GenEd

2020-2021

GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

GENERAL EDUCATION
ETHICS

ETHICS

Prepared by:

Gabriel A.
Palada
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

WEEK #2
(Introduction to Ethics)

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Discuss the meaning of ethics.

2. Develop moral awareness and ethical principles.
3. Differentiate amoral, moral and immoral acts.

II. DISCUSSION

Why do we need to be moral?

Thinkers Answers
Kant Man’s rational duty
Mill and Bentham Pleasure and happiness
Fletcher It depends upon the situation
Kohlberg Fear of punishment
Perry Person is a creature of values
Beauchamp Person adopts particular moral way of life
Saint Augustine and Aquinas There is God
Aristotle, Plato and Socrates Because of happiness
Hindu Karma
Lao-Tzu and Confucius Harmony with nature
Mohammed Allah

Why do we need to be moral?

1. We want to win the good opinion.

2. We want to refrain from troubles.
3. We are persons.

Definition

 Derives from the Ancient Greek word Ethicos, which is derived from the word Ethos
(Habit, “Custom”).
 Ethics deals with the morality of human conduct or human act.
 Rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.
 An area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior: a branch of
philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong.

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

Ethics a Normative Science

 Establishes standards or norms of human conduct.

Morality of Human Act

 Refers to the goodness or badness, rightness or wrongness of human acts.

Difference between Ethics and Morality

 Etymology
Ethics – Greek word – ethos – custom
Morality – Latin word – mos or moris – custom

Normative Science

 Ethics – Theoretical science of good and bad.

 Morality – practice or ethics/applied ethics.
 “Knowing is different from doing”

4 Divisions

1. Descriptive or speculative philosophy

2. Normative philosophy
3. Practical philosophy
4. Critical philosophy

Ethics covers the following dilemmas:

 How to live a good life

 Our rights and responsibilities
 The language of right and wrong
 Moral decisions – what is good and bad?

Postulates in Ethics

1. The existence of God

2. The existence of intellect and free will
3. The spirituality and immortality of the soul

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

Ethics compared with other sciences that deal with man

1. Ethics and Psychology

 Psychology: intellect, free will and conduct.
 Ethics: to know what is moral, will to translate into action.
2. Ethics and Sociology
 Sociology: human relations, proper set up or order in society, observance of
proper laws.
 Ethics: moral laws, order of right and wrong action.
3. Ethics and Logic
 Logic: man’s correct thinking
 Ethics: man’s correct doing and living.
4. Ethics and Anthropology
 Anthropology: man’s origin and behavior of primeval man
 Ethics: principles of right conduct.
5. Ethics and Moral Theology
 Same goal: God
 Same Means: Right living
 Different basis

Morality and Human Existence

1. Man is the only moral being

 Man is a being of action
 Man has intellect
 Man has will

Concrete Basis of Morality

 When one encounters a moral experience.

 Moral experience could ensue when one encounters a moral problem
 A person encounters a moral problems when the problem injuncts him of moral
obligation.

What is the use of ethics?

1. Ethics can provide a moral map

 A framework that we can use to find our way through difficult issues.
2. Ethics can pinpoint a disagreement
 It can take a lot of heat out of the argument, and sometimes even hint at a way
for them to resolve their problem.

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

3. Ethics doesn’t give right answers

 It doesn’t always show the right answer to moral problems.
4. Ethics can give several answers
 There may be several right answers, or just some least worst answers and the
individual must choose between them.

Four ethical ‘isms’ – (the different ‘isms’ regard the person uttering the statement as doing
different things.)

1. Moral realism – is based on the idea that there are real objective moral facts or truths in
the universe.
“it is wrong to murder”
2. Subjectivism – teaches that moral judgments are nothing more than statements of a
person’s feelings or attitudes, and that ethical statements do not contain factual truths
about goodness or badness.
“I disapprove of murder”
3. Emotivism – is the view that moral claims are no more than expressions of approval or
disapproval.
“Down with murder”
4. Prescriptivism – think that ethical statements are instructions or recommendations.
“Don’t murder people”

III. ACTIVITIES

I. Explain the quotation “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to
become a man of value” –Albert Einstein

Answer: Albert Einstein is trying to imply that having core values and maintaining
it to your character is what being a man of success really mean. Success brands you as a
person, it makes you think, and do such thing that will make people look at you as an
inspiration, it makes you meticulous of what you do. While on the other way around,
value, you are enjoying what you do, you love your job and you create best memories
with whom you with and what you do. You nurture your character and influence other
people. Success is subjective, we have our own interpretation of it. But most importantly,
achieving your success with your friends and family is the most triumphant moments of
your life.

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

II. What is the importance of studying ethics?

Answer: Ethics concerns with the rightness and wrongness of an action, the virtue or
vices of character, and general matters of good and evil and how we might respond to
good and evil (St. Olaf College General Education Curriculum, 2011). In studying ethics,
it makes us develop our articulating skills in assessing our own values might as well
others values also. Having knowledge in ethics provides us reasons and answers of
questioning ones values. And as a human we tend to always ask questions. So you can see,
studying ethics is really important.

IV. SUMMARY

Ethics - deals with the morality of human conduct or human act.

4 Divisions of Ethics

1. Descriptive or speculative philosophy

2. Normative philosophy
3. Practical philosophy
4. Critical philosophy

Postulates in Ethics

1. The existence of God

2. The existence of intellect and free will
3. The spirituality and immortality of the soul

Ethics compared with other sciences that deal with man

1. Ethics and Psychology

2. Ethics and Sociology
3. Ethics and Logic
4. Ethics and Anthropology
5. Ethics and Moral Theology

4 Ethical ‘isms’

1. Moral realism
2. Subjectivism
3. Emotivism
4. Prescriptivism

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

V. ASSIGNMENT

1. Make a reading about law and standard of morality

Answer: Moral standards deal with matters which can either seriously harm or seriously benefit
human beings. In contrast morals are norms while laws are forced. Morality is a social
phenomenon in which every human follows a moral rule that is indeed for people to live
amongst others. If it’s not follow civilized social life would not be possible. In psychological
aspect, moral are being taken care of for the reason that they care for doing the right thing
because of their conscience. People also care for moral for the protection of their souls and
spirit after their death, this aspect is called theological aspect.

2. Study the different morality of human acts

Answer: Human acts are those that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of
conscience. They are either good or evil. Their morality depends on the object chosen, the
intention and the circumstances. The object is the nature of action. The object specifies the act
of the will. Intention is the motive of the agent this can be morally good or evil. Intention is also
called as ‘the end view’. The end does not justify the means of the act. Last is the
circumstances, is it what makes the act concrete, it can be an event or conditions. The means of
the act is not change by the circumstance. These are the morality of human acts.

VI. REFERENCES

Van Zyl, L. L. (2019). Virtue Ethics : A Contemporary Introduction . Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Ariola, M. M. (2018). Ethics . Unlimited Books .

Buenaflor, L. E. (2018). Unraveling the Absolute Principle : Ethics for Filipino Students . Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp. .

Cariño, J. V. (2018). Fundamentals of Ethics . C & E Publiching, Inc.

Leaño, R. D. (2018). Ethics for College Students : CHED Curriculum - Compliant . Mindshapers Co., Inc.

Pasco, M. O. (2018). Ethics . C & E Publiching, Inc.

Saidali, M. A. (2015). Values and Work Ethics . Mindshapers Co., Inc.

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021
 GLOBAL RECIPROCAL COLLEGES

Cebreros, N. (2015). Universal Ethics and Contemporary Values . Mindshapers Co., Inc.

ETHICS
GENERAL EDUCATION
2020-2021