COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE TITLE

COURSE CODE/CREDITS: Philosophy 5/Theology 3

But only God who created man to His own image
and ransomed him from sins, provides a fully
adequate answer to questionsrevealed in Christ
His Son who became man. Whoever follows after
Christ, the perfect man becomes himself more of a
man.
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course deals with the study of man as a
moral being called by God to respond in
freedom and responsibility to attain the fullness of
life in Christ. It seeks to familiarize the students
with the foundations of morality that would equip
them with principles and guidelines to confront
contemporary moral situations. This also deals with
the challenges of Christian Discipleship and the
Christian invitation to moral growth through the
study of grace, sin, conversion and virtues.
COURSE SYLLABUS
A. General objectives:
At the end of the course, the students are expected to:
1. Establish the link between the external ritual
expression of Christian faith and authentic
discipleship following Christ in action (ECCE:
Moral Law Nos. 5& 6)
2. Acquire ethical and religious values which
would affect changes of attitude, behavior and
values (CA # 60) in the light of
contemporary moral problem.
COURSE SYLLABUS
B. Specific Objectives
At the end of this course, students are expected to:
1. Acquaint themselves with the moral dimension of
the Christian Faith;
2. Trace the roots of contemporary moral situations;
3. Acquire facility in making moral-decisions, through
the study of the human person as moral agent;
4. Understand the DECALOGUE in the light of some
of todays moral issues.
5. Appreciate the challenges of Christian Discipleship.
6. Value Christs invitation to grow morally
through the study of the role of grace, sin,
conversion, and virtues.
COURSE OUTLINE
Introduction: Understanding
Contemporary Moral Situations

A. Moral Situations: An Overview
B. Contemporary Moral Trends and Their
Roots
C. Notions of Morality
1. Popular Notions


Unit I: THE HUMAN PERSONS ETHICS OF BEING AND
DOING

I. Christian Ethics

A. The Meaning of Morality and
Ethics
1. What Morality Is: Clarifications and
Terms

B. Christian Ethics: The Following of Christ

1. Our Call to Love
2. Characteristics of Christian Morality
3. Sources of Christian Ethics

II. Human Person (as a Moral Being)
WHO AM I?

A. The Christian Concept of the
Human Person

1. Created in Gods image
2. Man as Body-Soul unity
3.The Existence of Original Sin
4.Living in Christ: A life of Grace



COURSE OUTLINE
B. Man as Person
1. Intelligent and Free
2. Endowed with dignity and inalienable rights
3.Always an End, never as Means

C. Christian Life as Freedom in Christ
1. Meaning of Christian Liberty
2. The Ethics of Being and the Ethics of Doing
3. Freedom from Towards Freedom for


COURSE OUTLINE
D. Freedom and Moral Act
1. The Morality of Human Acts
a. Human Acts and Acts of Man
b. Constituents of Human Acts
c. Determinants of Morality
d. Modifiers of Voluntariness
2. Sources of Morality and their inter-
relatedness
a. Object
b. Intention
c. Circumstances
3. Principle of Double-effect


UNIT II: REALIZING HUMAN DIGNITY & GENUINE
FREEDOM
III. Norms and Guidelines: WHAT WILL
DIRECT ME?
A. The Objective Norm: Law
1. Definition and Nature of Law
2. Elements of True Law
3. Kinds of Law:
a. Eternal Law
b. Natural Law
c. Human Law
4. Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount: Basic
Christian Character

III. Norms and Guidelines

B. The Subjective Norm: Conscience
1. Nature and Definition
2. Kinds of Conscience and their Binding Force
3.Development of Moral Conscience
4. Christian Formation

C. Concrete Guidelines for Making a
Moral Decision
COURSE OUTLINE

IV. Sin and Conversion: WHAT HAS
BECOME OF ME?


A. Divine Love and Sin
1. Nature of Sin
a. Biblical Views of Sin
b. Theological Reflection on Sin
c. Mortal, Grave and Venial Sin


COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Sin and Conversion
A. Divine Love and Sin
2. Kinds of Sin
a. kinds of Internal Sins
b. Sin of Omission and Commission
c. Capital Sins



COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Sin and Conversion
A. Divine Love and Sin
3. Sources of Sin
a. Impact of a Sinfully distorted
World
b. Temptation
4. Responsibility for the Sins of
Others and Sinful Cooperation




COURSE OUTLINE

IV. Sin and Conversion
B. Conversion: On Going of
Process for Transformation
1. Mans need for Conversion
2. Nature of Conversion
3. The Role of the Church in
Conversion/Reconciliation




COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Sin and Conversion
D. Discipleship: The Way
Towards Christian Morality
1. Living Authentic Human Life:
Christ as a Model
2. Responding to Christs
Commandment of Love (Agape)
3. Living the Life in the Spirit






COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Sin and Conversion
E. Christs Invitation to Perfection
1. Defective Ideals
2. The Call to Perfection in Holy
Scripture
3. Essence of Universality of the
Call to Perfection
4. Pathways to Holiness







