REVILLAS, D

ETHICS

Lapu-Lapu City College

STEC, Basak, Lapu-Lapu City

COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
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SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE

For B.S.I.T. Students

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COURSE DETAILS
Program Title: Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology
Course Schedule:
Course Title: ETHICS
Credit Units: 3
Instructor: Dorcas C. Revillas
Email Add: revillas.snmmsi@gmail.com
Submitted to: Dr. Robert B. Pabillaran

This module is prepared for

Name of Student

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To aid in your learning of those lessons aforementioned, this module contains lessons
within a chapter. Each lesson must be accomplished weekly and is further divided into
parts, as follows:

1. Learning Compass This portion orients you with the learning outcomes for the
learning unit.

2. Overview This part provides you with a glimpse of the upcoming lesson as a
jumpstart of your learning journey

3. Let’s Begin! After the identification of learning outcomes and overview for every
lesson, you will be given a task that leads you to the key concepts to be discussed
in that unit.

4. We’re On Our Way! The activity will be followed by guide questions that lead you
to the concepts covered by the lesson. Here, you will analyze what you have
done.

5. Let’s Pore Over! Key concepts and issues of the main lesson are discussed
thoroughly in this section of the lesson that you need to read and reflect through
and through. In addition, along your reading journey you will be provided with
Stop-off Exercises as learning practices for you to answer shortly before going
completely of the rest.

6. How Far Have We Gone? To check whether the given learning outcomes are met,
you are given another task to assess the extent of understanding.

7. Walk the Extra Mile! Every unit is ended with suggested activities for the enrichment
of learning and further application of what has been learned.

8. Suggested Readings this portion provides you a list of suggested supplementary

readings (mostly online) should you want to deepen your knowledge of the
lessons.

This module also includes a Chapter Reflection at the end of every chapter to jot down
your thoughts by answering self-introspective questions. Rubrics are also found in this
module’s Appendices for your reference in making your outputs. Just follow the notes
below each exercise and activity for guidance. Lastly, a Course Feedback is provided at
the end of this module for you to share your evaluative feedback of this module. This part
will be our basis for improvement for future revision.

Welcome to this learning adventure

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MODULE OVERVIEW

This Module provides a brief introduction to the concepts of integrity and ethics.
It is designed to be used by lecturers who wish to provide their students with
conceptual clarity and expose them to ethical dilemmas and ethical decision-
making. The concept of integrity has been added to broaden the focus from the
more traditional field of ethics. Combined, the concepts of integrity and ethics
provide a more comprehensive perspective - they allow us to move beyond
discussions about the difference between right and wrong in order to focus on
relationships and behavior as well.

Throughout the Module, students will be introduced to concepts and thrown in at

the deep end by being asked to make decisions on what they would regard as
the most ethical solutions to dilemmas. Students will be guided through three
major ethical theories and challenged to agree or disagree with them. Students
should not be afraid to take a stance, as this will enhance their learning and
enjoyment of the Module.

Course Description

The course discusses the context and principles of ethical behavior in modern
society, at the level of the person, society, and interaction with the environment
and other shared resources. The course also teaches students to make moral
decisions by using dominant moral frameworks and by applying reasoning to
analyze and moral dilemma (1.1.1). Morality pertains to the standards of right and
wrong that an individual originally picks up from the community (1.1.1). The
discussion ethics and moral would include cognates such as ethical, unethical,
moral, and immoral and morality and helps the students see the application of
ethical behavior and moral decision-making and strategies that can develop
critical and creative thinking (3.3.2). At the end of the course, the students will
gain more knowledge on ethical behavior and moral decision-making, and
become more systematic and thoughtful critical thinkers about ourselves, our
community and country (8.8.3).

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MODULE CONTENT: 1st Quarter EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Chapter Overview
I. INTRODUCTION Knowledge
a. Defining Ethics, Values and ❖ Demonstrate intelligent content
Moral knowledge on the principles of ethical
b. Kinds of Valuation behavior in modern society
c. Sources of Authority
➢ Law Skills
➢ Religion ❖ Effectively communicate and
➢ Culture articulate, various techniques and
d. Senses of the Self genres, self-analysis of a particular
event or issue that could help other
people understand various
II. UTILITARIANISM perspective of present-day issues and
a. The Principle of Utility concern.

b. The Principles of Greatest ❖ Link different materials and types of

Number art to the attitudes and values in
incorporating ethics in our daily life.
c. Justice and Moral Rights
Abilities

❖ Use basic concepts across the

domain of knowledge

Values
❖ Takes responsibility for knowing our
morals and values and learn how to
apply these in our daily activities in
life.

❖ Reflect critically on shared concern

❖ Manage one’s knowledge, skills and
values for responsible and productive
living

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LESSON 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF ETHICS

After completion of this course, students will be able to;

• Define ethics as a philosophic study;
• Explain the role of ethics in our lives;
• Examine the connection between theory and action;
• Distinguish ethics from morality;

E thics maybe described as a critical reflection on various life situations. It is an

inquiry into some standard to guide one’s action, or as a tool to understand a

given situation. A person who ask himself or herself what to do after losing next a
job or someone who struggles while working abroad, far away from loved one’s
is an individual for whom ethics is the most real.

