PAMATASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MUNTINLUPA

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
University Road, Poblacion, Muntinlupa City

MODULETO
1: INTRODUCTION
ETHICS

INTRODUCTION

In this module, we will dig through the meaning of Ethics, a definition and
description of it, The importance of studying ethics and why we should be
ethical, we will also define morality as there are some confusions between what
is morality and what is ethics, sometimes they are being used interchangeably.
We will also dive on to what is Ethics as a subject and as a practice and why it is
both art and science, we will also tackle short definition as to what are ethical
dilemmas in this module.

By the end of the module the student will be able to:

Use Ethics as an activity rather just a simple set of
theories.
Differentiate Ethics from Morals and make connections
between them.
And justify why the world is in need of Morals.

In order for this to happen, we will:

Define and describe all parts of ethics

Discuss what is ethics as a subject and as an
activity.
Engag
A. Instruction: Encircle the correct answer for each question.
1. This is a branch of Philosophy that is in concern of morals, of good things and bad.

a. Epistemology
b. Meta Physics
c. Logic
d. Ethics
2. This is referred to as “Love for Wisdom”

a. Metaphysics
b. Logic
c. Ethics
d. Philosophy
3. This is a person’s or a society or community standard for behavior that tells what one has
ought to do and not ought to do.

a. Ethics
b. Logic
c. Good manners
d. Morals

B. Instruction: Write your ideas about each word that will be shown below.

1. Ethics- the knowledge of moral principles

2. Morals- behavior or beliefs of what is right or wrong

3. Religion- believing that there is a god and worhipping him

4. Government and laws- people of the country always follow what the government and
law said.

5. Judgment-
 Explor
Now let us explore the idea behind ethics and morals by reading this short
excerpt, from an article published by History Channel about Hitler and the
reason as to why he initiated anti-Semitic propagandas and campaigns.

Aryan Race
“Obsessed with race and the idea of ethnic “purity,” Hitler saw a natural order
that placed the so-called “Aryan race” at the top.

For him, the unity of the Volk (the German people) would find its truest
incarnation not in democratic or parliamentary government, but in one
supreme leader, or Führer.

"Mein Kampf" also addressed the need for Lebensraum (or living space): In
order to fulfill its destiny, Germany should take over lands to the east that
were now occupied by “inferior” Slavic peoples—including Austria, the
Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia), Poland and Russia.”

- Before Hitler got enlisted for the First World War and after which Germany will enter a
Great Depression brought by the armistice signed at the treaty of Versailles, he went
through a great depression himself. Rejected by Vienna school of arts, his mother just
died and no one wants to take him as an artist he went poor and nowhere to go. By the
time he can’t afford even a single loaf of bread he found himself reading a book of
Nazism that will lead him to desire racial Purity and hatred among Semites for during his
time only the Jews are the one’s who are able to buy German products for they were rich.
His mother’s demise, his rejections, his downfalls and the delusion of racial purity had
driven him to be as what many had known as the “Fuhrer”.

Reflection:

1. Are Hitler’s action Justified?

2. Are Jew’s evil for being able to buy German products thus causing Germans not able to
buy goods and foods for themselves?

- No, it’s their hard earned money anyways.

3. Is Racial Purity okay?

- No, beacause of the racial purity Hitler implemented, thousands of people died.

4. Put yourself in the same situation, how would you make sense out of everything? You are
hungry, desperate, poor, lonely how will you act upon it?
- I am actually poor and desperate but there’s still hope in me and I’m working hard
because i don’t want to die poor.

Explain
I. ETHICS
In this part we are going to discuss and lay the foundational understanding as to what Ethics
is. So first of all, Ethics is also called as Moral Philosophy, that in itself speaks volumes as to
what ethics is truly concerned of. Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that studies about morals.
It is focuses on questions on how one should ought to act, of what is goodness, and
rationalizing the moral choices of an Individual, a society or a large Community.
Oftentimes we hear the word Ethics like for example; Ethical hacking, Ethical treatment of
animals, ethical research and so on. That only implies that for all actions conducted there is a
proper way of doing it, ways that are moral and right. Yes, Moral. We are a society not
driven by instinct but by moral choices, moral choices that has foundations either from
reason, faith, culture or all at the same time. This leads us to the question of, what is Morals?
What does it have to do with ethics? How does it drive our daily choices?

