ETHICS

PHILOSOPHY
Greek words:
◦Philos- Love
◦Sophia- Knowledge/Wisdom

◦Philosophy- Love of Knowledge/ Wisdom

PHILOSOPHY
Systematic study of ideas and issues, a
reasoned pursuit of fundamental truths, a
quest for comprehensive understanding of
the world, a study of principles and
conduct, and much more.
DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
 EPISTEMOLOGY
 Addresses philosophical problems surrounding the theory of knowledge.
 concerned with the definition of knowledge and related concepts, the
sources and criteria of knowledge, the kind of knowledge possible, and the
degree to which each is certain.
 METAPHYSICS
 Concerned with the nature of ultimate reality.
 AESTHETICS
 Concerned with the essence and perception of beauty and
ugliness.
DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
 COSMOLOGY
Study of the universe as a whole including its past and its future.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Concerned with the nature of legitimate authority, the nature of
society, and the relation between the individual, the community,
and the state.
 PHILOSOPHY OF MAN
The study of all aspects of human life and culture. It examines
such topics as how people live, what they think, what they
produce, and how they interact with their environment.
DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF
PHILOSOPHY
 LOGIC
The art and science of correct thinking. It deals with the principles of valid reasoning and argument.

ETHICS
Is the normative science of the conduct of human being living in
societies.
A science which judges the conduct to be right or wrong, to be
good or bad.
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
WHY DO WE FOLLOW
RULES?
ETHICS
ORIGIN OF ETHICS
“ETHOS” OR ETHOUS” – USE, CUSTOM, WAY
OF BEHAVING , CHARACTER.
ETHICS
A PRACTICAL
Science of the
MORALITY of
HUMAN
CONDUCT/ACT.
HUMAN ACTS
 Actions performed by man, knowingly and
freely
MORALITY
 The quality of human act.
MORALITY
 Moral----------------------Good

 IMMORAL----------------Bad

 AMORAL-----------------Indifferent
 ETHICS AS VALUE EDUCATION

ETHICS AND RELIGION

ETHICS AND LAW

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
ETHICAL UNETHICAL
MORAL IMMORAL
JUSTIFIABLE UNJUSTIFIABLE
LEGAL ILLEGAL
VALUABLE NON - VALUABLE
GOOD EVIL
GOOD BAD
MORAL
Morals are the principles we follow
that help us know the difference
between right and wrong. When
someone is immoral, they make
decisions that purposely violate a
moral agreement. Immoral is
sometimes confused with amoral,
which describes someone who has
no morals and doesn't know what
right or wrong means.
IMMORAL
Immorality is the active opposition
to morality (i.e. opposition to that
which is good or right), while
amorality is variously defined as an
unawareness of, indifference
toward, or disbelief in any particular
set of moral standards or principles.
 JUSTIFIABLE UNJUSTIFIABLE
Excusable; Cannot make any reason to make an
Capable of being justified act right or correct.
Cannot be warranted.

LEGAL
permitted by law; lawful:
Such acts are not legal.
of or relating to law; connected
with the law or its administration:
the legal profession.
appointed, established, or
authorized by law; deriving
authority from law.
ILLEGAL
Illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, illicit,
criminal can all describe actions
not in accord with law. Illegal
refers most specifically to
violations of statutes
 VALUABLE NON - VALUABLE
having considerable monetary worth; Without cost or value.
costing or bringing a high price:
having qualities worthy of respect,
admiration, or esteem:
of considerable use, service, or
importance:
valuable information.
GOOD EVIL
Perfection of a being or an Absence of perfection
act. Achieving its purpose
or objective.
 GOOD BAD

well-behaved; not Opposite of good

causing trouble; of high
quality; kind; pleasant;
enjoyable; suitable;
sound, fit;showing
approval;
 In a ½ Crosswise…
Aside from the examples already given during the
discussion, have your own example on the following:
1. HUMAN ACT
2. ACTS OF MAN
3. MORAL ACT
4. IMMORAL ACT
5. AMORAL ACT
MORAL DILEMMAS
WHATA ARE MORAL DILEMMAS?

