COMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Region V
POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay
SUBJECT MODULE 3 LESSONS 1-4
GE 08 CHAPTER 2:
12 HOURS CREDIT/WEEKS 7-10
ETHICS THE ACT

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
a. Capture and analyze your feelings in personal moral experience;
b. Compare reasonable and emotional responses;
c. Check real-life cases against the 7-steps Moral Reasoning Model;
d. Differentiate between knowing and actually executing a good moral decision; and
e. Judge own moral behavior in terms of planning and executing in moral experience.

INTRODUCTION

“Sino and pipiliin ko,

ikaw ban a pangarap ko,
o siya na kumakatok sa puso ko?”

Remember these lyrics? What about these lines:

“And puso ko’y litong-lito,

Litong-lito kung sino sa inyo oh oh oh oh…
Ang puso ko’y gulong-gulo,
Gulong-gulo kung sino sa inyo oh oh oh oh.”

Perhaps you also have experienced being put in a situation where you got confused that you
couldn’t decide for yourself what was right or wrong. I believe that you already heard of the dilemma
that goes “anu ang paiiralin ko, puso o utak?” We really can’t do away with moral dilemmas and life
situations that require us of a good moral decision but we also cannot deny that sometimes it is hard to
choose between right and wrong. In this module, you are going to study how an agent responds to
moral situations, and these responses are validated through the models or frameworks that you are
going to take up in this module.

ELICITING IDEAS
Before you dive in to the lessons, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What difficult experience have I had where I was forced to choose between two conflicting
options?
2. How have I responded to the situation? Have I used my “puso or utak”?
3. Have I got a good outcome of my decision?
 LEARNING ACTIVITIES GUIDE
MODALITY
Asynchronous
CONTENT Synchronous (FB Social Learning Group/Google
(via Google Meet) Classroom/Messenger Group
Chat/Printed Module)
LESSON 1 PPT Presentation Read Lesson 1 in Module 3 and/or
Feelings and Moral Decision Virtual Class Discussion (Link will be watch recorded lecture (link will be
Making sent to Class GC sent to Class GC).

Accomplish Worksheet 1 Accomplish Worksheet 1

LESSON 2 PPT Presentation Read Lesson 1 in Module 3 and/or
Reason and Impartiality as Virtual Class Discussion (Link will be watch recorded lecture (link will be
Minimum Requirements for sent to Class GC sent to Class GC).
Morality
Accomplish Worksheet 2 Accomplish Worksheet 2
LESSON 3 PPT Presentation Read Lesson 1 in Module 3 and/or
The 7-steps Moral Virtual Class Discussion (Link will be watch recorded lecture (link will be
Reasoning Model sent to Class GC sent to Class GC).

Accomplish Worksheet 3 Accomplish Worksheet 3

LESSON 4 PPT Presentation Read Lesson 1 in Module 3 and/or
Reason and Will Virtual Class Discussion (Link will be watch recorded lecture (link will be
Moral Courage sent to Class GC sent to Class GC).
Accomplish Worksheet 4 Accomplish Worksheet 4
Accomplish the Assessment Accomplish the Assessment
NOTE: Submit only the outputs (Worksheets and Assessment).
Mode of Submission:
a. Submit the printed/written outputs at PCC Campus.
b. Upload soft copy of outputs in SHARED FOLDER in Google Drive. SHARE folder to arnelmb.pcc@gmail.com
REFERENCES:

Pasco, Marc Oliver D. et al. (2018) Ethics. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.

