MODULE 1

The Meaning of Ethics

What I have learned in this module is that ethics is derived from the
Greek word "ethos" meaning "characteristic way of acting". It relates to
the moral principles and values that guide human behavior. I also found
out that Ethics is the study of morality, human motivation, and rational
behavior. Hence, it helps you distinguish between what is right and
wrong, good and evil.

If I would like to explain more about ethics, then it's like a roadmap for
living your best life, it’s all about being real with yourself and others. No
faking it or pretending to be someone you're not. When you act with
integrity and stick to your principles, that's when you can look at yourself
in the mirror without any shame or guilt.
But ethics isn't just about feeling good on the inside, it can also help you
win on the outside. Ethical people have personalities like honesty and
loyalty that make them differ from any kind of people in any situation.
Whether it's about relationships, work, or just life in general, people
respect and trust those with strong ethics. It's like a key component for
achieving success and living a better life.
Furthermore, based on what is stated in the module on why we should
study ethics. The reason for that is it can also give you inner peace and
calm. Think about it, when you're living right and treating others properly,
your conscience is clear. There’s no need to stress about the sketchy
things you did or feel bad for hurting people. It's just smooth sailing and
positivity all around.
In essence, ethics is all about figuring out the right way to live and act. It
helps us satisfy our basic human needs, build trust, make better decisions,
and keep society running smoothly, like an art of living well, helping us
grow as people and find inner peace. Some even believe it can lead to a
nice afterlife. Bottom line, ethics is super important for guiding how we
think and behave in our daily lives, careers, and communities towards
something better.
Module 2
Rules

The second module gave a good overview of what rules are and why
they're important. Rules are basically guidelines that tell us what we can
and can't do in different situations. They help keep things organized and
prevent chaos by setting boundaries on people's behavior. Without rules,
it would be free for all with everyone just doing whatever they want.
It also explained the difference between moral and non-moral actions.
Moral actions have that quality of being right or wrong, good or bad. Non-
moral actions, like instinctive animal behaviors, don't really fall into that
moral judgement category. They're just...actions, without any moral
weight behind them. Moral actions though, are the ones we judge as
ethical or unethical based on our beliefs and cultural contexts.
The part about moral dilemmas was really interesting. A moral dilemma is
when you're faced with a situation where every possible choice violates
some moral reasons you have. No matter what you do, something or
someone gets impacted negatively based on your moral principles. The
examples really drove that point home about how tough these dilemmas
can be to navigate.
The module broke down moral dilemmas into different levels too -
individual, organizational, and systemic. Individual ones are just you as a
person having to make a difficult choice. Organizational dilemmas happen
in businesses where policies and profit motives get in the way of doing
the ethical thing sometimes. And then systemic ones are just dilemmas
we face in everyday life because of how flawed society can be.
Overall, it was an enlightening read that made me think more deeply
about ethics, morals, and how we deal with situational dilemmas when
our principles get challenged. Having a strong moral foundation is
important, but being able to think critically about hard choices is also key
when the ethical path forward gets blurry.
Module 3
Human Acts

The third module was all about understanding human acts and what
makes them moral or not. It broke down to the different types of actions
we take and how much control we really have over them. The key idea is
that true human acts are the ones where we're fully aware of what we're
doing, and we choose to do it freely.
There's a bunch of different human acts they covered, from simple wishes
and intentions in our minds to taking physical actions. But the interesting
part was the difference between moral, immoral, and amoral acts. Moral
acts are the good ones that follow the norm of morality or what most
sensible people agree is right. Immoral acts are the bad, unethical ones
that go against that norm. And amoral acts are neutral, not good or bad
by themselves.