 A moral dilemma is a conflict in which you

have to choose between two or more actions
and have moral reasons for choosing each
action.
Moral Dilemma in Action
Imagine you are walking to a store with your friend Gia. She tells you that Kayla, a student at
your school, stole money from the cafeteria and blamed Gia for it. As a result, Gia was
suspended for two weeks and had to pay the money back.
As you and Gia walk into the store, you see Kayla. Gia pushes Kayla slightly and drops a pair of
earrings into Kayla's purse. The alarm sounds once Kayla tries to walk out of the store. She is
pulled aside by security for shoplifting, and they call the police. Kayla tells them that she is
innocent and that Gia dropped the earrings in her purse. Gia calls Kayla a liar and asks you to
back her up.
If you tell the truth, Gia will get in trouble again and will face consequences from the law and
her parents. Kayla will go unpunished for originally stealing money from the cafeteria. If you do
not tell the truth, Kayla will finally be punished for stealing, and Gia will have her revenge.
However, you may be committing a crime by lying to the police officers, and Kayla's punishment
will be more severe than it would have been for stealing money in the cafeteria.
The police arrive and ask for your version of the story. What do you say?
3 LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS
 INDIVIDUAL

 ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURAL
INDIVIDUAL
The person
• Family influences, religious values,
personal standards, and personal needs.
ORGANIZATIONAL
 Business, medical, and public sector
 Supervisory behavior, peer group
norms and behavior, and policy
statements and written rules.
STRUCTURAL
 Institutions, operative, theoretical paradigms
Government laws and regulations, societal norms
and values, and competitive climate in an industry.
e.g.
universal health care
Expensive medicines the Philippines
FOUNDATIONS OF MORAL ACTS
WHY ONLY HUMAN BEINGS CAN
BE ETHICAL?
FREEDOM BECOMES THE
FOUNDATION OF HUMAN ACTS
* FREEDOM IS ESSENTIAL TO A
GENUINELY GOOD HUMAN LIFE AT ALL
THE LEVELS OF MORALITY
 RATIONALITY
 The power of man that separates him from the rest of the
species
 the capacity to reason
Act: Good or evil
End: Goal of an action
Circumstance: Surrounding factors affecting one’s
choice
 MORALITY AS FREEDOM
…Elevating through man’s privilege is, of being capable of such an idea
as freedom of choice- [ those who are accustomed only to
physiological explanations] are stirred up by the proud claims of
speculative reason, which feels its power so strongly in other fields.
They are stirred up just as if they were allies, leagued in defense of the
omnipotence of theoretical reason and roused by a general call to arms
to resist the idea of freedom of choice and thus, at present, and
perhaps for a long time to come (through ultimately in vain), to attack
the moral concept of freedom, and if possible, render it suspect.
-Immanuel Kant
IMPARTIALITY
 Involves man’s decision to always aim to
decide for what is just, equal, and balanced
weighing of things that are devoid of any
biased judgment or pre-judgment.
THREE BROAD FIELDS OF
KNOWLEDGE
A. NATURAL SCIENCE
B. SOCIAL SCIENCE
C. HUMANITIES
 Ethics
o root word “ethos”- a characteristic way of acting.
oThe study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour in
the pursuit of good life.
oThe morality of human acts.
o a practical science of the morality of human conduct.
oThe good thing that we should pursue and the bad thing that
we should avoid.
MAN
◦Is composed of body and soul.
◦Faculties of man- freewill and
intellect
THREE TYPES OF SOUL
A. Plant
B. Animal
C. Man

Man- is a rational animal.

