COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

ETH101
ETHICS101
LECTURES/HANDOUTS
1ST SEMESTER 2020-2021

These LECTURES/HANDOUTS are prepared and compiled solely for students of

PAMANTASAN ng CABUYAO (PnC) under the College of Education, Arts and
Sciences, enrolled in Ethics 101 (ETH101) course, of AY 2020-2021.

COURSE TITLE: ETHICS

COURSE CODE: ETH 101
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern
society at the level of the person, society, and in interaction with the environment and
other shared resources. (CMO 20 s2013). Morality pertains to the standards of right and
wrong that an individual originally picks up from the community. The course also
teaches students to make moral decisions by using dominant moral frameworks and by
applying a seven-step oral reasoning model to analyze and solve moral dilemmas. The
course is organized according to the three main elements of the moral experience a)
agent, including context- cultural, communal, and environment; b) the act, and c) reason
or framework
PRE-REQUISITE/ CO-REQUISITE: NONE
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
After the course, you are expected to:
 Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems
 Describe what a moral experience is as it happens in different levels
of human existence
 Explain the influence of Filipino culture on the way students look at
moral experiences and solve moral dilemmas
 Describe the elements of moral development and moral experiences
 Use ethical framework or principles to analyze moral experiences
 Make sound ethical judgments based on principles, facts, and the
stakeholders affected
 Develop sensibility to the common good
 Understand and internalize the principles of ethical behavior in
modern society

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER

FAIR use of a copyright work as defined in Sec. 185 of RA 8293, which states “ the fair use of a copyrighted work criticism,
comment, news reporting, teaching including multiple copies of classroom use, scholarship, research and similar purposes is not
an infringement of copyright. These lecture handouts are prepared and compiled solely as lecture guide for the course ETHICS SY
2020-21. NOT FOR REPRODUCTION and NOT for DISTRIBUTION.
COURSE CONTENTS:
Lecture /Handout 1: Key Concepts in Ethics
Lecture /Handout 2: Moral vs. Non- Moral Standard
Lecture /Handout 3: Moral Dilemma
Lecture /Handout 4: Freedom as Foundation of Moral Acts
Lecture /Handout 5: Culture and Cultural Relativism
Lecture /Handout 6: Filipino Way/ Universal Values
Lecture/ Handout 7: How is Moral Character Developed/Stages of Moral
Development
Lecture /Handout 8: Feelings and Moral Decision Making
Lecture /Handout 9: Reason and Impartiality as Requirements for Ethics
Lecture /Handout 10: Moral Courage
Lecture/ Handout 11: Basic Theories as Framework in Ethics
Lecture /Handout 12: Virtue Ethics- Aristotle
Lecture /Handout 13: Justice and Fairness: Promoting The Common Good
Lecture /Handout 14: Moral Challenges of Globalization

LECTURE HANDOUT 1: WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY ETHICS AND

THE IMPORTANCE OF RULES

OVERVIEW: This module addresses the importance of moral standards and how they
differ from other rules in life. It teaches the advantage of owning moral
standards (morality and ethics) over merely abiding by moral standards.
the first part lays the groundwork- the meaning of ethics- and leads the
the students through the analysis of human experience, linking it to the
elements of the ethical dimension. The first part serves as an initial
discussion into the subject matter. Here we recognize ethics as a
significant dimension of human existence, and start to explore how we
may engage in careful ethical thinking.

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of lecture/ handout 1, the student will be able to:

 understand the in-depth meaning of moral and social values like cooperation,
social responsibility, respect for human rights, compliance with the law and
peace preservation.
  understand the principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the
person, society, and interaction with the environment and other shared
resources.
 develop a conscious ethical sense and become critical in choosing a moral
philosophy to live by.
 learn from cautiously filtered supplemental online lectures, take exciting
automated fun quiz games, and engage in intellectual discussions with other
people online and in class.
 help develop critical attitudes about various moral theories.

INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW

Ethics
 Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness or
wrongness of human conduct.
 Morality speaks of a code or system of behavior in regards to standards of right
and wrong behavior,
 Ethics evaluates moral concepts, values, principles, and standards. It is
concerned with norms of human conduct.
 Ethics is considered a normative study of human actions

Rules
 Rules refer to explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct
within a specific activity or sphere.
 Rules are usually coupled with means to impose consequences on those who
violate them.
 Rules are considered essential for a healthy economic system.
 Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings

What is ethics?
As a branch of Philosophy, ethics stands to queries about where there is reason
to do. Dealing with human actions and reasons for action, ethics is also concerned with
character. In fact, the word ethics is derived from the Greek “ethos”, which means
“character”, or in plural “manners”.