In either instance, there is a need for a person to confront his or her situation and
to make sense of one’s life against the odds. To do this, ethics suggests that
besides action, one needs something that can make his or her engagement with
life more meaningful and understandable. This other component is called
THEORY. However, it is often difficult, if not possible, to distinguish action from
theory.

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Personality Test: Quick questions that will assess your level of Self-
understanding and Confidence. Please (/) the circle for your answer.

1. Other people are not better off or more fortunate than me

O Yes O No

2. I accept myself as I am and am happy with my self

O Yes O No

3. I enjoy socializing
O Yes O No

4. I deserve love and respect

O Yes O No

5. I feel valued and needed

O Yes O No

6. I don’t need others to tell me on what to do.

O Yes O No

7. Being my self is important

O Yes O No

8. I make friends easily

O Yes O No

9. I can accept criticism without feeling put down

O Yes O No

10. I admit my mistake openly

O Yes O No

11. I never hide my true feelings

O Agree O No

12. I always speak up for myself and give my opinion

O Yes O No

13. I am a happy, carefree person

O Yes O No

14. I don’t worry what others think of my views

O Yes O No

15. I don’t need other’s approval to feel good.

O Yes O No

16. I don’t feel guilty about doing or saying what I want.

O Yes O No

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Let’s Begin!

ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

Greece is traditionally considered the birthplace of philosophy. The early Greek thinkers
realized they needed what more than what poets and storytellers could tell about the
world around them. They began to ponder and study the processes of nature – the
coming and passing away of life, the changing seasons, the movement of the stars, the
rising and ebbing of the sea tide-solely in their own terms, without appealing to their
pronouncements of oracles or narrations of the whims of the Olympus gods. These early
Greek thinkers believed it was possible to view nature this way, commencing their search
for the primary substance underlying the manifestations of cosmic change. Hence, these
Greek wise men were also recognized as the” first natural scientist “because of their
efforts to understand the inner workings of nature through theoretical experiments.

Thales of Miletus, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, postulated this primal matter to be

water.

Anaximander, a students of Thales, said this substance was something unidentifiable and
called it apeiron. For anaximenes, a student of anaximander, it was air.

Anaxagora, another Greek philosopher, on the other hand, traced all natural
movements to the ordering power of a cosmic mind or nous. They are the best example
of human’s unquenchable desire to know.

Pythagoras described their pursuit as philo sophia or love of wisdom.

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Figure 1: neoclassical statue of

ancient Greek philosopher
Socrates

With the appearance of Socrates in the fifth

century B.C., the practice of inquiry shifted from
finding the ultimate reason behind the changes
in the natural world to asking what sort of person
one has to be. Socrates might not be the first
person to philosophize but he is recognized by
being the first to redirect the focus of philosophy
from the natural world to the human person.

Roaming the streets of Athens, he made it his

crusade to teach the importance the critical
inquiry beginnings from his assumptions about
human beings. Among those who paid
attention to Socrates’ regular outdoors lectures
was the young Athenian named Plato. After
Socrates was executed for allegedly corrupting
the minds of the youths of the Athens, Plato took
the task left behind by Socrates, Some of the
proverbial statements from Plato such as “Know
yourself’ and “An examined life is not worth
living” bear unmistakable traces of the legacy of his former master.

Socrates taught Plato about the difficulty of coming to a knowledge of the truth. This
difficulty, however, did not mean impossibility. He instilled this rigorous questioning to his
students and did not shy away from interrogating even the traditional leaders of the
Athens.

Socrates, however, is immortalized in the writings of Plato as the intelligent and

courageous teacher who leads his hearers nearer to the truth in the same way that
midwives help in the birthing process of a child.

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Figure 2: Marble statue of ancient

Greek philosopher Plato at the
Academy of Athens, Greece

Plato honored the memory of his

teacher through his Dialogues, a set of
philosophic treatises written in a
conversational styles with no less than
Socrates himself as the leading
mouthpiece. Plato further enhanced the
ethical orientation of philosophy by
presenting on human life as a struggle to
live more thoughtfully; that is, to live
according to a certain idea or form of
what life ought to be.

Figure 3 Statue of Aristotle located at

Stageira , Greece

The student of Plato, Aristotle, carried on what

Socrates and Plato stated in the famous
Aristotelian work Nicomachen Ethics. Aristotle
also referred to as “the Stagirite,” discussed in
this work the necessity of one’s purpose and
of practicing moderation in life if one has to
achieve eudaimonia or happiness. A happy
life for Aristotle is not merely an act of doing
particular tasks or acquiring certain objects
but also of knowing what these are for.
Whether it is the search for purpose or the
determination of the happy middle
(moderation), a person needs to exercise the
virtue of phronesis or in simple terms, careful
deliberation or prudence. An ethical person,
as envisioned by Aristotle, is one who weights
his or her options and actions with cautions.
This process of weighing options is an activity
of thinking, which, as suggested above, is the realm of philosophy.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the three majors’ figures in classical or ancient
philosophy, but they are by no means the only thinkers who considered ethics as a
philosophic engagement.

