GEC 8 : LESSON 1

Topic :
COURSE ORIENTATION AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF RULES
Dear heavenly Father, please OPENING
make me an obedient person.
Let me listen and obey your
PRAYER
instructions.
Give me the ability to do
whatever you ask me to do.
Do not let me provoke your
judgment with disobedience.
Enable me to always be
conscious that “you see all things
and you will appropriately judge
all things – either with blessings
or disciplines.” For in the name
of Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen.
PRAYER OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD
Dear God, please give
me a humble heart to
yield to your
instructions at all
times, so that I can
prosper. Help me
to obey you and let me
be flexible for Holy
Spirit's guidance. Let
me follow when you
lead, and let me be
willing to receive your
blessings whenever
you are ready to hand
them over. AMEN
A. Course Orientation

• The importance
of ETHICS
Why do we need to
study ETHICS?
 Why Study Ethics?
• First, some words on • There are two
‘ethics’: ‘Ethics’ general domains of
concerns the ethics:
rightness or
wrongness of action, 1. Descriptive Ethics:
the virtue or vice of consists in the study of
character, and what persons (innate) (or
general matters of societies) actually
good and evil and believe or act on, in
how we might terms of right and wrong,
respond to good and virtue and vice, goodness
evil. and badness.
2. Evaluative
Ethics: inquiry
( inquest, examine, review,
investigate ) into
what
should be evaluated
as right or wrong,
virtue or vice, good
or bad.
• The study of
ethics helps a
person to look
at his own life
critically and to
evaluate his
actions/choices
/decisions.
 • Even if such codes
• Ethics is are thought of as
inescapable. mere means of
• It is difficult, if not survival, there will
impossible, to still be implicit
imagine a society in commitments to
which there are no what is good or
codes of conduct , bad: food and
ways of assessing water ( in
what is desirable or proportion ) is
healthy and good for persons,
undesirable or deprivation of
unhealthy. either will lead to
damage and
dissolution.
• If you do not study ethics, chances are you will
have no opportunity to carefully reflect on the
values that shape your life ,
• No chance to think about whether the values
in your society are wise or foolish, no chance
to expand your awareness of the values of
other persons.
• The study of ethics should also lead one
to develop skills in articulating your own
values, to provide others with reasons
for your actions and give you the means of
questioning the values of others.
• It assists a person in
knowing what
he/she really is and
what is best for
him/her and what
he/she has to do in
order to attain it.
• To study of moral
philosophy can help
us to think better
about morality.
 • Moral principles
are guidelines that people
live by to make sure they are
doing the right thing.
• These include things
like honesty, fairness,
and equality.
• The branch of • Moral principles can
be different for
knowledge everyone because
that deals with they depend on how a
moral person was raised
and what is important
principles. to them in life.
• Ethics is based on
well-founded
standards of right
and wrong that
prescribe what
humans ought to
do, usually in terms of
rights, obligations,
benefits to society,
fairness, or specific
virtues. "Being ethical is
doing what the law
requires." "Ethics consists
of the standards of
behavior our
society accepts."
 CHAPTER 1 :
UNDERSTANDING
MORALITY AND MORAL
STANDARDS

FOCUS QUESTIONS:
( REFER TO textbook p. 1 )
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. TO STATE WHAT ARE

EXPECTED OF ME IN THIS
COURSE
2. TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE
OF RULES
B. The Importance of Rules
 Why do we live by rules?
Why should we follow
rules?
• What is our attitude
towards rules?
• Are we obedient or
violators?
• If I will reject rules
does it mean that I am
a bad person? Or
something is wrong
with my behavior?

• ( sharing of one’s
insights/opinion )
 What is the importance of rules? Why
are rules important in our society?
• When used appropriately,
rules provide a sense of
predictability and consistency for
children, thereby promoting
physical and emotional safety.
• Rules help guide actions
toward desired results.
• Rules generally help protect the
weaker class of the
society because they are often at
the receiving end when such rules
get broken.
• Rules guarantee us peace and
security. They allow avoiding
chaos and misunderstandings.
People once settled on a specific
list of guidelines to follow, and
it ...
• Rules help to organize society.
They will vary from one society
to another. One country may
conduct matters quite differently
from another.
• "Ethics consists of the standards of
behavior our society accepts."
• "Being ethical is doing what the law
requires."
• Rules are important for the
maintenance of law and order in the
society.
• We should follow rules to have a
disciplined society.
• If one does not follow rules and do
whatever he/she wishes to do then
there will be a chaos all around.
• Rules are made to facilitate the
smooth working of society.
• Rules are also made to maintain
uniformity in some places.
 Example
• For example on roads if we don't follow the traffic rules
then no one will be able to reach his/her destination on
time and several accidents will take place.
• For example in schools it is a rule to wear uniform which
is same for all students, if there were no system of
uniforms then the students would have concentrated
more on their attire rather than on their studies, also
students who belong to low income groups might have a
sense of inferiority when they see their batch mates
wearing expensive outfits.
• Therefore rules are important and must be followed in
order to maintain the tranquility of the
society.
• Laws protect our general safety, and
ensure our rights as citizens
against abuses by other
people, by organizations, and by the
government itself.