Some questions that are ethical in nature are: What is the good? Who is a moral
person? What are the virtues of human being? What makes an act right? What duties
do we have to each other?
 Also called moral philosophy, ethics evaluates moral concepts, values, principles,
and standards. Because it is concerned with norms of human conduct, ethics is
considered a normative study of human actions.

Understanding your moral compass in order to develop better judgment is the

aim for studying Ethics. Upon entering college, students are not blank sheets, devoid of
pre-existing beliefs and values. College students already have developed a set of moral
standards by which they use to understand the world and moral compass to navigate in
it. The reality makes it important for students to study, explore, understand and critically
reflect on their personal value systems. The end goal for studying ethics is for the
student to become a person who makes sound judgments, sensitive to the common
good.
Ethics ensure a generally agreed standard work-related behavior that empowers
professionals to foster moral values through their work. Ethics gives a sense of
justification in one’s judgment, and helps ensure that decisions at work are not made
based on purely subjective factors. Without the study of ethics, the practice of one’s
profession will fall prey to vastly conflicting individual interpretations.

Clearly, ethics and morality necessarily carry the concepts of moral standards or
rules with regard to behavior. So as way of introducing moral rules, let us discuss why
rules are important to social beings.

Importance of Rules to Social Beings

Humans in general, do not live in isolation. Instead an individual is a member of a
community of people whose common goal is to survive and thrive. As human societies
evolved, they found that human communities have better chances to survive if they
work together; and that working together is more effective when there is a system in
place. One of the systems that humans developed are standards that guide human
activities, or simply, “rules”.

Rules benefit social beings in various manners:

a. Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior. Rules build boundaries
and place limits on behavior. Rules are usually coupled with means to impose
consequences on those who violate them. One of the reasons people follow
accepted rules is to avoid negative consequences.
 b. Rules help to guarantee each person certain rights and freedom. Rules form
frameworks for society. Nations are generally nations of laws and the governing
principles are outlined in what is called constitution. Because the majority has
agreed to follow and consent to be governed by such a constitution, the freedom
outlined exists. One of the advantages of such a system is that each person is
guaranteed certain rights as the government is limited in its power to ensure that
it does not become powerful enough to suppress liberty.

c. Rules produce a sense justice among social beings. Rules are needed in
order to keep the strong from dominating the weak, that is, to prevent exploitation
and domination. Without rules, schemes in which those with the power control
the system, would take over. In effect, rules generate a stable system that
provides justice, in which even the richest and most powerful have limitations on
what they can do. If they transgress rules such as laws and ordinances and take
advantage of people, there are consequences both socially and criminally.

d. Rules are essential for a healthy economic system. Without rules regulating
business, power would centralize around monopolies and threaten the strength
and competitiveness of the system. Rules are needed to ensure product safety,
employee safety, and product quality. Copy rights and patents help protect
people’s intellectual property. Rules and regulations also keep the banking
system stable so as to avoid depression and the like.

In short, society could not soundly function without rules and regulations. Rules are
necessary to protect the greater good. Even the freest societies ought to have rules in
order to avoid exploitations and tyranny while upholding the common welfare.

LECTURE HANDOUT 2 - MORAL VS. NON-MORAL STANDARDS

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of lecture handout 2, the student will be able to:

 understand the importance of having moral standards

 know the characteristics of moral standards that set it apart from non-
moral standards
 cite examples of moral and non-moral standards
OVERVIEW
Moral vs. Non-Moral Standards
  Non-moral standards refer to rules that are unrelated to moral ethical
considerations.
 Not all rules are moral and not all standards are moral standards.
 Moral standards involve serious wrongs or significant benefits.
 Moral standards are not only rules or principles in society, but they take
precedence over other considerations, including aesthetic, prudential, and even
legal ones.
 Moral standard are based on impartial considerations
 Impartiality is usually depicted as being free of bias or prejudice. It requires that
we give equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned
parties.
 Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary.

What are moral standards?