They also made this distinction between acts that are intrinsically evil (just
wrong no matter what) and extrinsically evil (wrong because of the
circumstances). Like stealing is inherently wrong, but drinking too much is
only wrong in excess. This whole voluntariness thing was intriguing too,
whether we did something intentionally, by force, or just because of
circumstances beyond our control.
The big takeaway is that we're responsible for the outcomes of our
actions, even the unintended ones, as long as we could've reasonably
foreseen them happening. So, we gotta be mindful of the potential
consequences before we act. It's a great way of thinking about how much
control we really have over our decisions and their impacts.
All in all, this ethical structure for analyzing human actions is pretty deep
stuff. It makes you think twice about the [why] behind what you do and
whether you're really making a conscious, moral choice or just acting on
impulse. Hence, it definitely gives you an appreciation for the complexity
of human behavior and decision-making.
Module 4
Modifiers of Human Acts

The fourth module was all about the different factors that influence how
we act and the choices we make. It talks about how our actions aren't just
robotic, but are shaped by things like our emotions, habits, fears and even
ignorance. The main idea is that the more knowledge and freedom we
have, the more voluntary and responsible our actions become.
One key thing that it covers is ignorance, like when you don't know
something you probably should know. If the ignorance is invincible (you
legit had no way of knowing), then your actions based on that aren't
really your fault. But if the ignorance is vincible (you could've known if you
tried), then you're still partly responsible for your actions, even if your
responsibility is lessened a bit.
It also gets into how our emotions and habits affect our actions. Emotions
like fear, anger or passion that come before an action can reduce how
voluntary and responsible that action is, since the emotion influenced you.
But if you deliberately keep feeling that emotion, then your responsibility
isn't really reduced. Same goes for habits, actions from habits you've tried
to break are less blameworthy than ones from habits you haven't
bothered correcting.
The main point is that we shouldn't just act like unfeeling robots. Our
emotions, when properly cultivated and refined, are supposed to positively
motivate our good actions. The goal isn't just mindless obedience but
having good intentions and attitudes behind our ethical behavior. The
Filipino concept of "kagandahan ng loob" captures this, where our good
deeds come from a place of sincere goodness within.
So, in essence, this module says our actions don't happen in a vacuum,
rather they're influenced by all these internal and external factors like our
knowledge, free will, emotions and habits. But rather than just repressing
those influences, we should work on refining and cultivating the positive
ones to make our ethical actions more voluntary and meaningful.
Module 5
The Ends of Human Act

The fifth module covers the ends or goals that motivate human actions.
Basically, whenever we do something, there's usually some purpose or
aim behind it, whether it's for enjoyment or to achieve a specific goal, or
something else. The main idea is that our actions don't happen randomly
without a reason.
There are different types of "ends" or goals that guide our actions. The
most direct one is the immediate, proximate end, like satisfying your
hunger when you eat. But there can also be more remote ends too, like
promoting your overall health by eating well. And ultimately, all our
smaller goals and actions are supposed to lead up to achieving the
greatest end or as to what aristotle called happiness.

Motives also play a crucial role in the moral evaluation of human acts. A
good act done with an evil motive becomes evil itself. Conversely, a good
motive can add merit to an otherwise indifferent act. However, the truth
"the end does not justify the means" simply implies that, actions that are
good, and intended purpose does not make an intrinsically evil act
permissible.
The module also explains that happiness is the final purpose of life that
we're all striving for through our varied actions and pursuits. However, it
differentiates between natural happiness (what we can achieve through
our human capabilities) and supernatural happiness (which requires God's
powers). It discusses Aristotle's view that the highest natural happiness
comes from contemplation of truth and the life of virtue.
In essence, the module is trying to make sense of why we do, what we do
and how to judge whether our actions are good or bad. It emphasizes
that our intentions and life goals, in addition to the acts themselves, are
crucial for evaluating morality. The greatest end is supposed to be real
and must aim to search for happiness, so our actions will be oriented
towards that supreme purpose of life.
Module 6
Determinants of Morality