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What's the Difference Between Ethics, Morals and Values?

Have you ever deemed someone's behavior to be unethical?

Have you ever questioned their moral code or the values upon
which they base their decisions? When our minds wander to
these places, the three terms -- ethics, morals and values -- tend
to get a bit murky. As a society, we tend to interchange the
three.

So, what's the difference between ethics, morals, and values?

The difference is slight but it's there. Understanding the difference between the three will
help you delve into your next novel with a greater understanding of each character.

WHAT IS ETHICS?

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing,

defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of
ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch
of philosophy called axiology.

What do people think about when they think ethically? What is the experience on which
ethical reflecton is grounded? It developed from the reality that when people act, they
do not merely need to know the best way to realized something but there are times when
they need to act in a way that they realizes the good. And the good does not always
mean the easiest or the most expedient way. Ethical norms and the question of good
and evil arise when people need to act as free persons. Actions only require ethical
reflection when they are free acts that involves a person’s desire to realize the good.

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Thus, ethics has something to do with realizing the fullest potential as free persons acting
in the world and doing right for others. It is not about being efficient or achieving goals.
It is about realizing what people intuit to be the good, Human being beings intuit that life
is not just about existing or survival, and human action are not just expediency. Somehow,
human beings sense that there is a thing they call the good which they are bound to
realize to genuinely be human and to build a better societies.

FIVE DAILY ETHICS THAT WE FOLLOW IN OUR DAILY LIFE

1. Personal integrity: being true to oneself is more important than anything
else.

2. Empathy: being able to understand the others’ emotions and feelings. This is
possible only when we are aware of our own. Identifying our emotions can help
establish better control over our actions and words. It assumes extreme relevance
in leading a successful life.

3. Restraint: yes, you heard that right. Enjoy your life as much as you can, but not
at the expense of another's privacy or freedom. Remember the saying, “Your
freedom ends where the other's nose begins.”

4. Trustworthiness: it acquires significance especially in a relationship. It's the very

foundation of a true/serious relationship.

5. Temperance/moderation: finally keeping a check on any extreme emotions is

important. Being level headed during success and being patient during failures,
speak volumes about a person.

Unethical
You want to buy a nice shirt.
You go to a store. You pick a shirt,
have a trial in the trial room.
You do not like the shirt.
You leave the shirt on the floor,
crumpled.
You walk out, looking for other shirts.
Ethical
You want to buy a nice shirt.
You go to a store. You pick a shirt,
have a trial in the trial room.
You do not like the shirt.
You carry the shirt with you gently,
return it either in the place allotted
or hand it over to the staff there.
You walk out, looking for other shirts.

Treat that shirt you do not want to buy the same way
you would treat the one you would buy

Trial rooms show who you are!

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HOW FAR HAVE WE GONE?

ACTIVITY # 1
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________________

Year and Section: _____________________

I. Answer the following questions concisely.

1. What is Ethics? Define in your own words. ( 10 points)

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2. What make ethics a necessary academic discipline? (10 points )

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3. How would you describe the close connection between philosophy and ethics?

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4. Is it possible for person to be moral but not ethical or ethical but not moral? (10
points)

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5. What is Meta-ethics and normative ethics? ( 10 points)

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6. How would you describe the world? ___________________________________

Unpredictable Free Self-sufficient.

7. What do you believe is the most important? _____________________________

The greater good Human Rights Being a good person

8. How would you describe yourself? ____________________________

Determined Caring A good person

9. Your plane has crushed into a deserted island and you have five minutes before
the plane’s oil causes a massive explosion. You have the choice of saving a
pregnant woman and an elderly man. Who would you safe first? Why?

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10. A car crashed and rolled over the man who was walking down the street. It also
hit another car and pushed it across to the edge of a bridge. This car is carrying
three children. The man who by the car requires medical attention immediately
but the children are at risk of falling off the edge. Who would you safe first? Why?
Explain your answer.

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11. Your country’s two religious groups are fighting for land. The condition worsened
to a war and your family are at risk. Due to cultural reasons, you are seen as the
head of the family and must decide on the behalf of everyone. Would you take
the risk and travel by boat to another country illegally? Circle the letter of your
choice.
a. Yes, if there is greater chance for the family’s safety.
b. No, unless all family members make their own decision
c. Maybe, depends on how bad the situation is

12. IF you were the lead astronaut and an asteroid (which is predicted to be so big, it
would destroy earth) was coming towards earth and the quickest way you would
stop would be to fly your space shuttle into the asteroid, killing you and your
workmate. Would you do it?
a. Definitely
b. No, Unless both individuals agree
c. Depends if this was the only solution
Explain your answer of choice

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LET’S PORE OVER!

