Suffering and compassion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain where compassion fits within different ethical theories and whether it can justify suffering.
Key learning points
- Virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism and situation ethics can support decision-making around compassion.
- People may not have an absolute view on ethical issues.
- Compassion may reduce or justify suffering.
- Philosophers create arguments to support their viewpoints.
Keywords
Compassion - the feeling of caring for someone’s suffering and wanting to help alleviate it
Justify - to explain why something is right or acceptable
Suffering - the experience of pain or distress
Common misconception
If we show compassion, we can eliminate suffering entirely.
While compassion can help reduce suffering, it doesn’t always eliminate it, as some suffering may be inevitable or necessary for personal growth and moral development.
Teacher tip
For task B2, students could use some or all the sentence starters (they are progressively more difficult). The activity could also be adapted to become an oracy task or alternatively a cloze task using the sample answer (students are presented text with key elements missing for them to complete).
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the main difference between moral evil and natural evil?
Q2.Deontology focuses on rules or duties, whereas focuses on the consequences or outcomes of actions.
Q3.Which of the following statements best describes Kant's approach to ethics?
Q4.Which of the following statements best describes utilitarianism?
Q5.Which of the following statements best describes the principle of situation ethics?
Q6.Who is most commonly associated with the idea of eudaimonia or flourishing in ethics?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word 'compassion' originally mean in Latin?
Q2.Match each ethical theory to its main focus.
acts based on the greatest good for the greatest number
emphasises developing good character traits like kindness
focuses on agape love, showing unconditional care for others
treating others with dignity and respect, not as a means to an end
Q3.What is meant by the question 'Can compassion justify suffering?'?
Q4.Put the following steps in the correct order for preparing and writing a philosophical argument for a question such as 'Does compassion justify suffering?'.
Q5.Which of the following statements are arguments in support of the idea that compassion justifies suffering?
Q6.Which of the following statements are arguments in support of the idea that compassion does not justify suffering?
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Suffering and compassion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Suffering and compassion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Ethics: how do we know what is 'good'? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.