What is the difference between a priori and a posteriori Kant?

a priori knowledge, in Western philosophy since the time of Immanuel Kant, knowledge

that is acquired independently of any particular experience, as opposed to a
posteriori knowledge, which is derived from experience.

What does deontological mean in ethics?

Deontology is an ethical theory that says actions are good or bad according to a
clear set of rules. Its name comes from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. Actions
that align with these rules are ethical, while actions that don't aren't.

What is deontology vs utilitarianism?

In practical ethics, two arms of thoughts exist in decision-making: Utilitarian and
deontological. In utilitarian ethics, outcomes justify the means or ways to achieve it,
whereas in deontological ethics, duties/obligations are of prime importance (i.e.,
end/outcomes may not justify the means)

What is the "moral law"?

When Kant speaks about the moral law, he is essentially referring to that
sense of obligation to which our will often responds. We all know the
experience -- we are sometimes pulled in a certain direction, not because we
desire to act in that way, but in spite of our desire to act in the opposite way.
This pull is toward that moral sense which Kant believes each of us has, in
virtue of being rational and free. It is conscience. Actually, it is deeper than
conscience, because our conscience can be mistaken. Conscience arises
because of certain structure of human consciousness -- it is the structure of
human reason and human will.

1. Distinguish legal from moral/ethical

- Legal is a concept concerning laws and laws would refer to a system of rules that a
community has to follow to ensure order in the society. according to Immanuel Kant, laws
are imperatives or duties that some human beings may treat as constraints to their natural
desires. But, to follow them is a human beings moral obligation. Set or rules help us have a
firm commitment not to perform an action if its morally forbidden and to perform an action
if it is morally required for that is respect. However, respect in that sense is not unlimited.
According to Kant, we must respect laws only to the degree that they not violate our values.
Morals would be the principle about the behavior of whether something is right and wrong
or good or bad while ethics would refer to the conduct of a person’s activity. In that sense,
legal would always focus on a system of what not to do and leaves no room for opinion as
 opposed to morality wherein opinions and values can be taken into consideration. To
correlate it with Kant and Aristotle’s moral theories, they both think that morality is based
on free will however, the difference can be seen on how free will is acquired. For kant, free
will is not entirely based on an individual’s opinions or values but rather influenced by
culture and expriences while for Aristotlem moral values are based on self interest that
maximizes pleasure. This gives them the freedom of choice.

2. Did Bugoy incur criminal liability? What is the crime committed, if any? Will you sustain the
Bugoy’s defense? Why?
- No I will not sustain the defense of Bugoy. The act of robbery is a felony and caused
someone’s death therefore making Bugoy liable regardless of it being an accident. Bugoy
must be prosecuted for the crime of robbery with homicide because the killing was during a
robbery.

3. c. Robbery may be considered as intrinsically immoral. But as far as the “accidental” killing is
concerned, does Bugoy have moral culpability? Explain your answer.
- According to Kant, wills must always be aimed at what is rational and reasonable. Willing
must always lead us to action that is rational and reasonable therefore if during a robbery,
one has accidentally killed someone, they have used their will incorrectly which made their
act a “choice” that is contrary to reason. For Kant, such act like robbery is irrational and the
subsequent accidental act of killing would also be irrational because the person did not
govern himself in accordance with reason.

For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must exist at the same time.
1. It must be of a grave matter;
2. It must be committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin;
3. It must be committed with full consent. [ Full consent means to do it "voluntarily.

4. A mortal sin cannot be committed "accidentally"; willful or pretended ignorance of

divine law does not excuse us and may in fact compound our guilt.  A mortal sin
requires three conditions:

Sin is an offense against God.

COMMERCIAL LAW:

1. AF does not mean doing what one wants when one wants to whom he want, but rather the
understanding of who one is. Eveyr human created in the image of god has the natural right to
be recognized as free and responsible being. We all owe each other the duty of respect. It is the
right to exercise freedom especially in moral and religious matters. In the case, yes, Mr is
exercising his authentic freedom because it is his given legal right to sue.
2. Yes, Mr b has legal grounds for invalidating the contract because he was lied to about the
condition of the lot.
3. Yes he may legally agree because as mentioned, the land was classified to as agricultural. After
owning ownership of the land, he has rights to do whatever he wants as long as it is in
accordance with law and his actions afterwards are moral.

CIVIL LAl

1. . How did Christ speak of sin (CFC, 787)? Did Ruth commit a sin? If yes, was it mortal or venial
sin? Explain
- Sin according to Christ is a voluntary transgression of a known law of God. What Ruth
committed was venial sin because her act of signing her name as payee is not much of an
offense to God but rather a failure to observe the prescribed moral law as Jun’s secretary.
Her does not necessarily destroy her relatihonship with God.
 2. b. Is Jun legally liable to Marie? Does Jun have moral duty to Marie? Explain.
- Yes, Jun is legally liable to Marie. Jun has the obligation to pay Marie her due for the
payment of goods delivered and the moral duty to inform Marie about the issue that
happened with the check. Marie’s lack of knowledge about the incomplete check would be
detrimental for her.
3. 2. Supposing the check was stolen while in Ruth's possession and a thief filled the blank check,
endorsed and delivered it to Marie in payment for the goods he purchased from her, is Jun liable
to Marie if the check is dishonored? (
- Yes Jun is still liable to Marie because Jun has the duty to ensure that his obligations are
being properly met.

