BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY 2

GE 8-ETHICS

CHAPTER 1
Lesson 1.2 THE ART OF CORRECT LIVING
What does it mean when we say ethics is the art of correct living?
 Ethics is considered the practice of doing right actions or what we may call the art of living the good
life. It is also defined as the science of the highest good.

What is the art of correct living ? Why is it called an art?

 Comparisons The Art of Correct Living – ART provides for what is orderly and harmonious in an
artwork.
What is the ethical aspect of human life and the scope of ethical thinking?
 The scope of ethics indicates its subject matter. Ethics as normative science deals with moral ideal or
the good in order to inquire the nature of our conduct.
How is ethics related to art?
 Consideration of ethics may be established by the artist but without hindrance of free expression. It is
expected that in a work of art an artist’s own beliefs, values, and ideology may contrast with societal
values.
What is ethics as an art?
 In the art world ethics are generally seen as a set of guiding principles of good practice that art managers
refer to curating while organizing art exhibitions.
What are the three main areas of moral philosophy?
 The field of ethics, or moral philosophy, investigates theories that can systematically describe what
makes acts right or wrong.
 Moral philosophy is usually divided into three categories: meta-ethics, applied ethics, and normative
ethics.
 Meta-ethics is the branch of philosophy that explores the meaning and nature of morality and
ethical language.
 Applied ethics is the branch of ethics that deals with real-world problems and dilemmas, such as
business, medicine, law, and environment.
 Normative ethics is the study of how we ought to act, morally speaking.
What is the best moral system philosophy?
 The Golden Rule is great (the idea that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you)
What are the ethical aspect of human life?
 Although different ethical theories may have different priority principles and reasoning behind them, a
consensus has been forming about the main principles of bioethics: Human dignity, human rights and
justice, which refers to the duty to promote universal respect for the human person.

The Fundamental Principles of Ethics

Beneficence.
Non-maleficence.
Autonomy.
Informed Consent.
Confidentiality.
Justice.

What is the relationship between ethics and religion?

 By contrast, ethics are universal decision-making tools that may be used by a person of any religious
persuasion, including atheists. While religion makes claims about cosmology, social behavior, and the
“proper” treatment of others, etc.

Why are ethics important in art?

Is ethics can be called an art?
 Ethics is not an art either. The two are different, Art is based on its external form, its result, while in
ethics result cannot be separated from the internal process.

What are the moral theories?

 Similar to ethical theories, moral theories use moral reasoning to determine actions and consequences of
those actions in different settings.

1) Utilitarianism: A Theory of Consequences

 Utilitarianism, first popularized by British philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill in the
19th century, is a theory that holds that the best way to make a moral decision is to look at the potential
consequences of each available choice; then, one should pick the option that either does the most to
increase happiness or does the least to increase suffering.

2) Deontology: A Duty-Based Moral Philosophy

 Deontology is a duty-based moral theory.
 Deontologists state that society needs rules in order to function and a person can only be called moral to
the extent that he abides by those rules.
3) Relativism: A Theory Based on Experiences
 Moral relativism is a theory which states that no one person's morals are better or worse than any other.

4)Divine Command Theory: A Higher Power

 Divine command theory states that God is the ultimate arbiter of what constitutes morality, and that
without God we have no clear way of telling right from wrong.
 Divine command theorists, therefore, believe that the best way to live a moral life is to act in accordance
with Scripture. It does not matter what's considered good or bad, but simply what God commands.

5)Virtue Ethics: Always Improve Yourself

 To be a prophet in order to make their judgments. This is one of the most controversial moral theories.
 Virtue ethics states that only good people can make good moral decisions. Therefore, the best way to be
moral is to constantly seek to improve oneself.

6)Egoism: A Theory Based on Self-Interest

 Egoism is a moral philosophy that holds that the best way for one to be morally good is to act in
accordance with one's self-interest.
 Egoists hold that we are only really qualified to consider our own well-being, and that attempts to "Be
one's brother's keeper" are doomed to fail because we can never really know what our peers actually
want.

7)Natural Rights Theory: Human Rights

 Natural rights theorists, or human rights theorists, believe that every person is endowed with certain
inalienable rights, such as the right to life, the right to own property, and the right to liberty.
 Natural rights theorists argue that these rights are self-evident, and would exist even if nobody believed
in them.
 The reason that natural rights theorists hold these rights as self-evident is that they are essential to the
flourishing of human happiness and the foundation of civil society.

What are the five basic principles of human life?

