The nature of human goodness
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the existence of moral evil contributes to the debate on whether humans are inherently good.
Key learning points
- There is disagreement about the meaning of the word ‘good’ and whether it is an absolute or relative concept.
- Moral evil is evil caused by human choice and natural evil is caused by natural events or forces.
- There are different philosophical, psychological and sociological perspectives on whether humans are inherently good.
- 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.
Teacher tip
Use current examples of evil and suffering to illustrate moral and natural evil.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The definition of is something that causes significant harm or is morally wrong.
Q2.The definition of is pain or distress which can be caused by both natural events and human actions.
Q3.A person’s influences how they understand, experience, and respond to different situations and people in their life.
Q4.Which of the following is an example of an ethical decision (a decision about right and wrong)?
Q5.Match the key terms below to the correct definitions.
the study of the mind, emotions, thoughts, and mental processes
the study of society and how social structures influence people
the study of key questions about existence and how we view the world
Q6.What does 'free will' mean?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1. evil refers to suffering caused by natural events, such as earthquakes or diseases.
Q2. evil is caused by human choices.
Q3.Which of these is an example of moral evil?
Q4.What does it mean if something is considered absolute in terms of goodness?
Q5.What does it mean when someone says that goodness is relative?
Q6.Which example below supports the idea that humans can be both inherently good and inherently evil?
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: The nature of human goodness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: The nature of human goodness, 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.