VAL01

CHAPTER 1
THE ETHICAL DIMENSION OF
HUMAN EXISTENCE

PREPARED BY:
MS. MELDRED R. CAINGCOY
"What is the value of one's life?"

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 Definition of Ethics
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Greek word ethos, meaning "customs" or "behaviors"

Latin word moris which means "morals"
Ethics is not to be understood as specific to the nation but rather as inherent
human.
Ethics is a mental-set, disposition or values.

As a Science: deals with morality (rightness and wrongness) of the human act.
As a discipline: exercise of a human conduct, both ethical and unethical.
As Philosophical study: guides the intellect in discerning concrete human
conduct.
IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS
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Shaping the individuals behaviors within

a society.
Keeping human self-interest and the
good of society at equilibrium.
(Because the eyes of the law are not always
available).
Society might fall into chaos if we accept
that each of us could pick and choose
what the right thing to do is.
Goodness and Wrongness
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When was the last time you torn between
doing what is right and what is wrong?
The Human Act & Acts of Man
Human Act is a conscious and
free exercise of one's faculties,
therefore, conscious and free.
Act of man is an act beyond
the control of one's will.
Morality or Ethics is more
concerned with human acts
rather than acts of man.
 Constituents of Human Act
Knowledge - resides in the intellect and is the mindfulness
of what is moral agent is doing.
Freedom - quality of the freewill by which one is able to
choose between one or more alternatives.
Voluntariness - quality of the human act whereby any
commission (doing something wrong) or omission (failing
to do the right thing) of an act is a result of the knowledge
which as agent has of the end.
Sources/Determinant of Morality
The Objective of the Act
The very substance of the act
What was performed by the agent?
Motive of the Agent
Purpose for which a human agent does the act.
What specifically does the agent want?
The Circumstances
What, Why, By What means, How, When, Where & Who
 Standards/Norm of Morality
Natural Law and Conscience
"An ordinance of reason promulgated by a duly
constituted authority for the common good of the
Society."
Law is necessary to regulate acts of the freewill.
Kinds of Law
Natural Law
Divine Law
Human Positive Law
 RECALL
Ethics - G. Ethos = Custom/ Character
- studies the rightness or wrongness of human action
-"How human Persons ought to act?"
-"What is right conduct and a good life?"
- a discipline constantly evolving.
 RECALL
Ethics Morality
"Theory" of right "Practice", rightness
action and greater or wrongness of
good human action.

"Systematic study" "Prescriptive"

of the underlying Tells us what we ought to do
principles of morality and follows the right way.
 MORALITY
"Morality is Characterized as an "end-governed rational
enterprise" whose object is to equip people with a body
of norms that make for peaceful and collectively
satisfying coexistence by faacilitating their living
together and interacting in a way that is productive for
the realization of the general benefit.

Terrence McConnell (1994)

 ETHICS

Science of Morals

MORALITY

Practice of Ethics
 TYPES OF ETHICS
NORMATIVE ETHICS (Prescriptive)
Seeks to set norms or standards that regulate right
and wrong or good and bad conduct
METAETHICS (Descriptive)
Aims to understand the nature and dynamics of ethical
principles, and the way we learn and acquire moral beliefs.
APPLIED ETHICS
Actual application of ethical or moral theories for the
purpose of deciding which ethical or moral actions are
approriate in given situation
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Thank You
Prepared by : Ms. Meldred R. Caingcoy