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"A Method of Social Ethical Analysis"

by Theodore Walker, Jr.

presented to the Faculty of the Perkins School of Theology at its Annual Faculty Retreat at the Bishop Mason Retreat Center near Flower Mound, Texas on 13 September 1996

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Social ethical analysis includes these basic elements:
interpretive themes,
circles of concern (usually selected human populations),
descriptions (of past and present circumstances),
predictions (future circumstances projected from present & past circumstances),
visions (of more favorable, more righteous, ideal or utopian futures),
prescriptions (doing differently contributing to a favorably different future), and
values.

Interpretive themes are those themes by which human social existence is interpreted or understood.


Descriptions are historical and sociological accounts of past and presently continuing circumstances.

Predictions are projections of future circumstances derived from considering the influences of past and present trends.

Visions include predictions plus visions of an alternative more favorable, more righteous, even ideal or utopian future.

Prescriptions are social ethical imperatives and public policy recommendations for doing-being differently so as to contribute to a favorably different future.

Each of these distinct yet overlapping elements are thoroughly permeated by values and value judgments about what is significant, important, worthy of attention, and good or bad.

Hence, one systematic method of doing social analytic and social ethical reflection is to do the following:

  1. select an interpretive theme
  2. select a population
  3. describe past and presently continuing circumstances
  4. predict a future based upon the partly determinative influences of past & present circumstances
  5. envision a more righteous alternative future
  6. prescribe public policies and behaviors for changing the future from what is predicted to what is envisioned as more righteous.

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most recent update: 14c March 1998
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NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT: copyright 1997 Theodore Walker, Jr. This copyright covers all content and formatting (browser-visible and HTML text) in this and attached documents created by Theodore Walker, Jr. c@Theodore Walker, Jr.
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