ETHICS

Module No. 1 (PRELIMS)

st
1 Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
STUDENT: _______________________ COURSE
&YEAR:______________

INSTRUCTOR: Ms. VERONICA A. BALLENA TERM: Prelims, AY 2020-2021

I- COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the
person, society, and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources.
Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong than an individual originally picks
up from the community. The course discusses the context and principles of ethical behavior in
modern society at the level of individual, society, and in interaction with the environment and
other shared resources. The course also teaches the students to make moral decisions by using
dominant moral frameworks and by applying a seven-step moral reasoning model to analyze and
solve moral dilemmas.
The course is organized according to three main elements of the moral experience: (a)
agent, including context- cultural, communal, and environment; (b) the act; and (c) reason or
framework (for the act).

II- LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the course, the students must be able to:
a. Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems
b. Describe what a moral experience is as it happens in different levels of human existence
c. Explain the influence of Filipino culture on the way students look at moral experience and
solve moral dilemmas

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d. Describe the elements of moral development and moral experience
e. Use ethical frameworks or principles to analyze moral experiences
f. Make sound ethical judgments based on principles, facts, and the stakeholders affected
g. Develop sensitivity to the common good
h. Understand and internalize the principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of
the person. Society, and interaction with the environment and other shared resources.

PART 1: THE MORAL AGENT

CHAPTER I

PRE-TEST: (30 points)

1. Recall some of the rules that you have to follow everyday. Name at least 5
2. Explain why you have to follow these rules
3. What rules do you find difficult to follow? Why?
4. Why are rules important to human beings?

A. 1. WHAT IS ETHICS?

Ethics, as a field of study, is sort of like a tree with 10,000 branches—branches that may
disagree with each other. With such variances, then, how do we begin to understand ethics?
Ethics is not the same thing as morality. What may seem justifiable in one culture can
easily be problematic in another. In addition, being ethical is not simply following a law or rules
that have been established. In fact, some of our most revered historical/modern figures not only
disagreed with laws or rules they deemed to be unethical, but also fought against them—and in
some cases, it cost them their lives.
Ethics, rather, emphasizes the responsibility and capability of the individual to come to
his/her own conclusions through reasoning, and to determine which principles are relevant in a
particular case. They are well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans
ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics is the
reasonable obligation for us to refrain from hurting others, and sometimes the obligation to help
others.

We need to distinguish ethics from what it is not. It’s easier if you can remember that ethics
doesn’t change:

 Ethics is not what’s legal. The law often puts into writing our ethical standards (don’t
hurt others=don’t commit homicide) but it also usually reflects our cultural beliefs at the
time. For example, hunting is legal in Virginia, but it would be difficult to say that
everyone agrees that it is ethical to hunt. Some people will argue that hunting is ethical
because it manages the wildlife population, while others will argue that it is never ethical
because it creates pain and suffering.
 Ethics is not what you feel. In fact, most times our feelings are very egocentric: what’s
best for me and my nearest and dearest? But making judgments based on these sentiments
could be detrimental to society as a whole,
 Ethics is not religion.  Religions may teach ethical standards, and you may personally use
religion to guide your beliefs, but people can have ethics without necessarily belonging to
a religion. Therefore, ethics and religion are not interchangeable.

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  Ethics is not a political ideology. A political party may share your values and offer
ethical arguments to supports its policies, but your decisions aren’t automatically ethical,
just because you belong to one political party or another. In fact, many, if not most,
political debates are built from arguments that claim one aspect of an ethical dilemma is
more significant than another.

Reference:https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-epcc-introethics-1/chapter/what-is-
ethics/

A. 2. MORAL & NON- MORAL STANDARDS

Morality may refer to the standards that a person or a group has about what is right and
wrong, or good and evil. Accordingly, moral standards are those concerned with or
relating to human behavior, especially the distinction between good and bad (or right and
wrong) behavior.

