Dominican College of Tarlac
College Department
ETHICS
Asher John M. Cauguiran, LPT, MAEd GC, MAEd CFEVEP
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course is organized according to
three main elements of moral
experience:
a)Agent, including context –cultural,
communal, and environmental;
b)The act; and
c)Reason or Framework (for the act)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
❑At the end of the course, the students must be able to:
1. Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems;
2. Describe what a moral experience is as it happens different
level of human existence;
3. Explain the influence of Filipino Culture on the way the
students look at moral experiences and solve moral
dilemmas;
4. Describe the elements of moral development and moral
experience;
LEARNING OUTCOMES
5. Use ethical frameworks or principles to analyze moral
experiences;
6. Make sound ethical judgments based on principles,
facts, and the stakeholder’s experience.
7. Develop sensitivity for the common good; and
8. Understand and internalize the principles of ethical
behavior in modern society at the level of the person,
society, and in interaction with the environment and
other shared resources.
LESSON 1:
BASIS and DEFINITION
THE SUBJECT:
ETHICS
In the Theaetetus, Plato’s
Socrates claims that philosophy begins in
wonder (thaumazein). Aristotle echoes
these sentiments in his Metaphysics; it is
wonder and astonishment that first led us
to philosophize.
8
Introduction
The ability to inquire or ask questions is
inherent among human beings.
To think is the basic impulse of man
The act of asking is the person’s way of
making sense of all things around him or
her that he or she does not
understand.
Came from the two Greek words:
Philia (φιλο) means “love”
Sophia (σοφία) means “wisdom”
Therefore, it literally means, love of wisdom.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
ACADEMIC DEFINITION
“Scientia rerum omnium per causas
altissimas,
naturali ratione comparata.”
(The science of all things through the
highest causes obtained by natural
reason).
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
Methods of Philosophy
❑Philosophy as Speculation / Speculative
Thinking
❑Philosophy as Critical Thinking /
Analysis
❑Philosophy as Reflective Inquiry
PHILOSOPHY CAN BE DIVIDED INTO:?
MAIN BRANCHES
• Metaphysics
• Epistemology
• Axiology
MAIN DIVISIONS
• Theoretical
• Practical
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
METAPHYSICS
• Refers to the branch of
philosophy that deals the
nature of reality.
• Ontology is the study of the
nature of the existence of
things. Also referred to as the
theory of being.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
Epistemology (meaning
study of knowledge) It refers
to the study of validity of
human knowledge.
• empiricism (experience) or rationalism (by the mind prior to
experience) – and verification or confirmation of knowledge.
• Skepticism - The mind cannot attain the truth because it is
prone to error and ergo one needs to suspend his / her belief.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
Axiology refers to the philosophical study of value
and as humans we value two things: beauty and
human conduct.
• Aesthetics is concerned with the analysis
of aesthetic experience and the idea of
what is beautiful (objective beauty).
• Ethics (ethos), meaning "habit, custom“ is
concerned with moral conduct.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
Other Divisions of Philosophy
Theoretical
• Cosmology
• Ontology
• Metaphysics
• Psychology
• Theodicy
• (Philosophy of
• Religion)
• Epistemology
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
COSMOLOGY
The study of the origin, evolution, and ultimate fate of the entire
universe. Cosmologists deal with the questions regarding the origin of
the universe in a scientific and philosophical manner.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is defined as a
science that studies
human and animal
behavior
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
THEODICY
Theodicy investigates the nature, being,
and attributes of God not based on the
bible and divine revelation but by
logical abstractions and reasoning.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
SEMANTICS
The study of the
meaning of words in its
linguistic forms, their
functions and their
relationship to other
words.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
HERMENUETICS
Hermeneutics as the methodology
of interpretation is concerned with
problems that arise when dealing
with meaningful human actions
and the products of such actions,
most importantly texts.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
LOGIC
Logic came from the Greek word "logos",
which has a variety of meanings
including word, thought, idea, argument,
account, reason or principle. It is defined
as the science of correct reasoning.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
The rich history of philosophy is replete with
men and women who inquired into the
fundamental nature of the self. Along with
the question of the primary substratum that
defines the multiplicity of things in the world,
the inquiry on the self has preoccupied the
earliest thinkers in the history of philosophy.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
It was the Greeks who questioned myths and
moved away from them in attempting to
understand the reality and respond to perennial
questions of curiosity, including the question of
self.
The diverse perspectives on the self can be best
seen and understood then by revisiting its prime
movers and identify the most vital conjectures
made by the great thinkers form the ancient time
until to the contemporary era.
Understanding the Self | Philosophical Perspective of the Self
ETHICS
• Deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern
society at the level of the person, society and in
interaction with the environment and other shared
MORALITY
resources.
•Pertains to the standards of right and wrong that
an individual originally picks from the community.
ETHICS/ MORAL PHILOSOPHY
❑May be defined in a provisional way, as
the scientific study of moral judgments.