Human Act (Voluntary)
◦ An act proceeding from man’s deliberate free
will.
Act of Man (Involuntary)
◦ Action merely happening in the body without
the mind’s awareness or control of the will.
 ETHICS
o The acceptable and unacceptable in human behaviour.
o The right ways which we could or should act and the wrong ways
that we should avoid.
o involve obligations we are expected to fulfil and prohibitions we are
required to respect.
o The ideals we are encourage to meet.
o The bases for the values we must uphold due to their significance to
human life.
 TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
ETHICS
1. ETHICAL
o Used to describe a behaviour which conforms to accepted
standards.
2. MORAL
o Understood in a way as the term ethical.
3. UNETHICAL
o Description of an attitude, behaviour, conduct or act which don’t
follow the code of ethics
 TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
ETHICS
4. IMMORAL
o Behaviour which doesn’t conform to the moral standards.
5. FREEDOM
o man’s ability to act in accordance to his will and/or preferences. This
is synonymous with liberty.
6. RIGHT
o Something to which one has a just claim, such as a piece of property,
to which one is justly entitled.
 TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
ETHICS
7. OBLIGATION
o Duty/Responsibility to which one is bound.
8. AMORAL
o Cannot be judged as good or bad.
 VALUE
o Is the good of man’s positive attitude.
o Goal or vision which motivates man to act.
o The principle which guides man’s action and thinking.
o Is that which is important to us and are the bases of our
choices, decisions, reactions and behaviour.
o the intrinsic worth of a thing.
 KINDS OF VALUES
1. BIOLOGICAL VALUES
o Aspects of life as a biological fact
o example: food, drinks, sex, health, survival, etc.

2. ECONOMIC VALUES
o Attached to material things used or exchanged for goods and
services.
o example: money, property, foods, credit, etc.
 KINDS OF VALUES
3. AFFECTIVE VALUES
o experienced in pleasant incidents.
o example: play, excitement, comfort, delight in foods, drinks, sex, etc.

4. SOCIAL VALUES
o Experienced in social interactions
o example: power, status, good name, reputation, etc.
 KINDS OF VALUES
5. INTELLECTUAL VALUES
o Experience in the use of mind.
o example: Truth, knowledge, wisdom

6. AESTHETICS VALUES
o Appreciation of the natural and artistic beauty of things.
o example: beauty, talent, elegance, grace, symmetry, color, etc.
KINDS OF VALUES
7. MORAL VALUES
o Experienced in social or individual conduct.
oExample: values of character and good will, concern, sympathy, charity,
justice

8. RELIGIOUS VALUES
o Based on what is interpreted to be man’s relationship to God.
o example: piety, truthfulness, justness, etc.
 GUIDES IN VALUE SELECTION
1. Intrinsic values are to be preferred to those that are
extrinsic.
2. Productive and relatively permanent values are to be
preferred than less productive and relatively permanent ones.
3. We ought to select our values on the basis of self-chosen
end or ideals.
4. Of two or more values, the greater ought to be selected.
 TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
VALUES:
1. VALUE SYSTEM
o Independent values which are systematically arranged in a pattern in which are
subject to reciprocal or mutual variations.
o It is an enduring organization of beliefs concerning preferable modes of
conduct; the dominant motivation underlying the patter of people’s behaviour.

2. VALUATION
o The experience of attributing or assigning value to a thing, idea or event or a
mere feeling of a value.
TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY
OF VALUES:
3. VALUE JUDGMENT
o Matter of appraisal, evaluating or assessing of the desirability
of things.

4. GOOD
o Possesses desirable qualities of which satisfy some preferable
needs. Something which is positive or advantageous to
everybody at all times.
TERMS RELATED TO THE STUDY
OF VALUES:
5. IDEAL
o A standard or model of perfection, excellence, beauty, or
goodness.

6. NORM
o A rational concept of what ought to be a; a guide to what
should be.
REASONS FOR BEING MORAL
1. Self-interest
2. Divine command
3. Common interest
4. Because it’s right
 PRINCIPLES FOR ETHICAL LIFE:
1. Personality is the thing of greatest value.
2. The values of life must be shared.
3. Some worthwhile task should be sincerely pursued by
everyone.
4. A wide range of appreciation must be cultivated.
5. For growth, one needs to live in the presence of the best.
 TYPES OF ELICITED ACTS
1. WISH
o A disposition of the will aspiring for something.
o “ I wish for a trip to Manila.”; “I wish that no Filipino would die of hunger.”

