LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS

Ethics Code of Ethics – Must be Specific and Clear

“It takes many good deeds to build a good Six Pillars of Character
reputation and only one bad one to lose it.”  Trustworthiness
- Benjamin Franklin  Respect
 Responsibility
Reputation  Fairness
A reputation that took decades to build can be  Caring
threatened by a single event.  Citizenship
Importance of a good reputation Six Pillars: Trustworthiness
Pretty simple -who wants to do business with
 Honest in Conduct (not stealing or
an organization whether it is a business or
cheating)
governmental entity
 Integrity
Investors  Reliability (promise-keeping) and
Customers  Loyalty
 Safeguard public confidence in the
Corporate executives surveyed by Weber- integrity of the organization
Shandwick estimated 63% of their companies’
market value is due to reputation Six Pillars: Respect
 Civility (courtesy and decency)
Good Reputation  Autonomy and tolerance
What drives our ethical decision making?  Treat others with dignity—the way you
What determines how we will deal with ethical would like to be treated
challenges?  Be civil, courteous, and decent with all
When does our system begin? employees, customers, and business
What are the differences between values, partners
morals, and ethics?
Six Pillars: Responsibility
“Leaders understand that responsible  Accountability
companies attract the best talent, earn  Pursuit of excellence (diligence and
valuable trust, and generate more positive perseverance)
word of mouth.”  Self-Restraint
 Conduct business efficiently and
The Challenges honorably in a manner that permits
employees, suppliers, vendors,
Reputation is about building trust than an customers, and members of the local
organization lives up to: community to make informed
 A set of core values judgments and hold the company
 Acts with integrity accountable.
 Takes responsibility for its mistakes
Six Pillars: Fairness
Ethics in America  Impartiality and Equity
Many have said that America has a severe lack  Seek to be impartial
of ethics  Employ independent objective
Been said Americans are far less ethical than judgment on merit
previous generations—more willing to accept  Free from conflicts of interest—both
unethical behavior in their leaders real and apparent
What motivates our ethical behaviors?  Compensate all employees equitably
 Minimize wage disparities
Organizations Ethical Code
Must arise from the company’s stated values Six Pillars: Caring
Should provide guidance for handling ethical
 Charity and Compassion
challenges
 Demonstrate a genuine sense of
General principles without specific provisions
compassion and concern for the welfare
Risk perception of window dressing
of others—inside and outside the
May breed cynicism- an inclination to believe that
company walls
people are motivated purely by self-interest;
skepticism.  Do not allow tax advantages to dictate
 LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS

charitable contributions from the  Not just following the law

company. These are ploys, not  Not following “what everybody does”
contributions.  Not technology or science—what can
be done
Six Pillars: Citizenship Ethics is…
 Volunteerism (doing your share)  How we act as individuals
 Environmental protection  How we structure our organizations
 Law abidance  How we structure our society, our laws,
 Honor and respect the principles and our systems
spirit of democracy and set a positive Ethics
example by observing the letter and A group of moral principles or set of values that
spirit of laws. define or direct us to the right choice.
 Demonstrate a commitment to the What is Ethics?
environment and to social responsibility  Involves learning what is right or wrong,
that goes beyond legal requirements then
doing the right thing
These are some of the issues and questions  But the “right thing” is not nearly as
that we will address today. straightforward
 There is always a right thing to do based on
On a job application one question read, “Have moral principles
you ever been arrested?” The applicant printed  Others believe the right thing to do depends
the word NO in the space. on
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS A FOLLOW-UP the situation
TO
THE FIRST. IT ASKED “WHY”. NOT What do we know about Ethics?
REALIZING  Ethics refer to well-founded standards of
HE DID NOT HAVE TO ANSWER THIS PART, right and wrong that prescribe what humans
THE ought to do in terms of rights, obligations,
“HONEST” AND RATHER NAÏVE APPLICANT benefits to society, fairness, or specific
WROTE, “I GUESS IT’S BECAUSE I virtues.
HAVEN’T
 Ethical standards include those things that
BEEN CAUGHT.”
enjoin virtues of honesty, compassion, and
loyalty
Ethics “Definition”
 Ethical standards include standards relating
Webster puts it like this . . . “The discipline
to rights such as the right to life, to freedom
dealing with what is good and bad or right and
from injury, and the right to privacy.
wrong or with moral duty and obligation.”
Ethics decisions on issues
What is Ethics About?
