CHAPTER1

Introduction to

Ethics and Values

UNDERSTANDING ETHICS

The word ethics is coined from the Greek word "ethicos", or that which pertains to "ethos", the English
translation of which is "custom" or "character". Ethies is the branch of philosophy that theoretically,
logically and rationally determines right from wrong, good from bad, moral from immoral and just from
unjust actions, conducts and behavior. Overall, ethics establishes the rules and standards that govern
the moral behavior of individuals and groups. It also distinguishes between right and wrong conducts. It
involves honest consideration to underlying motive, to possible potential harm and to congruency with
established values and rules.

MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTs

What do we mean by "morality of human acts?"

Morality of human acts refers to the goodness of the

badness, the rightness of the wrongness of human acts.

FOUR DISCIPLINES/ DIVISIONS IN

PHILOSOPHY:

1.Deseriptive or Speculative - a discipline in philosophy that deals with the fundamental

question: What is the nature of reality? (Metaphysics)

2. Normative - a discipline in philosophy which is concemed with human values and how

individuals should act. It also posits the question: What is good and what is bad'? Or what is right action
and wrong action? (Moral philosophy)

3.Practical philosophy which studies the rules of valid reasoning and argumentation. (Logic)

4.Critical philosophy a discipline in philosophy which deals with our concept of knowledge, how we learn
and what we can know and posits with the question: What is truth? (Epistemology)

PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER

Personality is the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make a person unique.
It is believed that personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout
life. Character deals with how people think and behave related to issues such as right and wrong, justice
and equity, and other areas of human conduct.

While personality shows what you are outside or what you are to the world, character reveals what you
are inside. As these are directly related to a person's attitude and behavior, most people get confused
between these two easily.
UNDERSTANDING MORALITY

Moral integrity is the only true measure of what man ought to be. The most successful professional, is
nothing unless he too is morally upright. Thus, the philosophers speak Ethics as the "only necessary
knowledge".

Morals are the prevailing standards of behavior that enable people to live cooperatively in groups.
Moral refers to what societies sanction as right and acceptable. Most people tend to act morally and
follow societal guidelines. Morality often requires that people sacrifice their own short- term interests
for the benefit of society. People or entities that are indifferent to right and wrong are considered
amoral, while those who do evil acts are considered immoral.

ETHICS VS. MORALITY

Ethics and morals relate to right" and wrong" conduct. While they are sometimes used interchangeably,
they are different. Ethics refer to rules provided by an external source.

Morals refer to anindividual 's own principles regarding right and wrong.

Morals are the principles that guide individual conduct within society. And, while morals may change
over time, they remain the standards of behavior that we use to judge right and wrong.
MORALITY AND HUMAN EXISTENCE

There is morality because there is man.

1. Man is the only Moral Being by virtue of the following reasons.

a. Man is a being of action.

b. Man has intellect.

C. Man has will.

2. Man as an Animal
3. Man as a Rational Animal.

4. Intellect compare with will.

5. Concrete Basis of Morality.

UNDERSTANDING VALUES

Human values are most important in life. It is important that people are and should be ready to sacrifice
almost anything to live with their values. Honesty, integrity, love, and happiness are some of the end
values or destination values that human beings seek to attain, practise and live with.

On the other hand, values such as health, money, fame, status, intelligence, and so on are the means
values or path values which help achieve the end values. The end values and the means values are also
known as terminal values and instrumental values respectively. While the end values are constant, and
guide us to achieve the higher order goals, means values are temporary in nature and help us achieve
comparatively lower-order goals.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT VALUES?

Knowing our values helps us achieve clarity regarding why we do what we do, and accordingly stay on
track and live a consistent life. All our actions and decisions are affected by our values.

Those who know their values and live by them become the leaders of our socicty. Knowing our valucs
helps us design our life goals since we know what is most important for us today and on an ongoing
basis. Values are as important as competencies to achieve our goals. Knowing others' values is equally
important to understand their behaviour and the causes behind it. We can also understand their
decision making by understanding their values.

GENERAL DEFINITION OF VALUES

Values are the objeet of human desire and striving; they are also the subjective assessment of a
particular object insofar as it is good. Values are our beliefs, those beliefs which we hold to be true. Thus
values inspire us to struggle towards our proximate and ultimate ends. Values refer to things, person,
ideas or goods which are important to life; they enable us to direct, understand, and evaluate our lives.
Thus, they refer to our ideals and our principles by which we live. Further, values are those which we
approve, esteem, enjoy and prize.

PROPERTIES OF VALUES

1. Subjective-means that the existence and the validity of values are dependent upon on the feelings or
attitudes of the subject.

2.Objective -means that the existence and the nature or values are independent of a subject.

3. Relative -means that the values have intrinsic limitation and imperfection.
4. Bipolar -means that values do not exist alone. They always exist with their counter values. Thus,
values are either positive or negative.

5.Hierarchical -means do not classify values but rather we rank them. When we rank values, we
establish order of importance among them. The closest meaning of ranking values or prioritizing values.

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS

*Human acts are actions done intentionally, free, and deliberate of a person. These are actions that a
man properly master for he does them with full knowledge and his own will.

*Acts which proceed from a deliberate freewill.

*A man is fully responsible with the consequences of his acts.

*Involves man's responsibility and accountability of the results of his/her actions.

A human act is also referred to as the human activity of man as man by which he attains an end he
wants to obtain.

THREE-FOLD ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACTS

1.Knowledge - An act is done knowingly, when the doer is conscious and aware of the reason and the
consequences of his actions. Knowledge is supplied by the intellect and it directs the will to want the
object it proposes.

2. Freedom - An act is done when the doer acts by his own initiative and choice without being forced to
do so by another person or situation. It makes the doer the father of his acts and thus, the doer is
responsible for those acts.

3. Voluntariness An act is done wilfully when the doer consents to the acts, accepting it as his own, and
assumes accountability for its consequences. It is naturally inclined to the good, but man may sometime
deliberately choose evil.

ACTS OF MAN

*Acts of man are instinctive, such as physiological in nature.

*These are actions done under the circumstances of ignorance, passion, fear, violence, and habits.

*Acts that are performed by men without being master of them through his intellect and will, therefore
acts of man are involuntary actions.

ACTIONS ARE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF:

1. Ignorance

2. Passion

3. Fear

4. Violence

5. Habits