❑Ethics is a discipline concerned with
what is morally good and bad, right and
wrong.
❑Ethics is a system of moral principles.
❑The term was derived from the Greek word ethos
which can mean custom, habit, character, or
disposition.
❑In latin, mos (normative) or moris (genitive)
which means custom or traditional line of conduct.
• Montemayor (1994) also states that Plato proclaimed Ethics
as the supreme science, the highest in the hierarchy of
human values, as it is concerned with the attainment of life’s
greatest Good and Goal – Happiness.
• According to Socrates, ethics is the investigation of life.
• According to Gualdo, Placido and Dagwasi, ethics is a
personal and lifelong commitment.
• Ethics is not only about the morality of particular courses of
action, but it’s also about the goodness of individuals and
what it means to live a good life.
• Ethics in ancient Greece was concerned with moral character
or virtues.
• For instance, Socrates cited the importance to recognize the
value of questions that affect how a person should live. This
is Socratic method, elenchus. Intellectual midwifery,
intellectual humility.
BRANCHES OF ETHICS
In the Field of Ethics, morality is often defined in two ways.
NORMATIVE ETHICS- in which actions are judged by
merits, allowing societies to develop codes of conduct
for behavior.
The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you”, is a classic example of normative ethics, since you are
determining morality through your actions.
•DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS- it ask what people think
is moral. It does not actually claim that things are
right or wrong, but simply studies how individuals
or societies define their morals.
•It defines morals in terms of their cultural or
personal significance.
WHY STUDY ETHICS?
The Study of Ethics will enable a person to
understand better what his conscience is, how he
acquired it, how far he is likely to be able to trust
to its deliverances with safety, and how he can
improve it and make it more intelligent.
MORALITY
• Can be defined as the standards that an individual or a
group has about what is right and wrong, good or evil.
• Morality is an informal public system applying to
all rational persons, governing behavior that
affects others, and has lessening of evil or harm
as its goal.
• It is a complex of concepts and philosophical
beliefs by which an individual determines
whether his or her actions are right or wrong.
THE TERM MORALITY CAN BE USED EITHER;
a. Descriptively (Descriptive Sense)- to refer to
certain codes of conduct put forward by a
society or a group (such as religion), or accepted
by an individual for his/her own behavior or;
b. Normatively (Normative Sense)- to refer to a
code of conduct that, given specified conditions,
would be put forward by all rational persons.
Six Key Features
of Morality
1. People experience a sense of moral
obligation and accountability.
❑One cannot doubt successfully a phenomenon of his
own existence –namely, his moral experience. Even
Secularists like Kai Nielsen recommend that one “ought
to” act or follow some rules, policies, and practices, or
principles.
❑Even Atheist Richard Dawkins declares that there are
“moral instructions on how we ought to behave”.
2. Moral Values and Moral
Absolutes Exist
❑It’s hard to deny the objective reality of moral
values –actions like rape, torture, and child abuse
are not just socially unacceptable behavior but are
moral abominations. (Craig, 1994)
❑There are moral absolutes -truths that exist and
apply to everyone.
3. Moral Law Does Exist
❑When we accept the existence of
goodness, we must affirm a moral law
on the basis of which to differentiate
between good and evil
4. Moral Law is known to Humans
•Moral law is also called the Law of
Nature because early philosophers
thought that generally speaking,
everybody knows it by nature.
•Different civilizations and different ages
only have “slightly different” moralities
and not radically or “quite different
moralities”.
5. Morality is Objective
❑Morality is absolute – there is a real right
and real wrong that is universally and
immutably true, independent of whether
anyone believes it or not.
❑Since almost all people assume certain
things to be wrong such as genocide, murder,
and rape – the best explanation is that such
things really are wrong and morality is
objective.
6. Moral Judgements must be
supported by Reasons.
❑Moral judgments are different from
mere expressions of personal preference
–they require backing by reasons, and in
the absence of such reasons, they are
merely arbitrary.
•Imagine a bustling café. Ethics is like the
café’s menu
•Now, morality is like the individual tastes
of the café patrons
Make a constructed essay about the following
propositions. 25 points (15 pts content, 10 points grammar
and technicalities)
[Link] it ethical to cut ties with family members who are toxic or
abusive? (3-5 sentences)
[Link] a person be ethical without following any religious or
spiritual beliefs? (3-5 sentences)
[Link] is the basic nature of the human in the context of
philosophy? (3-5 sentences)
Ethical Theories
Normative and Descriptive Ethics
❑Normative or Prescriptive ethics is defined as a type
of ethics that determines what moral standards
determine the rightness or wrongness of our actions.
❑It prescribes how a person should act in society.
❑Usually, prescriptive ethics have either a religious
origin such as the Bible, or a non-religious or purely
humanistic ethics.