COURSE OUTLINE

V. Grace & Virtues: WHAT AM I CALLED
FOR?

C. Virtues Habits for Effective Christian Living

1. Nature of Virtues
2. Systems of Virtues
3. Fundamental Requirements for Virtue
4. Grace and the Theological & Cardinal/Moral
Virtues
5. Saints: Men and Women of Virtues







UNIT III: THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO
SPECIAL MORAL ISSUES

VI. Current Moral issues in the light
of the Decalogue
A. Issues on Life and the Body
(4
th
5
th
Commandment)
B. Issues on Sexuality
(6
th
and 9
th
Commandment)
C. Issues on Truthfulness
(8
th
Commandment)












VII. Special Moral Issues: WHAT
OUGHT TO BE MY RESPONSE?
(6
th
to 10
th
Commandments)

A. Issues on Human Life
Artificial Contraception (Pills, Condoms)
Abortion
Suicide
Stewardship versus Exploitation













VII. Special Moral Issues: WHAT OUGHT TO BE
MY RESPONSE? (6
th
to 10
th
Commandments)

B. Issues on Sexuality
Pornography, Subliminal Advertising
Premarital Sex
Masturbation
Homosexuality & Homosexual Relationships
C. Issues on Justice & Truth
Kinds of Lie
Broad Mental Reservation












WHERE AM I?
WHERE AM I GOING?
WHAT AM I CALLED FOR?
HOW DOI RESPOND TO SPECIAL MORAL ISSUES?
INTRODUCTION:




PHILOSOPHY/

THEOLOGY/

MORALITY
INTRODUCTION: PHILOSOPHY
A: Etymologically: It comes from two Greed words philos (love),
and sophia (wisdom). Hence, philosophy is
defined as love of wisdom.
Q: What is Philosophy?
Classical Definition: It is the science which studies the final or
ultimate causes of all
things in the light of human reason.
INTRODUCTION: THEOLOGY
Etymology: (THEOS: GOD / LOGOS:STUDY/SCIENCE)

HENCE, THEOLOGY IS THE SCIENCE OR STUDY OF GOD
Q: What is Theology?
THEOLOGY AS SCIENCE
In the sense that theology as a study of God
is also a systematic body of knowledge

However, unlike other human sciences, theology solely relies
on divine revelation
DIVINE REVELATION

Through revelation, God makes himself known
as well as his plan of salvation
Gods revelation comes to us even through
the most ordinary circumstance of our life.
Divine revelation can only be accepted by FAITH
Revelation is Gods initiative.

Through revelation God establishes a relationship with
humanity
FAITH
enables us to see Gods intervention even in human history
Through theology:
we learn of a God who is active in human affairs
Not a God who watches from a distance
Hence, THEOLOGY is:
The study of God and his relationship with man and the world

Studied through the use of reason illumined by faith
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Where am I going
?
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Ethics?
A: Etymologically:

It comes from two Greek word ethos,
meaning a characteristic way of doing
things, or a body of customs.

Hence, it is a study of human customs
or ways of doing things.
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Ethics?
Classical Definition:

It is the science of the morality of human acts. It is
a science because it is a systematic body of
knowledge meant to guide men in their pursuit of
the good and happy life.
Ethics is therefore a practical science; it is not a
speculative science that merely theorizes.
Ethics is meant to be applied, i.e.,
it teaches how men ought to live.
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Note: Ethics can be divided into two:

A. General Ethics concerns the individual and
what he ought to do to live happy and
fruitful life in this world.

B. Special Ethics concerns the individual as a
member of society. All problems
concerning society and the social order
are taken up.
THE IMPERATIVES OF ETHICS
Ethics presupposes some imperatives
(required) or sine qua non, those with which
Ethics would not be possible. These imperatives
are:
1. the existence of God or a Supreme Being
2. the existence of human freedom;
3. the existence of an afterlife, i.e., life beyond
the grave, or the immortality of the soul
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Morality?
A: Mortality is the quality of goodness or badness of human
acts. It is also the rightness or wrongness of human
acts as they conform or do not conform to standards.
B: Human acts are those that are done with full knowledge
and full willingness or deliberation. Acts that are done
without full knowledge or full willingness or deliberation
or both are termed acts of man.