From what I had understand, module 6 talks about the different factors
that make an action moral or immoral. If I would like to be direct, then it's
all about understanding what makes a human act good or bad. The main
idea is that for an act to be morally good, it must check all the right
boxes, the act itself must be good, the motive behind it, and the
circumstances surrounding it must be good too.
First up, the act itself. Some acts are just plain wrong, no matter how you
identify it. Murder, stealing, lying, these are all intrinsically evil acts that
go against human nature and natural law. Then you've got acts that are
wrong because of the weird circumstances around them, like eating meat
on a Friday during Lent for Catholics. But most of the time, it's the motive
that makes or breaks an act. A good deed done with selfish intentions is
tainted, while a good deed done for good reasons gets bonus points.
Speaking of circumstances, there's a whole bunch of things that can
impact the moral value of an act. Who's doing it, what exactly are they
doing, where are they doing it, why are they doing it, how are they going
about it. Hence, all that stuff matters. For example, stealing to feed your
starving family is less bad than stealing for fun. Or killing someone in self-
defense kai lahi gamay from straight up murder. The details matter when
judging right from wrong.
The second part of the module talks about laws and why we need them.
Laws basically guide humans toward the common good and their proper
purpose in life. There are divine laws from God, human laws from
legitimate authorities, moral laws that bind our conscience, and civic laws
that bind us through punishment. All legit laws must align with God's will,
promote the greater good, be just and fair, and be actually possible to
follow.
At the end of the day, morality isn't some human invention or mindgame.
Good and evil are real, and we've got to use our freedom responsibly to
do good. Laws help societally, but it's on each of us to make the right
choices at an individual level. Separating the moral garbage from the
ethical gardens of life is key to being a genuine, authentic human being.
Module 7
Love of God

I have now arrived at module 7, and I learned something that this

particular topic is all about our duty to show some love to the greatest
entity or so what we call as God. It gets into why religion and worshipping
the divine is basically hardwired into human nature. We're straight-up
wired to be religious, no matter where we're from or what beliefs we grew
up with. Religion is our way of connecting with and showing appreciation
for the creator of everything.
The module breaks down what religion really means, it's about binding
ourselves to God through worship, prayer, rituals, and just living a moral
life that's pleasing to the Almighty. Religion can be as personal as
meditating alone or as communal as group worship. At its core, it's our
way of recognizing God's awesomeness and dominion over the universe.
The duty to know, love, and serve God is what religious belief boils down
to.
Of course, people express that religious duty in different ways through
different religious institutions and sects. But the module makes it clear
that just being part of an organized religion doesn't automatically make
you a saint. True religious enlightenment has to come from within each
person's heart and mindset, or as to what they say in bisaya, “dapat
tinod-anay" and the Churches and religious groups are just there to guide
and support that inner spiritual journey.
The whole "freedom of religious worship" thing in our Constitution doesn't
mean we can just bounce between religions or ignore them altogether. It
just means the State has to allow people to believe what they want
without trying to control or discriminate against any religion. We all gotta
be free to search for life's deeper meanings through our chosen beliefs.
At the end of the day, all religions are attempts to discover the ultimate
purpose and meaning behind human existence, even if they go about it
differently. Ethics doesn't really scrutinize which religions get it right or
wrong. True religious tolerance means respecting each person's personal
spiritual journey, even if we don't fully vibe with their beliefs.
Module 8
Love of Oneself

