimidate others; used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from Government.
Victims of war:
Those who are harmed during a war, for example those killed, injured or left homeless.
Violence:
Behaviour involving physical force which intends to hurt, kill or cause damage.
War:
Armed conflict between two or more sides.
Weapons of Mass Destruction:
Weapons which cause widespread, indiscriminate damage (eg nuclear, chemical, biological).
Theme E: religion, crime and punishment
Addiction:
Being addicted to/dependent on a particular substance; can be a cause of crime (eg stealing money to pay for illegal drugs).
Community service:
Punishment involving the criminal doing a set number of hours of physical labour/work in their local community.
Corporal punishment:
Punishment in which physical pain is inflicted on the criminal.
Crime:
Action which breaks the law; can be against the person (eg murder), against property (eg vandalism), or against the state (eg treason).
Death penalty:
Capital punishment; the execution of a criminal which is sanctioned by the state.
Deterrence:
Aim of punishment; the threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime (eg knowing they could go to prison if they steal).
Evil intentions:
Having the desire to deliberately cause suffering or harm to another.
Forgiveness:
Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on.
Greed:
Reason for committing crime – wanting or desiring something or more of something.
Hate crime:
A crime committed because of prejudice views about a person or group.
Prison:
Imprisonment is a form of punishment where a criminal is locked in a secure guarded building (prison) for a period of time.
Law:
The rules a country demands its citizens follow, the breaking of which leads to punishment.
Mental illness:
A medical condition that can cause changes to a person’s behaviour; can be a cause of crime.
Murder:
Unlawfully killing another person.
Poverty:
The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life; can be a cause of crime.
Principle of utility:
The concept of acting out of the greater good for the most people. (eg removing a dangerous criminal from society in order to protect others).
Reformation:
Aim of punishment; helping the criminal see how and why their behaviour was wrong, so that their mindset changes for the better.
Retribution:
Aim of punishment; getting the criminal back for their crimes.
Sanctity of life:
Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals.
Theft:
Taking something without the owner’s consent.
Unjust law:
A legal requirement within a society that is believed to be unfair; a cause of crime if a person believes they cannot follow (or must act against) a law they believe is unjust.
Upbringing:
The environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up; can be a cause of crime.
