Summary

 Ethics is generally thought of as the study of right action and morals is the system through
which that action is applied.

There are three categories or sub-branches of Ethics

 Descriptive Ethics - a study of human behavior.
 Metaethics - the study of moral thought and moral language
 Normative Ethics - study of ethical behavior.

The importance of studying Ethics is for the students to explore, understand, and critically
reflect on their personal value system.

Moral experiences encompass a person's sense.

Moral Issue is a situation that calls for moral valuation.
Moral judgment assessment on the ethical actions or behavior of someone.
Moral Decision act of choosing and acting a particular moral choice.
Moral Dilemma is a moral situation in which a difficult choice is to be made.
The three elements of dilemma are as follows:
(1) there are two or more actions that you can possibly do;
(2) there is moral reason for doing such actions;
(3) and you cannot do all the possible actions presented to you as they are in conflict with
each other.

Moral standard is a code of what is right or wrong reference to specific behaviors or beliefs.
(O’Connor, 1997)
There are six characteristics of a true moral standard.
(1) involve behaviors that seriously affect other people’s well-being.
(2) take a more important consideration
(3) do not depend on any external authority
(4) are believed to be universal.
(5) are based on objectivity.
(6) are associated with vocabulary that depicts emotion or feelings.

 Freedom is one of the inborn properties and it is the human capacity to act and or not act as
he or she choose or prefer, without any external compulsion or restraint.
 Human acts, in contrast to acts of man, are actions that proceed from insight into the nature
and purpose of one’s doing and from consent of free will.
 Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultus” which means care or cultivation.
 According to Edward B. Tylor, an anthropologist, “culture is that complex whole which
includes knowledge, beliefs, law, art, moral, custom,

There are five basic elements of culture and these are

 Symbols,
 Language,
 Beliefs,
 Values,
 Norms.

Cross-cultural relationship is an idea that people from different cultures can have relationships
that acknowledge respect and begin to understand each other’s perspectives.
Cultural Relativism is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to make
judgments using the standards of one’s own culture.
 Furthermore, Dr. Rachels argue with three substantial points on why cultural relativism poses
a threat.
The three points are as follows:
(1) We cannot call out societal practices that promote harm.
(2) We cannot justifiably criticize our own culture’s harmful practices.
(3) The idea of social progress becomes doubtful.
 Dr. Patricia Licuanan enumerated the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino values and
traits.
The strengths are as follows:
 Pakikipagkapwa-Tao,
 Family Orientation,
 Joy and Humor,
 Flexibility-Adaptability-Creativity,
 Hard work and Industry,
 Faith and Religiosity,
 Ability to Survive.
The weaknesses of Filipino values are as follows:
 Extreme Personalism,
 Extreme Family-Centeredness,
 Lack of Discipline,
 Passivity and Lack of Initiative,
 Colonial Mentality,
 Kanya-kanya Syndrome,
 Lack of Self-Analysis.
Moral character refers to the existence of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honest,
and loyalty.

In the Confucian traditions, moral development was attributed to the “four beginnings” and these
are as follows: the
(1) Heart of Compassion which leads to JEN,
(2) Heart of Righteousness which leads to YI,
(3) Heart of Propriety which leads to LI, (
4) Heart of Wisdom which leads to ZHI.

 Lawrence Kohlberg developed a moral theology which was developmental in nature.

Moral reasoning has six development stages which he clusters it to three levels.
These are as follows:
(Pre-conventional level)
(1) Obedience and Punishment;
(2) Naively egoistical;
(Conventional level)
(3) “Good Boy-Good Girl” Orientation;
(4) Law and Social Order;
(Post-Conventional level)
(5) Legalistic Social Contract;
(6) Universal Ethical Principles.