II. MORALS
Morals can be defined as simple as this: “It is conforming to a standard of behavior” –
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Automatically if a person does not adhere or conform to a right
standard of behavior then that makes them Immoral. But this leads one to formulate a series
of questions. When is right, right? What is right? Who or what dictates right? What is the
measure for right? Is that measure true? If it is then how come? How do we know what’s
right? And the list will go on, but worry not, we will tackle them.
We live in a society where morals are very important, morals itself could make you be
accepted in a society, a group, a company, a school etc. places that will help you live a better
life and have that sense of belongingness, because an immoral person will be shunned by
these people and if you are shunned by these people, then where does life lead? That’s why
you and I always think deeply of our actions, we often ask questions about our choices before
we act on it, we tend to ask – Is it right? Is it beneficial? Will this be for the greater good?
Because answering these choices is crucial for us in order to make a moral decision and
making moral decisions could lead us to a better path. Asking these questions to yourself
already makes you do ethics (which we will tackle in a short while). That’s why it is
important to study ethics because we participate in the activity of it, only we are not aware of
it, but studying ethics would make us, and in addition to that we will be able to formulate and
ask the right questions in order to act on what is moral.
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING ETHICS

A. Ethics as a subject

In order for us to get a good grasp of the importance of ethics we will first tackle ethics as
a subject. Like what you’ve read above ethics deals with morality and morality is
conforming to right standard of behavior. Aside from the definition of ethics we will also
be studying ethical doctrines and history of ethics, you will also learn how to organize
into what kind of ethical views each doctrine belongs to.

B. Ethics as a practice
 Just like Philosophy in general which is an activity, Ethics too is an activity in itself. It is
not just a collection of doctrines and theories but mostly it is concerned of thinking about
our thinking of morality. You read it right in order for you to practice Ethics you will
think about thinking of morality. You will ask questions whether such action is right,
what makes an action right, according to what standard does our morality is anchored, is
that standard true and the list will go on the deeper you think about thinking of morality.

C. Ethics as an art and as a science

It is true, both of these waters could flow into the same river. Ethics is both an art and a
science. It is an art in a sense that it demands you to use your creative skills such as
Critical thinking skills, Formal Logic, reasoning skills and more in order for you to arrive
at an answer or solution for ethical questions and dilemmas, and it is also a science in a
sense that ethics as a subject presents to us a systematized approach to morals. It contains
doctrines, methods, and even contradictions that has led many ethical professionals to

Elaborate formulate methods only to give

answer to such questions.

In this part of the module you will engage in a series of questions that will amplify your
understanding of this introductory module.

I. Activity 1

Identify each scenario if it is Immoral or Moral or Amoral by writing on the blank the
letter M for Moral and I for Immoral and A for amoral (not immoral nor moral) , and
then write a justification as to why it is your answer is Mora, Immoral or Amoral

1. Giving Money to the Badjaos who are going to Manila in hopes of greener
pasture?

2. Letting Transgenders use women’s CR?

A
3. Abortion.
A

4. Wealth.
A

5. Poorness.

6. A poor man stealing medicine for his dying grandmother?

7. Euthanasia or Mercy Killing.

8. Capital Punishment.

9. Religion.

10. Germans lying about hiding Jews to save them from the Nazi soldiers.

11. Your father being hunted down by gangsters for beating up one of their member
because he tried to rob your father, your father hiding in your house and the
gangsters are looking for him and you lied about him being in your house?
A
 12. Stealing from the rich in order to feed the poor?

13. Not surrendering your brother to the police after learning that he is wanted for
drug use?
I

14. Vote buying.

I

15. War on Drugs.

I

Activity 2
Write your takeaway for each word or sentences.

1. Morals= conforming to a standard or behavior.

2. Ethics= is a branch of philosophy
3. Ethics as a practice= asking yourself if what you’re doing is right or how to do things
right.
4. Ethics both an art and Science=
5. Why do the world need morals?= A person whose morality is reflected in his willingness
to do the right thing-even if it hard or dangerous is ethical.

Activity 3
Short Quiz. Multiple choice. Choose the letter of the right answer to each questions.

__________ 1. Also Known as Moral Philosophy. A Branch of Philosophy that deals with
morals
 a. Ethics
b. Values
c. Philosophy
d. GMRC

__________ 2. This simply means conforming to a standard of behavior.

a. Morals
b. Ethics
c. Values
d. Philosophy

__________ 3. In Ethics when you think about thinking of morality you are engaging in ethics as
a?

a. Activity
b. Practice
c. Doing
d. Way of life

__________ 4. When something is not moral nor Immoral, that is called?

a. Amoral
b. Unmoral
c. Demoralized
d. Non-Moral

__________ 5. When you approach ethics in light of readings its methods, doctrines, what ethics
is you are engaging ethics as a?

a. Theory
b. Science
c. Subject
d. Object