DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS -It refers to what
individuals accept to be right or wrong and is
about various moral standards utilized over a
wide span of time.
DILEMMA -It is a situation where a person is
forced to choose between two or more
conflicting options, neither of which is
acceptable.
BENEFICENCE -It is the promotion of doing as
much goodness as possible refers to acts of
kindness, compassion, and generosity.
WILL -An (expression of) desire, willingness
NORMATIVE ETHICS -It seeks to set norms or
standards that regulate right and wrong or good
and bad conduct.
REASON -It is the power of the mind to think,
understand, and form judgments by a process of
logic.
IMPARTIALITY -It denotes that decisions
should be “based on objective criteria rather on
the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring to
benefit one person over another for improper
reasons”.
JUSTICE -It is the avoidance of any unjustifiable
and unnecessary harm.
RESPECT TO AUTONOMY -It is the
acknowledgment that every person has the right
to make choices to hold views and to act based
on one’s value and beliefs as long as the person
is conscious and has a proper understanding of
the matter on hand.
FREEDOM -It is the power or right to act, speak,
or think as one wants without hindrance or
restraint; not absolute, it has limits, so we have
to be responsible in exercising our freedom.
ETHOS -It means customs, usage, or
character.
METAETHICS -It is constituted by questions of
the meanings and functions of the various
ethical terms.
MORALITY -It indicates “practice” that is the
rightness or wrongness of human action.
ETHICS -Branch of philosophy that studies the
rightness or wrongness of a human action.
NON-MALEFICENCE -It is the distribution of
resources equally and fairly.
ETHICS -It denotes the “theory” of right action
and the greater good. It undertakes the
systematic study of the underlying principles of
morality.
APPLIED ETHICS -It is the actual application of
ethical or moral theories to decide which ethical
or moral actions are appropriate in a given
situation.
MORAL STANDARDS -A standard where we
have the right to force others to act accordingly.
VALUES -These are enduring beliefs about
what is good and desirable, or not.
NORMS -These are general rules about actions
or behaviors.
“Moral” comes from the Greek “mores,” referring
to society’s patterns, standards, rules of doing
things. “Agent” comes from the Latin “agree,” to
do, act. FALSE
A moral agent is one who performs an act in
accordance with non-moral standards. FALSE
A moral agent should have the capacity to rise
above their feelings and passions and act for the
sake of the moral law. TRUE
A moral agent has the capacity to conform to
moral standards, to act for the sake of moral
considerations, that is, for the sake of moral law.
TRUE
An insane person, who does not have the
capacity to think and choose, can be a moral
agent. FALSE
Only a moral agent is capable of human acts.
TRUE
The moral agent is purpose-driven or end-
driven. TRUE
From the Christian point of view, a human
person’s destiny in the world is not only to
achieve cultural and moral perfection, but to
attain the eternal happiness of the soul after
death of the body. TRUE
A person’s act is moral if it realizes his/her
potentials and brings him/her nearer to this goal
in life, immoral if it deviates from it. TRUE
Morality is for persons and animals. FALSE
Man as a moral agent adopts the “fundamental
option,” a free choice to say “yes” to God’s
invitation to follow His way. TRUE
There is pre-fixed plan for the human person as
a moral agent. FALSE
For the existentialist, like Brabander, the human
person, the moral agent, becomes what he/she
makes of himself/herself by choice FALSE
For Jean Paul Sartre, the moral agent directs
his/her life to improve, refine, develops this
world in order to bring out the world to come.
FALSE
R. Francoeur likewise claims that the moral
agent should direct his/her life to the
spiritualization of this material world. TRUE
Virtue Ethics – centers around one’s character
and kindness
Deontology – duty/obligation morals or all about
objective good or absolutism
Consequentialism – it centers around the
outcome of an activity
Casuists – the adherents of applied ethics are
concerned with individual moral problems such
as abortion or euthanasia
Non-moral standards – we have NO RIGHT to
impose on others.
Ethical or moral dilemmas – when dilemmas
involve human actions which have moral
implications
“seems fated to commit something wrong,
which implies that she is bound to morally
fail...........– Benjiemen Labastin
Types of Moral Dilemmas:
Epistemic moral dilemma – there are two or
more moral requirements that conflict with each
other. The moral agent hardly knows which one
takes precedence over the other
Ontological moral dilemma – there are two or
more moral requirements that conflict with each
other, yet neither of these conflicting moral
requirements override each other
Self-imposed moral dilemma – caused by the
moral agent’s wrongdoings
World-imposed moral dilemma – certain
events in the world place the moral agent in a
situation of moral conflict
Obligation moral dilemma – more than one
feasible action is obligatory
