Learning Objectives: you should be able to…

 
1. Illustrate knowledge of what ethics is and
its importance
2. Recall rules you have to follow and why
you need to follow them
3. Differentiate moral from non-moral
standards
4. Recall a moral experience and detect the
moral dilemma present in it.
5. Define why only human beings are moral
Did you ever wonder why people need to be good
and avoid what is evil?

Ethics is the science of human conduct.

The important terms that can be seen in them are:

 
Science – systematic study or a system of scientific
conclusions clearly demonstrated, derived from
clearly established principles.
Morality – the quality of human acts as right, wrong
or indifferent.
Human acts – acts done with knowledge, freedom
and voluntariness.
Importance of studying Ethics

Ethics means right living and good moral character

and it is in good moral character that man finds his
true worth and perfection. Di baleng bobo, basta
mabuting tao. (pero syempre… pinaka-ok, kung
matalino na, mabuti pa)
Education is the harmonious development of the
whole man-of all man’s faculties: the moral,
intellectual, and physical powers in man.
Now then highest of man’s power are his reason
and will. Hence, the primary objective of education
is the moral development of the will.
Rules And Its Importance To Social Beings
 
You find rules everywhere. But did you ever
ask yourself why you need to follow them?
1. Rules protect social beings by regulating
behaviour. Rules build boundaries that place
limits on behaviour. Rules are usually coupled
with means to impose consequences on
those who violate them.
Explain: Provisions vs. Prohibitions

2. Rules help to guarantee each person

certain right and freedom. Rules form
frameworks for society. Nations are generally
nations of laws and the governing principles
are outlined in what is called constitution.
Article III: BILL OF RIGHTS:
1: Right to life, liberty, and property • you should not
be deprive of your life, liberty, and property
2: Right against unreasonable searches and seizures
3: Every person has the right to keep his
communication or correspondence a secret.
4: Freedom of Speech. Right to a Free Press;
Freedom of Assembly; the Right of Petition
5: Freedom of Religion
6: The liberty of abode & the right to travel.
7: The right to information.
8: Right to form associations.
9: The Right to Just Compensation.
 10: Non-Impairment Clause.
11: Free Access to Court
12: Right of Person under Custodial Investigation
13: The Right to Bail & against Excessive Bail
14: Rights of the Accused • Right to Due Process of Law
in Criminal Cases • Innocent until Proven Guilty • The
Right to Confront One’s Accuser
15: Writ of Habeas Corpus
16: Right to Speedy Disposition of Cases.
17: Right against self- incrimination
18: The Right to political beliefs and aspirations.
19: The prohibition against cruel, degrading or
inhuman punishment
20: Non- Imprisonment for debts
21: Right against double jeopardy
22: Ex post facto law and bill of attainder
3. Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings.
Rules are needed in order to keep the strong from
dominating the weak that is to prevent exploitation and
domination. Without rules, schemes in which those with the
power control the system, would take over. In effect, rules
generate a stable system that provides justice, in which even
the richest and the most powerful have limitations on what
they can do.
 
4. Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.
Without rules regulating business, power would centralize
around monopolies and threaten the strength and
competitiveness of the system. Rules are needed to ensure
product safety, employee’s safety and product quality.
Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual
property. Rules and regulations also keep the banking
system stable so as to avoid depression and the like.
Moral Standards versus
Non-moral Standards
 
Do you know the meaning of standards? Have
you been in a situation where you were
chosen because you met the standards or you
were disregarded because you did not meet
the standards?
1) Moral standards deal with matters we
think can seriously injure or benefit humans,
animals, and the environment, such as child
abuse, rape, and murder;

2) Moral standards are not established or

changed by the decisions of authoritative
individuals or bodies. Moral standards rest on
the adequacy of the reasons that are taken to
support and justify them.
3) Moral standards are overriding, that is,
they take precedence over other standards
and considerations, especially of self-interest;

4) Moral standards are based on impartial

considerations. Hence, moral standards are
fair and just; and

5) Moral standards are associated with

special emotions (such as guilt and shame)
and vocabulary (such as right, wrong, good,
and bad).
Non-moral Standards

Non-moral standards refer to standards by which we

judge what is good or bad and right or wrong in a
non-moral way.

Examples of non-moral standards are:

standards of etiquette by which we judge manners

as good or bad,

standards of aesthetics by which we judge art as

good or rubbish.
Non-moral Standards

Hence, we should not confuse morality with

etiquette, law, and aesthetics or even with
religion.

A moral standard says “Do not harm innocent

people” or “Don’t steal”…

A non-moral standard says “Don’t text while

driving” or “Don’t talk while the mouth is
full”.
Dilemma and Moral Dilemma
 
Do you have any idea of what a dilemma is? Have
you ever encountered a situation where you need to
choose between two alternatives, yet choosing any
could lead to a negative consequence on what you
did not choose? What did you do? How did you
feel?

The term dilemma refers to a situation in which a

tough decision has to be made between two or
more options
Three Levels of Moral Dilemma
  
Personal Dilemmas. Personal Dilemmas are those
experienced and resolved on the personal level.

When an individual has to choose between the life of a

child who is about to be delivered and the child’s
mother, he faces an ethical dilemma.
 
Organizational Dilemma. Organizational moral
dilemmas refer to ethical cases encountered and
resolves by social organization.

This category includes moral dilemmas in business,

medical fields and public sector.
Organizational Dilemma
 
A medical institution which believes that human life should
not be deliberately encounters a conflict in resolving whether
to withdraw life support from a dying patient.
 
Moral dilemmas in business involve issues about corporate
practices, policies, business behaviors, and the conducts and
relationships of individuals in the organizations.

In a public sector, government leaders and employees have a

moral duty to the public by putting public interest first:
accountability and transparency. Public Sector dilemmas
include whether or not to favour family, friends, or campaign
contributors over other constituents; favoring the agenda of
one’s political party over a policy one believes to be good for
the community.
Structural Dilemmas. Structural moral dilemmas refer to
cases involving network of institutions as they usually
encompass multi-sectoral institutions and organizations.

Case in point is the prices of medicine in the Philippines

which are higher compared to other countries in Asia.

Factors affecting medicine prices include cost of research,

presence of competition in the market, government
regulations, and patent protection. Institutions concerned
may want to lower the costs of medicine, thereby
benefiting the Filipino public, but such a move may ruin
the interests of the involved researchers, inventors or
discoverers, and pharmaceutical companies which own the
patent of the medicines or healthcare technologies.
Only human beings can be Ethical
 
Man: highest form of animal. As Aristotle say
“rational animals”. We are animals added
with rationality.
 
Only human beings are rational,
autonomous, and self-conscious.

The qualities of rationality, autonomy, and

self-consciousness confer full moral status.
Any question?