Wu, Jade. 2019. Savvy Psychologist. How Do Your Emotions Affect Your Moral Compass?. Retrieved:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/emotions-morals?
utm_source=sciam&utm_campaign=sciam

Saalfield, Peter. 2012. The Biology of Right and Wrong. Retrieved:

https://harvardmagazine.com/2012/01/the-biology-of-right-and-wrong

Sarong, Christian Michael. 2020. HARVAND MAGAZINE. The 7-Steps of Moral Reasoning Model. Retrieved:
https://xiansarong.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/7-steps-in-the-moral-reasoning-model/

Carey, Jeremy. 2017. Reason, Desire, and the Will: In Defense of a Tripartite Moral Psychology. Retrieved:
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2hf590r3#article_main
 MODULE 3

LESSON 1: FEELINGS AND DECISION MAKING

One of the most debated topics in ethics is whether emotion could be a basis for moral decision
making or is it of no help at all when it comes to moral deliberation. Moral Subjectivism is the doctrine in
ethics which posits that any moral statement has no truth value at all but only implies an attitude,
personal taste, and opinion that could neither be true or false. Here, what is right or wrong is just a
matter of personal feelings and preference. There is also a doctrine called Emotivism which is a Non-
Cognitivist view of morality. Here, moral knowledge is impossible. It cannot be known or identified as
true of false, but only an implication of personal attitude.
Some researches on emotion in relation to moral decision making in the contemporary time,
using the modern technology especially in the field of science, were conducted and results suggest new
understanding of emotions that debunks the classical moral math. In the Dual-Process Theory of Joshua
Greene, philosopher and psychology professor at Harvard University, he points out that responding by
use of reason or emotions depends on the circumstances that call for it. For Greene, emotion and
reason are both useful in moral decision making. In her online article, Dr. Jade Wu shows that emotions
contribute to and affect on how an agent make moral decisions.
Here are some takeaways from Dr. Wu’s study (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-
fitness/mental-health/emotions-morals?utm_source=sciam&utm_campaign=sciam):
 Emotions, in addition to rational thinking, influences the way we make moral judgment and
decisions.
 Anxiety and empathy (and being sober) tend to make us less willing to sacrifice one to save
many.
 Disgust and anger make us harsher judges and punishers of moral wrong-doing.
 A brain area known for emotion processing seems to be important for these emotional effects,
especially if the moral dilemma seems more personal.
 Using emotion regulation, we can have some control over these effects. In fact, we could
potentially use emotions to our advantage to motivate more moral behavior. 
 GE 08 WORKSHEET 1 Module 3 Lesson: 1

Course/Yr/Sec:
Name:

Date:
Instructor:

Read the study the situations below and answer the questions:

FORTI & FRIENDS

Forti was invited by his best friends for an outing. He knew that his parents would not permit
him to go. Forti really wanted to go and did not want to miss the event especially that it was going to be
with his best friends. Because of this, Forti escaped the house and went out with his friends even if he
knew that it was disobedience to his parents, and with that he would be badly scolded.

AIDS DOES’NT MATTER?

Cari and Amanda will get married soon. Just three days before the wedding, Amanda broke out
to Cari that she got diagnosed with AIDS. Cari is so disappointed. He even thinks that Amanda was being
dishonest. Would Cari and Amanda still get wed?

Answer the following questions:

1. How did Forti respond to the situation? Did he respond emotionally or reasonably? Justify your
answer.
2. State the possible responses or decisions Cari would make.
3. If you were Cari, how would you respond to the situation? Justify.
 MODULE 3

LESSON 2: REASON AND IMPARTIALITY AS MINIMUN

REQUIREMENTS FOR MORALITY

In Lesson 1, you have learned the ideas of Subjectivism and Emotivism. Let us get the sense that
with these doctrines, moral assessment is based on personal attitude and not on reasons that justify the
course of action being taken. For example if it is stated “Do not kill”, it means two things which should
be looked in to the emotive aspect and prescriptive aspect of the statement. By the emotive aspect, the
statement would mean that the speaker does not approve killing, that is, the speaker does not feel
killing to be right. The prescriptive aspect would be that the speaker is giving command not to kill. A.J.
Ayer is one of the modern philosophers who advocate emotivism.

In the rationalist point of view, moral assessment should be taken in the light of reason alone.
Thus, if I say “do not kill”, I should be able to give reasons that justify why such course of action is
morally wrong. Kurt Baier is the philosopher who directly opposed Ayer.

Impartiality is a non-discriminatory disposition which employs unbiased and fair judgement.