Normative and Descriptive Ethics
❑Descriptive or Applied Ethics involves the factual
investigation of moral behavior. In each society, these
standards are identifiable as they are embedded in
cultural and religious practices.
❑Applied Ethics examines specific, controversial moral
issues. Thus, there must be considerable groups of
people both for and against the issue
❑Bioethics
❑This concerns ethical issues pertaining to life,
biomedical, research, medicines, health care, and
the medical profession.
Environmental
Ethics
It deals with
moral issues
concerning
nature, the
ecosystem, and
its nonhuman
contents.
Business Ethics
❑It examines moral
principles concerning
the business
environment which
involves issues about
corporate practices,
policies, business
behaviors, and the
conducts and
relationships of
individuals in the
organizations. It
investigates ethical
controversies
Sexual Ethics
It studies
moral issues
about
sexuality and
human
sexual
behavior.
Social Ethics
Social Ethics
❑It deals with what is right for a
society to do and how it should act
as a whole.
❑Its focus is on what may be
deemed as proper behavior for
people as a whole.
THE MORAL
AGENT
MAN AS MORAL AGENT.
❑Moral Agent is a being that is “capable of
acting with reference to right and wrong”.
❑A moral agent is an intelligent being who
has the power of choosing, and scope to
act according to his choice.
❑Being a moral agent means that they can
be held responsible for their decisions and
behaviors, whether they are good or bad.
LESSON 2
MORAL and
NON-MORAL
STANDARD and
DILEMMAS
•Rules are specific sets of norms of
behavior, regulations and laws
established on purpose to regulate
the life in the community.
•These Norms secure the order and
allow avoiding total chaos.
1. Rules protect social beings
by regulating behavior
Importance 2. Rules help to guarantee each
person certain rights and freedom
of rules to
3. Rules produce a sense of
human justice among social beings
beings 4. Rules are essential for a
healthy economic system
Differences between
Moral and Non-Moral Standards
• Moral Standard- refers to the norms
which we have about the types of
action which we believe to be morally
acceptable and morally unacceptable.
• Deals with matters which can either
seriously harm or seriously benefit
human beings.
How are Moral Standards Formed?
❑Moral Standards are influenced by a variety of factors
❑as the moral principles we accept as part of our upbringing,
❑values passed on to us through heritage and legacy,
❑the religious values that we have imbibed from childhood,
❑the values that were showcased during the period of our education,
❑the behavior pattern of those who are around us,
❑the explicit and implicit standards of our culture,
❑our life experiences
❑and more importantly, our critical experience reflections on these
experiences.
CHARACTERISTIC OF MORAL STANDARD
1. Moral standards deal with matters we think can
seriously injure or benefit humans, animals, and
the environment.
2. Moral standards are not established by authority
figures.
3. Moral standards have the trait of
universalizability.
4. Moral standards are based on impartial
considerations.
5. MORAL STANDARDS ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH SPECIAL EMOTIONS AND VOCABULARY.
•Prescriptivity indicates the practical or
action-guiding nature of moral
standards. These principles are
proposed for users to evaluate behavior,
assign praise and blame, and produce
feelings of satisfaction or of guilt.
Differences between
Moral and Non-Moral Standards
•Non-Moral Standard –refer to
rules that are unrelated to
moral or ethical
considerations. Example, rules
of etiquette, fashion
standards, rules in games, and
various house rules.
•Etiquette- refers to the norms of correct conduct
in polite society or, more generally, to any special
code of social behavior or courtesy.
•Statutes- are laws enacted by legislative bodies.
Congress and state legislatures enact statutes.
•Somewhere between etiquette and law lie
professional codes of ethics. These are the rules
that are supposed to govern the conduct of
members of a given profession.
MORAL DILEMMA
❑is a conflict in which you have to choose
between two or more actions and have
moral reasons for choosing each action.
❑A Moral Dilemma is a situation where:
❑You are presented with two or more
actions, all of which you have the ability to
perform.
MORAL DILEMMA
❑There are moral reasons for you to
choose each of the actions.
❑You cannot perform all of the actions
and have to choose which action, or
actions when there are three or more
choices, to perform.
3 Levels of Moral Dilemma Moral Dilemmas
can be categorized according to these levels:
1. Personal Dilemmas are those experienced and
resolved on a personal level.
•Since many ethical decisions are personally made,
many if not most moral dilemmas fall under, or boil
down to this level.
•If a person makes conflicting promises, he faces a
moral conflict. When an individual has to choose
between the life of a child who is about to be
delivered and the child’s mother, he faces an ethical
dilemma
2. Organizational Dilemmas refer to ethical cases
encountered and resolved by social organizations.
This category includes moral dilemmas in
business, medical fields, and the public sector.
3. Structural Dilemmas refer to cases involving a
network of institutions and operative theoretical
paradigms. As they usually encompass multi-
sectoral institutions and organizations, they may be
larger in scope and extent than organizational
dilemmas.