POLITICAL LAW

a. Wanting to be consistent with the provisions of the 1987 Constitution, what is your advice?
- I would advice atty Reyes to identify which path would make him happy and which path
would lead him to doing more goodness. In applying Thomas Aquina’s moral theory, one
must always do what is good and avoid what is evil. If he runs for Public Service but as a
consequence, he fails to act within ethical bounds, then he should not do it.
b. Following the Process of Moral Decision-Making (CFC, 830-842), how would you help Atty. Reyes
arrive at both legally and morally sound decision?
- Following Kantian’s framework about moral decision making, Atty Reyes would land to an
ethical moral decision by being rational and by doing an act for the right reasons. I would
ask Atty. Reyes if he has the right reasons for running for public service and his decision for
such is within his own autonomy and free from outside influences like personal desire. If
atty reyes Knows he will be moving in public office, does a great job with his morals still
intact , then I would suggest he runs for public office.

CRIM LAW

a. When tried for homicide, Osang claimed defense of honor. Should the claim be sustained? Why?
No, he claim should not be sustained. In the case, Osang stabbed Julio after the act was done.
She cannot claim self defense because in Self defense, the first requisite is that there must
unlawful aggression. In the case, the unlawful aggression had ceased to exist when Julio left
therefore the first requisite is not satisfied.

B. 1. Letting julio have sex with her: In this sense, yes the act is justified but the faculty of intellect
applies. Osang letting Julio have sex with her is a manifestation of her failure to seek the truth. Her
initial thinking was that it was her husband with her but since according to Aquinas, human’s cannot
contradict their intellect and its aim to knowing the truth, she was able to realize that the person who
she had intercourse with was not her husband.
2) stabbing him to death: No. stabbing someone is not justified. In this scenario, what applies is the will.
According to Aquinas, the will should always choose to aim at the good. For Aquinas, the basic
command here is to do good and avoid evil. Stabbing someone is irrational and therefore evil.

LABOR LAW:

a. Does this mass concerted activity constitute a strike?

- YES, A strike as defined in art 212 of the labor code, is any temporary stoppage of work by
the concerted action of employees as a result of an industrial or labor dispute. In the case,
the petitioner union opted not to report for work on said date and gathered in front of the
company premises to hold a mass protest action to which affected the company’s
operations.
b. A valid strike is legal. Cois stansistent with your idea of moral norm/law, is staging a strike
morally acceptable? Explain
- I think the saying what is legal is not always moral applies here. Legal and moral are not
always synonymous. A valid strike is legal because it is a right bestowed upon workers.
However, for strikes, I don’t think it is always moral especially if you are doing it for the
wrong reasons. If Aquinas’ theory in morality is applied wherein the basic command is do
good and avoid evil, then staging a strike would definitely be unacceptable because it
disrupts the peace in the community where the strike is being held because human beings
are behaving in a chaotic manner.

BEDAN LA

a. Discuss concisely the 3 Formulations of Kant’s Categorical Imperative

- THE 3 formulaitons of kants caterogarical imperative are as follows:
1. The humanity formula. This one is often seen as the idea of “respect” for persons but
not because such person measured up to some standard. This is respect to humanity
without any evaluation
2. The autonomy formula: in here, instead of being universal folllowers, we are universal
givers. To Kant, “ Act so that through your maxims, you could be a legislator of universal
laws” this is the diginity of humanity. Our status as free rational agents is the source of
the authority behind the very moral laws that binds us.
3. The kingdom of ends formula: the idea behind this formulation is that our fundamental
moral obligation is to act only on pricniples which could earn acceptance by a
community of fully raitonal agents each of whom have an equal share in legislating
principles for their community.

b.. How do you concretely apply the principles of Kant’s Duty Ethics in order for you to
become a true Bedan lawyer as SBCA envisions you to be? (10%)

- To apply Kant’s duty ethics, i must look at all humans worthy of respect and dignity.
According to Kant;s CI, one should “act only by that maxim by which u can, at the same time,
will that it be a universal law” meaning in any type of action I will take in the future, I must
recognize if that action is okay to be copied. If for example, when I become a lawyer, I must
 always be just and fair because being just and fair is something that I would like everyone to
copy therefore making the act universal. Another formulation that I must posses that was
mentioned by kant is to never treat other people as a means only but rather as an end.

BEDANS AS HUMAN PERSON

- To be endowed with intelligence and will are two faculties of a human being. According to
Aquinas, when a person has intellect, he will always seek for the truth. To seek for more and
especially what is true is innate in human beinngs. It is something that we cannot ignore
because even if we try to, our conscience will bother us because it is natural to us human
beings to know that something is not right or correct. While a person who has will, will
always aim for the good because no human being wills for evil.