When we have to make moral decisions, it has to be based on fairness where self-interest is not the
objective but giving equal importance to each individual’s interests and point of view.

What is the importance of reason and impartiality in ethics? While reason provides us the
ground that justifies the course of action we take and thus make our moral decisions reasonable,
impartiality takes us to fair judgement and not self-serving decisions.

Let us apply reason and impartiality to the claim “Cheating on exams is wrong”. It is wrong
because (reason) it hurts yourself with the fact that you are not really learning when you are cheating
and you are spoiling your own future. Moreover, it is disrespect to your teacher. When you cheat you
are not being fair with others who are taking the test and also to the institution administering the test.
 GE 08 WORKSHEET 2 Module 3 Lesson: 2

Course/Yr/Sec:
Name:

Date:
Instructor:

State the reason for each moral statement by completing the matrix below.
Moral Statement Reason/s
1. “Stealing is wrong.”

2. “Abortion is wrong.”

3. “Racial discrimination is morally

not justifiable.”

4. “Mercy killing is morally

unacceptable.”

5. “Bullying is wrong.”
 MODULE 3

LESSON 3: THE 7-STEPS MORAL REASONING MODEL

BY SCOTT B. RAE

1. First step in the Moral Reasoning Model is to gather the facts. Some moral dilemmas can be resolved
just by clarifying facts of the case in question. But in more complex cases, gathering the facts is the
indispensable first step before any ethical analysis and reflection of the case. In examining a case, we
want to know the available facts at hand, as well as any facts presently not known but that need to be
determined. We must ask not only “what do we know?” in order to generate an intelligent, ethical
decision.
2. Second step is determining the ethical issues. The moral issues should be correctly stated in terms of
competing interests. It is the conflicting interests that practically make for a moral dilemma. The issues
must be presented in a P vs. Q format to reflect the interests that are colliding in a specific moral
dilemma. For instance many ethical decisions, especially at the end of a patient’s life, can be stated in
terms of patient autonomy (or someone’s right to make his/her decision about medical care) vs. the
sanctity of life (the duty to preserve life).
3. Third step is identifying the principles that have a bearing on the case. In any moral dilemma, there
are sure moral values or principles that are vital to the rival positions being taken. It is very significant to
recognize these principles, and in some cases, to decide whether some principles are to be weighted
more heavily than others.
4. Forth step is listing the alternatives. This step involves coming up with the various alternative courses
of action as part of the creative thinking included in resolving a moral dilemma. Though there will be
some alternatives which you will rule out without much thought, in general , the more alternatives that
are listed, the better the chance that your list will include some high-quality ones. Also, you may come
up with some very creative alternatives that you had not considered before.
5. Fifth is comparing the alternatives with the principles. This step involves eliminating alternatives
according to the moral principles that have a bearing on the case. In many cases, the case will be
resolved at this point, since the principles will remove all alternatives except one. The purpose of this
comparison is to determine is not forthcoming, then the next step in the model should be considered.
Some of the alternatives, at the least, may be rejected by this step of comparison.
6. Sixth step is weighing the consequences. If the principles do not produce a clear decision, then a
consideration of the consequences of the remaining available alternatives is in order. Both positive and
negative consequences are to be considered. They should be informally weighted since some positive
consequences are more beneficial than others, and some negative consequences are more detrimental
than others.
7. The last but not the least step is making a decision. Since deliberation ought not to go on forever, a
decision must be made at some point. It must be realized that one common element to moral dilemmas
is that there are no easy and painless solutions to them. Normally, the decision that is made is one that
possesses the least number of problems or negative consequences, not one that is devoid of them.
 GE 08 WORKSHEET 3 Module 3 Lesson: 3

Course/Yr/Sec:
Name:

Instructor: Date:

Do you remember the Ectopic Pregnancy Case in Lesson 2-Moral Dilemma in Module 1? Reread the case
and apply the 7-Steps Moral Reasoning Model by completing the matrix below.