Moral standards are those concerned with or relating to human behavior,
especially the distinction between good and bad (or right or wrong) behavior. It has
been observed that this intrinsic code of honor is already present in children, and it
continually undergoes revisions as the child matures and influenced by his or her
surroundings. Moral standards deal with matters that the person thinks have serious
consequence. However, these standards are not hinged on external authorities or rules,
but based on good reason and impartial considerations overriding self-interest.
Feelings of guilt and shame are often associated when the person goes against
his or her moral standards.
Characteristics of Moral Standards that set its part from Non-moral Standard
 Moral standards involve behaviors that seriously affect other people’s well-
being. It can either profoundly injure or benefit a person or persons. For
example, lying, stealing, and killing are actions that hurt people. While treating
people with respect and kindness uplifts them.
 Moral standards take a more important consideration than other standards,
including self-interest. For example, because trust is important to you than
revenge, you refuse to expose your friend’s terrible secret even though she
offended you.,
 Moral standards do not depend on any external authority but in how the
person perceives the reasonableness of the action. For example, you will not
copy your classmate’s answers during the exam not because your teacher will
fail you as you do so, but because your personally believe cheating is wrong and
demeaning to you as a student.
 Moral standards are believed to be universal. Thus, when you truly believe an
act is wrong you also will not agree or consent when other people commit what
you consider a wrongful act. On the other hand, if you believe an action is
 morally right, then you will also support other people doing such acts. For
example, you believe lying is wrong therefore you will not also agree when
someone is not telling truth. On the other hand, you tend to trust the person
whom you know as someone who is true to his or her word.
 Moral standards are based on objectivity. This means what you consider as
right or wrong does not depend on whether the action advances the interest of a
particular person or group, but your action depends on a universal standpoint
where everyone’s interest is counted as equal.
6.Moral standards are associated with vocabulary that depicts emotion or
feelings. For example, when you go against your moral standards, you will say you feel
guilty, remorseful, or shamed. You may describe your behavior as immoral or sinful. If
you see people going against your moral standards you feel indignant or perhaps
disgusted with that person.
What are non-moral standards?
Non-moral standards can be considered as relative standards by which
something or someone is judged as either good or bad. The rules of non-moral
standards vary because these rules depend on the guidelines agreed by a particular
group. These refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. Either
these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature lack ethical sense.
For example, when you take a picture in the dark with no flash; when you wear a
sleeveless shirt and shorts on a very formal occasion; or you write a grammatically
incorrect essay- you have violated certain standards. In the sample situations, you
violated no-moral standards in rules of: technique, fashion standards, and grammar,
etiquette, rules in games, and various house rules.

Moral Standards versus Other Rules in Life

Although the six characteristics of moral standards distinguish it from other life
rules, it is useful to discuss other standards with which moral standards are sometimes
confused with. These other life rules are etiquette, policy, law, and commandment.

Etiquette is a set of rules on how an individual should responsibly behave in the society
(Taylor and Williams, 2017). Table manners such as the proper use of utensils and the
proper manner of eating are examples of etiquette. Meanwhile, policy is a clear, simple
statement of how an organization plans to handle its services, actions, or business.
Policies are guiding rules to help with decision making. When schools require their
students to wear the proper school uniform and ID, No Entry rule posted in your
school’s entrance is an example of a policy. On the other hand, a law is a rule created
and enforced by the government and its agencies to maintain order, resolve disputes,
and protect a person’s liberty and rights. Can you give an example of a law in the
Philippines? Finally, a commandment is a rule that is to be strictly observed because it
was said to be set by a divine entity, such as those in the Ten Commandments.

What is the advantage of owning moral standards over merely abiding by moral
standards?
For most people, the fundamental moral question is, “What should I do?” or ”How
should I act?” Ethics are presumed as moral rules on how a person should act. For
example, “every person is obligated to do the greatest good for the most number of
people.” There is also a philosophy that “everyone is obligated to act in ways that
upholds the human dignity for all people.” Moral principles like these guide the practice
of various professions (professional ethics).
But is that all there is to ethics? Is ethics just about following rules of do’s and
don’ts? This obsession with rules somehow neglects the more important aspect of being
a human person and that is becoming what you should be. In other words, the more
“important question for ethics is not “What should I do?” but “What kind of person should
I be?”
Activity: Answer the following questions:
PRE-TEST

1. What is the meaning of Ethics?

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2. How can you say a person is ethical?
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3. Why are rules important to human beings?
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4. What is the meaning of non-moral standards?
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5.How are moral standards different from non-moral standards?

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6. How do moral standards differ from etiquette, policy, law, and commandment?
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