Chapter 4

FRAMEWORKS AND PRINCIPLES

BEHIND OUR MORAL DISPOSITIONS

Module 8: Norms of Morality and Basic Theories as Frameworks

in Ethics

 Group Members

Michelle Ann Dizon Larry Bucad Cristel Jamaica Ibarra

(Leader)

El Jericho Madayag Clarisse De Jesus Carlito Manayan

(Secretary)
NORMS OF

MORALITY
Reporter: Michelle Ann Dizon
 NORM
A norm is a standard of measurement.
We measure the size, the weight, the length, the

duration, the intensity, the quantity, and the depth

of something. We measure objects, events,

emotions, and persons.

The moral qualities of human acts are measured

with the use of a norm or standard to support a

judgment.
 NORMS OF MORALITY

“are the criteria of judgment about the sorts of

persons we ought to be and the sorts of actions we

ought to perform” (Richard M. Gula:1)

 MORAL NORMS

are the criteria for judging the quality of character,

what sort a person one ought.

 TYPES OF NORM

1. Eternal Divine Law (objective) - it is the

ultimate and absolute norm of morality;

independent of any standard.

2. Human Reason (subjective) - it is related to the

person’s conscience.
I. LAW AS THE OBJECT
NORM OF MORALITY
 A. GENERAL
NOTION OF LAW

Law of Nature - principles that govern the natural

phenomena of the world

Natural Law - refers to the free acts of rational

beings
 B. MORAL LAW DEFINED

Law is an ordinance of reason for the common

good, promulgated by one who has the care of the

community.
Law is a kind of imposition that necessities

obedience on the part of the subjects.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR A LAW TO BE

REASONABLE:

1. It must be just; it promotes and upholds the

inherent rights and dignity of every human person

2. It must be honest; it should not contradict in

essence to any higher law

3. It must be possible of fulfillment (practical)
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR A LAW TO BE

REASONABLE:

4. It must be relatively permanent

5. It must be promulgated (publicize)
6. It must be directed to common good
7. It must be promulgated by one who has the care

of the community (e.g. president)

 Reporter:
Larry Bucad

 Divisions of the Law

The Eternal Law

It is essentially God's grand design in creating the universe including ‘’assigning to

each creature therein a specific nature’’. ( Agapay, 1991).

It is the divine reason and will commending the natural order of things be preserved and
forbidding that it be disturbed. (St. Augustine).

It is the exemplar of divine wisdom as directing all actions and movements (Panizo, 1964)

 Thoughts of Monsignor Paul Glenn

’' The eternal law extends to all acts and movements in the
universe. Thus, bodies obey the tendencies of their nature and
follow the laws of cohesion, gravity, inertia etc. Animals follow
the guidance of instinct.; the earth turns upon its axis; the
heavenly bodies swing through their mighty orbit; all in
accordance with the internal law, powerless to reject its
influence, or to disobey.''
 Properties of Eternal Law

The Eternal Law

is eternal and unchangeable
1. The Internal Law

Existed from all

eternity in the very mind of God even before the creation of the

universe (Panizo).

2. The Eternal Law is absolutely universal

Extends to all things and actions, either free, contingent or necessary (Panizo).

 Natural Moral Law

''The Law of Conscience''

''Lex Naturalis''

made known to man by reason oh his conscience
It is the same eternal law

By conscience, it means pronouncing practical judgments on the morality of actions.

Natural law and eternal law can be one and the same for the fact that they have the
same goall which is directing man's action towards attainment of their proper end.
(Glenn, 2000).
 The Natural Law enunciates

''Do good and avoid evil '';

''Right order must be preserved'';

''Murder, lying and stealing a wrong and are

therefore forbidden''
 Attribute of Natural law

''The Law of Conscience''

1.Natural Law is obligatory - Speak a voice of authority

2. Natural Law is Universal - Applicalble for all

3. Natural Law has its proper sanctions - It owns punishment's or penalties

4. Natural Law is knowable or recognizable - Open to all rational beings to be

discovered
5. Natural Law is immutable or unchangeable - Will remain as it is, not
subjected to any changes at anytime or anywhere unlike human or civil laws
ll. Law as the subject
norm of Morality
Reporter:Cristel Jamaica Ibarra
A. Meaning of Conscience
"Cum" means (together ) and