“Ectopic Pregnancy Case”

Step 1: Gather the facts

Step 2: Determine the ethical

issues

Step 3: Identify the principles that

have a bearing on the case
Step 4: List down alternatives

Step 5: Compare the alternatives

with the principles

Step 6: Weigh the consequences

Step 7: Make a decision

 MODULE 3

LESSON 4: REASON AND WILL

Have you ever experienced doing another thing for your reason when you knew that there was
one thing you should have been doing? Maybe for some reason, you opted to attend your girlfriend’s or
boyfriend’s birthday instead of attending to your sick mother or maybe you lied to your parents and
assumed your sibling's fault. What about having been with friends who bullied a victim and you did not
dare to go against their action but instead you laughed with them at their victim or maybe you just did
not do something at all?

We have been through the study of feelings and reason in ethics in the previous lesson in this
module. In this lesson, you will have understood that the will plays a significant role along with the
reason in making moral decisions.

The hypothetical situations mentioned above show a phenomenon where an agent, who
supposed acts out of reason, chooses to act in another way for his reasons. Thus, there is an act done
for a reason and one done for reasons. Consider the case below:
Amore knows by reason that he should not escape the class, but for reasons, that
Dulce is asking him to accompany her to the mall, and that Dulce is his girlfriend, and
that Dulce might get disappointed, and that it is more desirable to be with his
girlfriend on that occasion, Amore escapes the class and goes with Dulce.

The case above shows that Amore chooses to do an act which he knows is against to which he
knows is reasonable. This is what we call weakness of the will.

The will is a mental faculty. The act of the will is an act of deliberate intention formation. In
philosophical anthropology, you’ve learned that the intellect tends towards what is true, and the will
tends towards what is good. Reason and will works hand in hand. Reason may influence the will that it
postpones or pursue its inclination to what it apprehends to be good or the will may influence reason
and overrule its principles, and, in this case, the agent acts unreasonably.

In the previous lesson you have learned that an agent responds emotionally or reasonably to a
situation. Let us make our understanding of this deeper by looking at how an agent responds out of
what motivates him/her to respond. What motivates an agent to act? One is reason and another is
desire. So, how does an agent respond out of this two? The agent may respond by reflecting (reason) or
by apprehensive desiring (by apprehensive desiring, we mean desiring the apparent good). You have an
exam and you were not able to review your lessons and it worries you. Because you already knew that
cheating is wrong, upon reflecting you knew you should not cheat. But by desiring to get good result of
the test, you wanted to cheat. Now what is in between that is lacking here before you choose to act?
Here is where the will enters. The will intends to execute the act determined by the agent.

GE 08 WORKSHEET 4 Module 3 Lesson: 4

Course/Yr/Sec:
Name:

Date:
Instructor:

In Lesson 4, you have learned doing something against what you know is reasonable is a
weakness of the will. List down personal moral situations or scenarios where you need to have or
develop moral courage.

I need to have moral courage in the following moral situations:

(List down)
ASSESSMENT

ESSAY: WHAT MAKES THE EXECUTION OF A REASONABLE ACT DIFFICULT?

(Refer to Rubrics for Essay)
NAME:______________________________________ COURSE/BL/SEC_________________
DATE:________

RUBRIC FOR ESSAY

CRITERIA 3 2 1 POINTS EARNED

KNOWLEDGE Shows mastery of There are some Indicates no
the subject matter concepts that are mastery of the
being discussed. not well discussed. subject matter
being discussed.
DISCUSSION Provides sufficient Provides There is no
details relevant to information but sufficient relevant
the subject matter some are not information that
that explains, relevant. explains the topic
illustrates, and
gives light to it so
that it is clearly
understood by the
readers.
MECHANICS There are almost There are some There are many
no grammatical grammatical error, grammatical error,
errors, incorrect incorrect incorrect
capitalizations, capitalizations and capitalizations and
and use of use of use of
punctuations. punctuations. punctuations.
ORGANIZATION Ideas and There are some Ideas and
information are vague connections information are
logically organized of ideas. not well
so that the organized.
connection of
ideas is clearly
understood.
TOTAL POINTS
EARNED:
GRADE:

Table of Scores
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
100 97 93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 67 63 60