Criminology 4

Two division of Ethics

1. General ethics – it is the study of the general principles of morality
2. Special ethics – it is the study of the application of the general
principles of morality, included in this division is the category of
professional ethics.
Professional ethics – it a set of moral code to which every profession must
subscribe
Police ethics – it is a practical science that treats the principle of
human morality and duty as applied to law enforcement .
Importance of Ethics
 Indispensable knowledge
 Without moral perception, man is only an animal
 Without morality, man as rational being is a failure
Ethics is a requirement for human life

 It is our means of deciding a course of action

 Without it, our actions would be random and aimless
 Therewould be no way to work towards a goal because there would be
no way to pick between a limitless number of goals
 To the degree which a rational ethical standard is taken, we are able to
correctly organize our goals and actions to accomplish our most
important values.
Four main branches of Philosophy
1. Metaphysics
2. Epistemology
3. Axiology
4. Logic
1. Metaphysics is the branch of
philosophy that considers the physical
universe and the nature of ultimate
reality.
2. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy
that considers how people come to learn what
they know.
Derived from the Greek word episteme,
meaning knowledge or understanding,
epistemology refers to the nature and origin of
knowledge and truth.
3. Axiology is the branch of philosophy that considers
the study of principles and values.
These values are divided into two main kinds ethics and
aesthetics.
- Ethics is the questioning of morals and personal values.
- Aesthetics is the examination of what is beautiful,
enjoyable, or tasteful.
4. Logic - is the branch of philosophy that seeks to organize
reasoning. Students of logic learn how to think in a structurally
sound manner.
Logic has two types deductive and inductive reasoning.
Deductive reasoning involves examining a general case,
deducing a general set of rules or principles, and then applying
these rules to specific cases.
Inductive reasoning involves taking specific examples and
considering the general principles, rules, or cases that caused
them
 Ethics and law
Ethics Law
Study of human motivation Concerned with what we do, not what we feel
Study of external actions. It explores thoughts and feelings Concerned with the externality of the act

Requires that man desires that of which is good and act in Requires that we perform the required action regardless of
accordance with that desire our feelings towards such action

Addresses all human activities Applies to behaviors that lawmakers choose to regulates

Seeks to change people from the inside outward Attempt to change people from outside inward
Ethical principles are constant, universal and everlasting Laws are frequently changing

Solidly based on the reasoning process essential to “Logical instrument” of social control that, for the most part
appropriate discretion are not necessarily products of wisdom

Dependent upon knowledge, rationality and goodwill Dependent for their effectiveness upon legal procedures and
complex rules of evidence
Ethical Principles
1. Beneficence
2. Nonmaleficence
3. Autonomy
4. Justice
5. Fidelity
1. Beneficence
Doing good for others
Helping others
Obligation to act in the interest of others
Beneficence is the professional duty to do or produce
good. By "good" is meant the performance of acts of
kindness and charity "Doing good" is considered
virtuous conduct
General Duty to Beneficence
 How significant is the need to be met?
 Am I particularly qualified to meet the need?
 How likely is it that my action will achieve
success, ie, a desired outcome?
 How much of a risk is it to me? Does the
benefit outweigh the risk to me? potential
2. Nonmaleficence

 Prevent harm or risk of harm to clients (s)

 Includes misguidance, negligence, and
impact of stress/burnout
3. Autonomy
 Self-rule or self-governance
 Free from the control of others

Three conditions necessary

 Voluntary participation / no coercion
 Competence / can weigh risks and benefits
 Full disclosure of relevant information
4. Justice
✓ Fairness in relation to distribution or allocation of time,
resources and services
✓ Equal Shares
✓ Need
✓ Motivation / Effort/Contribution
✓ Free-Market Exchange (supply and demand)
✓ Fair Opportunity
5. Fidelity
✓ Keeping promises or commitments
✓ Confidentiality
✓Conflicts of Interest
Morality – it is the quality of human acts by which
they are constituted as good, bad or indifferent

“Dictates of Reasons” stand for the norm of morality

which is the standard by which actions are judged as
to their merits or demerits
Classification of actions according to the
Norms of Morality

1. Moral (Good) actions

2. Immoral (Bad) actions
3. Amoral (indifferent) actions
Modifiers of Human Acts
1. Ignorance – absence of knowledge which a person out to
possess
Classification of ignorance
a. Vincible ignorance – can easily be reminded through ordinary
diligence and reasonable efforts
b. Invincible ignorance – is the type which a person possesses
without being aware of it, or having awareness but lacks the
means to rectify it.
2. Passion – either tendencies towards desirable
objects, or tendencies away from undesirable or
harmful things

Classification of Passions
a. Positive emotion
b. Negative emotion
3. Fear – disturbance of the mind of a person
who is confronted by an impending danger
or harm to himself or loved ones.
a. Act done with fear
b. Act out of fear or because of fear
4. Violence – refers to any physical force exerted
on a person by another free agent for the purpose
of compelling said person to act against his will.
5. Habits – is a lasting readiness and facility, born of
frequently repeated acts, for acting in a certain
manner.
 Permanent inclination to act in a certain way.

- Word “habit-forming – refer to certain experience

show how easy it is for one to acquire a habit.
Rights and Duties
Right
– it is anything which is owed or due.
 It is something to which a person has a just and lawful claim
 It is anything that a person can lawfully demand

Duty
– it is anything we are obliged to do or to omit
 It is moral obligation incumbent upon a person of doing,
omitting or avoiding something
Kinds of Rights
1. Natural rights
2. Human rights
3. Civil rights
4. Ecclesiastical or religious rights
5. Alienable and inalienable rights
6. Right of jurisdiction
7. Right to property
8. Juridical right
9. Non-juridical right
Human rights
 Pertains to the right of man
 Inherent to man by virtue of being a human being
 The supreme, inherent and inalienable rights to life, dignity and to self-development
Basic human rights
1. Right to life
2. Right to liberty
3. Right to property
Bill of rights
 List of individual liberties, freedom and rights which are guaranteed and protected
under Art. 3 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution
 It is the protection of individuals against abuses of the State
 This likewise pertains to the protection of the rights of an accused.
Kinds of Duty
1. Natural – imposed by natural law
2. Positive duties – positive law
3. Affirmative duties – which require the performance of
a certain act
4. Negative duties – which require the omission of a
certain act