2.1 Is Morality Relative? What is the issue?We have a wide range of different moral beliefs.Who’s to say who’s right?Maybe there are no “right answers” to questions of right and wrong. Relavist: YesDescriptive claim: societies differ greatly in their moral beliefs.Claim about the nature of morality: Morality is a set of rules. Morality is taught. No one can step outside of all moral systems to judge which is best. Morality is a set of rulesLike baseball or etiquette.Rules are created, not discovered.Not natural but man-made. Morality is taughtNot innate or instinctive.Our moral beliefs depend on our upbringing.Parents, society, peers.What would happen if children were not taught morality? Can’t step outside all systemsLike judging rules of different games from the outside.Cannot objectively judge which is best.When we are appalled by the values of another society we are judging it by our own standards. ProtagorasOne of the Sophists.Sophists could argue either side of an issue; no “right” answer.“Man is the measure of all things.”Judgments of right and good are relative to human interests.Each society sets its own standards. Challenges to RelativistCan’t we judge some moral systems as wrong? (e.g. Nazi Germany)Is an individual who doesn’t conform to their society in the wrong?Is moral progress possible?Should we consider every individual’s moral beliefs equally valid? (moral relativism on the individual level) Absolutist: NoWe may not know whether an action is right or wrong but we can be sure it’s not both at the same time.Relativism is incoherent.If there are moral truths, they are universal. Universal vs. ExceptionlessUniversal: applies to everyone, regardless of culture, personal beliefs, or historical era.Exceptionless: a characteristic of a rule, applies under all circumstances, no exceptions.Absolutists can hold that moral truths are universal without being committed to exceptionless moral rules. Example: PolygamyRight: traditional, respects natural inclinations, promotes strong families.Wrong: unfair, sexist, promotes jealousy.Could make a case either way but it can’t be both! Objective vs. SubjectiveIf something is objective, it’s a matter of fact, not opinion (e.g., New Mexico is a state).If something is subjective, it is a matter of opinion (e.g., chocolate tastes good).An objective truth can be controversial; people may have different opinions about it. But there is still a fact of the matter. PlatoThere are right and wrong answers to moral questions.Not just “might makes right” or majority rule.There are objective ideals (Forms) that can be discovered through reason.Allegory of the Cave. Challenges to AbsolutistIf there are universal moral truths, why is there so much disagreement?Can’t two people disagree yet both be right? (subjective/objective)Is Absolutism compatible with tolerance?Where do these truths come from? Chapter 22 Substance Abuse and Misuse as Community Health Problems Defi ...

1. 2.1 Is Morality Relative?
What is the issue?We have a wide range of different moral
beliefs.Who’s to say who’s right?Maybe there are no “right
answers” to questions of right and wrong.
Relavist: YesDescriptive claim: societies differ greatly in their
moral beliefs.Claim about the nature of morality:
Morality is a set of rules.
Morality is taught.
No one can step outside of all moral systems to judge which is
best.
Morality is a set of rulesLike baseball or etiquette.Rules are
created, not discovered.Not natural but man-made.
Morality is taughtNot innate or instinctive.Our moral beliefs
depend on our upbringing.Parents, society, peers.What would
happen if children were not taught morality?

2. Can’t step outside all systemsLike judging rules of different
games from the outside.Cannot objectively judge which is
best.When we are appalled by the values of another society we
are judging it by our own standards.
ProtagorasOne of the Sophists.Sophists could argue either side
of an issue; no “right” answer.“Man is the measure of all
things.”Judgments of right and good are relative to human
interests.Each society sets its own standards.
Challenges to RelativistCan’t we judge some moral systems as
wrong? (e.g. Nazi Germany)Is an individual who doesn’t
conform to their society in the wrong?Is moral progress
possible?Should we consider every individual’s moral beliefs
equally valid? (moral relativism on the individual level)
Absolutist: NoWe may not know whether an action is right or
wrong but we can be sure it’s not both at the same
time.Relativism is incoherent.If there are moral truths, they are
universal.
Universal vs. ExceptionlessUniversal: applies to everyone,
regardless of culture, personal beliefs, or historical
era.Exceptionless: a characteristic of a rule, applies under all
circumstances, no exceptions.Absolutists can hold that moral
truths are universal without being committed to exceptionless
moral rules.

3. Example: PolygamyRight: traditional, respects natural
inclinations, promotes strong families.Wrong: unfair, sexist,
promotes jealousy.Could make a case either way but it can’t be
both!
Objective vs. SubjectiveIf something is objective, it’s a matter
of fact, not opinion (e.g., New Mexico is a state).If something is
subjective, it is a matter of opinion (e.g., chocolate tastes
good).An objective truth can be controversial; people may have
different opinions about it. But there is still a fact of the matter.
PlatoThere are right and wrong answers to moral questions.Not
just “might makes right” or majority rule.There are objective
ideals (Forms) that can be discovered through reason.Allegory
of the Cave.
Challenges to AbsolutistIf there are universal moral truths, why
is there so much disagreement?Can’t two people disagree yet
both be right? (subjective/objective)Is Absolutism compatible
with tolerance?Where do these truths come from?
Chapter 22
Substance Abuse and Misuse as Community Health Problems
Definitions of Substance Abuse
Substance abuse: the use of any drug (alcohol, street drugs,

4. prescription and over-the-counter medications) that results in a
loss of control over the amount taken and when it is taken
Dependence or addiction: present when there are physiological
symptoms that occur with withdrawal of the substance
Scope of Substance Abuse
Illicit drug use
Use of alcohol
Use of Tobacco
Impact of Substance
Abuse on Society
Preventable morbidity and mortality
Healthcare costs
Costs to society
Impact of Substance
Abuse on the Individual
Loss of job
Divorce
Health problems (acute and chronic)
Nutritional deficiences
Low self-esteem
Depression
Anxiety
Death
Risk Factors for

5. Substance Abuse
Society’s influence
The family’s influence
The workplace’s influence
Personal factors
Nursing Assessment
Nurses’ attitude self-assessment
Drug history
Recognizing the signs of substance abuse
Interventions
Society’s response
Healthy People 2020
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Interventions with special populations
Chapter 23
Violence and the Community
From Criminal Justice to
Public Health
Public health approach to prevent injuries
Multidisciplinary
Scientific
Use of epidemiology

6. Defining and Explaining Violence
Behavioral violence
Structural violence
Risk Factors for Violent Behavior
Microsystem
Individual
Family, peers, school, and religious
Mesosystem
Macrosystem
Types of Violence in U.S. Society
Violence in the family
Violence against women
Child maltreatment
Elder maltreatment
Workplace
Youth Violence
Scope of the problem
School violence
Gangs
Gun control
Dating violence
Causes of youth violence
Mass Violence and War

7. Epidemiology of war
Nightingale
Roles of nurses related to war
Interventions to Prevent Violence
Microlevel interventions with individuals and families
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Interventions to Prevent Violence
(cont.)
Mesolevel interventions: community structures
Community development
Action to enhance the ability of a community to meet the needs
of its members
Community awareness
Collaboration and partnerships
Interventions to Prevent Violence (cont.)
Macrolevel interventions: society and culture
Policy issues
Action
Faith-based connections
Nursing organizations