ETHICS

Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in MODULE 1 - WHAT IS ETHICS?

modern society at the new level of the person,
society, and in interaction with the environment 1.0 WHAT IS ETHICS?
and other shared resources (CMO 20 s2013).
Ethics or moral philosophy can be provisionally
Morality pertains to the standards of right and described as the empirical study of moral
wrong that an individual originally picks up from decisions.
the community.
The concept is derived from the Greek word
The course discusses the context and principles “ethos” which may mean tradition, habit,
of ethical behavior in modern society at the level character, or attitude.
of individual, society, and in interaction with the
environment and other shared resources. The Moreover, ethics is a systematic analysis of the
course also teaches students to make moral nature of human actions.
decisions by using dominant moral frameworks
and by applying a seven-step moral reasoning Ethics is divided into NORMATIVE AND META-
model to analyze and solve moral dilemmas. ETHICS.

NORMATIVE ETHICS, which concerns human

TOPICS behavior in general, is to address our questions
about the essence of human behavior.
TOPIC 1 What is Ethics?
There are two elds of normative ethics: MORAL
TOPIC 2 What are moral PHILOSOPHY AND APPLIED ETHICS
dilemmas
TOPIC 3 Freedom as foundation META-ETHICS is a discipline that relies on
for moral acts meaning.

TOPIC 4 What is culture? How 1.1 IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS

does it de ne our
moral behavior? ETHICS is a set of rules that allows us to say right
TOPIC 5 Cultural relativism: from wrong, good from the bad.
de nition,
advantages of ETHICS is all about decisions.
recognizing the
di erences, and the The virtues of intelligence, bravery, patience, and
dangers of the position justice guide ethical decision-making as they
provide
TOPIC 6 Universal values the basis for rational decisions when faced with an
ethical dilemma.
TOPIC 7 The Filipino way
IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS
TOPIC 8 How is moral character
developed?
1. Through ethics people can determine the
TOPIC 9 Stages of moral di erence between right from wrong, good and
development bad
2. people can eliminate actions that do not
TOPIC 10 Reason and conform to what is right
impartiality as 3. people will be very careful to the actions and
requirements for ethics decisions to make
4. people will not be disturbed of the internal and
TOPIC 11 Feelings and reason: external factors of not doing the right thing
Upsurge of feelings is 5. establish good habits of characters of a person
natural and what we do 6. come up to rational decisions in facing an
with them is what ethical dilemma
makes us 7. it makes a person responsible in the family,
ethical or unethical school and society
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8. a person becomes sensitive to the needs of The above de nitions characterized moral
others more than himself or herself dilemma or ethical dilemma as:

1.2 THE DIFFERENCES OF MORAL AND NON- Making an option to one moral value over the
MORAL STANDARDS AND CHARACTERISTICS other;
OF MORAL STANDARDS A situation where moral values are equally
signi cant;
MORAL STANDARDS refer to the guidelines we A scenario where a person has a strong moral
have on the types of acts that we nd to be reason in action, but not equally strong moral
morally permissible and morally unacceptable. reason in acting in another way;
A state where a person should morally do one,
Promote the common good, that is, the welfare two, or more and have di culty in deciding any of
and well-being of human beings, animals, and the those con icting choices.
environment.
2.1 THREE LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS
NON-MORAL STANDARDS, on the contrary,
apply to laws which are not related to social or 1. ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICAL OR MORAL
legal considerations. DILEMMA

Examples of non-moral standards are the There are common ethical issues in the
following: etiquette and code of professional organization such
ethics, etc. as

Several characteristics of moral standards as 1. Unethical leadership/bad leadership behavior.

mentioned by Velasquez (2012)
2. Toxic workplace culture.
1. Moral standards entail serious harm or bene t
2. Moral standards are not determined by 3. Discrimination and harassment/ Peril of
authority gures employee favoritism.
3. Moral standards should be adopted over other
values, including self-interest. 4. Unrealistic and con icting goals
4. Moral standards are focused on objective
considerations. 5. Use of the organization’s technology, social
5. Moral standards are perceived to be universal. media use, technology, and privacy concerns.

A TRAIN CHAIN OF DEVELOPMENT OF 6. Business travel ethics.

MORAL STANDARDS
2. INDIVIDUAL MORAL DILEMMA
1. Individual's Beliefs
As mentioned by Smith (2018), individual ethical
2. Values/Religious Values/Characters/Manners
or moral dilemma pertains to a situation where
3. Rules and Regulations
individuals confront with a number of factors such
4. Individual's Action
as peer pressure, personal nancial position, an
5. Life's Experience
economic and social status
6. Moral Standards
3. STRUCTURAL MORAL DILEMMA
MODULE 2 - WHAT ARE MORAL
DILEMMAS There are ve concepts in the structural moral
dilemma to consider namely:
2.0 DEFINITION OF MORAL DILEMMAS
(1)Di erentiation vs. Integration
A moral dilemma is a situation in which a
decision-maker must give preference to one moral The con ict between the distribution of jobs and
principle over another (Kvalnes, 2019) the organization of numerous activities generates
a classic dilemma.
Kvalnes explained that (2019) a moral dilemma
may arise as a result of a prior personal mistake. (2) Lack of Clarity vs. Lack of Creativity
It's called a self-in icted dilemma.
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 ETHICS

When employees are not clear about what they emerge because failure to perform them will either
are expected to do, they often adapt their tasks to result in a contradiction of conception or a
personal interests instead of system-wide goals contradiction of will.
that often lead to problems.
Imperfect duty requires exibility. “Bene cence” is
(3) Excessive Autonomy vs. Excessive an imperfect duty
Interdependence
3. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
When individuals or groups are too independent,
they are always isolated. Categorical imperative command unconditionally.