Focus
Strength
Success
Wisdom
Responsibility
LESSON 2.1 ETHICAL APPROACHES
Five Basic Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making
1)The Rights Approach
 An important approach to ethics has its roots in the philosophy of the 18th-century thinker Immanuel
Kant and others like him, who focused on the individual’s right to choose for herself or himself.
 According to these philosophers, what makes human beings different from mere things is that people
have dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives, and they have a
fundamental moral right to have these choices respected.
 People are not objects to be manipulated; it is a violation of human dignity to use people in ways they
do not freely choose.
 Each person has a fundamental right to be respected and treated as a free and equal rational person
capable of making his or her own decisions.
 Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher

2)The Utilitarian Approach

 Utilitarianism was conceived in the 19th century by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill to help
legislators determine which laws were morally best. Both Bentham and Mill suggested that ethical
actions are those that provide the greatest balance of good over evil.
 To analyze an issue using the utilitarian approach, we first identify the various courses of action
available to us.
 Second, we ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived from
each.
 And third, we choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. The ethical
action is the one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.

3)The Virtue Approach

 The virtue approach to ethics assumes that there are certain ideals toward which we should strive.
 These ideals provide for the full development of our humanity, and are discovered through thoughtful
reflection on what kind of people we have the potential to become.
 Virtues are attitudes or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop our highest
potential.
 They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity,
fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are examples of virtues frequently cited
throughout the world.
 Focuses on attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop
our human potential.
4)The Fairness (or Justice) Approach
 The fairness or justice approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle, who said that “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.” The basic moral
question in this approach is: How fair is an action? Does it treat everyone in the same way, or does it
show favoritism and discrimination?
 Favoritism gives benefits to some people without a justifiable reason for singling them out;
discrimination imposes burdens on people who are no different from those on whom burdens are not
imposed. Both favoritism and discrimination are unjust and wrong.

5)The Common Good Approach

 This approach to ethics assumes a society comprising individuals whose own good is inextricably linked
to the good of the community.
 The common good is a notion that originated more than 2,000 years ago in the writings of Plato,
Aristotle, and Cicero. More recently, contemporary ethicist John Rawls defined the common good as
“certain general conditions that are…equally to everyone’s advantage.”
 In this approach, we focus on ensuring that the social policies, social systems, institutions, and
environments on which we depend are beneficial to all.

LESSON 2.2 ETHICAL NORMS AND LEGAL NORMS

Ethical norms and legal norms are different in the following ways
 Ethical standards are based on human rights and wrongs, while legal standards are based strictly on
what is written in law.
 An action may be legal but not ethical.
 Legal standards/legal norms are written by government leaders while ethical standards are written by
societal norms.

Key Differences Between Law and Ethics

The major differences between law and ethics are mentioned below:
 The law is defined as the systematic body of rules that governs the whole society and the actions of its
individual members. Ethics means the science of a standard human conduct.
 The law consists of a set of rules and regulations, whereas Ethics comprises of guidelines and principles
that inform people about how to live or how to behave in a particular situation.
 The law is expressed in the constitution in a written form. As opposed to ethics, it cannot be found in
writing form.

LESSON 3.1 GENERAL AND SPECIAL ETHICS

General ethics and special ethics are two distinct branches of ethical study.
 General ethics deals with the broad principles that govern human behavior, such as the concepts of
right and wrong, good and bad, and fairness and justice.
 These principles are usually considered to be universal, and apply to all people regardless of their
specific circumstances or profession.
 Special ethics, on the other hand, refers to the specific ethical guidelines that apply to certain fields or
professions.
 These guidelines are often tailored to the unique circumstances and responsibilities of a particular field.
 Examples of special ethics include medical ethics, business ethics, and legal ethics.

LESSON 3.2 FOUNDATIONS OF MORALITY

THE 5 MORAL FOUNDATIONS

 When we talk about what’s “right and wrong” we often think about violence or cheating. But there’s
other aspects to making moral judgements that are less obvious. Researchers have broken down these
into five moral frameworks that human beings use to determine what is morally right and wrong. You
can learn more below, but here is a rough description of each of the five axes.

1. CARE & HARM

 We have an ability to care for and be attached to others.
 We also have the ability to feel and dislike the pain of others.

2. FAIRNESS & CHEATING

 When we help or be kind to others, we value those who reciprocate. From this generates ideas of justice,
rights, and autonomy. It also touches on proportionality – that people take their “fair share”.

3. LOYALTY & BETRAYAL

 Humans have an ability to form shifting coalitions and we value those who are loyal to those coalitions.
From this comes ideas of patriotism and self-sacrifice for the group.

