Course Orientation and

Importance of Rules

LESSON 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES(S):

TO STATE WHAT
TO EXPLAIN THE
ARE EXPECTED OF
IMPORTANCE OF
ME IN THIS
RULES
COURSE
QUESTION:

▪ What will happen if there are no rules in your life, your home,
your school, your church and community?
IMPORTANCE OF RULES

▪ Rules are not meant to restrict your freedom. They are meant
to help you grow in freedom, to grow in your ability to choose
and do what is good for you and for others.
▪ Any rule or law that prevents human persons from doing and
being good ought to be repealed. They have no reasons to
exist.
 Moral and Non-Moral Standards

LESSON 2
LEARNING OBJECTIVE(S):

▪ Distinguish between moral and non-moral standards

CLASSIFY
(MORAL OR NON-MORAL):
▪ No talking while your mouth is full ▪ Observe correct grammar when
writing and speaking English
▪ Do not lie
▪ Submit school requirements on time.
▪ Wear black or white for mourning;
never red. ▪ If you are a male, stay by the danger
side when walking with a female.
▪ The males should be the one to
propose marriage not females. ▪ Don’t cheat others.
▪ Don’t steal ▪ Don’t Kill.
 ETHYMOLOGY AND MEANING OF
ETHICS

▪ Ethics - Greek word “Ethos” meaning “custom” used in the works of Aristotle.
- a branch of philosophy which deals with moral standards, inquires about the
rightness or wrongness of human behavior or the goodness or badness of
personality, trait or character.
▪ Moral – Latin equivalent.
- The adjective describing a human act as either ethically right or wrong, or
qualifying a person, personality, character as either ethically good or bad.
MORAL AND NON-MORAL
STANDARDS
▪ Moral Standards are norms or prescriptions that serve
as the frameworks for determining what ought to be
done or what is right or wrong action, what is good or
bad character.
▪ Non-moral standards are social rules, demands of
etiquette and good manners. They are guides of actions
which should be followed as expected by society.
 THEORIES OF MORAL STANDARDS
▪ Consequence Standard – teleogical, from tele which means end result ,
or consequence)
-states that an act is right or wrong depending on the consequences
of the act, that is, the good that is produced in the world.
▪ Not-Only-Consequence Standard – deontological
-holds that the rightness or wrongness of an action or rule depends on
sense of duty, natural law, virtue and the demand of the situation or
circumstances.
 WHAT MAKES STANDARDS MORAL?
▪ For theists, God is the ultimate source of what is moral revealed to human
persons
▪ For non-theists, God is not the source of morality. Moral standards are
based on the wisdom of sages like Confucius or philosophers like
Immanuel Kant
▪ The theistic line of thought states that moral standards are of divine
origin.
▪ For the non-theistic line of thought, moral standards must have evolved
as the process of evolution followed its course.
 MORAL
DILEMMAS

LESSON 3
 ▪ Explain moral dilemma as a moral
LEARNING dilemma as a moral experience
OBJECTIVE(S): ▪ Distinguish between moral dilemma
and a false dilemma
SCENARIO: THE PREGNANT LADY
AND THE DYNAMITE
A pregnant woman leading a group of five out of a cave on a coast
is stuck in the mouth of that cave. In a short time, high tide will be
upon them and unless she is unstuck, they will all be drowned
except the woman whose head is out of the cave. Fortunately (or
unfortunately), someone has with him a stick of dynamite. There
seems no way to get the pregnant woman loose without using the
dynamite which will inevitably kill her; but if they do not use it,
everyone else will drown. What should they do?
julia
MEANING OF MORAL DILEMMAS

▪ A moral dilemma is a problem in the decision-making between

two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable
from an ethical perspective. It is also referred to as Ethical
Dilemma.
▪ The oxford dictionary defines ethical dilemma as a “decision-
making problem between two possible moral imperatives,
neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. It
sometimes called an ethical paradox in moral philosophy.”
MEANING OF MORAL DILEMMAS

Moral Dilemmas have the following in common

1. The agent is required to do each of two (or more)
actions which are morally unacceptable;
2. The agent can do each the actions;
3. But the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions
MEANING OF MORAL DILEMMAS
▪ Moral Dilemmas are situations where two or more moral values
or duties make demands on the decision –maker, who can only
honor one of them, and thus will violate at least one important
moral concern, no matter what he or she decides to do.
▪ Moral Dilemmas present situations where there is tension
between moral values and duties that are more or less on equal
footing. The decision-maker has to choose between a wrong
and another wrong. The decision-maker is deadlock.
FALSE DILEMMA

▪ A false dilemma is a situation where the decision-

maker has a moral duty to do one thing but is tempted
or under pressure to do something else.
• A moral dilemma is a situation in which an individual
must choose between two moral options. Each
option has advantages and disadvantages that
contain significant consequences. 
• Choosing one option means violating the ethical
considerations of the other option. So, no matter
which option is selected, it both upholds and violates
at least one moral principle.
• When moral dilemmas are discussed formally, the
individual that must make the decision is referred to
as the agent.
• Moral or Ethical Dilemma Features