MODULE 3 - FREEDOM AS Irrespective of our wishes or desires, a categorical

imperative binds us as everyone has a
FOUNDATION FOR MORAL ACTS responsibility not to lie, regardless of conditions
and even though it is in our interest to do so.
3.0 KANT’S PHILOSOPHY ON FREEDOM AND
MORALITY, THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND 4. UNIVERSALIZABILITY
FAIRNESS
When anyone acts, it's a maxim, or a principle.
Immanuel Kant
- German philosopher For Kant, an act is only permissible if one can
- Kant's ethics are organized around the notion of have the principle that allows an action to be the
a “categorical imperative,” universal law by which everybody acts.

1. KANT’S PHILOSOPHY ON FREEDOM 5. HUMANITY AS AN END IN ITSELF

RIGHTS TO CHOOSE ONE’S CONDUCT BASED The second interpretation of Kant's Categorical
ON REASON, NOT DESIRE (autonomy) Imperative is to view life as an end in itself: “Act in
such a way that you treat humanity, whether in
EQUALITY IS THE FIRST AND FOREMOST your own person or in the person of another,
AMONG THE VARIOUS FREEDOMS AND always at the same time as an end and never
FREEDOM IS THE ONLY INHERET POWER. simply as a means.”

AUTONOMOUS RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO BE 3.KANT’S PHILOSOPHY ON JUSTICE AND

HAPPY IN THEIR OWN WAY INTERVENTION OF FAIRNESS
ANOTHER‘S FREEDOM EXEMPLIFIES FORCING
OTHERS TO BE HAPPY Kant’s corollary meaning of justice and fairness
are the following:
ABIDE BY THE RULES THEY FOLLOW
(1) Justice involves external acts through which an
LIMITED INDEPENDENCE DUE TO THE CHOICE individual may directly or indirectly in uence
OF OTHERS. COEXISTENT WITH EACH OTHER’S others.
FREEDOM UNDER UNIVERSAL RULE
(2) Justice does not a ect the desires, wishes, or
2. KANT’S PHILOSOPHY ON MORALITY needs of others.

1. GOOD WILL AND DUTY (3) Justice is concerned primarily with the nature
of interpersonal relationships and not with their
Kant started his ethical philosophy by arguing that substance.
the only virtue that can be uncontroversially good
is good will. MODULE 4 - WHAT IS CULTURE? HOW
Good will is a wider conception than the will of
DOES IT DEFINE OUR MORAL
obligation. BEHAVIOR?
2. PERFECT AND IMPERFECT DUTIES 4.0 WHAT IS CULTURE?

Having applied the categorical imperative, duties According to Kohak (1984), culture is at the root of
human alienation from the environment.
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Cole (2019) de ned culture as a concept that Passivity and Lack of Initiative
refers to a broad and diverse collection of often
intangible areas of social life. Colonial Mentality

Zimmerman explicated (2017) culture as the Kanya-kanya Syndrome

characteristics and awareness of a speci c
community of people Lack of Self Analysis and Re ection

4.1 THE INFLUENCES OF CULTURE IN MORAL

MODULE 5 CULTURAL RELATIVISM
DEVELOPMENT
5.0 DEFINITION OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
1. Culture is always social and communal by
which the relationship of the people towards one
It means that we will make an e ort to understand
another and their experience as people are the
the cultural traditions of other communities in their
culture’s meadow.
own cultural context
2. The culture de nes the normative principles and
(CR) is a moral theory that contends that there are
behaviors of society.
no objective universal moral rules, and the moral
rules that do exist are culturally bound.
3. A culture, as best exempli ed in the experience
of the people, develops restrictions and sets
boundaries and limitations as they live and relate 5.1 PROS OR ADVANTAGES OF CULTURAL
with one another. RELATIVISM

4. As culture helps in generating the character and It creates learning opportunities that could make
identity of its people, it also includes their moral humanity stronger
character.
It eliminates the concept of separate, but equal.
5. The culture identi es the authorities or the
governing individuals or groups. It creates a system of niche expertise.

4.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF FILIPINO CULTURE It encourages respect.

1. The Filipino people are very resilient. 5.2 THE CONS OR DISADVANTAGES OF
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
2. Filipinos take pride in their families.
There will be actions taken that would be de ned
3. Filipinos are very religious. by some as “violent,” “unsafe,” or “wrong.”

4. Filipinos are very respectful. It is based on a concept that people are perfect.

5. Filipinos help one another. It creates a personal bias.

6. Filipinos values traditions and culture.

7. Filipinos have the longest Christmas

celebration.

8. Filipinos love art and architecture.

9. The Filipinos are hospitable people.

4.4 WEAKNESSES OF FILIPINO CHARACTER

Extreme Personalism

Extreme Family Centeredness

Lack of Discipline
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