Prohibition moral dilemma – ALL feasible
actions are forbidden
Single-agent moral dilemma – The agent
“ought, all things considered, to do A, ought, all
things considered, to do B, and she cannot do
both A and B”.
Multi-person moral dilemma – one agent, P1,
ought to do A, a second agent, P2, ......
THREE LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS
Systemic (macro-level) – ethical standards are
universal or general; ethical standards apply to
all who are within the system.
Organizational (company level) – at a
company or corporate level, ethical standards
are embedded in the policies and procedures of
the organization.
Individual (individual level) – ethical standards
of individuals; individuals may well have a very
different set of ethical standards from their
employer (organization)
Moral Dimension of Freedom
1. The moral dimension belongs to
the realm of human freedom
2. The moral dimension refers to
the concern for a good and
happy life
3. The moral dimension speaks to
our sense of moral responsibility
Immanuel Kant asserted that reason alone is
the basis for morality.
moral decision is about thinking of possible
actions to take and choosing what action to take.
The 7-step Model for Ethical Decision-Making
1. Gather the facts
2. Identify the
3. Articulate the Dilemma
4. List the Alternatives
5. Compare the Alternatives with
the
6. Weigh the Consequences
7. Make a Decision
Culture is the integrated pattern of human
knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. It is people’s
way of life.
Non-material culture includes language,
values, rules, knowledge and meanings shared
by members of society.
Material culture refers to the physical objects
that a society produces such as tools and works
of art.
Enculturation is the process of learning the
components of life – material as well as non-
material – in one’s culture.
Inculturation is making the Gospel take roots in
a culture and introducing that transformed
culture to Christianity.
Acculturation is the process by which people
learn and adapt a new culture.
Cultural relativism is the idea that a person’s
beliefs, values, and practices should be
understood based on that person’s own
culture......
Absolute relativism is self-contradictory and
impossible. Absolute relativism states there are
no absolute truths: which is an absolute truth
itself, so absolute relativism contradicts itself.
THE FILIPINO CHARACTER: STRENGTHS
AND WEAKNESSES
The weaknesses of the Filipino character are as
follows:
1. Extreme family centeredness
2. Extreme personalism
3. Lack of discipline
4. Passivity and lack of initiative
5. Colonial mentality
6. Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality
7. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
8. Emphasis on porma rather than substance
The strengths of the Filipino character are: Stage 4.Law and Order Orientation. The
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao child/individual becomes aware of the wider
2. Family orientation rules of society
3. Joy and humor
4. Flexibility, adaptability and creativity Level 3 – Post-conventional Morality
5. Hard work and industry This is the level of full internalization.
6. Faith and religiosity
7. Ability to survive Stage 5. Social Contract Orientation. The
child/individual becomes aware that while
Dr. Kent M. Keith (2003) came up with a list of rules/laws might exist for the good of the
fundamental, or universal moral principles that greatest number
can be found throughout the world, these are as
follows: Stage 6. Universal, Ethical, Principle
o Do no harm Orientation. Individuals at this stage have
o Do good developed their own set of moral guidelines
which may or may not fit the law.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL
CHARACTER OF THE MORAL AGENT

Defining moment is a significant life-changing

event or moment in a person’s life. This kind of
moment can change who we are and what we
value.

STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Moral development refers to the “process

through which a human person gains his/her
beliefs, skills and dispositions that make him/her
a morally mature person.” William A. Kay (1970)
has the following to say regarding the nature of
moral development.

Stated differently, the five stages may be

reduced to three as follows:

The amoral stage – egocentric, hedonist and

prudential considerations.

The pre-moral stage – authoritarian, ego-

idealist, social and reciprocal considerations.

The moral stage – personal, autonomous,

altruistic, rational, independent and responsible
considerations.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Level 1 – Pre-conventional morality
At this level, children don’t have a personal
code of morality.

Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment

Orientation. The child/individual does good in
order to avoid being punished.

Stage 2. Instrumental Orientation. Right

behavior is defined by whatever the individual
believes to be in his/her best interest. “

Level 2 – Conventional
Throughout the conventional level, a child’s
sense of morality is tied to personal and
societal relationships.

Stage 3. “Good Boy, Nice Girl” Orientation. In

stage 3, children want the approval of others
and act in ways to avoid disapproval.