Morality

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

1
PERSON
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 2
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xad
2gb6fMU

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 3

 Why are we studying
Morality?
• Morality plays a vital role in our lives
• We always need to make a choice

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 5

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 6
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 7
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 8
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 9
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 10
• Should I reply to my ex?
• Should I eat the extra slice of pizza?
• Should I tweet this?
• Should I take a picture?
• Is extrajudicial killing morally
acceptable?
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 11
Ethics
• Is the branch of philosophy that
deals with the systematic
questioning and critical examination
of the underlying principles of
morality.
• Two approaches:
Normative Ethics and Meta-Ethics
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 12
 Normative ethics

• Answers the question “What should I do?”

• A comprehensive normative ethical
system tries to give a moral framework
• Well-defined and clear parameters of
what is good and bad.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 13

Normative: Christian Ethics

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 14

 Meta-ethics

• Goes beyond the concepts and parameters

set by normative ethics
• “Why should I be good?”
• “What do you mean when you say ‘good’?”
• examines the presuppositions, meanings and
justifications of ethical concepts, and
principles.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 15

 Meta-ethics:

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 16

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 17
 How did the concept of
morality start?

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 18

 The role of Society in the
Emergence of Mores

• Our notion of what is ‘right’ comes from

the basic instinct to survive. To do this,
man started to go on groups, and observe
best practices in doing things.
- Folkways, William Sumner

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 19

 The morality of SHARING
started
• Hunters gather food so that
people can eat
• If people do not eat, they
die.
• For people not to die, you
must __________.
• GIVE THEM FOOD
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 20
• Mores were developed from
folkways.
• The mores has to be preserved
to keep the society.
• The individual then develops
habits to preserve the notion of
what is right.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 21

 Honesty then started
to be RIGHT

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 22

 Who are concerned in the
matters of morality?
• HUMANS!

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 23

 Only humans are considered
moral agents

• Deliberation is an act pertaining

to humans alone.
• It requires reflection and an
exercise of one’s rational
capacity

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 24

• Normally, we do not ascribe morality
to animals or to natural calamities
like typhoons, earthquakes or
tsunamis.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 25

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 26
• Even if typhoon Yolanda has
claimed around 8,000 lives, it
would be nonsensical to
declare that typhoon Yolanda
was immoral.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 27

 The big question is:

• Can Kabang the hero dog be considered

as a moral agent who did a ‘moral act’?
Explain briefly why or why not.

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 28

 Values and moral values

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 29

 Values

• “All values are priorities with respect

to some aspect of human
experience. This is usually expressed
by saying that values are
imperatives; they make a claim
upon us, whether we admit the
claim or not”
SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 30
 Moral
values decisions
values

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 31

 Value
Moral
becomes
decisions
moral values

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 32

 Another example

• You value education

• You value yourself (health, well-being)
• You have an exam
• Both have lasting consequences in the
future
• What is your moral decision?

SS03-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 33