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What is morality?
Lesson 1: morality and ethics
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 Describe the philosophical

study of ethics. 
 Understand the difference
between  normative and 2

descriptive claims.  objectives

 Explain the difference
between  meta-ethics and
normative ethics.
 Evaluate ethical issues 
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•Ethics is that branch of

philosophy that deals with how
we ought to live, with the idea
of the Good, and with
concepts such as “right” and
“wrong.”
•It evaluates human actions.
•Morals and ethical
•Both terms derive their 3
meaning from the idea of
“custom”—that is, normal
behavior
•“moral” comes from the Latin
word mores and
• “ethical” from the Greek This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

ethos
• Both words mean moral
behavior.
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•it is the principle concerning the

distinction between right and wrong or
good or bad behavior.

•Sense  of what is good, right,

What is meaningful in our lives

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morality? •Reference point for all possible

courses of actions we could choose

•Reflection about the things we think

are important and are consistent with
our beliefs
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•Ethics presupposes three imperatives

or sine qua non

Imperatives of 5

Ethics • (The essential, crucial, or

indispensable ingredient without which
something would be impossible”)
without which ethics would be
impossible.
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•There is no reason for man to deny himself evil but

pleasurable acts if there were no final judge to dispense justice

The existence •Retribution/Punishment

of God or •Reward/good acts

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Supreme being
•Law of karma

Life after death

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•an indispensable factor of Ethics  and would be meaningless if men were

not free to choose, to do, to act on their own

•Responsibility- the opportunity or ability to act independently and make

Existence of
decisions without authorization

•accountability

human •Retribution is deserved only if men had the choice to do or not to do, to
follow or not to follow

Exceptions:
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freedom •Children – no notion whether to do or not to do

•Persons who suffer from mental illness/disease

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•The cultural differences of the

peoples ( races) of the world

Cultural •The formation of society 8

differences
•Man is a social being
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What is the nature What is the Good,

of morality, and and how will we
why do we need it? know it?

Why be moral? What is the 9

Is it in our interest relationship

to be moral?  between morality
and religion?

What is the What is the

relationship relationship
between morality between morality
and law? and etiquette?
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The main Clarify concepts

Analyze and test
characteristic of propositions and
philosophy is beliefs
Construct and
rational argument. analyze arguments

Ethics as pursue a rational

investigation of
those marvels and

branch of
mysteries, seeking
Closely related to wisdom and truth
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scientific reasoning results in a life
lived in passionate
moral and

philosophy
intellectual
integrity

Socrates' famous “The unexamined

life is not worth
statement: living,”
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Descriptive morality refers to actual beliefs,

customs, principles, and practices of people and
cultures.

• concrete moral practices of social groups around the world, and

they view them as cultural “facts,”
• Beliefs, practices

Subdivisions
• Way of living
• Manner of dressing
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of Ethics Moral philosophy or  ethical theory—refers to the

systematic effort to understand moral concepts and
justify moral principles and theories.

• It analyzes key ethical concepts such as “right,” “wrong,” and

“permissible.”
• It explores possible sources of moral obligation such as God,
human reason, or the desire to be happy.
• It seeks to establish principles of right behavior that may serve
as action guides for individuals and groups.
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3. Applied ethics deals with controversial moral

problems such as abortion, pre- marital sex, capital
punishment, euthanasia, and civil disobedience

Relationship of the three sub-divisions

Subdivisions 12

of Ethics Example: the debate on Abortion

• moral philosophy is very much interrelated with applied ethics, and

here will be a difference in the quality of debates about abortion and
other such issues when those discussions are informed by ethical
theories.
• Ethical awareness is the necessary condition for human survival and
flourishing.
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Traits of moral principles

1. Prescriptivity-  is the commanding aspect of morality. 
1. Moral principles are generally put forth as commands or imperatives,
2. intended for use: to advise people and influence action 13
3. shares this trait with all normative discourse and is used to appraise behavior, assign praise and blame, and
produce feelings of satisfaction or guilt
Examples:
 s “Do not kill,” 
 “Do no unnecessary harm,”
  “Love your neighbor.”
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Traits of moral principle

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Moral principles must apply to all people who are in a relevantly similar situation.
This trait is exemplified in the Golden Rule, "“Do to others what you would want them to do to you.”
• It cannot be right for you to treat me in a manner in which it would be wrong for me to treat you, merely on the ground that we are two
2. Universalizability different individuals
If I judge that an act is right for a certain person, then that act is right for any other relevantly similar person
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Traits of Moral Principles

3. Overridingness
 They are not the only principles, but they take precedence over other considerations, including aesthetic, prudential,
and legal ones.
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 Example: Declaration of Martial Law by the Former President, Marcos
 When the law becomes egregiously immoral, it may be my moral duty to exercise civil disobedience.
 There is a general moral duty to obey the law because the law serves an overall moral purpose, and this overall purpose may give us moral
reasons to obey laws that may not be moral or ideal.
 There may come a time, however, when the injustice of a bad law is intolerable and hence calls for illegal but moral defiance.
 Example:
 It may be prudent to lie to save my reputation, but it probably is morally wrong to do so.
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Traits of Moral Principles

• Publicity
• Moral principles must be made public in order to guide our actions.
• Publicity is necessary because we use principles to prescribe behav- ior, give advice, and assign praise and blame 16
• Examples
• Laws , ordinances, rules

• Practicability
• it must be workable and its rules must not lay a heavy burden on us when we follow them.