ETHICS

MIDTERM/ ORAL EXAMINATION

WHAT IS CHARACTER?

THREE MAJOR DIVISIONS OF ETHICS In normative ethics, character has something

to do with the nature of (becoming) person

1. Normative or Prescriptive Ethics In character, it gives more weight on what

2. Meta-Ethics person should I become than what specific
3. Applied Ethics actions I ought to do. It emphasizes the
virtues that a person possess.
NORMATIVE ETHICS
Focuses on the question: WHAT SORT OF
PERSON I OUGHT TO BE?
An area (branch) of ethics that concerns with
establishing how things should or ought to
be done.
WHAT ARE THE THREE CATEGORIES OF
- Which actions are good and bad; and NORMATIVE ETHICS?
which actions are right or wrong.
➢ Consequentialism
Focuses on the question: HOW SHOULD ➢ Deontology
PEOPLE ACT? ➢ Virtue ethics

Main goal: to develop (standard) rules that META-ETHICS

governs an action; a set of norms for human
conduct.
A branch of ethics that concerns with the
In normative ethics, an action is based meaning of ethical judgements.
(solely) on how an individual understands
Unlike normative ethics that focuses on
the law, on how action performs standardly
evaluating and judging an action whether right
by most people.
or wrong, Meta-ethics dwells more on the
TWO MAIN FOCUS OF NORMATIVE ETHICS\ essential meaning and nature of the
problem discussed. More on the semantics
➢ ACTION
side.
➢ CHARACTER
This focuses on the nature and meaning of
WHAT IS ACTION?
the act than prescribing what is ought to be
Normative ethics has two central concepts: done in particular situations.

The right and the morally good. Meta-ethics is more on the objective study
of an action (the psychology behind human
The concept of “right” action is grounded to action)
the principle of “duty”
Focuses on the questions:
An action (something) that is ought to
perform in order to consider as right; and ➢ WHAT DOES RIGHT EVEN MEAN?
considered as wrong when not performed. ➢ ARE THERE MORAL FACTS?
➢ HOW DO WE DEFINE THE WORDS
(Tama pag ginagawa mo pero pag hindi mo
“GOOD” AND “EVIL”?
ginagawa, mali yon)
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MIDTERM/ ORAL EXAMINATION
➢ IS THERE SUCH THINGS SUCH AS Answers questions like: DO ANIMALS HAVE
OBJECTIVE OR ABSOLUTE VALUES? RIGHTS AS WELL?
➢ WHAT IS THE NATURE OF JUSTICE?
DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLIED ETHICS
DOES JUSTICE EXISTS?
➢ Medical Ethics
WHAT ARE THE TWO MAJOR META-ETHICAL
➢ Legal Ethics
THEORIES?
➢ Business Ethics
➢ Moral Realism ➢ Academic Ethics
➢ Moral Anti-Realism ➢ Media Ethics
➢ Environmental Ethics
MORAL REALISM
HUMAN ACT
Hold a belief that there are such thing as
objective moral values.
Action in Ethics has two components:
Our statements about ethical and moral
statements have factual claim and basis ➢ Human Act
on reality ➢ Act of Man

Our ethical statements about right or wrong Ethics only covers human act and never an
are independent of our beliefs, customs and act of man
traditions. As far as our ethical statement is
WHAT IS AN ACT OF MAN?
concern, it is valid and has factual basis.

MORAL ANTI-REALISM
It is an act done by human beings without
It holds a belief that there is no such thing as knowledge and consent.
“objective moral truths or values”
The said act (act of man) is done
It comes in three forms: involuntarily. Non-deliberate action
considered as instantaneous reactions.
o Ethical subjectivism (subjective
claims) This is an act performed without the proper
o Non-Cognitivism (no genuine claims use of reason, without the full coordination
at all) (consent) of the intellect and will.
o Moral Skepticism (mistaken
WHAT IS HUMAN ACT?
objective claims)

APPLIED ETHICS
This is the one covered by ethics

Human acts are done and performed with

A discipline in Ethics that focuses on the
full knowledge and consent of an
application of ethical theories to a
individual, without an impediment to
particular state (disposition) in a real-life
freewill.
situations.
We are totally responsible for our actions.
It provides solutions to specific situations
Human act has two types: Perfect and
that are not universally acceptable or
Imperfect
impossible to implement everywhere.
ETHICS
MIDTERM/ ORAL EXAMINATION
ACTUAL CHOICE OR VOLUNTARINESS

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF HUMAN This is a state (disposition) where an act is
ACT? done in accordance to his/her will.