Ethical issues include:
Ethics is about how we BEHAVE; about the
standards we hold ourselves to  Privacy
 Confidentiality
Ethics is about how we treat each other  Honest
(RELATIONSHIPS), even those we do not know  Fairness
 Actions we should take encompass
Ethics is not…  Can reflect influence of religion, culture,
Ethics vs. Morals family,
 Ethics and morals are NOT always the and friends taking:
same  Responsibility
 Morals = personal view of values  Meeting obligations
i.e. beliefs related to moral issues such as  Telling the truth
drinking, sex, gambling,  Keeping promises
 Ethics = how a moral person should  Avoid harming people
behave
Ethics transcends cultural, religious, and ethnic What prevents us from making the right ethical
Differences decisions?
Fear, guilt, and our own self-interests can prevent us
Ethics is… from doing the “ethical thing”
 Not just feelings or conscience
 Not the same as religion
 LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS
 Fear can mean we are afraid of jeopardizing
a relationship or believe that harm will come
to us
 Guilt can be caused by psychological or
spiritual
conflicts
 Self-interests can blind us to the negative
ramifications our actions can cause
“The time is always right to do what is right”
-Martin Luther King
Bruce Weinstein outlines In What Should I Do?
the steps that one should take when making a
decision.
 Gather facts.
 Identify values at stake.
 Find the options open to you.
 Evaluate options and
 Choose the best one.
"Our actions determine what kind of person
we are, and our character is revealed by what
we choose to do," Weinstein claims.
What are Ethics?
My ethics are the rules or standards governing
the conduct by which I live my life and make all
my decisions.
One of the best ways about ethics is to take a
quick look at what you believe and then think
about how you would react when those beliefs
are challenged
Your ethics govern your thought process so that
when a problem arises, or you need to try and
work your way through a situation your solution
is based on your ethics.
Where Do Ethics Come From?
They are not born in a vacuum
Ethics are like a jigsaw puzzle
When completed---it makes up who you are and
what you believe
From our earliest days we start to learn from
those around us (can you remember who?)
At the heart of ethics…
 Ethics are the integrity and values of an
individual
 If you change the values and increase the
integrity of the individual, you will change
their ethics
 Integrity seems like a vanishing commodity
- - In a world that has taken hot pursuit of
personal pleasure and shortcut to success.
Did you know?
That in 2005, “Integrity” was the most looked up
word in the dictionary.
Integrity is not what we do as much as who we are
And who we are determines what we do
Our system of values is so much a part of us we
cannot separate it from ourselves. It is the
navigating system that guides us. It establishes
priorities in our lives and judges
what we will accept or reject.
We are all faced with conflicting desires
No one can avoid it.
The factor that determines which one will prevail
Faced daily with situations - demand decisions
between what we want to do vs. what we ought to
do
Establishes the ground rules for resolving these
tensions.
It determines who we are and how we will respond
before the conflict even appears.
Are American students making the grade when
it comes to ethics?
A new survey from the Josephson Institute of Ethics
High school students who admit to cheating, lying
or stealing dropped in 2012 for the first time in a
decade Students who said they had cheated on an
exam in the past year plunged from 59 % in 2010 to
51 % in 2012.
The number of students who said they lied to a
teacher in the past year about something significant
fell from 61 % in 2010 to 55 % in 2012.
These learned behaviors help shape us into the
person we will become
We develop what will become our norms
In 2010, 27 % of pupils said they had stolen from a
store in the past year. In 2012, 20 % said they did
so.
Reasons for Decline
One reason for the decline may be more attention to
character.
“Changes in children’s behavior of this magnitude
suggest a major shift in parenting and school
involvement in issues of honesty and character,”
Mr. Josephson said in a statement.
Differences between sexes
Boys are more likely than girls to engage in
dishonest conduct: 45 % of boys said they
believe “a person has to lie and cheat at least
occasionally in order to succeed,” compared
with 28 % of girls.
Boys have a tendency toward aggressiveness
and competitiveness, said David Walsh, a
developmental psychologist in Minneapolis.
“We want our sons to be able to channel that
energy in a positive direction,” said Dr. Walsh,
the author of the books Smart Parenting,
Smarter Kids and Why Do They Act That Way?
“Some boys end up being leaders and being
outstanding.”
The 2012 survey’s margin of error is less than 1
percentage point.
 LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS
Academic Cheating Fact Sheet
Cheating among high school students has risen
dramatically during the past 50 years.
Use to be more likely that the struggling student
would be more likely to cheat.
Today it is also the above-average college bound
students who are cheating.73% of all test takers,
including prospective graduate students and
teachers agree that most students do cheat at some
point--86% of highschool students agreed.
Academic Cheating Fact Sheet
Cheating no longer carries the stigma that it
used to.