2. INTENTION/ VOLUNTARINESS
o Purposive tendency of the will towards a realizable thing.
o “I intend a trip to Manila.”; “I am going to vote for our officials this May.”
 TYPES OF ELICITED ACTS
3. CONSENT
o Acceptance of the will of the means necessary to do the intention.
o “I’ll go to Manila by boat.”; “I’ll renew my voters registration in order to vote
this May.”
4. ELECTION
o Selection by the will of the precise means to be employed in carrying out the
intention.
o “I’ll buy the boat ticket and board the ship earlier.”; “I’ll go to the precinct and
cast my vote before lunch.”
 TYPES OF ELICITED ACTS
5. USE
o Will’s employment of powers to carry out its intention by the means
elected.
o “I’ll go to the precinct by walking.”

6. FRUITION
o The enjoyment of the thing willed and done.
o “I’ll enjoy result of the competition.”
 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE
VOLUNTARINESS OF AN ACT:
1. PRINCIPLE OF IMPUTABILITY ( evil indirectly willed)
o The agent has foreseen the evil effect. He has the freedom to do or not and
he wasn’t morally bound in doing it.

2. PRINCIPLE OF IMPUTABILITY OF A TWO-FOLD EFFECT

a. the evil must not precede the good effect.
b. there must be reason sufficiently grave, calling for the act in its good
effect and merely permit the evil effect as a regrettable incident.
 THE MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
1. IGNORANCE
o Absence of human knowledge.
2. CONCUPISCENCE (PASSION)
o Strong tendencies toward the possession of something good or avoidance of
something evil.
3. HABIT
o Constant or easy way of doing things acquired by repeating the same act.
THE MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
4. FEAR
o Shrinking back of the mind from danger.

5. VIOLENCE-CO-ACTION
o An internal force applied by a free cause for the purpose of
compelling a person to perform an act which is against his
will.
PRINCIPLES REGARDING
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
A. REGARDING IGNORANCE
1. INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE destroys the voluntariness of the
act.
Invincible ignorance- A person possesses without being
aware of it, or having awareness of it lacks the means to
rectify it.
2. VINCIBLE IGNORANCE does not destroy an act’s
intention.
3. VINCIBLE IGNORANCE lessens an act’s intention
and the corresponding accountability over the act.
Vincible ignorance- can easily be reminded through
ordinary diligence and reasonable efforts.
4. AFFECTED IGNORANCE in a way lessens the
voluntariness but increases the accountability
over the resultant act.
Affected ignorance- when a person keeps by
positive effort in order to escape responsibility
or blame.
 PRINCIPLES REGARDING
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
B. REGARDING CONCUPISCENCE
1. Antecedent concupiscence lessens an act’s
intention and the accountability of the act.
2. Antecedent passion does not destroy the intention.
Antecedent passions- are those that precede an act.
3.Consequent passion does not lessen the
intention, but may increase accountability.
Consequent passion- are those that are
intentionally aroused and kept.
 PRINCIPLES REGARDING
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
C. REGARDING FEAR
1. An act done from fear, however great, is simply voluntary, although
it is regularly also conditionally involuntary.

D. REGARDING VIOLENCE
2. Acts elicited by the will aren’t subject to violence.
3. External acts caused by violence, to which due resistance is offered,
are in no wise imputable to the agent.
PRINCIPLES REGARDING
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS:
E. REGARDING HABIT
1. Habit doesn’t destroy voluntariness
 NORMS OF HUMAN ACTS:
1. LAW
o Ordinance of reason promulgated for the common good by
one who has charge of a society (St. Thomas Aquinas).

2. CONSCIENCE
o Practical judgment of reason upon an individual act as good
and to be performed, or as evil and to be avoided.
 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE
NORMS OF SOCIETY:
1. A certain conscience is to be obeyed, even when invisibly erroneous.
2. It is never lawful to act when in practical doubt; moral certainty must be
acquired.
3. One may employ the reflex principle that a doubtful law doesn’t bind only
when direct means are available or fail to lead to certainty.
 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE
NORMS OF SOCIETY:
4. In question of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of an act to be
performed or omitted- direct certainty being unachievable and
the reflex principle being employed- one may follow any solidly
probable reason (opinion), even to the neglect of a more
probable one.
5. One may not follow a probable opinion even a most probable
reason, when there is a question of a definite end to be achieved
and sure means to its achievement exist.