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Moral and Non-Moral Problems

People encounter various problems every day, some are simple, some are complex. In all aspects
of life, things are not always simple. From the time one wakes up in the morning until practically
bedtime, one may be preoccupied with something to be done or about things that are undone. Not
everything is foreseeable. There are always things that are missing; some others need immediate
fixing, someone else getting a flat tire just before leaving for work and many more situations of
the same type. We are not always ready and we cannot foresee everything. Something, somewhere,
somehow is not alright. There are problems or situations that call for moral or ethical valuation or
judgment. It may be about contemplating whether or not to tell a teacher about a cheating incident
during an examination. As a student, a problem may be about what to do having known that she is
pregnant. Should she reveal to her parents about it? What could her parents’ reaction be?

Should a student lie to his/her professors for not having been in class very often for no reason at
all? Must one spread rumors using the social media about someone he/she hates since his/her
identity can remain unknown and can inflict more pain and moral damage on the person? Is suicide
a better solution to end all the troubles? There can be other serious problems that anyone is going
through and the question is what to do in these difficult circumstances.

Distinguishing between a moral problem and non- moral problem is the aim of this topic. When
do you say a problem pertains to what is right or wrong or when it is simply a matter of fact?

Distinction between Moral and Non-Moral Problems

In the context of the discussion about constricting rules, there are rules that are formulated by
authorities for the common good or for improvement but are not moral precepts. As such, they are
clearer when they are expressed in the imperative mood. They are constricting rules but are not
moral concerns and hence, are classified as non-moral rules.

When does a rule become a moral problem or enter the domain of morality? It can be stated that a
rule becomes a moral rule if it violates certain standards. For instance, a rule may be stated in the
following terms: HIV infected individuals will be treated with disdain and are not allowed to join
any public forum. Such rule violates the inherent human dignity and the right of an individual to
be part of the larger society. This type of rule implies moral valuation. The rightness or the
wrongness of the rule is put into question. Should people who are victims of the curse of the virus
be treated in such a manner? Is isolating them the appropriate way of dealing with them. Do human
dignity and the right of the human person end when one gets contaminated with the virus? Your
response to this can be further clarified by knowing the different kinds of valuations.

Kinds of Valuations that do not imply Moral Judgment or are not part of Ethics

1. Aesthetic Valuation. Some things are considered good or bad because of their appeal to the
senses. It is possible that one finds the food served by the waiter as good or bad depending on
whether the taste buds approve or disapprove them. Or, one might consider a painting good
because it is pleasing to the eyes when looking at it. Or, someone could not appreciate a piece of
music because it disturbs and is irritating to one’s tympanic membrane and is therefore judged to
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be bad. These valuations or judgments require the sense of approval or disapproval depending on
whether or not they have good appeal to the senses. But they are not valuations in the realm of
ethics. These are known as aesthetic valuations.

Quite a number of times people use this type of valuation in different situations. People make
judgments but they have nothing to do with morality or ethics. It is important that people know
that they are not making a judgment that has moral implication but simply a manner of making an
appreciation relative to their senses.

Technical Valuations. Some things are considered right or wrong depending on whether or not
the proper manner of doing them has been respected. This type of valuation is within the realm of
technical valuation. When baking a cake, one must see to it that the right procedure and right
amount of ingredients are respected. If they have been respected, chances are the result of the effort
in baking will be good. If not respected, the cake might taste bad. In the same manner, as a driver,
most likely, passengers will be anxious if the driver does not execute the proper rules of driving.
Driving too fast or sudden stops will make passengers uncomfortable and fear an eminent danger.
We say that the driver is either a good or a bad driver. These examples are not; however, properly
considered within the realm of ethics but are proper to technical knowledge and skills.

2. Etiquette. People approve or may disapprove about certain ways of doing. For example, inside
a library, I see to it that I do not make noise because people inside need to concentrate on their
studies. Or, I greet my teachers when I happen to meet them along the school corridor. Knocking
at the door before entering an office is perceived to be the proper manner. These ways of doing
are judged to be the proper observation of certain standards or etiquette but are not judged
according to ethical standards. Individuals who demonstrate the proper etiquettes are appreciated
and those who lack them are not. However, there is a need to properly distinguish what is in the
realm of etiquette and one which is beyond this realm. It is a good demonstration of a good
etiquette when offering a seat to an elderly inside a bus for the person to feel more comfortable
and safer but it would be utterly deplorable if you push an elderly out of the bus while it is in
motion (Bulaong Jr. et al., 2018).