 Less social disapproval coupled
 With increased competition for admission
into universities and graduate schools
 Made students more willing to do whatever
it takes to get the A.
 Fewer college officials (35%) believe that
cheating is a problem, in this country than
do members of the public (41%).
Academic Cheating Fact Sheet
High school students are less likely than younger
test takers to report cheaters, because it would
be "tattling" or "ratting out a friend."
Feeling--honesty in academic endeavors will not
affect anyone else.
In the 1940s, 20% of college students admitted
to cheating in high school
Now between 75 and 98 % of college students
surveyed each year report having cheated in
high school.
Students who cheat often feel justified in what
they are doing.
They cheat because they see others cheat and
They think they will be unfairly disadvantaged.
Questionable State of Our Integrity
Did you cheat to get into graduate school?
Yes
 43% Liberal Arts
 52% Education
 63% Law and Medicine
 75% Business
Questionable State of Our Integrity
 76% of employees observed a high level of
illegal or unethical conduct at work in the
past 12 months
 49% of employees observed misconduct
that, if revealed, would cause their firms to
“significantly lose public trust”
Survey of Employees
 65% do not report ethical problems
they observe
 96% feared being accused of not being a
team player
 81% feared corrective action would not
be taken away
 68% feared retribution from their
Supervisors
Personal Ethical Understanding
Concepts
 of right and wrong,
 fair play,
 respect for rights of others
 honesty
 No stated rules or rules are unclear.
 Heavy workload.
 personal integrity
Best learned in the home at an early age—and
follow-up is needed throughout life
Institutions (churches, schools, etc.) can help
Difficult to “back fill” in adulthood
Understanding
Ethics
is a set of moral principles and a code for behavior
that govern an individual’s actions with other
individuals and within society
Morality
is what people believe to be right and good, while
ethics is a critical reflection about morality
Ethic of Reciprocity
Often called the Golden Rule (in Christianity)
Simply states that we are to treat other people as we
would wish to be treated ourselves Almost all
organized religions have such an ethic.
It is normally applied to the entire human race.
Making a Case for the Golden Rule
John Maxwell, “How would I like to be treated
in this situation?” is an effective integrity
guideline for any situation.
Works in the—
 Boardroom
 On the ball field
 In the classroom
 In the living room
Making a Case for the Golden Rule
John Maxwell, “How would I like to be treated
in this situation?” is an effective integrity
guideline for any situation.
Works with—
 Employees
 Employers
 Family
 Peers

Making a Case for the Golden Rule John
Maxwell, “How would I like to be treated in this
situation?” is an effective integrity guideline for
any situation.
Works whether— Henry Ford observed, “We
have always found that if our principles were
 LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS
right, the area over which they were applied did
not matter.” Golden Rule is Right, and It Works
19th Century Novelist George Eliot said, “Keep
true, never be ashamed of doing right, decide on
what you think is right and stick to it.” “Doing
what’s right won’t always be the popular choice
to make, but when we choose to be an influence
instead of popular; we will always choose doing
what’s right no matter what!” -- Deone Higgs
The Golden Rule “There are really two
important points when it comes to ethics.”
 The first is a standard to follow.
 The second is the will to follow it.
Every day, whenever the issue of ethical
behavior confronts you, ask the question:
“How would I like to be treated in this
situation.”
How to live one’s life and do one’s job with
long term success
"If you want to do something that will make an
impact beyond your own life," Maxwell writes in
summary,
 "then treat people better than they treat you,
 walk the extra mile,
 help people who cannot help you,
 do right when it is natural to do wrong, and
 keep your promises even when it hurts."
Want to be a Leader?
 What are the core essentials of leadership?
 Is “ethical behavior” one of your answers?
 Knowing right from wrong and applying
 Being an ethical person is not something that
you switch on and off like a light switch
Ethical Dimensions of Human
Existence
Ethics is about
 The good thing to be done and the bad thing
to be avoided.
 The right and wrong thing to do.
 What consists of an acceptable or
unacceptable human behavior.
 Determining the grounds of human values.
Kinds of valuation
Aesthetic Valuation – good or bad in art and
beauty
Etiquette Valuation – polite and impolite behavior
Technical Valuation – the right and wrong way or
method of doing things.
The ethical or moral valuation
Valuations that have a grave impact or effect to
the concern for human well-being or life itself.
Human well-being: poverty, inequality, or sexual
identity, private data handling
Human life: war, capital punishment, abortion,
euthanasia.
Vagueness in the scope of ethics
The distinction between what belongs to ethics
and what does not is not always so clearly
defined.
Are clothes always just a matter of taste or
would provocative clothing call for some kind of
moral judgment?
