ETHICS LECTURE

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ETHICS
2
DEFINITION
 is the practice or praxis, the
 ETHICS application of those principles.
 is a branch of philosophy that
involves systematizing,  Ethics and Morality are used
defending and recommending interchangeably
concepts of right and wrong
behavior  Ethics
 The branch in philosophy  is focused on the
that deals in the study of the general principles,
standards for judging rules and theories on
whether things are good or determining what is
bad, and the analysis of right or wrong.
concepts like justice, virtue,
morality, and responsibility THUS, Ethics is both a theory and a
—thus seeking to resolve practice.
questions on human
morality. DESCRIPTIVE AND NORMATIVE
 Determining the grounds for STUDY OF ETHICS
the values with particular
and special significance to  Descriptive Study
human life.  how people,
 From Ancient Greek words particularly groups,
ἠθική (ēthikḗ), from ἠθικός make their moral
(ēthikós, “of or for morals, valuations without
moral, expressing making any judgement
character”), from ἦθος either for or against
(êthos, “character, moral these valuations.
nature”)  Often the work of the
 “What makes one’s social scientists:
action as right or 1. HISTORIAN
wrong?”  studying
different moral
ETHICS AND MORALITY standards over
time
 Morality 2. SOCIOLOGISTS or
 is a system of beliefs about ANTHROPOLOGISTS
what is right behavior or  studying
wrong behavior. different moral
 It deals with how a person standards
relates with others and with across cultures.
the world to promote what is
good.  Normative Study
 Latin mōrālis  often done in
 (“relating to manners or philosophy of moral
morals”) and from mos theology, engages the
(“manner, custom”) questions:

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ETHICS LECTURE
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taken as a human act.
 What could or should be  2
considered as the right  But if one does an action
way of acting? with awareness, then the
 A normative discussion issue of moral
 prescribes what we responsibility is inevitable.
ought to maintain as our 
standards or bases for  RE: the action has been
moral valuation. acted upon within the level
of the person’s awareness,
KINDS OF ACTS and thus what he/she does

 Essential Elements:
1. Knowledge is a human act (which can
2. Freedom either be moral or immoral).
3. Will
 FREEDOM
For a man to be morally accountable of  In which the act is not done
his/her act, it must be done knowingly, by force. 
freely, and willfully  It is a state of being
unrestricted from internal
ACT OF MAN HUMAN ACT impulse and external
Refers to those Refers to those pressures. 
acts which man actions which  A human act is a free
has no control. are within the act. 
control of man  Without freedom in the
(i.e., rationality) performance of the act, a
These are acts Refers to those person can never be held
shared in actions which responsible for his action.
common by are within the
man and other control of man Philosophical insights on
animals. (i.e., rationality) Freedom
Involuntary act, Voluntary act,  Freedom is a Gift
by instinct by conscience  Freedom is complementary
e.g., breathing, e.g., walking, to reason
emotions, blood talking,  Freedom is Absolute
circulation, thinking, eating,  Freedom demands
digestion, etc. biting, etc. Responsibility

 KNOWLEDGE  WILL
 Where the doer is aware of what  Which the doer has given
he/she is doing.  his/her consent to the
 One cannot hold a person fully doing of the act.
responsible for something that  Unless the act is done with
he or she is not aware of.  consent, no action can be
considered a human act. 

 The approval or
 Without knowledge of the disapproval of the will
doer, the act is ordinarily

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ETHICS LECTURE
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can make an act a human  Otherwise
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known as
act.  premediated 2
motivation,it is
 Related of the doer’s covertly present in the mind of
voluntariness, i.e, the act of the the doer, only him/her knows
will. the end target of the act.
 As the intention is initially
Four Kinds of Voluntaries: present in the mind of the
1. Perfect voluntariness doer, only he/she knows the
2. Imperfect voluntariness end target of the act.
3. Simple voluntariness  Relating to the Act Itself in
4. Conditional voluntariness moral evaluation, some act
may be considered as good in
SQUARE OF MORAL EVALUATION its surface level.

How can we evaluate the morality Circumstanc

of one’s action? es
 Thisxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
involves the situations
 4 Determinants that surrounds the commission
of the act.
 5 W and H
 In ethics, circumstances is
understood as the prevailing
and prompting condition or
situation behind the doing of
the act
The Act  Four types of moral
Itself circumstances:
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1. Aggravating
 This pertains to the Human Action
 done by a doer in
alone
different situation when
 This refers to the deed done by the
there is an element of
doer of the action.
added factor(s) co
 An act can either good or bad.
2. Mitigating
 E.g., the act of giving; the act of
 understood as the
killing; the act of sharing
lessening the supposed
 Two natures of the Act Itself:
moral gravity of the
 Intrinsic value
crime or action.
 the embedded essence of
3. Justifying
the act. 
 the act is justified “as if
 Extrinsic value
no moral offence is
 the external act or value
committed”
derived from the external
4. Exempting
act.
 the element of
Intenti rationality, freedom,
on consent, voluntariness
 Intention is the purpose or reason of
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the doing the act.