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In ethics, value denotes the degree of importance of

some thing or action, with the aim of determining what
WHAT IS VALUES? actions are best to do or what way is best to live, or to
ETHICS? describe the significance of different actions . Values
are the foundation of a person's ability to judge between
right and wrong. Values include a deep-rooted system of beliefs. They have intrinsic worth, but are
not universally accepted. This system allows each individual to determine what should and
shouldn't be.

UNIVERSAL OR CORE VALUES

Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship — are six core
ethical values. Using core ethical values as the basis for ethical thinking can help detect
situations where we focus so hard on upholding one value that we sacrifice another —
e,g we are loyal to friends and so do not always tell the truth about their actions.

1. TRUSTWORTHINESS: Trustworthiness concerns a variety of behavioral qualities —

honesty, integrity, reliability and loyalty.

• Honesty
There is no more fundamental ethical value than honesty. We associate honesty
with people of honor, and we admire and trust those who are honest. Honesty in
communications is about intent to convey the truth as best we know it and to
avoid communicating in a way likely to mislead or deceive

There are four dimensions of Honesty

Truthfulness — truthfulness means not intentionally
misrepresenting a fact (lying). Intent is the crucial
distinction between truthfulness and truth itself. Being
wrong is not the same thing as being a liar, although
honest mistakes can still damage trust.

Sincerity/non-deception — a sincere person does not

act, say half-truths, or stay silent with the intention of
creating beliefs or leaving impressions that are untrue
or misleading.

Frankness — in relationships involving trust, honesty

may also require us to volunteer information that
another person needs to know.

Honesty in conduct ---prohibits stealing, cheating, fraud, and trickery. Cheating is not
only dishonest but takes advantage of those who are not cheating. It’s a violation of trust
and fairness

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Integrity

There are no differences in the way an ethical person makes decisions from situation to situation -
no difference in the way they act at work and at home, in public and alone.

The person of integrity takes time for self-reflection so that the events, crises and the necessities of
the day do not determine the course of their moral life. They stay in control.

The four enemies of integrity are:

• Self-interest — Things we want

• Self-protection — Things we don’t want

• Self-deception — A refusal to see a situation clearly

• Self-righteousness — An end-justifies-the-means attitude

Reliability

When we make promises or commitments to people our ethical duties go beyond legal
obligations. The ethical dimension of promise-keeping imposes the responsibility of making all
reasonable efforts to fulfill our commitments. It is also important to:

Avoid bad-faith excuses — Honorable people don't rationalize noncompliance or create

justifications for escaping commitments.

Avoid unwise commitments — before making a promise consider carefully whether you are willing
and likely to keep it. Think about unknown or future events that could make it difficult, undesirable
or impossible to keep your commitment. Sometimes, all we can do is promise to do our best.

Avoid unclear commitments — since others will expect you to live up to what they think you have
promised to do, be sure that, when you make a promise, the other person understands what you
are committing to do.

Loyalty

Loyalty is about promoting and protecting the interests of certain people, organizations or
affiliations. Some relationships — husband-wife, employer-employee, citizen-country — create an
expectation of loyalty.

Prioritizing Loyalties. Because so many individuals and groups make loyalty claims on us, it is often
impossible to honor them all simultaneously. Consequently, we must rank our loyalty obligations in
some rational fashion. In our personal lives, for example, it’s perfectly reasonable, and ethical, to
look out for the interests of our children, parents and spouses even if we have to subordinate our
obligations to other children, neighbors, or co-workers in doing so.

Safeguarding Confidential Information. Loyalty requires us to keep secrets or information learned

in confidence.

Avoiding Conflicting Interests. Employees and public servants have an additional responsibility to
make all professional decisions on merit not personal interests. Their goal is to maintain the trust of
the public.

2. RESPECT
Respect is about honoring the essential worth and
dignity of all people, including oneself. We are
morally obligated to treat everyone with respect,
regardless of who they are and what they have
done. We have a responsibility to be the best we can
be in all situations, even when dealing with
unpleasant people.

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Respect focuses on:

Civility, Courtesy and Decency - A respectful person is a good listener. The respectful person
treats others with consideration, conforming to accepted notions of taste and propriety, and
doesn’t resort to intimidation, coercion or violence except in extraordinary and limited
situations to teach discipline, maintain order or achieve social justice.

Tolerance - An ethical person accepts individual differences and beliefs and judge others only
on their character.

3. RESPONSIBILITY

Life is full of choices. Being responsible means being in charge of our choices and therefore our
lives. It means being accountable for what we do and who we are. It also means recognizing
that what we do, and what we don’t do, matters.

Accountability. An accountable person is not a victim and doesn’t shift blame or claim credit for
the work of others.

Pursuit of Excellence. The pursuit of excellence has an ethical dimension when others rely upon
our knowledge, ability or willingness to perform tasks safely and effectively.

Diligence. Responsible people are reliable, careful, prepared and informed.