➢ Knowledge An action done within the framework of

➢ Freedom goodwill.
➢ Actual Choice of Voluntariness
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
KNOWLDEGE
Modifier in Ethics is a factor that influences
A human is aware and fully conscious of human’s inner disposition to perform
his/her actions, the implications/ certain actions.
consequences of it. Humans are aware that
It (modifier) serves as an obstacle (hindrance)
they are ignorance or not on certain actions;
to fulfill the “telos” of your action.
and do something about it.
There are five (5) major modifiers of human
Because in general principle, the human
actions:
person is not responsible or cannot be
faulted in action committed in the state of ➢ Ignorance
ignorance. ➢ Concupiscence
➢ Fear
You know the limits/boundaries of your
➢ Habits
actions.
➢ Violence
FREEDOM
IGNORANCE
It is simply a “choice” your claim to
The absence of awareness and knowledge
alternatives.
that a person ought (must) to perform a moral
Freedom is the main factor to (driving act in a general sense.
force) free will
In law, there is a principle that says:
Generally speaking, a person is not
“Ignorance of the law excuses no one”
responsible to any acts of choosing among
alternatives which are beyond his/her In latin, “Ignorantia Legis neminem
control. excusat”
On the other hand, freewill is the quality of This is the perceived exception to the rule
freedom. It (freewill) is the manner on how to as applied to human law.
exercise human freedom; the process and
vehicle of (freedom) CONCUPISCENCE

Freewill is the medium to attain or reach It is our innate “desire” or longingness to

freedom sensual (bodily) pleasure.

- It is the method of freedom In Plato’s theory of the nature of humans, he

advanced the idea of the tripartite soul.
According to him (Plato), humans are
composed of reason, spirit and appetite.
ETHICS
MIDTERM/ ORAL EXAMINATION
MORAL DILEMMAS
Concupiscence belongs to appetite, the
natural urge to satisfy body pleasures. When we talk about moral dilemmas, the
simple way to understand them is it involves
FEAR
two or more conflicts among moral
It is the kind of emotion or strong driving requirements and actions.
force that triggers us to preserve (protect)
- In other words, the decision-maker
our instinctive nature to survive
must consider two or more
It is a by product of our inherent nature to live conflicting moral values or duties in
and preserve life. order to act.

It is stated as a blind urge, the unconscious Ideally, you can only choose and honor one of
self to express our will to life. Due to the those conflicting choices. Therefore, the
preservation of the self, we ought to decision-maker will at least violate one
disregard the law. moral norm in exchange for the other.

HABIT To choose your moral/ethical decision, you

will use your conscience to ensure that
It is a conditioned act, a product or your decision will be considered in good
repetitive performance of certain action fate. Meaning involving sound judgment,
that creates an innate pattern of behavior. honesty, fairness, and lawfulness of
It is a systematized unconscious response to purpose.
certain things. ➢ What is unique at the same time
Dr. Rob Gilbert, a behavioral expert, once common in the state of moral
said: “First we form habits, then they form dilemma is the fact that the decision-
us. Conquer your bad habits, or they will maker (the agent of an act) regards
eventually conquer you.” him/herself as having moral
reasons and obligations to do each
VIOLENCE of two actions; however, doing both
considered as an external force applied by actions is not possible at that given
someone on another to compel him/her to moment.
perform an action against his/her will.
➢ Ethicists have classified moral
Intentional used of force to influence the dilemmas as: the agent (doer) of an
end result of an act. act is confronted to do one or more
actions at the same time, the agent
Manipulation of the will to act through the
can actually do each of the actions
use of excessive threat to life and over all
(one at a time), but the doer of the
well being of an individual or group of people
action cannot do it both (or all) of
the actions.

➢ Therefore, the agent must choose

what action is considered as the
ETHICS
MIDTERM/ ORAL EXAMINATION
most appropriate and best as of the
moment.

➢ In other words, the agent thus seems

condemned to moral failure; no
matter what she does, she will do
something wrong (or fail to do
something that she ought to do).

➢ However, the key is, you might failed

to fulfill other moral obligations, but
what matters most during moral
dilemmas is to choose an action
that produces a greater good