The Inquiry on Philosophical 

Ethics: An Introduction 

Objectives:  
 
At the end of the lesson, the students should 
be able to:  

Define ethics.  

Distinguish the concept of moral standards 

from non-moral and amoral standards.  

Articulate the differences of ordinary rules 

from moral rules/standards. 

An attempt to define the subject 

matter….  
 There are various definitions of Ethics such 
that anyone would be led to think a universal 
one is impossible to formulate.   

Hence,  many  ethical  discussions  end  in 

controversies;  some  result  to even more 
divergent views about the subject. 

Related concepts   
(​philosphyforum.com​)  
Some views relate ethics to other words like 
right, value, morals, good, evil, happiness ​in 
their attempt to define the term.  

Some provide practical and common 

questions that relate to ​acts, desires and 
needs ​from which individuals find life’s 
meanings and purposes. 
 There are different definitions of ethics 
because there are numerous questions 
entailed in our views regarding rightness 
and wrongness; as well as the diverse 
responses to these questions. 

Ethical Questions and Responses  

What is ​ your idea of ​rightness​? 
​

 
Is it right to aspire for    Is it right to long 
your dreams?     things? 
for material
  

 
What is ​Happiness ​to you? 

Fame? ​Good food? 

 
Honor? 
Comfort?  
  
Winning?  
Love?  

 
Beauty?   Friendship? 
 How would you like your ​life ​tobe? 

Free spirit? ​Knowledge seeker? 

   
   
What do you  Friendship?   

value? 

Freedom? 
Existence? ​Faith?  
 

 
 Right?   
Good?  
Happiness?  
Values?  
 How am I supposed to live this
LIFE?

 
 The Study on Morality  

Moral standards as opposed to

non-moral and amoral standards

 
Questions to Ponder:  

Why are there rules?  

What rules do you find most 
constricting?  
How do moral standards differ from 
other rules in our lives? 
The usual rules in our lives…  

Etiquette: standards by which manners 

are judged to be good or bad normally 
dictated by a socio economic elite.  

Athletic: standards by which we judge 

how good or bad a game is played, 
usually formulated by governing 
bodies. 
Legal: standards by which legal right or 
wrong is judged in a democracy; formulated 
by representatives of people.  

Language: standards by which grammatically 

right or wrong language is judged, evolving 
through its usage.  

Aesthetics:  standards  by  which  good  or  bad 

art  is  judged  dictated  by  a  small circle of art 
specialists. 
The Moral Standards…  
Moral standards deal with matters that can 
seriously ​injure or benefit ​human beings.  

The ​validity ​of moral standards rests on the 

adequacy of reasons to support and justify 
them, not on the decision of majority or 
authoritative bodies.  

Moral standards are to be preferred to other 

values, including self-interest. 
Moral standards are based on ​impartial 
considerations.   

Moral standards are expressed in 

universalizable ​view point from an ideal 
observer.   

Moral  standards  are  associated  with  ​special 

emotions  ​such  as  ‘guilt’,  ‘shame’,  ‘remorse’, 
‘praise’, ‘pity’, ‘indignation’. 
 So what is common to all these 
characteristics?  

No other than society taken in broadest 

sense….​society ​is interpreted   
philosophically as the “other”.  

Non compliance with moral standards 

would seriously injure us as human 
beings. 
 Ethics and Morals  

When do you say an experience calls 

for a moral decision?  

…a choice made   
based on the person’s   
ethics, manners,   
character… 
You went to SM Department Store to buy a pair 
of rubber shoes. Brand A costs 2K; Brand B costs 
5K.  
Your wife gave you 5K.  
You were jobless at the moment.  
Your son and daughter will enroll this coming 
June.  
Your mother was rushed to the hospital because 
of lingering illness.   
You owe your neighbor 1K and you promise to 
pay the moment you have extra money. 
 What are they?  

Ethics refers to the rules of conduct recognized 

in respect to a particular class of human 
actions or a particular group or culture.  

Morals are the Principles or habits with 

respect to right or wrong conduct. While 
morals also prescribe dos and don'ts, morality 
is ultimately a personal compass of right and 
wrong. 
What is their origin?  

Ethics comes from the Greek word "ethos" 

meaning”character”.  

Moral comes from the Latin word "mores" 

meaning “custom". 

Where do they come from?  

 Ethics comes from social system (external 
source). We do it because society says it is the 
right thing to do.  

Morality comes from individual themselves 

(internal source). We do it (or we do not do it) 
because we believe on something being right 
or wrong. 

What is the flexibility of the 

concepts?…  
 Ethics are dependent on others for definition. 
They tend to be consistent within a certain 
context, but can vary between contexts.  

Moral is usually consistent, although can 

change if an individual’s beliefs change. 

Acceptability of the terms…  

 Ethics are governed by professional and legal 
guidelines within a particular time and place.  

Moral transcends cultural norms.  

SOURCE: ​http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethics_vs_Morals 

In short…..  
 
 Ethics is codes of conduct that pertain to a 
community, family, company or a nation. On the 
other hand, morality refers to personal sets of 
beliefs about what is right and wrong.  

Ethics is accepted by the entity of the community 

but morals are not.  

People have their morals that may or may not be 

in sync with society’s ethics. 

Thus, the study of ethics….  

entails a reflective distance to critically examine 
standards.  

looks at values beneath the moral standards 

(answers the questions of WHAT and WHY we 
do the act)  

looks into the agent who makes the moral 

decision (level of maturity and moral   
development). 
It is about the moral decision process 
(HOW we arrive at the moral 
decision).  

Ethics is not solely about theoretical 

knowledge but the application of that 
knowledge…how to transform such 
knowledge into action in our everyday 
life. 
 ACTIVITY NO.2 

as​Write a brief case of personal

ethical problem to
be discussed by ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBER/
OR A FRIEND.​(Need a documentation of it)

 
Thank you