Module 1 Basic Concepts and Issues

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Module 1: Basic Concepts and

Issues
Lesson 1: Meaning and Scope of Ethics

Morality:
refers to the set of standards an individual person or society uses to judge whether
an act is good or bad, whether someone is virtuous or not, or whether we ought to
do this or that.
Ethics
The word “Ethics” is sometimes used to refer to one’s set of moral beliefs and
practices. Strictly speaking, however, it refers to the discipline that examines the
moral standards of an individual or society. Being a branch of philosophy that
studies the nature of morality, it is sometimes also called moral philosophy.
3 General Areas of Ethics
Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 1

Methaethics
It looks into the nature, meaning, scope, and foundations of moral values,
beliefs,and judgments. Examples of metaethical questions are: Is morality objective
or relative? Is morality based on reason, emotions, intuition, or facts? What are
moral persons? What does it mean to be morally accountable?
Normative Ethics
It is concerned with the formulation of moral standards, rules, or principles to
determine right from wrong conduct or ways of life worth pursuing.
Normative ethical theories are generally built on 3 considerations about acts:
(a) that they lead to consequences;

(b) that they follow or violate rules; and
(c) that they are done by persons with character traits. Accordingly, these theories are
generally classified into consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
Applied Ethics
It examines the particular moral issues occurring in both the personal and social
spheres. It determines the moral permissibility of actions and practices in specific
areas of human concern like business, medicine, nature, law, sports, and others.
Areas in applied ethics include business ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics,

computer ethics, and social media ethics.
Descriptive Ethics
Metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics are areas of Ethics
taken as a philosophical study of morality. A non-philosophical study
of morality which seeks to objectively record and present how
people in a certain community make moral judgments or develop

their capacity for such is called descriptive ethics. Descriptive ethics
can be done in the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, and
psychology.
Lesson 2: Normative Nature of Moral Statements
Moral Statements as Normative Statements
Moral statements are normative or prescriptive, not descriptive or factual. They are
concerned with how things should be rather than what things are.
Normative Statements in General
While we appeal to the results of research, experiment, or observation in validating

factual statements, we appeal to certain standards in validating normative
statements.
Normative statements may involve matters concerning morality, aesthetics,

grammar, legality, and etiquette (among others), which are distinguished according
to the standards used for making these statements.
Lesson 3: Characteristics of Moral Standards
Moral Standards and Other Normative Standards

Moral standards are often confused with other normative standards also concerned
with “good” or “proper” behavior, such as:
1. Standards of Etiquette: based on culture or conventional practices

2. Legal Standards: based on governmental laws

3. Religious Standards: based on religious laws
What may be acceptable for these other normative standards may not be
acceptable for moral standards due to the characteristics of moral standards.
4 Characteristcs of Moral Standards
1.) Moral standards deal with matters that can seriously harm or benefit
human beings (and other moral persons).

2.) Moral standards have universal validity.
If it is morally wrong for Person A to do act X, then it is wrong to do X for anyone

under circumstances relevantly similar to Person A’s
3.) Moral standards have a particularly overriding importance.
Moral standards are used to evaluate even the correctness of other normative
standards such as legal and cultural ones.
4.) Moral standards are not established by the decisions of authoritarian
bodies, nor are they determined by appealing to consensus or tradition
Lesson 4: The Issue of Ethical Relativism
Defining Ethical Relativism

Ethical Relativism: the view which states that all moral principles are valid relative to
a particular society or individual.
Ethical Relativism should be distinguished from:

Ethical Skepticism: the view which states that there are no valid moral principles at
all (or at least we cannot know whether there are any)
Ethical Objectivism: the view which states that there are universally valid moral
principles binding all people
Two Forms of Ethical Relativism

1.) Individual Ethical Relativism /Ethical Subjectivism
The rightness or wrongness of an action lies on the the individual’s own

commitments and interests.
There is no interpersonal basis by which to judge whether an act is morally good or

bad, right or wrong.
2. Cultural Ethical Relativism /Ethical Conventionalism
The rightness or wrongness of an action depends on society’s norms.
Morality is social in nature. While there are no universal moral principles, there are
valid moral principles justified by virtue of their cultural acceptance.
Considered more acceptable or reasonable than individual ethical relativism.
Arguments Relating to Ethical Relativism
Arguments in Support
Diversity Argument: Ethical relativism must be true since moral beliefs and rules vary
from culture to culture (and within the same culture, they vary over time).
Dependency Argument: Our perception of things is inescapably culture-bound: there is

no independent, non-cultural viewpoint. Consequently, moral beliefs can only be true or
valid relative to certain groups.

Toleration Argument: Relativism must be the right way to view the nature of morality
since acknowledging the differences among various societies in terms of their moral
beliefs and practices leads to respect, social harmony, and peaceful co-existence
among the different cultural, religious, and social groups.
Arguments in Opposition/Against
Moral diversity or disagreement does not establish moral relativism.
When two people disagree about something, it may be that one of them is correct
while the other is wrong.
Ethical relativism leads to absurd consequences.
First, moral criticism would be impossible or meaningless. It would be senseless to

criticize an action by another individual or group however abhorrent or inhumane.
Second, morality would simply be a matter of following social norms, which would
undermine our rational nature.
Third, moral progress would be impossible. For how can we change social practices
for the better if we cannot criticize them?
Despite the fact that some moral beliefs and practices vary among cultures, there are
still universal moral standards that exist, such as those that respect life and promote the
pursuit of truth, justice, and peace.
Cultural practices may differ but the fundamental moral principles underlying them
do not.

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Module 1: Basic Concepts and

Lesson 1: Meaning and Scope of Ethics

3 General Areas of Ethics

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 1

Normative ethical theories are generally built on 3 considerations about acts:

(a) that they lead to consequences;

Areas in applied ethics include business ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics,

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 2

Lesson 2: Normative Nature of Moral Statements

Moral Statements as Normative Statements

Normative Statements in General

While we appeal to the results of research, experiment, or observation in validating

Normative statements may involve matters concerning morality, aesthetics,

Lesson 3: Characteristics of Moral Standards

Moral Standards and Other Normative Standards

1. Standards of Etiquette: based on culture or conventional practices

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 3

4 Characteristcs of Moral Standards

human beings (and other moral persons).

If it is morally wrong for Person A to do act X, then it is wrong to do X for anyone

3.) Moral standards have a particularly overriding importance.

4.) Moral standards are not established by the decisions of authoritarian

bodies, nor are they determined by appealing to consensus or tradition

Lesson 4: The Issue of Ethical Relativism

Defining Ethical Relativism

Ethical Relativism should be distinguished from:

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 4

Two Forms of Ethical Relativism

The rightness or wrongness of an action lies on the the individual’s own

There is no interpersonal basis by which to judge whether an act is morally good or

2. Cultural Ethical Relativism /Ethical Conventionalism

The rightness or wrongness of an action depends on society’s norms.

Considered more acceptable or reasonable than individual ethical relativism.

Arguments Relating to Ethical Relativism

Dependency Argument: Our perception of things is inescapably culture-bound: there is

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 5

Ethical relativism leads to absurd consequences.

First, moral criticism would be impossible or meaningless. It would be senseless to

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues 6

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