ETHICS

WEEK 1

Module 1 Introduction, Scope, and Meaning of Ethics

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Understand the importance of Ethics to Philosophy to higher Learning

2. Elaborate the importance of its contribution to Man’s development

3. Explain the definition of ethics, morality and other phases of Human Life

4. identify human acts

Ethics and Philosophy

What is Ethics? Why is it important to every society? First of all, let us define Ethics- simply put it
is the Philosophy of life. By critical thinking it discerns men form brutes making men decide better than
mere a priori judgement. The quality of life men lived is a testament to man’s mental development.
Ethics is the primary vehicle for men to reach the very purpose of life- the pursuit of happiness. Ever
since civilizations began their baby steps, societies are created to ensure security from predators- real or
imagined, they have to create laws but of what use is it if not guided by reason, and that is where Ethics
come in. The written law is used to ensure order but what is the ultimate source of it all- ethics no
doubt. Ethics made men decide what is right or wrong guided by reason should ambiguity in the written
law persists

As we all know nothing is perfect, everything has flaws, with that confusion comes in. Human
ethics are clouded by man’s self-interest that interpretation to law and order as muddled as needle in a
haystack. As time goes by changes in the environment as well as the complexities of the human world as
well as his thinking altered the understanding of Ethics. That is an undeniable fact. Sadly, leaders of the
modern world lack ethical standards that at times their morals are condescending.

In the current world we are currently in, there are age old questions that even baffled geniuses
and they are: 1. What is the supreme purpose of human living? 2. What is man’s greatest good and
perfection? 3. What is the ultimate objective of human strivings, is it attainable? 4. What is the summum
bonum (highest good) of human life and 5. What is the root cause and remedy to human suffering.

Is man intrinsically good or evil? If we are to correlate man as part of the Animal Kingdom then
men are bad. Take for example co-workers in an office who display “decency” in each other’s presence
but invent stories behind their backs to discredit them to their boss and gain brownie points a sure sign
of lack of professional ethics. We might say this is immoral but logical just the same, we live in a dog-eat-
dog world. Survival at all cost is the name of the game. Which brings us to another philosophical
question, why are not moral acts are not legal and vice versa? Going to church is moral but why was this
not legislated? In the same way, why is divorce considered immoral to us Filipinos is legally approved in
other societies? The decadence of ethics is not just limited to the business world. it has even affected
every aspect of society such as sports and entertainment.

Ethics and Human Development

Humans are not born endowed with ethics as if it is an inherent characteristic; but their behavior jives
with human development. Man, initially behaves like brutes and under human development, he
behaves less morally and more ethically. Ethics and morality are interchangeable for they are both
patterns of human behavior but in reality, are different. Ethics refer to rules provided by an external
source such as laws codes of conduct in workplace or principles in religions. Morals on the other hand
refer to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong. Ergo as man progressed, he deviates
from his clouded personal beliefs to a more socially acceptable norm.

Ethical human behavior depends on two things: personal development and human
development. Personal development, in general, is a process of internalization of values, judgement and
thought; and morally, is a transition from what we should ought to do, to what is the best thing to do.
Human development is the combination of collective personal development and social development.
The ethics of human behavior ranges from the spectrum of low personal and human development. In
time, man’s ethical development will also serve as his transition from a self-indulging individual to a
person endowed with knowledge that will aid him in his pursuit of happiness.

A Deeper understanding of Ethics

Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that studies human acts and human conduct. Although there are
subjects that study human conduct such as Psychology and Sociology. Ethics has a deeper meaning in its
standpoint by further delving into the aspect of human acts. They are more concerned with the morality
of human acts.

Noted Definition of Ethics

1. Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human actions

2. Ethics is the scientific inquiry into the principles of morality

3. Ethics is the study of human conduct from the standpoint of morality

4. Ethics is the science of human acts with reference of right and wrong
 Relation of Ethics with Other Sciences (LPSE)

1. Ethics and Logic -logic is the science of right thinking and while Ethics is the science of right
living. Thinking and Doing things go hand in hand, we cannot move without thinking right the
same way every action is guided by reason.

2. Ethics and Psychology – The two subjects dealt with the study of man, human nature, and
human behavior but that is all their similarity ends. Psychology only tell us the causes of man’s
actions that may be psychological or physiological but ethics tell us how man should react.
Ethics is interested in moral obligation while psychology ends there.

3. Ethics and Sociology – as we all know, Sociology deals with the study of society as the social
order that regulates the society as a whole. But then what is the foundation of their social order
if there is no basis of right and wrong which is Ethics. Any society is doomed to fail if devoid of
correct basis of thinking

4. Ethics and Economics – Napoleon once said that an army marches on its stomach, in relation
to economics man has to fulfill is economic needs. The need for material wealth is inherent in
man that there are instances that economic topics needed ethical principles such as capital-
labor relations, profit, interests, money et al. the need to settle these conflicts must have ethical
basis to incur equitable results.

Morality and other Phases of Human Life (ELPAR)

1. Ethics and Education – Education whether formal or informal is a never-ending process and is
the foundation of man’s moral, intellectual and physical capacities. But then again education is
illicit if it is not supported by ethics, they say ethics is life the same way education is intertwined
with life. Learning is good but learning supported by ethics is better in as much as ethics is living
right.

2. Morality and Law – as mentioned in the previous module, not everything moral is legal and
not everything legal is moral. Meaning there are good things that do not need legislation and
immoral acts that the State may approve. But to further differentiate them laws only used
external acts while ethics cover man’s “acts” that play in his mind that will not incriminate him
in any statute. For example, a plan of robbery if discovered is not criminally liable in any court of
law but ethics said it is a fault or such “act” is intrinsically evil.

3. Ethics and Politics -Man in his constant search for happiness be it temporal or eternal is never
ending. The y say politics and ethics are poles apart – in a certain point that is correct it is the
very reason why politics become dirty for they deviate from ethics. Man’s insatiable greed for
wealth and power thru politics means absence of ethics. An ideal state should be an ethical
state.

4. Ethics and Art – Ethics is about positive morality while art is beauty. Any work of art is
beautiful, will give a positive outlook to the looker that will be greatly appreciated. The purpose
of art is appreciation that is contributory to man’s ethics.

5. Ethics and Religion- Religion is ethics and ethics is religion, they are interchangeable for the
any religious belief tends to ethical standards in relation to his most fundamental tenet. What
 unites them al boiled down to three things namely: a.) belief in the Supernatural, b.) man’s
beginning and end and c.) right living.

Morality and Human Acts

Morality is the quality of goodness or badness in a human act. In this case, we base judgement
on any human act based on its ethicality. The quality of an act may be justified according to its gravity.
An evil human act maybe considered “right” just as long as it can be justified which lead us to its norm of
morality. By that term, we mean that the basis for determining its correctness are the standard of the
judging party and the reason why an act is morally wrong or right.

Human Acts just like the word itself means actions of men that are done willfully and willingly.
Keep in mind that scenarios beyond human control are not human acts such as rainfall, sunset,
earthquake even the beating of the heart or blood circulations are beyond human act for these actions
man cannot control. In the case of assassinations where the culprit pulled the trigger, the gun is not to
blame but the doer of the action that caused taking the life of another man. Once questioned he has the
right to justify his action as either morally right or wrong.