1. The agent (person) is required to do one of two moral

options
2. The agent (person) is capable of doing each one
3. The agent (person) cannot do both

McConnell explains that the agent should choose option A,

but at the same time, the agent should choose option B. All
things considered, both options are equivalently positive
and negative, but in different aspects.
Thus, no matter which option is chosen, it will result in a
moral failure. 
 Types Of Moral Dilemmas 

• Epistemic: This type of moral dilemma is when the person has no idea which
option is the most morally acceptable. Although in many moral dilemmas it
can be somewhat clear which option should take precedence, in
the epistemic moral dilemma, the matter is ambiguous.
• Ontological: This is a moral dilemma in which the options available are equal
in every respect. The person knows and has a clear understanding that both
options are equivalent. Most experts on morality agree that ontological moral
dilemmas are genuine dilemmas.
• Self-imposed: This is the type of moral dilemma that the person has created
themselves. They have engaged in a wrongdoing of some kind and are then
faced with resolving the matter.
• World-imposed: When the moral dilemma is brought about by
others and the person must resolve the matter, it is referred to as
a world-imposed moral dilemma, and is also often 
an example of a social dilemma. The person is in the situation, but
not due to any wrongdoing or mistake they are responsible for.
• Obligation: Some moral dilemmas involve options in which the
person feels they must enact each one. It is a sense of
responsibility to engage both options that creates the moral
dilemma. The tension arises because they can only choose one,
but they are obligated to do both.
• Prohibition: A moral dilemma in which each option is
reprehensible is called a prohibition dilemma. Each option would
normally not be considered due to its unethical nature. However,
the person must choose.
 Moral Dilemma Examples
• 1. Exposing Your Best Friend: The person (aka the ‘agent’) is in a supervisory
position but recently discovered that his best friend has been faking the
numbers on several sales reports to boost his commissions.  
• Type: This is a self-imposed moral dilemma. The person has not done any
wrongdoing, but they are in the position to decide whether to expose their
friend’s unethical behavior.
• 2. Tricking a Loved One with Alzheimer’s: In this scenario, a loved one has
been placed in a special residential center, which is expensive. Their children
don’t have the funds to pay, but the loved one does. Unfortunately, the only
way to access those funds is to trick the loved one into revealing their bank
account information. 
• Type: This seems to be an obligation moral dilemma. The person feels they
must take care of their loved one’s expenses, but they also feel a duty to
respect their loved one’s autonomy and not deceive them.
• 3. Cheating on a Boyfriend: The person/agent cheated on their
boyfriend while at a conference, which occurred right after a huge
fight where they both said they wanted to break up. However, now
that they’re back together, the question becomes: should the
boyfriend be told?
• Type: This is a self-imposed moral dilemma, as the person’s actions
led to the situation where they must decide whether to confess their
infidelity.
• 4. Selling a Used Car: The person has two close friends. One is
considering buying a car from the other. They know the car has a
serious problem with the engine, but their friend is not disclosing it.
• Type:  This can be seen as an ontological moral dilemma, as the
person must choose between two equivalent actions: betraying the
trust of one friend by revealing the car’s problems or betraying the
trust of the other friend by staying silent.
• 5. Recalling a Faulty Product: The CEO of a large corporation has been
informed that one of their products causes cancer in lab rats. The
mortality rate is low and the company has spent millions on R&D and
marketing. Recalling the product could mean bankruptcy and thousands of
lost jobs.
• Type:  This could be a world-imposed moral dilemma as the person/agent
didn’t personally contribute to the faulty product but must decide whether
to recall the product or risk public health.
• 6. Global Supply Chains: The BOD knows that the rare Earth minerals they
need for their electronics products are being mined by children. Not using
that source means the company would be required to raise the price of its
products considerably. And that means competitors will win huge market
share.
• Type:  This is an obligation dilemma. The person feels obligated to both
keep their products affordable (and their company competitive) and to
avoid supporting unethical labor practices.
• 7. Admitting a Mistake: The person only analyzes part of the data
involved in a pharmaceutical study so that the medication looks effective.
A year later, the BOD is charged with a crime because the government
learned that the medication causes a severe health issue in users.
• Type: This is a self-imposed dilemma because the agent’s decision to
only analyze part of the data led to the current situation.
• 8. In Child Protection Services: The ‘agent’ in this dilemma is a case
worker. They know that charges against a parent were fabricated by a
vengeful ex, but yet the rules state that charges must be filed and the
children removed from the household, most likely for several months
until a full investigation has been completed.
• 
• Type: This could be an epistemic dilemma because the person doesn’t
know which action – following the protocol or not filing charges knowing
they were fabricated – is the most morally correct.
• 9. Playground Accident at School: The agent’s co-teacher was looking at
their phone on the playground when one of the students under their
supervision fell off the equipment and broke their arm. If the person tells
the truth, the co-teacher, who is supporting three children as a single
parent, will be fired.
• Type: This could be seen as an ontological dilemma, as the person must
choose between two equally significant outcomes: telling the truth and
potentially causing their co-teacher to lose their job, or staying silent and
potentially putting the school and other students at risk.
• 10. In Geo-Politics: The president of a company knows that they are dependent
on doing business with another country that has severe human rights violations.
If they move out of that market it will mean huge losses. If they stay, it means
putting money in the pockets of people that commit crimes against humanity.
• Type: This might be classified as a prohibition dilemma, as both options –
supporting a regime that violates human rights or causing significant financial
loss to the company and its stakeholders – are morally objectionable.
• 11. Conflict of Professional Ethics: Imagine a journalist finds
sensitive but vital information about a potential major scandal
involving a beloved public figure who happens also to be the
journalist’s dear friend.
• Type: This represents a self-imposed dilemma, as the
journalist must reconcile their professional obligation with
their personal relationship.
• 12. Prioritizing Elder Care: Imagine a working individual
struggling to balance work responsibilities with eldercare. On
one hand, they want to provide proper care for their elderly
parent but on the other hand, they fear losing their job.
• Type: This could be classified as an obligation dilemma, as
the individual is torn between two significant responsibilities.
• 13. Intellectual Property Misuse: A computer engineer
discovers their colleague is misusing intellectual property from
a previous employer to boost productivity at the current firm.
• Type: This scenario represents an ontological moral dilemma,
where the engineer must choose between reporting their
colleague and protecting the workplace.
• 14. Revealing Confidential Information: An employee learns
that their company’s financial health is more severe than
communicated publicly. They fear that if they don’t warn their
co-workers, they all risk losing their jobs without prior notice.
• Type: This could be seen as a world-imposed moral dilemma,
as the employee had no hand in creating the financial
instability but must decide how to handle the information.
• 15. Exploitative Marketing: A marketing manager at a fast-
food company is asked to develop campaigns targeting low-
income neighborhoods, where obesity rates are already high.
• Type: This represents an obligation dilemma, as the manager
is expected to fulfill their job duty while battling against
contributing to societies’ health problem.
• 16. Academic Dishonesty: A student discovers their friend
plagiarizing an entire assignment. On one hand, they feel they
should report the violation, but they also fear losing their
friend.
• Type: This is a self-imposed dilemma as the student’s action
led to the situation where they must decide whether to
uphold academic integrity or maintain their friendship.
• 17. Unethical Labor Practices: A manufacturing company
explicitly doesn’t use sweatshop labor. It’s discovered that their
major supplier uses such practices.
• 
• Type: This is an obligation dilemma, as the company feels a
responsibility to its reputation and ethical standards, but severing
ties with the major supplier could risk business operations.
• 18. Business Versus Environment: A construction company
discovers an endangered species habitat in an area planned for
building a lucrative housing project.
• Type: This is an epistemic dilemma, as the company has to
choose between its economic interests and environmental
responsibilities not knowing which is the morally correct decision.
 THE THREE LEVELS OF MORAL
DILEMMAS