• We have laws to help provide for our

general safety. ... Speed limits and traffic
laws exist so that we drive in a safe
manner
 DEFINITION OF RULES/ LAWS
• Rules are • Laws or regulations
instructions that prescribed by the
founder of a religious
tell you what you order for observance
are allowed to do by its members.
and what you are • an accepted
procedure, custom,
not allowed to do. or habit.
• a prescribed guide • a usually written
for conduct or order or direction
made by a court
action. regulating court
practice or the action
of parties.
• Law is a system of rules created and
enforced through social or governmental
institutions to regulate behavior, with its
precise definition a matter of longstanding debate.
• It has been variously described as a science and the
art of justice.
 Questions

• What are some

rules in our school
that you have to
follow?
• Cite an example

( It is stated in
your student
manual )
What do you feel about
these rules?
• EVERYWHERE
YOU GO ARE
RULES – HOME,
AT SCHOOL, IN
CHURCH, IN THE
BARANGAY.
• DO THESE RULES
MAKE OUR LIFE
MORE DIFFICULT
AND SO SHOULD BE
ELIMINATED
( why ? )
• OR DO THESE
RULES MAKE OUR
LIFE MORE
PEACEFUL
AND Sharing of
ORDERLY? ideas/opinion
• IMAGINE YOUR
LIFE ,YOUR
HOME,YOUR
SCHOOL,YOUR
CHURCH AND
COMMUNITY
WITHOUT RULES.
What will happen ?
Sharing of ideas,
opinion
• IN THIS LESSON , WE WILL STUDY
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
RULES
examples
 CONTENTS/INPUT of the
LESSON 1

• ABSTRACTION
• ( PLS STUDY : REFER TO
TEXTBOOK P.2-3 )
1. RULES ARE MEANT TO
IMPORTANCE OF RULES
SET ORDER IN SOCIETY

• Rules – important for Refer to key points

SOCIAL beings
• Human Being are SOCIAL
BEINGS
• Living or preferring to live
in a community rather than
alone
• denoting or relating to
human society or
any of its subdivisions.
• relating to, or
characteristic of the
experience, behaviour, and
interaction of persons
forming groups.
• seeking or enjoying the
companionship of
others; friendly;
• sociable; gregarious. of,
relating to, connected
with, or suited to polite
• or fashionable society:
a social event.
• living or disposed to
live in companionship
with others or in a
community, rather than
in isolation:
• People are social
beings.
 Chaos – results from the absence of rules

• Just imagine – professors /students

come to school in any attire ( we have
different personality, culture – different
wants/desire.
 Another
point
• What if there were no traffic rules?

Neglecting to follow these rules may result in

a penalty, fine, or in the worst case scenario, an
injury or wrongful death. If you or a loved one
has been injured in a motor vehicle collision, you
may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
 TYPES OF • The Constitution.
supreme body
LAWS of laws that govern our
country.
• RULES CAN BE • Statutory law. written
EXTENDED TO or codified law such as
INCLUDE THE ; legislative acts,
declaring, commanding,
• PHILIPPINE or prohibiting
something.
CONSTITUTION
• Common or Case Law.
• Civil Law (Private law)
• AND OTHER LAWS • Criminal Law.
RULES ARE MEANT TO SET
Equity Law.
• ORDER
• Natural law • AND ARE MEANT FOR
Administrative Law.
HUMAN .
THE GREATEST TEACHER JESUS
CHRIST PREACHED

“ THE SABBATH IS MADE FOR MAN AND

NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH . ”
• THE LAW OF THE SABBATH
• TO KEEP IT HOLY
• OBSERVE REST
• IT MEANT TO MAKE MAN WHOLE RESTING AND
BY GIVING HIM TIME TO THANK AND SPEND TIME
IN PRAYER AND WORSHIP FOR HIS OWN GOOD.
• RULES ARE MEANT TO SET ORDER
• FOR THE SAKE OF ORDER IN SOCIETY
• EVERYONE IS SUBJECT TO RULES
• NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW
• INCLUDING THE HIGHEST OFFICIAL
OF THE COUNTRY.
• WE ARE ALL SUBJECT TO RULES OR
ELSE COURT CHAOS.
 2. RULES ARE INTENDED FOR HUMAN
PERSONS.
THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO LIMIT A
PERSON’S FREEDOM WHICH IS THE ABILITY
TO CHOOSE AND DO WHAT IS GOOD