"Scientia"means (to know)

Second norm of morality
Conscience
is the choice of a particular good in

given situation
People refer as "the voice of God"
is judgement of reason
Two function of Conscience

Before the commission of an act

After the commission of an act
 B. Conscience as an Act of Intellect

(Judgment of Reason)
1. It is an act of practical judgment of reason deciding upon an

individual action as good and to be performed or as evil and to be

avoided

2. Conscience can only be applied to intellect

3. Only the intellect can detect the rightness or wrongness of our

actions
 C. Conscience as a Practical
Moral Judgment
1. Deals itself with the moral quality of a person’s

concrete act, dictating the person to perform what is good

and to refrain from doing what is bad or evil

2. Extension of the natural law which guides man

 D. Conscience as the Proximate Norm of

Morality
1. Allows a person to have a direct and personal
access

2. Must conform to a higher norm (eternal divine

law)
E. Kinds
of Conscience
According to the conscience's:

Harmony or disharmony with objective truth

1. Correct or True Conscience

2. Erroneous of False conscience

a. Invincibly erroneous conscience

b. Vincibly erroneous conscience

c. Perplexed conscience

d. Pharissical conscience
Firmness in its judgment of the morality of the act

1. Certain Conscience

2. Doubtful Conscience

3. Scrupulous Conscience

4. Lax Conscience
 F. Principles Governing Conscience forbids
1. A certain conscience must always be obeyed, whatever it commands or forbids

2. The invincibly erroneous conscience must be followed .The vincibly erroneous

conscience cannot be followed as legitimate rule of action

3. A person who is of lax conscience has the general and grave obligation to reform this

state of mind

4. The person with a perplexed type of conscience ,when making choices has to ‘postpone

any action’

5. If a person has a doubtful conscience ,one may never act

 Reporter:

El Jericho Manayan
 G. Conscience vs. Civil Authority

Whenever there is a conflict between civil

authority(state law) and divine law (natural
moral law), the person has to obey God
rather than men
 Compulsory Conscience
“Our bond with the natural moral law”, (Bernard
Haring), “ is an exalted participation in the
eternal law of God manifested by our conscience
whose natural function it is to reveal our likeness
to God” (Law of Christ: 1-147)
 Conformity and Non-conformity
The conformity or non-conformity of a human act with the
norms constitutes Morality. We recall the definition of Aristotle
of the good as that which fits the function.

For example, it fits the function of a talented singer to sing

well. Similarly, it fits the function of a decent and honorable
person to do what is honorable.
 The Order of Reason
Every living thing acts in accordance with its nature. Man acts in a way
proper to him through the use of reason. “In a morality based on the order
of reason”, writes Richard Gula, “the human person is not subject to the
God-given order of nature in the same way the animals are. The human
person does not have to conform to natural pattern as a matter of fate.

Rather, nature provides the possibilities and potentialities which the

human person can use to make human life truly human. The given
physical and biological order does not provide moral norms; rather, it
provides the data and the posssibilities for the human person to use to
achieve human goals.
 Moral Pretension
It is, however, possible for a person to do good without having a good character.
People do laugh while deep inside they are hurting and unhappy. The
receptionist greets you with a most beautiful smile without a bit of respect for
you. This means an evil person can pretend to be good.

Ethical standard requires that we have a clean mind and a pure heart.. This is
how moral laws bind the whole of being-our senses, our emotions, our thoughts,
our desires, and our actions. And so we say that the authenticity of a good act
comes from the soul. If our soul is untainted, we may pretend to do evil but still
remain good.
 Framework
Framework is defined as a basic structure underlying
a system or a concept. In ethics, it refers to “a set of
assumptions, concepts, values and practice that
constitutes a way of viewing reality.” Frameworks
and principles in ethics dictate one's moral
disposition or the way a person resolves moral
dilemmas
General Subject Areas of the the frameworks and

principles in Ethics:

1. Meta-Ethics
2. Normative Ethics
3. Applied Ethics
 Meta-ethics
A. Meta-ethics is the branch of ethics that studies the nature of
morality. At such, it talks about the meaning, reference, and truth
values of moral judgments. It also explains what goodness and
wickedness mean and how we know about them.