Human acts must conform to a standard to determine
whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, moral or
immoral.
MORAL THEOLOGY
Moral Theology seeks to relate the Christian to the complex realities
of living in the world.
Interested on the implications of the Christian faith.
A. Ethics of Being
B. Ethics of Doing

Ethics of Being

Ethics of Doing
Interiority of the person. Interiority of the person get expressed
in behavior
Actions are always expression of a
person.
Right actions come from a good person
It pays attention to what is happening
to the person performing actions
rather than on the actions the person
performs.
Attends not only to the duties and
obligations of the person acting but also
to the circumstances which make up
the moral situation
It asks: What sort of person should I
become because I believe in Christ?
It asks: What sort of action should I
perform because I believe in Christ?
Character Action
MORAL THEOLOGY
Special attention needs to be given to the development of moral theology. Its
scientific exposition should be thoroughly nourished by the scriptural
teaching. It should show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and
their obligation to bring forth fruit in Charity for the life of the world. (Optatem
Totusis, 16)
Five Guidelines to the Development of Moral Theology
1.Vocation of the Christian
- Call to Holiness
- Invitation from Christ to a personal response of love.
2.Love God through ones neighbor
- The life of Christian must live daily in word and deed.
- As a service for others not purely between God and individual.
3.More Biblical
- More thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching.
- Imbued with a deeper sense of the Word of God as revealed in
scripture and of the history of Mans salvation revealed in the bible.
4.More Scientific
- constant dialogue with other field of study.
5.On Going Task
- Socially oriented and must come into grips with contemporary
problems.
MORAL THEOLOGY
Scriptural Basis
Someone came to Him
For the young man, the question is not so much about
rules to be followed, but about the full meaning of life. This is in
fact the aspiration at the heart of every human decision and
action, the quiet searching and interior prompting which sets
freedom in motion.
This question is ultimately an appeal to the absolute Good
which attracts and beckons us; it is the echo of a call from God
who is the origin and goal of mans life.
In order to make this encounter with Christ possible,
God willed His church.
Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?
It is essential and unavoidable question for the life
of every man, for it is the moral good which must be done,
and about eternal life.
People today need to turn to Christ once again in
order to receive from Him the answer to their questions
about what is good and what is evil.

There is only one who is good.
The answer to the question, What good must I do to
have eternal life?, can only be found by turning ones mind
and heart to the ONE who is good; only God can answer
the question about what is good, ultimately means to turn
towards God.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments

God has already given an answer to this question. He did so by creating
man and ordering him with wisdom and love to his final end,
through the law which is inscribed in his heart. The natural law is no
other than the light of understanding infused in us by God, whereby we
understand what must be done and what must be avoided. God gave
this light and this law to man at creation.

The Ten Commandments are part of Gods revelation. At the same
time, they teach us mans true humanity. They shed light on the essential
duties, and so indirectly on the fundamental rights, inherent in the nature
of the human person.

Without love of neighbor made concrete in keeping the
commandments, genuine love for God is not possible.

Jesus brings Gods commandments to fulfillment, particularly the
commandment of love of neighbor, by interiorizing their demands and by
bringing out their fullest meaning.
INTRODUCTION: MORALITY/ETHICS
Q: What is Ethics?
A. MORAL SITUATION: AN OVERVIEW
B. CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS
An overview of the moral situation
presents to us the contemporary moral trends
The present generation is characterized by the
extraordinary increase and gravity of threats to life
THE THREATS TO LIFE DIRECTLY AFFLICT
THE WEAK AND THE DEFENSELESS
THREATS TO LIFE:
A.WHATEVER IS OPPOSED TO LIFE
Murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide
B. WHATEVER VIOLATES THE INTEGRITY OF
THE HUMAN PERSON
mutilation, torments inflicted on body and mind
C. WHATEVER INSULTS HUMAN DIGNITY
Subhuman living conditions
slavery
imprisonment
human trafficking
disgraceful working conditions
ALL THESE ARE:
Poisons to human society
Against the order of reason
THEY ARE:
Expanding with new prospects
Opened up by scientific technological progress
IRONY
Progress in science and technology
Regress in moral life
GRAVE CONCERN:

Broad sectors of public opinion
JUSTIFY certain crimes against life
HOW?
By invoking the rights of individual freedom and
By obtaining exemption from punishment
even authorization by the state, so that
these crimes can be done with total freedom
IT IS GRAVE AND DISTURBING THAT CONSCIENCE
IS DARKENED BY WIDESPREAD CONDITIONING

AS A RESULT,
IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT
TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
SYMPTOMATIC OF MORAL DECLINE
C. ROOTS AND SOURCES OF CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS
1. Profound Crisis of Culture
CULTURE

pattern of human knowledge,
customary belief, and behavior of a racial, religious, or social group

the characteristic features of everyday existence
shared by people in a place or time

the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices
CAUSE:
Skepticism in relation to the foundations of knowledge and ethics

EFFECTS:
difficulty in grasping clearly:

- The meaning of human existence

- The meaning of mans rights and duties
MAN FINDS HIMSELF LOST
2. Existential and Interpersonal difficulties

EXISTENTIAL
grounded in existence or the experience of existence
Aggravated by the complexity of society where people
no longer want to take responsibility for their neighbors
3. Situations of Acute Poverty, Anxiety or Frustration
CONCLUSION:

THE CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS MAKE THE
CHOICE TO DEFEND AND PROMOTE LIFE DEMANDING
AS SOMETIMES TO REACH THE POINT OF
HEROISM