Module 8 talks all about self-love, but not that arrogant or big headed
kind of way. Rather, we're talking about how to truly know and care for
ourself as a complete package, our mind, body, and spirit. The ancient
philosopher Socrates taught us some quotes, "Know Thyself" telling us
that the key to becoming our best selves starts with getting real with who
we are deep down.
The module breaks it down like this, loving yourself in a healthy way
means recognizing the goodness ingrained in your nature and sharing that
goodness with others around you. It's not about being selfish and putting
yourself on a pedestal above everyone else. True self-love is about being
in tune with your needs, but also keeping that ego in check and showing
real concern for your community.
It gets into this concept of the "ethics of self-perfection" and how we've
got a duty to grow and nurture all sides of ourselves - physical, mental,
and moral and spiritual. Taking care of our bodies, expanding our minds,
and building up good character are all crucial for becoming full, well-
rounded human beings. At the end of the day, a person's moral integrity
is what really defines their true worth, not surface-level stuff like looks,
money or status.
Tied to all those self-improvement duties are basic human rights that we
all deserve respect for the rights to life, freedom to believe what we want,
getting an education, health care, you name it. The right to life is the
most fundamental, since without being alive, all other rights don't even
matter. But we've also got to fight for intellectual freedoms that allow self-
growth and self-expression.
To conclude, self-love ain't about being selfish. It's about holistically
taking care of ourselves as human beings so we can then share our gifts
with our communities and society. Knowing ourselves allows us to truly
love ourselves, and that self-love gives us the strength to love others and
live our best lives in service of something greater than ourselves.
Module 10
Love of Neighbor

Your neighbors aren't just the people who are living next door, rather, it's
every single person around you. We're talking about family, friends,
coworkers, even strangers and enemies. The way you treat all these folks
shows how much you really love your neighbor as yourself, which is the
second most important thing after loving God.
There are two big virtues that should guide your relationships and base in
the module it is called justice and charity. Justice means giving people
their rights and what they deserve, or as to what Ms Tan discussed before
[Fairness]. Thus, Charity goes beyond that by helping others out even if
you don't technically owe it to them. There are different types of justice
for different situations too, like commutative justice for business deals or
legal justice for following the law.
You've got duties to your neighbors regarding their body (not harming
their life or health), soul (no lying or misleading), and property (no
stealing or damaging their stuff). If you do violate their rights, you're
obligated to make it right. But you can use reasonable force in self-
defense if someone unjustly attacks you.
The death penalty debate is a tricky one morally. Some say the
government has a right to execute criminals to protect society. Others
argue life imprisonment is enough, and execution is cruel and doesn't
allow redemption. Personally, I lean towards allowing it for the worst
crimes if there's definitely a super fair trial process.
At the end of the day, truly loving your neighbor means mixing justice
with mercy. See the humanity in everyone, even criminals, and avoid
anything violating human dignity. But we also can't be too naive, some
personal responsibility and consequences are needed to keep society
orderly. Walking that line between justice and compassion is the tough
challenge.
Module 12
The Family

The family is the basic building block of society, anchored on the loving
union between husband and wife. It's more than just a social unit, its like
a sacred institution designed to nurture the complete well-being of its
members, especially the children. Having a strong family foundation is
crucial for nations, as families primarily shape the values and capabilities
of the next generation.
What makes an ideal family? It's not money or material comforts, but the
presence of genuine love between parents and kids. An atmosphere of
care, guidance, and life lessons from parents creates an environment
where children can grow into holistically well-rounded individuals. A family
without this loving core is just an empty shell, sure it exists, but it lacks
any real substance.
Of course, this family ideal doesn't just happen, it takes hard work from
both sides. Parents have clear-cut duties like providing for needs,
imparting values, earning respect through example. Kids, on the other
hand, need to love, obey, and honor their parents. It's a lifetime
commitment between those bound by blood.
It's disturbing how social issues like child labor, exploitation, and
prostitution persist in modern times. This signifies how broken some
family units have become, to the point that the most vulnerable are being
sacrificed. We need to get back to the core values that make families the
pillars of an upright society.
At the end of the day, the strength of the nation lies in the strength of its
families. A country filled with loving households that instill sound principles
is a country that can raise empowered, responsible, and productive future
generations. Reviving a strong family culture should be a top priority
where the fate of our motherland depends on it.
Name: Justine L. Cellona
Subject: Ethics
Time: MWF 3:30-4:30
Section: 2nd Year Bsed English OL 2
Submitted to: Ms. Ma. Gina Tan