Perseverance. Responsible people finish what they start, overcoming rather than surrendering to
obstacles and excuses.

Continuous Improvement. Responsible people look for ways to do their work better.

Self-Restraint. Responsible people exercise self-control, restraining passions and appetites (such
as lust, hatred, gluttony, greed and fear). They delay gratification if necessary and never feel it’s
necessary to "win at any cost

4. FAIRNESS

Fairness is a tricky concept. Disagreeing parties tend to maintain that there is only one fair position
- their own. But while some situations and decisions are clearly unfair, fairness usually refers to a
range of morally justifiable outcomes rather than discovery of one fair answer.

Process a fair person uses open and unbiased processes for gathering and evaluating information
necessary to make decisions. Fair people do not wait for the truth to come to them; they seek out
relevant information and conflicting perspectives before making important decisions.

Impartiality. Decisions should be unbiased without favoritism or prejudice.

Equity. It is important not to take advantage of the weakness, disadvantage or ignorance of

others. Fairness requires that an individual, company, or society correct mistakes, promptly and
voluntarily.

5. CARING

Caring is the heart of ethics. It is scarcely possible to be truly ethical and not
genuinely concerned with the welfare others. That is because ethics is ultimately
about our responsibilities toward other people.

Sometimes we must hurt those we care for and some decisions, while quite ethical, do
cause pain. But one should consciously cause no more harm than is reasonably
necessary.

6. CITIZENSHIP

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The concept of citizenship includes how we ought to behave as part of a community. The
good citizen knows the laws and obeys them - but they also volunteer and stay informed on
the issues of the day. Citizens do more than their "fair" share to make society work, now and
for future generations. Citizenship can have many expressions, such as conserving resources,
recycling, using public transportation and cleaning up litter.

MORALS
Morals are the prevailing standards of behavior that enable people to live cooperatively in
groups. Moral refers to what societies sanction as right and acceptable.

Most people tend to act morally and follow societal guidelines. Morality often requires that people
sacrifice their own short-term interests for the benefit of society. People or entities that are
indifferent to right and wrong are considered amoral, while those who do evil acts are considered
immoral.

While some moral principles seem to transcend time and culture, such as fairness, generally
speaking, morality is not fixed. Morality describes the particular values of a specific group at a
specific point in time. Historically, morality has been closely connected to religious traditions, but
today its significance is equally important to the secular world. For example, businesses and
government agencies have codes of ethics that employees are expected to follow.

Some philosophers make a distinction between morals and ethics. But many people use the terms
morals and ethics interchangeably when talking about personal beliefs, actions, or principles. For
example, it’s common to say, “My morals prevent me from cheating.” It’s also common to use
ethics in this sentence instead.

So, morals are the principles that guide individual conduct within society. And, while morals may
change over time, they remain the standards of behavior that we use to judge right and wrong.

Moral Reasoning
Moral reasoning applies critical analysis to specific events to determine what is right or wrong, and
what people ought to do in a particular situation. Both philosophers and psychologists study moral
reasoning.

How we make day-to-day decisions like “What should I wear?” is similar to how we make moral
decisions like “Should I lie or tell the truth?” The brain processes both in generally the same way.

Moral reasoning typically applies logic and moral theories, such as deontology or utilitarianism, to
specific situations or dilemmas. However, people are not especially good at moral reasoning.
Indeed, the term moral dumbfounding describes the fact that people often reach strong moral
conclusions that they cannot logically defend.

In fact, evidence shows that the moral principle or theory a person chooses to apply is often,
ironically, based on their emotions, not on logic. Their choice is usually influenced by internal biases
or outside pressures, such as the self-serving bias or the desire to conform.

So, while we likely believe we approach ethical dilemmas logically and rationally, the truth is our
moral reasoning is usually influenced by intuitive, emotional reactions.

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We are pleased when others compliment us for a job well done. We get angry when we are
accused of wrongdoing we did not do. We become afraid when we are threatened by someone,
and we feel anguish hand despair in moments of seemingly insurmountable hardships. Most of the
time, we are based on how we feel. We seek food when we are hungry and we wish for
companionship when we are lonely. However, unlike animals that are instinctively programmed
to act in accordance with how they feel, we have the capacity to examine a situation before
proceeding to act with respect to how we feel. In other words, although feelings provide us with
an initial reckoning of a situation, they should not be the sole basis for our motives and actions.

Feelings without reasons are blind. Reasons and feelings must be constructively complement each
other whenever we are making choices. When feelings such as anger, jealousy, and shame are
out of control, hence, without the proper guidance of reason, one’s moral capacities become
short-sighted and limited. Reasons puts these emotions in their proper places seeking not to
discredit their validity but calibrating them in such a way they do not become the primary motive
in making moral decisions.

7 step-moral reasoning model.

1. Stop and think. Before making any decisions, it is best to take a moment to think about the
situation itself, your place in it, and other surrounding factors which merit consideration.
This involves a step-back from the situation to make sure that you do not act out of impulse.

