ETH101: ETHICS IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE

MODULE 1

Topic: Understanding the Fundamentals of Ethics References:

Objectives: At the end of the session, I can: Rachels, J. and Rachels, S. (2011)
1. Discuss the concept of ethics and morality; "Why Should We Be Moral?".
2. Correlate Divine Command Theory and Social Chapter 12 in Problems of
Contract Theory; Philosophy. 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill
3. Develop critical insights on how society Education, 2011
function.

A. LESSON PREVIEWS/REVIEW

1. Introduction
In oriental perspective, the nature of all things may be represented by the yin and the
yang. It is a visual representation of dualism – black and white, light and darkness, goodness
and evil exhibited in all existence. It may also be a symbol of harmony, or of balance, of all
things.
From these points of view, one can deduct that ethics deals with the study of morality, or
otherwise, that governs norms of human conduct and affairs. Just like the yin and yang, ethics
evaluates moral concepts, values, principles, and standards to effect a constant and dynamic
balance of human realms.

Yin and Yang

2. Activity│What I Know Chart

Prior to moving forward with the module, kindly answer the first column (What I know).
The third column (What I learned) should be answered after the Main Lesson.

What I Know: Questions: What I learned:

What is moral philosophy?

Why rules are important in

human conduct?

What does Socrates say

about DCT?
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MODULE 1

B. MAIN LESSON

What is ethics?

Ethics is branch of philosophy that deals with human actions and reasons for action. Thus, ethics
is also concerned with character. In fact, the word ethics is derived from the Greek “ethos”, which
means “character”, or in plural “manners”.

It tries to answer questions:

 What is the good?

 What makes good, good?
 Who is a moral person?
 What makes an act right?

Also called moral philosophy, ethics evaluates moral concepts, values, principles, and
standards. Because it is concerned with norms of human conduct, ethics is considered a normative
study of human actions.

Why ethics?

Understanding your moral compass in order to develop better judgment is the aim for studying
Ethics. Upon entering college, students are not blank sheets, devoid of pre-existing beliefs and values.
College students already have developed a set of moral standards by which they use to understand
the world and moral compass to navigate in it.

The reality makes it important for students to study, explore, understand and critically reflect on
their personal value systems. The end goal for studying ethics is for the student to become a person
who makes sound judgments, sensitive to the common good or general welfare.

Ethics ensure a generally agreed standard work-related behavior that empowers professionals
to foster moral values through their work. Ethics gives a sense of justification in one’s judgment, and
helps ensure that decisions at work are not made based on purely subjective factors. Without the study
of ethics, the practice of one’s profession will fall prey to vastly conflicting individual interpretations.

Clearly, ethics and morality necessarily carry the concepts of moral standards or rules with
regard to behavior. So as way of introducing moral rules, let us discuss why rules are important to
social beings.

Divine Command Theory

Ethics determines whether an action is right or wrong. For example, is abortion a good thing?

In the study of ethics, it asks what we mean by 'right' or 'good'. So Divine Command Theory
doesn't tell us whether God allows abortion. Instead, it tells us that abortion is acceptable if God allows
it, and is wrong if (s)he forbids it. Saying it's a 'meta-ethical' theory is saying it's a theory about where
morality comes from.

From this point of view, God is the regulator and moderator of morality or depending to what
God commands. Therefore, compliance to such rules and regulations makes one moral or ethical.
Incompliance or delinquency to such will result otherwise.
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However, Socrates (469-399 BCE) argued that if DCT is to be believed

as truth then “morality is arbitrary”. He asked whether we call the GOOD,
good because the gods have done it (act of god) or whether they have
done it because it is GOOD (nature of things).

Religions often base their notion of morality on the character of

their God claiming that:

(1) What is 'good' is good because God commands it; and

(2) People cannot live moral lives unless they follow God's moral teachings.

