LEYTE COLLEGES

College of Arts and Sciences

P. Paterno St., Tacloban City

SELF-LEARNING MODULE

IN

CGEC2/GE 10
ETHICS

MODULE NO. 1: THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE

Prepared by: ARNULFO C. LADRERA, BSE, MAPS, JD

 TITLE: PRELIMINARES
MODULE OVERVIEW
Ethics, generally speaking, is about matters such as the good things that we should
avoid; the right ways in which we could or should act and the wrong and the wrong
ways of acting. It is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human behavior. It
may involve obligations that we are expected to fulfill, prohibitions that we are required
to respect, or ideals that we are encouraged to meet. Ethics, as a subject for us to
study is about determining the grounds of bases for specific set of values with particular
and special significance to human life.
In this module, we will consider the scope of the more specific types of valuations
that we would refer to as ethical dimensions of human life and then we will clarify some
of the terms that will guide us in our thinking of ethics, and finally we will confront some
ways by which thinking about ethics can be forestalled if one is is not careful.
MODULE OUTCOMES
In this module, you are expected to:
1. Identify the ethical aspect of human life and the scope of ethical thinking;
2. Define and explain the terms that are relevant to ethical thinking; and
3. Evaluate the difficulties that are involved in maintaining certain commonly-held
notions on ethics.
MODULE REQUIREMENTS
Each module had topics which are suited to your own pace. The activities are
required to be undertaken by each student, and complied for submission to your
instructor upon completion of each module.

MODULE NO. 1: THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN

EXISTENCE
LESSON 1: BROTHERHOOD OR VIOLENCE?
OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Identify the details of a report on a case of fraternity hazing;
2. Reflect on fraternity hazing as a real-world issue; and
3. Recognize the real-world issue as a context from which we begin our study of
ethics.
INTRODUCTION
 A study on ethics could have all sorts of starting point. One could spell out a
definition of terms, or one could trace the etymologicall roots of those terms, or one
could formulate ways to think about abstract concept such as duty or responsibility, but
the approach that we want to take instead is to get straight to the heart of the matter; to
realize why thinking about ethics is not just engaging in another academic exercise, but
responding to the urgent call on how we deal with very real situations that confront us in
the world.
DISCUSSUION
Let us start with a very issue not uncommon in our academic setting: that of
fraternity hazing.
In August 2007, newspaper s reported what to be yet another sad incident of
fraternity violence. Cris Anthony Mendez, 21-year-old student of the University of the
Philippines (UP), was ushered to the hospital in the early morning hours, unconscious,
with large bruises on his chest, back, and legs. He passed away that morning, and the
subsequent autopsy report strongly suggests that his physical injuries was most
probably the result of “hazing” (the term colloquially to refer to initiation rites in which
neophytes may be subjected to various forms of physical abuse). What exactly
happened remains an open question , as none of those who were with him that night
came forward to shed light on what exactly transpired. Needless to say none of them
came forward to assume responsibility to the death of Cris.
Even as the leaders of the Sigma Rho fraternity publicly denounced the death of
Cris, those members of theirs who had been with him that night vanished, and refusing
to cooperate with legal authorities. Meanwhile UP students and the general public
clamored for justice. In a move that surprised the student body , the UP Chancellor
called on all fraternities to justify their continued existence. Meanwhile, the case of the
tragic death of Cris Anthony Mendez was left unresolved. It remained that way to this
day.
No one knows just what exactly happened. No charges has been filed, no definitive
testimony has been forthcoming. But there is more to this for us than just a criminal
mystery.
Pondering on the case of Cris, we may find ourselves asking questios such as,
“What is the value of one’s life?” , “What exactly were the wrongs done to Cris by his so-
called fraternity brothers?”, or perhaps even, “Is there any good to fraternities?” These
questions that concern good and bad, or right or wrong-and these are questions
concerning value-are the kinds of questions that we deal with in ethics.
ACTIVITY
Task A: Consider the following questions
1. In the story reported, what wrong things done are you able to identify?
 2. What do you know about the possible forms-and consequencies-of hazing?
3. What are the possible pros and conc – positive and negative aspects – of holding
on to fraternities and their traditions?
Task B: We can expand the discussion of violence in school from the issue of fraternity
hazing to the wider problem of bullying.
1. What forms of bullying have you observed?
2. Have you been a victim of bullying?
3. Do you think there is any way that one can justify bullying?
REFERENCE
Bulaong, Oscar Jr.’ et al. , ETHICS, Foundations of Moral Valuation, REX Book
Store, Inc.,
Manila, Philippines, 2018