2. Clarify goals. It is also necessary to clarify your short-term and long –terms aims. If you, for
example, are seeking retribution for harm caused by another person. You have to think
about the long-term consequence of revenge on your character in the long run.

3. Determine fact. Make sure you gather enough information before you make a choice. An
intelligent choice is one that is supported by verified facts. You must first make sure that
what you know is enough to merit action. Without verifying facts, you may regret your
choice in the future once various aspects of the situation came to light. Never make a
choice on the basis of hearsay. Make sure your sources are credible and have integrity.

4. Develop options. Once you are clear in terms of your goals and facts, try to come up with
alternative options to exhaust all possible courses of actions. Clear your mind and try to
think of other creative ways of clarifying your motives and implementing your actions with
the least ethical compromise

5. Consider consequences. Filter your choices and separate the ethical and unethical
choices bearing mind both your motives and the potential consequences of your action.
A decision turns something in your mind into reality. Make sure you do not regret the
decision you have conferred reality upon.

6. Choose. Make a decision. If the choice is hard to make, try consulting others who may
have knowledge or experience of your situation.

7. Monitor and modify. Monitor what happens after your decision and have enough humility
to modify your action or behavior as necessary.

Moral courage is the result of a morally developed will. It is the capacity to initiate and sustain your
resolve whenever you are certain of doing the good. It is a kind of virtue that enables one to be
ethical not just in thought but, but more importantly, in deed.

Human beings as doers of moral acts are responsible not only for what they do but for the persons
they grow into through their moral acts. Human acts are relevant to the kind of person one
becomes.

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CONCLUSION

Ethics, the word makes me think of unscrupulous businessman and the phrase 'good work
ethic'. Both of which seems to imply what society thinks is good, just or fair and if you don't
abide by what's considered good, society has a 'right' to say that you are wrong and you
can't really debate against it if you want to be part of that society.

Morals, the word makes me think that the lack of it makes one ashamed to face one's
family, and are more pertaining to how one conducts one's personal life. Which implies
that it's fine to have different 'morals' than others if you really don't care what others think
about it since it's your own personal compass.

Values is something innate within you, what you believe to be true and represents your
conviction in life and how you approach it. It's your 'procedure and checklists' by which
you follow to make your everyday decisions.

WALK THE EXRA MILE

Activity # 2
Name: _________________________________ Date: _______________

Year and Section: ________________________

Instruction: answer the following questions ( 2 points each)

________________________1. Greek word which means Happiness

________________________2. Traditionally considered as the birthplace of philosophy.

________________________3. Described as the critical reflection on various life situations.

________________________4. Philo Sophia means?

________________________5. A set of philosophic treatises written in a conversational style

________________________6. Eudaimonia means?

________________________7. These are the three major figures in classical or ancient

Philosophy. ( 7-9)

________________________8.

________________________9.

________________________10. A refusal to see a situation clearly

________________________11. Being able to understand the others’ emotions and

feelings.
________________________12. is the heart of ethics.

________________________13. Are the foundation of a person's ability to judge

between right and wrong.

________________________14. means being in charge of our choices and therefore

our lives.

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________________________15. about honoring the essential worth and dignity of all

people, including oneself.

I. Fill in the table with your own examples ( 10 points )

Unethical Ethical

B. KIND OF VALUATION

Often primary values are strong and secondary values are suitable for changes. ... Values tend to
influence attitudes and behavior and these types include ethical/moral values,
doctrinal/ideological (religious, political) values, social values, and aesthetic values.

Values are standards or ideals with which we evaluate actions, people, things, or situations.
Beauty, honesty, justice, peace, generosity are all examples of values that many people endorse.
In thinking about values it is useful to distinguish them into three kinds:

• Personal values: values endorsed by an individual. For example, some people

regard family as their most important values, and structure their lives so that they
can spend more time with their family. Other people might value success instead,
and give less time to their families in order to achieve their goals.

• Moral values: values that help determine what is morally right or wrong, e.g.
freedom, fairness, equality, etc, well-being. Those which are used to evaluate
social institutions are sometimes also known as political values.

• Aesthetic values: values associated with the evaluation of artwork or beauty.

SOURCES OF AUTHORITY

An inhabited initial from a 13th-century French text representing

the tripartite social order of the Middle Ages: the ōrātōrēs (those
who pray – clerics), bellātōrēs (those who fight – knights, that is,
the nobility), and labōrātōrēs (those who work – peasants and
members of the lower middle class).

Meaning of Authority

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• The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience
Example:
“He had absolute authority over his subordinates
• The act to act in a specified way, delegated form one person or organization to
another.
Example.
“ Military officers have the right to arrest drug Traffickers”

1. LAW:
Why ethics and law are not the same thing?

Ethical behavior is not always best defined within the confines of the law.

Ethics and the law are not identical. Typically, the law tells us what we are prohibited
from doing and what we are required to do. It is said that the law sets minimum standards
of behavior while ethics sets maximum standards.