Many people claim that morality is impossible without the belief in a supernatural entity (god),
from which our sense of right and wrong ultimately derives. And yet, Plato put a huge hole in this
argument, back in the 4th century BCE. Think about this excerpt from Plato’s Euthyphro (Socrates is
speaking):

"Consider this: is what is pious loved by the gods because it is

pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods? (Euthyphro,
10a)"

Euthyphro’s dilemma, as it has come to be known, is this:

a) If the good is such because God says it is, then morality is

arbitrary
b) If the good is absolute, and God cannot do evil, then we
don’t need the middle Man to figure out what is good and
what is not (e.g., we know that killing innocent children and
women, ethnic cleansing, etc. are wrong, period).

His question implies the possibility of the existence of a standard for the GOOD separate from
the divine – the irrelevance of gods from morality.

Social Contract Theory

If gods must be absent in the course of morality, then what governs human affairs?

In 1651, Thomas Hobbes famously wrote that, “life in the state of

nature – that is, our natural condition outside the authority of a political state
– is ‘solitary, poor, nasty brutish, and short.’ From this, one can infer, that in
the absence of moral standard the conduct of human affairs will be chaotic,
if not out of hand. Human civilization will neither flourish nor grow, if men
remain uncontrollable and tamed.

To augment this, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the

primary proponents of this enormously influential theory, discussed “that
persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract
or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.”
Thomas Hobbes,16th century

political philosopher
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Societies are made by the conscious and unconscious agreement of men. In effect, this
agreement delineates rules, mores, norms, that will govern affairs and interaction for the stability and
harmony of the society. Thus, morality is made and set through social contract.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau John Locke

Importance of Rules to Social Beings

Humans in general, do not live in isolation. Instead an individual is a member of a community of

people whose common goal is to survive and thrive. As human societies evolved, they found that
human communities have better chances to survive if they work together; and that working together
is more effective when there is a system in place. One of the systems that humans developed are
standards that guide human activities, or simply, “rules”.

Rules benefit social beings in various manners:

 Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior. Rules build boundaries and place limits on
behavior. Rules are usually coupled with means to impose consequences on those who violate
them. One of the reasons people follow accepted rules is to avoid negative consequences.
 Rules help to guarantee each person certain rights and freedom. Rules form frameworks for
society. Nations are generally nations of laws and the governing principles are outlined in what
is called constitution. Because the majority has agreed to follow and consent to be governed
by such a constitution, the freedom outlined exists. One of the advantages of such a system is
that each person is guaranteed certain rights as the government is limited in its power to ensure
that it does not become powerful enough to suppress liberty.
 Rules produce a sense justice among social beings. Rules are needed in order to keep the strong
from dominating the weak, that is, to prevent exploitation and domination. Without rules,
schemes in which those with the power control the system, would take over. In effect, rules
generate a stable system that provides justice, in which even the richest and most powerful
have limitations on what they can do. If they transgress rules such as laws and ordinances and
take advantage of people, there are consequences both socially and criminally.

In short, society could not soundly function without rules and regulations. Rules are necessary to
protect the greater good. Even the freest societies ought to have rules in order to avoid exploitations
and tyranny while upholding the common welfare.
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C. OVERVIEW

Ethics
● Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness or wrongness of human
conduct.
● Morality speaks of a code or system of behavior in regards to standards of right and wrong
behavior,
● Ethics evaluates moral concepts, values, principles, and standards. It is concerned with norms
of human conduct.
● Ethics is considered a normative study of human actions

Rules
● Rules refer to explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a
specific activity or sphere.
● Rules are usually coupled with means to impose consequences on those who violate them.
● Rules are considered essential for a healthy economic system.
● Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings

D. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL BUILDING ACTIVITIES

Review your notes and answer the questions in no more than 5 sentences, kindly answer the
following:
1. In the discussion of the Divine Command theory, do you agree with Socrates’ argument? Why
or why not?
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2. In the discussion of the Social Contract theory, how do you think we could ensure that individuals
will be likely to cooperate in society?
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3. After reading the material, how do you understand morality?
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