3. Acts of Man versus Human Acts. The distinction between acts of man versus human acts will
further help to consider certain activities that absolutely imply no coloration of ethical concern and
one which is clearly within the domain of morality. The acts of man refers to the involuntary
activities that are necessary to sustain human life, like in the case of breathing, the continuous
beating of the heart and involuntary movements of the intestines and lungs. They are crucial
activities that sustain life and without them, life ceases to exist. Other than that, other natural acts
like speaking, hearing, eating and walking are also natural acts but have no moral implication as
such.

On the other hand, helping someone in need and other gestures that relieve people from their
uncomfortable or disadvantaged experience or from their sufferings, making people suffer and
placing them in difficult situation are human acts. Understandably, the activities categorized as
acts of man carry no ethical valuation. But those that fall under the category of human acts call for
moral or ethical considerations.
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After the discussion on the different categories and situations that do not enter the category of
moral valuation, let us now consider situations and issues which call for moral valuation or fall
under the realm of morality or ethics. Below are two situations in which moral valuations are called
upon.

Valuations that Involve Moral or Ethical Valuations

1. Moral problems according to Bulaong Jr. et al. (2018) “involve valuations that belong to
the sphere of human actions characterized by certain gravity and concern the well- being
or human life itself.” Pre-meditating or making a plan how to kill another is an act that
qualifies under moral problems. Or, deciding whether to allow passive euthanasia to
happen is a decision with gravity and concerns the well-being or human life itself. These
and other acts relative to one’s well-being and the well-being of others involve ethical or
moral valuations. Furthermore, an act may not directly be an affront to human life but its
consequences are clearly indicative of serious threat. Open pit mining is certainly an
activity that is intended to benefit people involved in it. However, it is a system that
seriously damage nature resulting to environmental catastrophe beyond imagination
affecting the lives of people living in the vicinity. In fact, it might even result to more
damages resulting to natural imbalance with greater impact affecting an entire region and
beyond.
2. Something is about moral problem when it violates certain standards. Example, cultural
practices and values are perceived as standards of behaviour. Unrespectful attitudes are
judged as wrong. Among Filipinos, a very strong cultural element is respect to the elderly.
Anyone who treats the elderly with respect is considered a person of excellent moral
upbringing. However, anyone who treats the elderly with disdain is unethical. It is ethically
right to respect the elderly and ethically wrong to disrespect them.

A religious belief may also qualify as a standard of this nature. The religious conviction

that it is a call to assist someone in need is a moral demand and maybe a moral imperative.
Thousands of people and maybe more are deeply motivated by such conviction that it is an ethical
obligation to help others who are in need. People do not hesitate to give their all-out support and
donate whatever they can to victims of devastating natural calamities. Imagine what happened to
Tacloban and other events that triggered so much anguish and loss of lives. People moved by their
compassion and religious commitment offered whatever they could without a second thought to
save lives and ease the effect of almost annihilating circumstances.

In the same vein of ideas, an act is a moral problem if it violates certain moral standards. The
examples below of moral standards will clarify this perspective.

a. “That we should not use people.”

b. “That we should not kill one person to save another.”
c. “That every life is sacred.”
d. “That it is wrong to discriminate against the handicapped” (Rachels, 2003) 5|
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These moral rules or standards imply that these help us live a morally acceptable fashion. Their
violation would be judged as morally or ethically wrong or incorrect. There are other standards
and principles of these kind. They are considered standards by which we pattern our life and tell
us whether we are morally upright or unethical in the way we live. These standards are particularly
valuable and make sense when we experience extreme difficulty and the easier way out is their
violation.

In any culture and as a way of life, most of us agree that honesty is the best policy. It is expected
that in any situation one should always be honest. One’s value of honesty is especially challenged
when one is in a difficult situation like that of deprivation. At this moment, a person is tempted to
give up honesty if it would become a way out of the situation of deprivation. I might consider
stealing as an option knowing that it will relieve me from my discomfort and respond to certain
needs. Before acting however on such alternative, the individual makes a thorough consideration
how the act can possibly affect the people who would be victim or victims of the act and what it
implies to the individual himself or herself. Is the act worth considering? Are there other
alternatives that are better than stealing and will not negatively affect others or make them suffer?
Doing acts that violate moral rules and in broader sense principles are not easily acted upon
because they call for moral judgment and people know they are violating important principles.