The
End
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ETHICS
 The is the End or Result of the
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bearing in mind both your
action. motives 2
and potential
consequences of your action.
 Does the end justify the means?
 No matter how good the result is Think longterm consequences
and act in accordance with
but the means on how it is achieved
the principles of justices and
is done thru a bad way, it does not fairness.
diminish its moral culpability 6. Choose
 make a decision. Try
MORAL DILEMMA consulting others. Find people
with a virtuous character and
 Dilemma compare your reasoning with
 is a situation in which a difficult your analysis.
choice has to be made between 7. Monitor and Modify
two or more alternatives  enough monitor what
especially undesirable ones. happens after your decision
and have enough humility to
You find yourself facing a problem but modify your action or
the solutions available to you will behaviours as necessary.
create another problem or worse
create more problems. MORAL STANDARDS

 Three Levels of Moral Dilemma  Moral Standards

1. Personal  are codes of what is right
2. Organizational and wrong without
3. Structural reference to specific
behaviors or beliefs These
7 Steps of Moral deal with matters that the
Reasoning person thinks have
(Pasco, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Suarez and Rodriguez,2018) – serious consequence.
Ensure the rationality and impartiality of  E.g., etiquette, policy,
moral decisions. These can also serve as a law, commandment.
guide in making choices of moral import:
6 characteristics of Moral
1. Stop and Think
Standards:
 before making decisions, it is best 1. Moralxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
standards involve behaviors
to take a moment to think about that seriously affect other people’s
the situation itself. well-being.
2. Clarify Goals 2. Moral standards take a more
 short term and long term aims. important consideration than other
3. Determine Facts standards (including self-interest)
 enough information is gathered 3. Moral standards do not depend on
before making a choice or decision. any external authority but in how the
An intelligent choice is the one that person perceives the reasonableness
is supported by verified facts. of the action.
4. . Develop Options 4. Moral standards are believed to be
 Come up with alternative options to universal
exhaust all possible courses of
action.

5. Moral standards are based on

objectivity
5. Consider Consequences 6. Moral standards are associated with
 filter your choices and separate the vocabulary that depicts emotions or
ethical from the unethical choices feelings.

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Between animal and men, animals
Merely abiding moral standards vs. behave instinctively2 while human
owning moral standards behavior is rational.
 Rational behavior is a decision-
 Ethics making process, and is tied to
 are presumed as moral rules on moral standards. 
how a person should act.  The human person is free to
 However, is ethics just about decide what to do and free to act
following rules of do’s and don’ts? on his/her decisions.
 E.g. “everyone is obligated to act in Only human beings can be ethical
ways that uphold human dignity for all because only humans have the
people.” capacity for free moral judgment
 Moral principles like these guides
the practice of various professions The Flee of Ships
(i.e. professional ethics).
analogy
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Though each ship must sail well on its
MORAL PRINCIPLES
own, each must also coordinate with
The guidelines that people live by to make the other ships at all times to stay in
sure they are doing the right thing. formation and avoid collision. 
 Moral principles must have the The fleet must have a destination for
following characteristics: the journey. 
1. Prescriptivity  Fleet of Ships vs. Human person.
2. Impartiality  A ship is under the captain’s
3. Overridingness command, but a person is
4. Autonomous from Arbitrary free to decide the his/her
Authority course.
5. Publicity
6. Practicability The Role of
Freedom
SOURCES of 
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The personal aspect of morality is
Authority about developing virtue.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  So that thinking morally,
 Authority of Law performing moral acts, and
 from the laws created by legislature choosing what to do what is
and enacted, and enforce by police power. good becomes a habit.

 Authority of Religion Conclusions: 

 from the sacred or religious texts or  Ethics as a moral philosophy. 
doctrines, and religious leaders or  Ethics teaches how people or
communities group make decisions. 
 It honest our moral compass to
 Authority of Culture make better and sound judgments
 from the shared beliefs, values, for the general welfare.  Making
behaviors and practices common to decisions based on authority, in
a particular group or community. general.

Why study
Ethics?
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