This seems to be changing as the law tries to impose broader obligations in relation to
business and corporate activity, such as with directors’ duties and best interest
obligations for financial advice. Yet legal duties and ethical duties still do not always
correspond.

Something may be legal but we may consider it unacceptable. And we may

consider something right but it may not be legal. Many companies are facing
a public backlash for not paying adequate tax in a number of jurisdictions. While this may
not be an illegal activity, it is considered wrong and we are looking to the law to
make sure it does not allow it.

In other instances, what has long been an acceptable thing to do may have been made
illegal in an effort to change cultural practices that disadvantage or endanger certain

ETHICS REVILLAS, D
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groups. In India, seeking, giving or accepting a dowry is now illegal, and child marriage
has been outlawed in many jurisdictions.

A key issue to consider in relation to ethics and the law is whether the law is adequate as
a guide for our personal and professional lives.

"The law sets minimum standards of behavior while ethics sets maximum
standards."

Ethics provides us with guides on what is the right thing to do in all aspects of life, while
the law generally provides more specific rules so that societies and their institutions can
be maintained. Ethics engages our thinking and also our feelings, including those of
disgust and guilt.

The law does not tell us what to do in relation to many of the dilemmas and decisions we
have to make in life. While we think obeying the law is an important basis for role models
in our life, we consider other traits such as benevolence and empathy as more important
in characterizing someone as a good person.

Doing what you have the right to do – as in doing something that is not illegal – is not
always identical to doing what is right. That goes for both natural and legal “persons”.
We are becoming increasingly intolerant of businesses that are not doing anything
against the letter of the law, but against its spirit.

The ethics in common parlance are the

rules of conduct that must be followed by
a person with regard to something or
someone. Law on the other hand is what
we consider as the formal codification of
the rules which the government deems fit
to be abided by its citizens in any given
situation. Ethics have a basis in the human
conscience, it is a culmination of what
humans consider as good or bad, right or
wrong. Laws are to be made enforceable
by the governments to be obeyed by the citizens and there are sets of punishments in
case of failure to disobey, Ethics, on the other hand, don't include punishments with them,
they are dependent upon the individual will, if they want to obey the ethics or not,
whatever the consequences maybe are to be faced by the individuals, no outer
authority has a say in that. The ethics thus we can say have a basis in the human values,
morals, and code of conduct. Laws when are made, take guidance from the ethics, and
thus the only difference between them is that ethics lack a sanction in the way the
codified laws have.

Laws are created by different people at different levels and they have their basis in
politics and governmental control and thus they can be influenced by the will of the rulers
and thus they can differentiate from time to time and also over the different regimes
where at one part and/or one point something might be held true but at someplace else
that may not be the law of the land.

Ethics are influenced more by the individuals or the group of individuals and amongst
them what is considered right or wrong and generally, these two terms law and ethics
might seem the same to some but are different from each other.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION

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Name: _____________________________________________ Date: _____________

I. Write the correct letter of your choice on the blank

______1. Characteristics such as loyalty, honesty, respect and sensitivity are related
to which of the following

a. values b. traits c. attitudes d. attributes

_______2. When a person’s confidence is placed in some person or thing is often called:

a. Attitude b. behavior c. belief d. ethics

_______3. Which is NOT a key ethical value?

a. Trustworthiness b. tentativeness c. respect d. citizenship

________4. You are in attendance at a business meeting, is it acceptable to leave a

cellphone on?
a. Always
b. Never
c. Yes. As long as their cellphone is on
d. Never, it is rude

_______5. You are at a business luncheon, who should pay the bill?

a. Always split down the middle

b. Whoever did the inviting should pay the bill
c. Whoever makes more money
d. Whoever is more insistent should get the bill

_______6. If your co- worker told you something that was sensitive, which one of the
following should a professional person practice?

a. Discretion
b. performance standard
c. Job objectives
d. Confidentiality

_______7. The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

a. Morality b. law c. authority d. ethics

_______8. Define morality

a. What is considered as correct within the society

b. Making the right decisions when there is a chance to do wrong
c. Defining what is right and wrong for an individual or a community
d. Where individual have a conscious choice to make a right and ethical decision

_______9. Is about honoring the essential worth and dignity of all people, including
oneself.

a. respect b. values c. morals d. integrity

______10. Values associated with the evaluation of artwork or beauty.

a. Aesthetic values
b. Personal Value
c. Cultural Value
d. Moral Values

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ETHICS AND RELIGION

To say that ethics add religion in the Philippine context have a tightly-knit relationship is
an understatement. It is not difficult to see the weight of religion in various ethical issues
such as in the current debates surrounding highly controversial topics such as
reproductive health, the teaching of sex education in schools, same-sex marriage, and
divorce. They usually ethics as an extension of religion, hence the common thinking that
anything against religion is automatically ethical.