• RULES ARE MEANT TO HELP YOU ;

• GROW IN FREEDOM
• TO GROW IN YOUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE
• DO GOOD FOR YOU AND OTHERS
 Sharing of your personal
experience
• If there are rules or
laws that restrict your • In your own
ability or strength to observation
do good.
• They are suffocating • ( can you cite
laws and are not good an example?
laws.
• Should be abolished
• Ought to be repealed.
• No reason to exists
Agree or disagree? Why?
• THOSE WHO DO • IT IS THOSE
WHAT IS GOOD WHO INTEND TO
DON’T EVEN DO THE
FEEL THE OPPOSITE OF
PRESENCE OF A WHAT IS GOOD
RULE THAT THAT FEEL THE
PREVENTS SUFFOCATING
THEM FROM AND LIMITING
DOING WHAT IS PRESENCE OF A
NOT GOOD. RULE.
 If you are a rule or a law abiding citizen

• You don’t feel the • From a higher

restricting point of view this
presence of a is the state when ;
rule or law • One acts not
because rules
• Because you do demand it but
what the law or because one
what the rule sees he has to
states everybody
should do. act that way.
 CONFUCIOUS , LAO TZU
ANCIENT CHINESE SAGES
( SAVANT/ MENTORS
 CONFUCIOUS , LAO TZU
( ANCIENT CHINESE
SAGES/PHILOPSOPHERS )
• It is like saying
one no longer • THEY REFERRED
needs the rule or TO A STATE OF ;
law • NO MORE RULES
• Because one has • NO MORE LAWS
become MATURE • BECAUSE PEOPLE
and WISE DISCERN WHAT IS
ENOUGH TO RIGHT OR GOOD OR DO
DISCERN WHAT WHAT IS RIGHT OR
OUGHT TO BE GOOD WITHOUT
DONE? THINKING.
 DO YOU AGREE? WHY? OR WHY NOT?

• PEOPLE ARE NO
LONGER IN NEED OF
A GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE THEY CAN
GOVERN
THEMSELVES
• IT IS A STATE WHERE
ONE OWNS THE
MORAL STANDARD
NOT JUST ABIDE BY
THE MORAL
STANDARD.
 What is the Psychology behind people
who like to and have no qualms ( doubt/fear )
of breaking the rules

• I have known two types of people who routinely like to

break rules or else do not believe that the rules apply to
them: Narcissists and Psychopaths.
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• They feel entitled: Many of my Narcissistic clients
often believe that they are entitled to do whatever they
want.
• They simply do not believe that the rules apply to
them.
• This is a symptom of their
grandiosity, their “splitting,” and
their hierachical thinking.
• They can only see the world in
terms of their internalized defense
which splits people into one of two
groups—either you are “special,
unique, omnipotent and entitled” or
you are “worthless, defective
garbage.”
• They use various defenses, such as denial and
externalizing blame, to maintain their view of
themselves as part of the first group.
• They justify their rule breaking as follows:
• I am special, unique, and
perfect. Therefore, these
rules were not meant for
someone like me.
LESSON 1 ACTIVITY # 1
A. APPLICATION
APPLICATION

• INSTRUCTIONS: ANSWER
THE FF: QUESTIONS ( # 1 TO
4)
• ( REFER TO TEXTBOOK - page 3)
 KEY TAKEAWAYS/SUMMARY
• RULES ARE MEANT TO SET ORDER IN SOCIETY

• RULES ARE INTENDED FOR HUMAN

PERSONS.THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO LIMIT A
PERSON’S FREEDOM WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO
CHOOSE AND DO WHAT IS GOOD.

• THOSE WHO DO WHAT IS GOOD DON’T EVEN

FEEL THE PRESENCE OF A RULE THAT
PREVENTS THEM FROM DOING WHAT IS NOT
GOOD.

• IT IS THOSE WHO INTEND TO DO THE OPPOSITE

OF WHAT IS GOOD THAT FEEL THE SUFFOCATING
 KEY TAKEAWAYS
• WHEN SOCIETY IS
IDEAL, I,E.WHEN
ALL PERSONS ARE
GOOD AND DO
ONLY WHAT IS
IDEAL THEN
THERE WILL BE
NO MORE NEED
FOR RULES AND
LAWS ACCORDING
TO LAO TZU.
 B. REFLECTION REFLECTION
GIVE YOUR PERSONAL INSIGHTS, PAGE - 4
REFLECTION A

( REFLECT ON YOUR ATTITUDE

TOWARD RULES)

• DO YOU WELCOME RULES? OR ARE YOU

ALLERGIC TO RULES? WHAT IF THERE WERE NO
RULES?

• ( PAUSE AND EVALUATE YOURSELF FIRST BEFORE

YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION. JUST BE HONEST TO
YOURSELF )