ETHICS

Part III: FRAMEWORKS AND PRINCIPLES

BEHIND OUR MORAL DISPOSITION

LESSON 1: BASIC THEORIES AS

FRAMEWORS IN ETHICS
FRAMEWORK
• Can be defined as a basic structure
underlying a system or concept. 
• Contextually in Ethics, it refers to "A set of
assumptions, concept, values and
practices that constitutes a way of
viewing reality."( FRAMEWORK," n.d.).
1. Meta- Ethics 
•Is a branch of Ethics that studies the
nature of morality. As such, it talks about
the meaning, reference, and truth values
of moral judgments. 
1.1 Cognitivism vs. Non- cognitivism
A.  COGNITIVISM 
•      States that moral judgments convey proposition, that is, they are 'truth bearer' or they
are either true or false.
MORAL REALISM 
       Claims that the existence of moral facts and the truth (or falsity) of moral judgments are
independent of people's thoughts and perception.
ETHICAL SUBJECTIVISM
       It holds that the truth of ethical propositions are dependent on the attitudes or
standards of a person or group of person. Subjectivism is obviously contray to moral
realism.
B.  NON-COGNITIVISM
•     It denies that moral judgments are either true or false. It claims
that ethical sentences do not convey authentic propositions,
hence are neither true or false.
EMOTIVISM
         Is the most popular form of non-cognitivism theory. It
submits that moral judgments are mere expressions of our
emotions and feelings. Like exclamatory sentences, ethical
sentences cannot be said to be either true or false according to
the theory.
1.2 Universalism vs. Relativism 
A.  MORAL UNIVERSALISM
• Theorizes that moral facts and principles apply to
everybody in all places. 
B. MORAL RELATIVISM 
• It submits that different moral facts and principles
apply to different persons or group of individual.
1.3 Empiricism vs. Rationalism vs.
Intuitionism 
A. Moral Empiricism
• Is a meta-ethical stance which states that moral facts are known through
observation and experience.
B. Moral Rationalism 
• Contends that moral facts and principles are knowable a priori, that is, by reaso
alone and without reference to experience.
C. Moral Intuitionism 
• Submits that moral truths are knowable by intuition, that is, by immediate
instinctive knowledge without reference to any evidence.
2. Normative Ethics
• Is the branch of ethics that studies haw
man ought to act, morally speacking. As
the name suggests. It examines ethical
norms, that is, those guidelines about
what is right, worthwhile, virtuous, or
just.
2.1 Deontology
•  Is an ethical system that bases morality on
independent moral rules and duties
2.2 Teleology
•  Refers to moral system that determines the
moral value of actions by their outcomes
and results. 
3. Applied Ethics 
•  Philosophically examines specific, controversial
moral issues. Using philosophical methods, this
area of concern in ethics attempts to deetermine
the ethically correct course of action in specific
realms of human action.
3.1 Bioethics
• This concerns ethical issues pertaining to life, biomedical researches,
medicines, health care, and medical professions.

3.2 Environmental Ethics 

• It deals with moral issues concerning natures, ecosystem, and its non-
human contents.
3.3 Business Ethics
• It examines moral principles concerning business environment which
involves issues about corporate practices, policies, business behaviors, and
the conducts and relationship of individuals in the organizations.
3.4 Sexual Ethics
• It studies moral issues about sexuality and human
sexual behavior.
3.5 Social Ethics 
• It deals with what is right for a society to do and how
it should act as a whole. 
That’s all thank you
for listening :)
Reporters 
Erica B. Daclan 
Dorothy Cruz