Contextualization

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that seeks to understand what is good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral. This quest to understand morality dates back to Ancient Greece, with philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and continues to this day, where different schools of thought try to answer these same questions through the prism of their experiences and historical and social contexts.

Ethical reflection is essential in the formation of a critical and socially aware mindset. In the contemporary world, where we are constantly bombarded with different information, opinions, and ideologies, knowing how to discern what is moral and ethical becomes an indispensable skill. Ethics is present in our daily actions, in the decisions we make, and in how we treat people and the world around us.

In a school context, ethical reflection can be approached in several ways. One of these ways is through the study of the great thinkers of ethics and their theories. This allows us to understand the different perspectives on morality throughout history and in different cultures. Furthermore, we can analyze real situations and discuss in a group from which ethical perspective these situations can be analyzed and what the morally correct actions would be.

The study of ethics is relevant not only to make us better people but also to understand the world around us and to be able to make informed and conscious decisions. Ethics allows us to question our own actions and the actions of others, and gives us the tools to argue and defend our views in an informed and respectful manner.

For this project, we suggest the following references for research and further study on the subject:

1. ARISTOTLE. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by Mario da Gama Kury. Brasília: Editora Universidade de Brasília, 1985.
2. KANT, I. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by Paulo Quintela. Lisboa: Edições 70, 1986.
3. MILL, J. S. Utilitarianism. Translated by Vítor Moura e Silva. Lisboa: Edições 70, 2002.

In addition to the books, we suggest the following reference websites:

1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Has a vast library of texts on ethics and philosophy in general.
2. PhilPapers - A database of academic texts on philosophy and ethics.

Practical Activity: "Ethical Dilemmas - A Board Game"

Project Objective:

The objective of this activity is to explore ethical theory using board games as learning tools. Students will create and play their own board game based on ethical dilemmas.

Detailed Project Description:

This project is intended for groups of 3 to 5 students and will last for one week. The idea is that each group creates a board game where players must advance by solving ethical dilemmas based on different ethical theories, such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and others.

Required Materials:

1. Cardboard or poster board for the base of the board.
2. Colored pens, markers, or paints for decoration.
3. Small pieces to represent players (can be anything small, such as buttons, bottle caps, colored stones, etc.).
4. Paper and pens to create the ethical dilemma cards.

Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions for the Activity:

1. Research and Planning

   • The groups should begin the activity by studying different ethical dilemmas and how they are treated by different ethical theories.
   • Each group should then plan their game: what the board will look like, what the rules will be, what ethical dilemmas will be used, etc.

2. Creating the Board

   • Groups should design and color the board on which the game will be played.
   • The board can be any shape the students want, but it should have spaces or squares where players will advance.

3. Creating the Ethical Dilemma Cards

   • Each group should create at least 20 ethical dilemma cards that will be used in the game. Each card should present an ethical dilemma and at least two possible solutions based on different ethical theories.
   • For example, the card could read: "You found a wallet with money on the street. What do you do? A) Return the wallet with all the money (Deontological Theory - Kant). B) Donate the money to charity (Utilitarian Theory - Mill)".

4. Playing the Game

   • After creating the board and the cards, the groups should play the game at least once to test if the rules work and if the game is interesting.
   • During the game, students should engage in dialogue with each other, arguing and defending their ethical choices in the face of the dilemmas presented.

5. Final Report

   • After completing the game, each group must write a four-part report:
     1. Introduction: Contextualizing ethics and the relevance of the project.
     2. Development: Discussing the process of creating the game, the ethical theories used, and how the dilemmas were solved in practice during the game.
     3. Conclusions: Explaining the lessons learned, the difficulties encountered, and the solutions found.
     4. Bibliography: Listing the sources used for researching and developing the project.

This project is a fun and interactive way to learn about ethics. It not only provides a practical context for discussing the complexities of the subject, but also helps in the development of important skills such as teamwork, time management, critical thinking, and written expression.