Figure 1 Islamic dress code requires the wearing of hijab and niaab

There is really nothing fundamentally wrong with equating ethics and religion. Hindu
society like India ad various Islamic countries consider the close union of ethics and
religion as the very foundation from which people derive their identities as well as the
vitality and stability of their way of life. India, for example, is home to multiple cultures all
claiming to have originated from some deities or archaic religious figures. Life in India
revolves around customary ritual practices and the performance of religious laws, which
govern day-to-day activities. In fact, places, ordinary objects, or other life forms in India
are marked with religious significance. That ethics may be divorced from religion in a
place like India is unimaginable if not next to impossible. The same can be said of Islamic
countries where religious traditions is as deeply rooted as in India. Any person with a
relative working in the Middle East can testify to the dominant influence of Islam on
Arabian customs, government policies, management systems, and even household
practices.

Most Arab countries impose Islamic customs on all individuals in their territories whether
or not one is a Muslim. Christians, for examples, are prohibited from carrying a Bible,
Crucifix, or any Christian religious objects. Clothing style and guidelines for social
interactions among members of the opposite sex are also strictly observed.
Noncompliance with these ordinances is not treated as ordinary infractions of the law
but an affront to the Islamic religion that is meted with severe penalty.

The tight union of ethics and ethics appears to be universal feature present not only in
Christian countries such as the Philippines but also in other societies with rich and deeply
rooted religious traditions.

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EXTREMISM: A GLOBAL CONCERN

Figure 2: Malala Yousafzai s a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest
Nobel Prize laureate.

Extremism is defined as the “belief and support for ideas that are very far from what
most people consider correct or reasonable”.

Malala Yousafzai is a native of Pakistan, in a district under the religious and political
control of the Taliban. Taliban is a religious sect within the Islamic religion that upholds
and enforces excessively rigid interpretation of Islamic laws. Among other things, the
Taliban prohibits listening to music, watching movies and television, clapping while
watching a games, and even engaging in such innocent activity a kite-flying activities.

Under Taliban Rule

• Women are prevented from doing a multitude of activities

• Application of cosmetics
• Wearing of high heels
• Laughing out loud
• Pursuing professional careers and acquiring education

If the mere exposure of a woman’s heel in a Taliban-controlled society merits whipping

in public, imagine what punishment awaits a woman if she attempts to train for a
profession or to obtain for a college degree.

Even at a young age, Malala had been vocal against Taliban’s restraint on women’s
education. Not only did she go out in public to protest against it, she even went to school
in defiance of the strict Taliban rule. Malala was fierce and passionate advocate of
children and women’s right and the Taliban was aware of these. On October 9,2012, on
her way home from school, a man walked to her and ask her if she was Malala. After
knowing who she was, the man fired a gun to her. She was shot in the head three times.

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APPENDIX A: RUBRICS FOR LESSON 1

Name of the Student: ________________________ Date : ____________ Instructor : _________________

Ethical Reasoning is reasoning about right and wrong human conduct. It requires students to be
able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues
in a variety of settings, think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical
dilemmas, and consider the ramifications of alternative actions. Students’ ethical self-identity
evolves as they practice ethical decision-making skills and learn how to describe and analyze
positions on ethical issues.

Capstone Milestones Bench Mark Below Bench

Mark
4 2 3 1 0

Ethical Self- Analyzes both core Analyzes both States both States either Does not
Awareness beliefs and the core beliefs core beliefs their core meet
origins of the core and the origins and the beliefs or benchmark
beliefs with greater
of the core origins of the articulates level
depth and clarity
belief core beliefs. the origins performance
of the core .
beliefs but
not both.
Ethical Issue Recognizes ethical Recognizes Recognizes Recognizes Does not
Recognition issues when ethical issues basic and basic and meet
presented in a when issues obvious obvious benchmark
complex, are presented ethical issues ethical level
multilayered (gray) in a complex, and grasps issues but performance
context AND multilayered (incompletely fails to grasp .
recognizes (gray) context ) the complexity
connections/betw OR grasps complexities or
een among the connections or connections
issues between/amo connections .
ng the issues. between/am
ong the
issues.
Application Independently Independently Independentl Applies Does not
of Ethical applies ethical applies ethical y applies ethical meet
Perspectives/ perspectives/conc perspectives/c ethical perspectives benchmark
Concepts epts to an ethical oncepts to an perspectives/ /concepts level
question, ethical concepts to to an performance
accurately, and question, an ethical ethical .
considers full accurately, question but question
implications of the but does not the with
application. consider the application is support.
specific inaccurate
implications of
the application
Evaluation of States and States and States an States an Does not
Different defends an ethical defends an ethical ethical meet
Ethical position against ethical position position and position but benchmark
Perspectives/ the objections to, against the the cannot level
Concepts assumptions and objections to, objections to, state the performance
implications of assumptions assumptions objections .
different ethical and and to and
perspectives/conc implications of implications assumptions
epts adequately different of different and
and effectively. ethical ethical limitations of
perspectives/c perspectives/ the different
oncepts concepts. perspectives
adequately /concepts.

ETHICS REVILLAS, D