CHAPTER 2: THE MORAL EXPERIENCE

In the first lesson, we have discussed how ethics and morality are defined.
We also drew a line between moral and non-moral standards. These standards
provide structure to moral experience. Have you ever asked yourself: “Am I good?”
“If so, why am I doing things that are morally wrong?” “If man is basically good, why
do I have the tendency to do bad things?” “Why should I consider others even when
they are mean and uncomprehending?” These questions make you reflect critically
to find out the goodness of your experience as a moral being; and that’s what ethics
is all about—to have a rational understanding of the goodness of your experience.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. identify the two elements of moral experience;
2. explain the nature of banned acts; and
3. distinguish the two parts of moral experience.

The poem tells us to love others and forgive

them with their wrong doings. In your overall
life experience, is it easy to forgive? What
makes you say it is or it isn’t?

Photo A

Source: en.wikipedia.com

The Moral Experience

We can't promote the good without morals. We learnt in Module 1 that
becoming morally upright is in your best interests. Moral experience is made up of
you and your deeds. According to Thomas Hobbes (see Pojman, 2005), each of us
has our own personal interests. Hence, in order to avoid conflicts, the society must
formulate contracts or moral codes that must be adhered to so that everything will be
in order; otherwise, there will be
MORAL EXPERIENCE “war against all.” Imagine if people
can just do whatever they want
A moral experience has two elements: without restrictions. They can fight
the moral agent who is the doer of the over a slice of bread and kill each
action and the moral act that comprises other. Your neighbor, without
the things done by the agent. Moral permission, can butcher your pig for
experience is seen in the different
ethical frameworks called the moral
theories.
the fiesta and you will take his cow as a form of revenge. Without morality, life will be
in chaos.
The moral experience has two elements: moral agent and moral act. The
moral agent is the doer of the act—you. Only humans have the concept of morality.
Non-human animals might have morally upright behaviors similar to humans (e.g.
caring for the young) but they do not have the ability to reason out or judge their
actions based on moral principles. These human-like moral behaviors of animals are
called protomoral behaviors (see Skutch, 2007). In this sense, the moral agent—
Humans—it is thought that they have this ability. to make sound moral judgment
through his reasoning ability.
Moral acts are the things that moral agents do. These behaviors to be
considered as moral acts should be inside the ethical domain or within moral
standards discussed in Module 1. Each moral act has an object who receives the
action, an intention that motivates the action, and the situation that provides the
context of the action. For example, you stole your classmate’s pen before taking the
final exam because you have no money to buy one and you are in desperate need to
take the test or else you will fail the course. The act is stealing. The object of the act
is your classmate; the intention is for you to pass the course; and the situation is that
you don’t have the money to buy for a pen.
The Nature of Prohibited Acts
By their very nature, prohibited acts cannot be habitual and enduring, if they
do, they cease to become prohibited (Skutch, 2007) and thus become a norm.
For example, if stealing becomes habitual and enduring, then no one will
produce a merchandize, save money in the bank, or hold on to earned wealth.
People will live a hand to mouth existence like the primitive times. With that, it would
be impossible to steal because there is nothing more to steal. Another, when lying
becomes a norm, then It will be a strange thing to do if you reveal the truth.. In
reality, liars succeed in deceiving us because most people tell the truth than they lie.
Hence, moral codes prohibit acts that in themselves cannot be sustained and
maintained (Skutch, 2007).
The Innate Foundation of Moral Experience
There are two impulses or motives that the moral experience is anchored.
First, those that are directed towards self-preservation and second, those that are
directed to others. We said that a moral act has intentions. These intentions or
motives urge us to perform acts that benefit ourselves and those that promote the
welfare of others be it to our own blood or others who are unrelated to us (Skutch,
2007).

Self-regarding motives or virtues

1. Prudence. The rational self-love; it forbids us to overly indulge with pleasure
without thinking of the future (Skutch, 2007). Prudence is defined as doing the right
thing at the right moment, with the right person, for the right reason, and to the
appropriate degree.
2. Temperance. It’s standing firm to have only what is enough despite great
enticement or opposing drive and works together with prudence (Skutch, 2007). In
Filipino, we call it pagtitimpi.
3. Fortitude. Perseverance even in the face of
challenges so to achieve a very important goal. Anybody can
4. Patience. It is not acting on impulse. It is about become angry—
taking time to think through a certain act before doing
it. “Being patient does not imply allowing ourselves to that is easy. But to
be constantly mistreated, enduring hostility, or
allowing others to use us,” Pope Francis wrote in be angry with the
Amoris Laetitia. Patience grows when I acknowledge
that other people have the right to live in this world as
right person and to
well. ”Other-regarding motives or virtues the right degree and
Altruism is the act of helping others. Altruism
and all other-regarding virtues can all be called as
at the right time
benevolence. The fact that we become happy when
we are able to help others unselfishly may, at the
and for the right
surface, seem a selfish act. However, if you look purpose, and in the
deeper, you would see that benevolence is not
derived from self-interest because both exists right way—that is
separately on their own and does not require each
other in order to exist. Moreover, it is only when one difficult.
has reached a high self-awareness that he is able to
Google iimage
become mindful about the needs of other and satisfy Source: pintenest.phil
them (Skutch, 2007). Simply put, one must gain himself first before he can deny it.
That is why, even if it is hard for you to forgive someone who has done you
wrong, you take time to reflect on your experience and pattern in out because it is
innate for a person to be benevolent.