MARIA ELLAH M.

LUBAT 2-BSEEN
PROF. NAJIFA PAKAT ETHICS
Module 2- Activity 1: Identify some of the Filipino traits and
categorize if it is a virtue (middle) or vices (excess or
deficiency). Place them in a table.

Virtue (Middle) Vices (deficiency

Filipino Traits
or excess)
1) Strong family
ties
2) Hypocrisy
3) Hospitable
4) Incapacity to
save money
5) Devoted to
religious beliefs
6) Respecting
older people
7) Generous
8) Compassionate
9) Hardworking
10) Crab
Mentality
Based on the discussion of Professor Navarez, I understand Mill by knowing what’s best for
the greatest happiness of people. Utilitarianism, according to him, says that one’s action and
behavior are good if these two are directed towards the experience of the greatest pleasure
over pain for the greatest number of people. Mill states that what makes people happy is
intended pleasure, and what makes people unhappy is the privation of pleasure. If it
produces something bad, such as being unhappy or causing pain, then it is bad. Also, Mill
tends to stick to his principle of utility, which is the only principle in assessing an action’s
morality. If the utility results in a good action, then the good action results in the happiness of
the greatest number of people. Mill also argues that the quality of pleasure is more
preferable than the quantity of pleasure. It means we cannot promote the kind of pleasure
we have to an animal, as human pleasure is qualitatively different from an animal’s pleasure.
Mill’s quality of happiness is centered on the individual, which means happiness or joy can
be grasped easily if it is near or within us. Also, in the principle of the greatest number, it
states that what is good for one should also be good for everyone. Therefore, being selfish is
not utilitarian and not morally good.
Based on Professor Navarez’s discussion, I understand Mill by knowing what is best for the
greatest happiness of people. According to him, utilitarianism states that one’s actions and
behavior are good if they are directed toward the greatest pleasure over pain for the greatest
number of people. According to Mill, what makes people happy is intended pleasure, and
what makes people unhappy is a lack of pleasure. It is bad if it results in something negative,
such as being unhappy or causing pain. Furthermore, Mill tends to stick to his utility
principle, which is the only principle in determining the morality of an action. If utility leads to
a good action, the good action leads to the greatest number of people being happy. In
addition, Mill contends that the quality of pleasure is preferable to the quantity of pleasure. It
follows that we cannot promote the type of pleasure we have to an animal because human
pleasure is qualitatively different from animal pleasure. Mill’s happiness quality is centered
on the individual, which means that happiness or joy is easily grasped if it is close or within
us. Also, according to the principle of the greatest number, what is good for one should be
good for all that’s why being selfish is thus neither utilitarian nor moral.

Since utilitarianism can only achieve its goal by cultivating nobleness in others, we must
consider everyone’s happiness, even our own, as the standard by which to evaluate what is
moral. Furthermore, moral values are based primarily and exclusively on the distinctions
they make in the total amount of pleasure and pain in the world. That is why, in the context
of Mindanao, utilitarianism applies by sharing happiness with others because, the wider the
domain, joy grows in a larger space. Mindanao emphasizes the importance of working for
one’s family in the same way that one works for one’s own.