Studying the methods for choosing ethical principles and doing

normative ethics can be said to be part of this more basic branch of
moral philosophy.
 Meta-ethics deals with the following

questions:
• Are there objective moral truths?
• What do the words “good”, “bad”, “right”, “wrong” mean?
• Are moral judgements a matter of subjective personal feeling?
• “Slavery is wrong” are we just making a claim about our customs
or are we making an objective declaration that is true regardless of
what anybody may think?
• How can we know if something is right or wrong?
• How may ethical propositions be supported or defended?
 Classifications of Meta-ethics:
• Semantic classifications:
1. Cognitivism (moral realism, ethical subjectivism)
vs Non-cognitivism)
• Substantial classifications:
2. Moral universalism vs Moral realism
• Epistemological classifications:
3. Empiricism vs Rationalism vs Intuitionism
COGNITIVISM VS NON-

COGNITIVISM

Reporter: Clarisse De Jesus

A. COGNITIVISM - states that moral judgments convey propositions,that is
they are ‘truth bearers’ or they are either true or false; right and wrong are
matters of fact.

Moral realism - claims that the existence of moral facts and the truth (or
falsity) of moral judgments are independent of people’s thoughts and
perceptions. It maintains that morality is about objective facts, that is, not
facts about any person or group’s subjective judgment.

Ethical subjectivism - holds that the truth (or falsity) of ethical

propositions are dependent on the attitudes or standards of a person or
group of persons. Subjectivism is obviously contrary to moral realism.
B. NON-COGNITIVISM - denies that moral judgments
are either true or false. It claims that ethical sentences do
not convey authentic propositions, hence are neither true
nor false.

Emotivism - is the most popular form of non-

cognitivist theory. It submits that moral judgments
are mere expressions of our emotions and feelings.
Universalism Vs Relativism
A. MORAL UNIVERSALISM
-theorizes that moral facts and principles apply to
everybody in all places.
-Also called ‘moral objectivism’
-Believing that some behaviors are simply wrong, it also
submits that if o smething is right for one, then it is right
for another.
B .MORAL RELATIVISM
-submits that different moral facts and principles apply to different
persons or group of individuals.
-Believing that various cultures have distinct standards of right and
wrong, it also maintains that ethical standards also change over time
even in the same culture. Denying a single, objective standard for
morality, it holds that moral norms are equally true and morals are
mere preferences.
Empiricism Vs Rationalism

Vs Intuitionism
A. MORAL EMPIRICISM is a meta-ethical stance which states that moral facts
are known through observation and experience. The theory is an extension of
‘empiricism’ in epistemology which states that all knowledge of matters of fact is
derived from experience and that our mind is not equipped with pre-experience
concepts.

B. MORAL RATIONALISM contends that moral facts and principles are

knowable a priori (using logic and reason to form conclusion before experience), that
is, by reason alone and without reference to experience. The theory relies on reason
rather than intuition in justifying a belief or action.

C. MORAL INTUITIONISM submits that moral truths are knowable by intuition

that is by immediate instinctive knowledge without reference to any evidence.
Normative Ethics
-is the branch of ethics that studies how man ought to act, morally
speaking. As the name suggests, it examines ethical norms, that is, those
guidelines about what is right, worthwhile, virtuous, or just.

-This branch evaluates standards for the rightness and wrongness of

actions and determines a moral course of action. Prescriptive in nature, it
addresses specific moral questions about what we should do or believe.
Classification of

Normative ethics
Reporter: Carlito Manayan
 DEONTOLOGY
*Derived from the Greek word "deon" meaning "duty".

*Deontology is a category of Normative ethical theories

that encompasses any theory which is primarily concerned
with adherence to certain rules or duties.

*Consequences do not matter.

 TELEOLOGY
*From the Greek word "Telos" which
means end.

*Refers to moral system that determine

the moral value of action by their
outcomes or result.
 VIRTUE ETHICS
*Virtue Ethics as a moral system,
places emphasis on developing good
habits of character and avoiding bad
habits.
 APPLIED ETHICS
*Applied ethics, also called
'practical ethics' is the application of
ethics to a real- world problems.
Thank You
Do you have any questions
for me before we go?