1. MORAL STANDARDS come from God. His clear guidelines are rooted in his very
nature and centered in his great love. As his heart and morality become ours, healthy
relationships develop between those who take him seriously. It involves the rules
people have about the kinds of actions they believe are morally right and wrong, as
well as the values they place on the kinds of objects they believe are morally good
and morally bad.
2. NON-MORAL STANDARDS are the preferences we have. refer to rules that are
unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. It is a standard by which we judge what
is good or bad and right or wrong in a non-moral way.

Reference: https://ourhappyschool.com/node/824
Reference: https://philonotes.com/index.php/2018/06/08/moral-standards/

ACTIVITY # 1: Determine
ACTIVITY the following
#2: Determine whetheractsthe
whether they acts
following fall under Moral (M)
are morally or
acceptable or not.
Non- Moral Standard
Activity (NM).
# 3: (20
Case
Defend your answers. (15 points) points)
Study- Baby Theresa. (30 points)
a. Summary:
You lie to your Babybest
Theresa
friend was bornhim/her
to get in Florida
to ainsurprise
1972 with
partyanencephaly, which is one of the
____1. Always telling
worst the
genetic truth.
disorders. They are sometimes
b. Someone at a party has been drinking and intends to drive, referred to as “babies
so youwithout
take thebrains”. Infants
keys from his/her
____2. Keepingwith
one’s
jacket this disease
promise
pocket andare born
hide without important parts of the brain and the top of the skull is also
them
c. missing.
____3. Practicing Most
Euthanasia
Someone cases
andare
to lessen
is sick decided
one’s
you during pregnancy
sufferings
have special permissionand usuallymedicine
to carry aborted. for
About half ofthat
yourself those not
would
aborted
____4. Treatinghelp
others are stillborn.
theasperson,
you want In the United
to be treated
in violation States, about 35 babies are born alive each year
of rules you give the person some of your medication with theand usually
die within
____5. Not destroying
desire ofone’s days.
helping Baby
your friend. was born alive. Her parents decided to donate her organs for
property Theresa
transplant. Her parents
____6. Allowing people to steal from greedy and herpeople
physicians agreed that the organs should be removed while she
____7. Younger was aliverespecting
people (thus causingolder herpeople
inevitable death to take place sooner), but this was not allowed by
Florida law. When she
____8. Lying is okay if it doesn’t hurt anyone died after nine days the organs had deteriorated too much and could not
be used.
____9. Being forgiving
___10. People shouldn’t be forced to enter into a monogamous relationship as long as it does not
Answer the following:
harm the other peron. Activity # 4: Name actions that clearly fit into each category. Name 3
1. How do we put a value on human life?
2.for each
What category.
should one do (30whenpoints)
there is a conflict between the law and one’s own moral
MORALLY NECESSARY
position about an issue?
MORALLY PERMISSBILE MORALLY PROBLEMATIC
3. If you were in a position to make the final decision in this case, what would it be and
why?
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When we judge an action, we tend to think in terms of an act being either “morally
right” or “morally wrong.” Actually, we need to think in terms of three moral
statuses. An act is morally necessary if we are morally bound to do it. To do the
right thing, you need to do this. An act is morally permissible if we are free to
choose to do it if we wish. It is not morally problematic to do it, but also not
morally problematic not to do it. An act is morally forbidden if we may not do it.

A. 3. MORAL DILEMMA
- a conflict of morals, where you are forced to choose between two or more
options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option. No
matter what choice you make in these situations, you always end up compromising
some moral value
- are situations in which the decision-maker must consider two or more moral
values or duties but can only honor one of them; thus, the individual will violate at
least one important moral concern, regardless of the decision

Reference:https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-15191-1_2

Kohlberg’s stages of moral development

Kohlberg identified three levels of moral reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional,

and post-conventional. Each level is associated with increasingly complex stages of
moral development.