Ethics and Moral
Not ethical – (immoral/unethical) not
measuring up to the requirement or standard of
morality.
Ethics as a branch of philosophy
Moral – (practical) referring to personal moral
beliefs, attitudes, and conduct.
Moral – (theoretical) referring to a conceptual
description of something as belonging to the
sphere of ethics as a moral science/study.
Ethics as a branch of philosophy
The term “ethics can be spoken of as the
discipline of studying and understanding ideal
human behavior and ideal way of thinking.
It is an intellectual discipline belonging to
philosophy.
Ethics as a branch of philosophy
 Acceptable = ethical/moral
 Unacceptable = unethical/immoral
 Professional ethics = ethical/unethical
conduct but not necessarily moral/immoral.
Ethics as a branch of philosophy
Philosophy derived from the Greek word:
 Philia: “friendship” or “love”
 Sophia : “wisdom”
AREAS OF PHILOSOPHY
EPISTEMOLOGY asks what is our basis for
determining what we know;
METAPHYSICS wonders as to what constitutes
the whole of reality.
AXIOLOGY refers broadly to the study of value
often divided into AESTHETICS, which concerns
itself with the value of beauty, and ETHICS, which
concerns itself with the value of human action.
Descriptive vs. Normative
3rd point of clarification:
Descriptive vs Normative study of ethics.
A study of DESCRIPTIVE ethics reports how
people, particularly groups, make their moral
valuation.
This kind of study is often the work of the social
scientist: either a historian or
sociologist/anthropologists.
A NORMATIVE study of ethics, as is often done
Not ethical – (amoral) not belonging to the
sphere of ethical valuation.
in philosophy or moral theology, engages the
questions: What could or should be considered
as the right way of acting?
Normative discussion prescribes what we ought
 LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS

to maintain as our standards or bases for moral support for a morality of happiness seems
valuation. somewhat subdued, there are several reasons.
Issue, Decision, Judgment, and Dilemma SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
Moral issue is a situation that calls for moral Ethics are based on the idea that the standards
valuation. of valuation are imposed by a higher authority
Issue is often used to refer to those particular that commands our obedience.
situations that are often the source of  The Authority of the law
considerable and inclusive debate.  The Authority of one’s religion
Moral decision is a situation confronting an  The Authority of one’s own culture
individual where a choice of what act to LAW
perform is required.  Law is one’s guide to ethical behavior.
When a person is an observer who makes an  In the Philippines, laws of the land are
assessment on the actions or behavior of stated in the country’s criminal and civil
someone, he/she is making a moral judgment. codes.
Going beyond the matter of choosing right over  Ordinances – city or barangay
wrong, or good over bad, and considering  Positive law refers to the different rules
instead the more complicated situation wherein and regulations that are posited or put
one is torn between choosing one of two goods forward by an authority figure that
or choosing between the lesser of two evils; this require compliance.
is referred to as moral dilemma.  Law is enforced by way of a system of
Reasoning sanctions administered through persons
A person’s fear of punishment or desire for and institutions.
reward can provide him a reason for acting in a Law as the basis of ethics has the benefit of
certain way. providing us with an objective standard that is
Beyond rewards and punishments, it possible obligatory and applicable to all.
for our moral valuation – our decisions and “Ethics? It is simple. Just follow whatever the
judgments – to be based on principle. law says.”
Principle is defined as rationally established One point to be raised is the prohibitive nature
grounds by which one justifies and maintains of law.
her moral decisions and judgment. The law does not tell us what we should do; it
A moral theory is a systematic attempt to works by constraining from performing acts that
establish the validity of maintaining certain we should not do
moral principles.
Theory is a system of thought and ideas.
It can also be referred to as framework.
Framework as a theory of interconnected ideas ,
and at the same time, a structure through which
we can evaluate our reasons for valuing a
certain decision or judgment.
The Thinkers
The Greek thinker Plato is credited as one of
the pioneers of philosophy as his various
thinkers will find be of lasting significance to
humankind.
 Ex. Can virtue be taught?
 What is beauty?
 What is love?
In the Apology of Socrates written by Plato,
Socrates makes the claim that it is the greatest
good for a person to spend time thinking about
and discussing with others those questions on
goodness and virtue.
Like most other ancient philosophers, Plato
maintains a virtue-based eudemonistic
conception of ethics. That is to say, happiness or
well-being (eudaimonia) is the highest aim of
moral thought and conduct, and the virtues
(aretê: ‘excellence’) are the requisite skills and
dispositions needed to attain it. If Plato’s
conception of happiness is elusive and his
LET REVIEWER| ETHICS and PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR TEACHERS