ETHICS

Prepared by: Adrian P. Magahis

OUTLINE
I. Basic Concepts
1. Moral vs Non-Moral
2. Human Acts and Acts of Man
II.The Moral Agent
1.Culture in Moral Behaviour
2.The Moral Agent: Developing Virtue as a Habit
III. The Act
1. Feelings and Moral Decision-Making
2. The Human Acts
3. Reason and Impartiality as Minimum Requirements for Morality
4. Moral Courage
OUTLINE
III. Frameworks and Principles Behind our Moral Disposition
1. Virtue Ethics
2. Kant and Rights Theorists
3.Utilitarianism
4.Justice and Fairness: Promoting the Common Good
BASIC CONCEPTS
MORAL VS NON-MORAL
Moral Standard
Involves the rules people have about the kinds of
actions they believe are morally right and
wrong, as well as the values they place on the
kinds of objects they believe are morally good
and morally bad
Moral values, moral principles
Non-moral Standard
Refers to rules that are
unrelated to moral or ethical considerations
not necessarily linked to morality or by nature
lack ethical sense
examples of non-moral standards include rules
of etiquette, fashion standards, rules in games,
and various house rules.
MORALITY
➤ Is the quality of human acts
which leads us to call some of
them good and some evil.
➤ Man alone is capable of
morality.
• Animals or things are
neither moral nor immoral
because they lack the
elements of morality which
are intellect and free will.
IMPORTANCE
1. To preserve our individual human dignity
2. To preserve our social life
• Because moral problems arise in all spheres of human
endeavours and professions: business, education, medicine,
art, war, family, government, etc.
 Human Acts
It makes man as man
An act which proceeds (that
comes from) the deliberate
freewill of man.
Involves man’s intellect and will
It is the main concern of Ethics
Man alone is aware of what he is
doing and is free to act or not to
act
Acts of Man
Man’s sensation and appetite, as
well as acts without the exercise of
free choice
Actions committed by
unconscious and insane persons,
infants, or by those who are
physically forced to do something
One or both are missing: intellect
and will
HUMAN ACTS

➤Conditionsfor
man’s moral
action:
1.Knowledge
2.Freedom
3.Voluntariness
A HUMAN ACT IS…

It is the awareness or consciousness of the

A knowing act
conditions and implications of our actions

Freedom is the power to choose between two or

Free more actions without being forced.

It is free because it is under the control of the will