Level 1: Pre conventional

The first level of moral thinking is that generally found at the elementary school level.
Throughout the pre conventional level, a child’s sense of morality is externally
controlled.

Stage 1: Obedience-and-Punishment Orientation

Stage 1 focuses on the child’s desire to obey rules and avoid being punished. In this
level, people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are told to do
so by some authority figure (e.g., parent or teacher). This obedience is compelled by the
threat or application of punishment

Stage 2: Instrumental Orientation

Stage 2 expresses the “what’s in it for me?” position, in which right behavior is defined
by whatever the individual believes to be in their best interest. The second stage of this
level is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one's own best
interests. It is a “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” mentality. An example
would be when a child is asked by his parents to do a chore. The child asks “what’s in it
for me?” and the parents offer the child an incentive by giving him an allowance.

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Level 2: Conventional

The second level of moral thinking is that generally found in society, hence the name
"conventional." Throughout the conventional level, a child’s sense of morality is tied to
personal and societal relationships. Children continue to accept the rules of authority
figures, but this is now due to their belief that this is necessary to ensure positive
relationships and societal order. Adherence to rules and conventions is somewhat rigid
during these stages, and a rule’s appropriateness or fairness is seldom questioned.

Stage 3: Good Boy, Nice Girl Orientation

In stage 3, children want the approval of others and act in ways to avoid disapproval.
Emphasis is placed on good behavior and people being “nice” to others.

Stage 4: Law-and-Order Orientation

In stage 4, the child blindly accepts rules and convention because of their importance in
maintaining a functioning society. Rules are seen as being the same for everyone, and
obeying rules by doing what one is “supposed” to do is seen as valuable and important.
People follow rules to maintain law and order in the society. Most active members of
society remain at stage four, where morality is still predominantly dictated by an outside
force.

Level 3: Post conventional

Throughout the post conventional level, a person’s sense of morality is defined in terms
of more abstract principles and values. People now believe that some laws are unjust and
should be changed or eliminated. This level is marked by a growing realization that
individuals are separate entities from society and that individuals may disobey rules
inconsistent with their own principles. This stage is not reached by majority of adults.

Stage 5: Social-Contract Orientation

n stage 5, the world is viewed as holding different opinions, rights, and values. Such
perspectives should be mutually respected as unique to each person or community. It is
an understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the welfare of others.

Stage 6: Universal-Ethical-Principal Orientation

In stage 6, moral reasoning is based on respect for universal principle and the demands of
individual conscience. Laws are valid only in so far as they are grounded in justice, and a
commitment to justice carries with it an obligation to disobey unjust laws. People choose
the ethical principles they want to follow, and if they violate those principles, they feel
guilty. In this way, the individual acts because it is morally right to do so (and not
because he or she wants to avoid punishment), it is in their best interest, it is expected, it

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 is legal, or it is previously agreed upon. Although Kohlberg insisted that stage six exists,
he found it difficult to identify individuals who consistently operated at that level.

Reference:https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chapter/ko
hlbergs-stages-of-moral-development/

Activity #5: HEINZ DILEMMA

Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her.
The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some,
but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much
more than the Heinz could afford.
Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained to
the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest
of the money later.
The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from
it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s and
stole the drug.

Answer the following questions. (40 points)

1. Should Heinz steal the drug? Why or why not?
2. Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?
3. What if the person dying was a stranger, would he steal the drug for that stranger?
4. Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the woman died?
5. Suppose it is a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal? Why or
why not?
6. Why should people do everything they can to save another's life?
7. It is against the law for Heinz to steal? Does that make it morally wrong? Why or why
not?
8. Why should people generally do everything they can to avoid breaking the law? How
does this relate to Heinz's case?

Freedom is the ability to act as you choose, morality is related to how you should choose to
act. For a free society to work, a certain level of morality is required for it to function properly.
Unlimited Freedom is having no restrictions or controls.