4. AUTHORITY & SUBVERSION

 Humans also have an ability to form hierarchical social interactions. This foundation underlies virtues of
leadership and follower-ship, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions.

5. SANCTITY & DEGRADATION

 This foundation was shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. It underlies notions of
striving to live in an elevated, less carnal, more noble way.
 It underlies the widespread idea that the body is a temple which can be desecrated by immoral activities
and contaminants.

MORAL STANDARDS
 A moral standard refers to the norms which we have about the types of actions which we believe to be
morally acceptable and morally unacceptable. Specifically, moral standards deal with matters which can
either seriously harm or seriously benefit human beings.

Moral Duties
The duties or moral mandates indicate the good actions that we must practice to build a harmonious society.
Duties or mandates always start with a verb. For example, “keep promises” or “I must keep promises.”
Examples
 Treat others as we want to be treated.
 Be merciful and compassionate to others.
 Respect parents, elders and people in authority.
 Take care of the children.
 Take care of parents in their old age.
 Assist the elderly, sick and injured.
 To help the needy.
 Share our assets with others.
 Repair the damage caused to others.
 Apologize when necessary.
 Have an honorable occupation (work, study, take care of the home).
 Wait our turn.
 Take care of public goods.
 Avoid conflicts of interest, that is, do not expose yourself to situations that incite us to corruption.
 Report injustice.
 Pay debts and taxes

Moral Prohibitions
Moral prohibitions indicate the things we should not do. They are rules that prohibit harmful behavior, that
is, bad actions or wrong actions.
Examples
 Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.
 Do not steal.
 Do not kill.
 Not deceive.
 Don’t slander people.
 Don’t gossip about others.
 Do not have extra-marital relations.
 Do not take justice into our hands.
 Don’t hit women.
 Don’t mistreat children.

LESSON 4.1 FREEDOM AS A FOUNDATION FOR MORAL ACTS/ETHICS

 Freedom-the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint

Types of Freedom:
1. Freedom of association - ensures that every individual is free to organize and to form
and participate in groups, either formally or informally.
2. Freedom of belief - All persons have the right to think freely, and to entertain ideas and
hold positions based on conscientious or religious or other beliefs.
3. Freedom of speech - express information, ideas, and opinions free of government
restrictions based on content.
4. Freedom to express oneself - express information, ideas, and opinions free of
government restrictions based on content.
5. Freedom of the press - the right to report news or circulate opinion without censorship
from the government
6. Freedom to choose one’s state in life - Human beings have the right to choose for
themselves the kind of life which appeals to them: whether it is to found a family or to
embrace the priesthood or the religious life.
7. Freedom of religion - this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and
freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief, in worship, teaching practice and observance
8. Freedom of bondage and slavery - prohibits people being held in conditions in which
the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised.
9. Freedom to bear arms - a right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the
preservation of life.

 Moral Act
 An action that is freely chosen and comes into existence through our exercise of reason
and will.
Consists of 3 elements:
1. The objective act
2. The subjective goal or intention
3. Concrete situation or circumstances in which we perform the act

Why is Freedom the foundation of Moral Acts?

 Kant unequivocally states that freedom is only immediate good, that it is what is
essential to human beings and the source of their moral worth.

 Culture
 Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language,
marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong

 Moral Behavior
 To act according to one’s moral values and standards.

How does culture define our moral behavior?

 It reflects the moral and ethical beliefs and standards that speak to how people should
behave and interact with others.

 Culture relativism
 The ability to understand a culture on its own terms. It refers to not judging a culture to
our own standards of what is right and wrong.

 Ethnocentrism
 The act of judging or evaluating another person’s culture basing on your own. The opposite of
cultural relativism.

 Cons of Cultural Relativism

1. Some actions are not excusable
2. Determining what is good and bad is almost impossible
 Pros of cultural relativism
1. Makes some actions excusable
2. Preserves culture
3. Respect for other cultures
4. Suggests cooperation and unity
TWO TYPES OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
 Absolute - Everything that happens within a culture must and should not be questioned
by outsiders
 Critical – Creates questions about cultural practices in terms of who is accepting them
and why. Critical cultural relativism also recognizes power relationships.

 Filipino culture
 The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish
Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia.

Filipino qualities and traits:

POSITIVE:
Hospitable
Respectful
Family Oriented
Religious
Hardworking
Resilient
NEGATIVE:
Fatalism
Crab Mentality
Colonial Mentality
Mañana Habit

Prepared by,
MS HAZEL AYN G. DUMAYAG, LPT
Instructor