Activity # 6: (20 points)

a. The Concentration Camp

You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who
tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t
he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any
doubt that he means what he says.

What should you do?

b. The Pregnant lady and the Dynamite

A pregnant woman leading a group of five people out of a cave on a coast is stuck in the 6
mouth of that cave. In a short time high tide will be upon them, and unless she is unstuck, they
will all be drowned except the woman, whose head is out of the cave. Fortunately, (or
 B. CULTURE IN MORAL BEHAVIOR:

Culture refers to the outlook, attitudes, values, goals, and practices shared by a group,
organization, or society. Interpretation of what is moral is influenced by cultural norms, and
different cultures can have different beliefs about what is right and wrong.

Culture undeniably does play a significant role within shaping moral behavior and

extends even further to social norms. Arguably, rather than defining our moral behavior, it
influences and changes our definitions of what ought to be deemed morally acceptable by
consistent exposure to it.

Reference: https://www.academia.edu/10186884/Culture_Determines_Behavior

Reference:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293795489_Culture's_Influence_o
n_Behavior_Steps_Toward_a_Theory

Activity # 8: Watch the 40-minute HBO documentary “Saving Face” at

http://www.alluc.to/documentaries/watch-saving-face-2012-online/448019.html.

After watching the documentary about acid attacks on women in Pakistan, answer the
following questions: (30 points)

1. Explain these incidents of acid attack on women in terms of the mores of their culture.
2. Do you think women should be freed from this bondage? Do you agree with Zakia’s
pursuit of justice? Explain your answer.
3. Is it your obligation as a moral being to enlighten and empower women and other
marginalized sectors from their own culture by educating them about their rights in order that
they could assert and enjoy freedom in their own culture? Why/Why not?

b.1. CULTURAL RELATIVISIM- Cultural relativism is the ability to understand a

culture on its own terms and not to make judgments using the standards of one’s own culture.
The goal of this is promote understanding of cultural practices that are not typically part of one’s
own culture. Using the perspective of cultural relativism leads to the view that no one culture is
superior than another culture when compared to systems of morality, law, politics, etc. Instead,
we should try to understand cultural practices of other groups in its own cultural context. For
example, instead of thinking, “Fried crickets are disgusting! ” one should instead ask, “Why do
some cultures eat fried insects?”. You may learn that fried crickets or grasshoppers are full of
protein and in Mexico, it is famous Oaxaca regional cuisine and have been eaten for thousands of
years as a healthy food source!
Cultural relativism can be seen with the Chinese culture and their process of feet
binding. Foot binding was to stop the growth of the foot and make them smaller. The process
often began between four and seven years old. A ten-foot bandage would be wrapped around the

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foot forcing the toes to go under the foot. It caused the big toe to be closer to the heel causing the
foot to bow. In China, small feet were seen as beautiful and a symbol of status. The women
wanted their feet to be “three-inch golden lotuses.  It was also the only way to marry into money.
Because men only wanted women with small feet, even after this practice was banned in 1912,
women still continued to do it

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/culturalanthropology/chapter/cultural-
relativism/

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 Cultural relativism explains why, for example, what constitutes breakfast varies widely
from place to place. What is considered a typical breakfast in Turkey, as illustrated in the above
image, is quite different from what is considered a typical breakfast in the U.S. or Japan. While it
might seem strange to eat fish soup or stewed vegetables for breakfast in the U.S., in other
places, this is perfectly normal. Conversely, our tendency toward sugary cereals and milk or
preference for egg sandwiches loaded with bacon and cheese would seem quite bizarre to other
cultures.

https://www.thoughtco.com/cultural-relativism-definition-3026122

Examine the examples of Cultural Relativism below. Do you agree with the statements?
Yes or no and why? (20 points)

*** END OF PRELIMS ***

Prepared by: Ms. Veronica A. Ballena

Subject Teacher

Checked by: Jhecell Mae R. Ngagan

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Program Head

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