LESSON 4
LEARNING OUTCOME/S:

▪ Illustrate the three levels if moral dilemma - individual,

organizational & structural
 The mission of Catholic
School A is to serve the poor
by giving quality education. It
is torn between the
SCENARIO A obligation to charge low
tuition to help the poor and
to pay better salaries to keep
quality teachers.
 Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer.
Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had
been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried
desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging
ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this
was much more than the Heinz could afford.
SCENARIO Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help
from family and friends. He explained to the chemist
B that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the
drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later.
The chemist refused, saying the he had discovered the
drug and was going to make money from it. The
husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that
night he broke into the chemist’s laboratory and stole
the drug.
 A principal ought to welcome and
encourage parents and community
participation in school affairs. Based
on her experience, parents and
community are passive and so the
SCENARIO principal always ends up deciding
and doing things just the same. She
C is obliged to serve parent’s and
community participation which do
not give any input at all at the same
time she obliged to accomplish
things on time
3 levels of moral dilemma
1. INDIVIDUAL
● refers to as personal dilemmas
● It is an individual’s damn-if-you-do-and-damn-if-you-don’t situation
2. ORGANIZATIONAL
● exists between personal interests and organizational welfare or
between individual groups’ interests and organizational well-being.
3. STRUCTURAL
● a conflict of perspective of sectors, groups and institutions that
may be affected by the decision
 1. Differentiation vs. Integration
Ex. Promoting or introducing universal
health care
Examples of 2. Gap vs. Overlap
Structural Ex. Boy who wanted his pants shorts
3. Lack of clarity vs. Lack of creativity
Dilemma 4. Flexibility vs. Strict Adherence to Rules
5. Excessive Autonomy vs. Excessive
Interdependence
6. Centralized vs. Decentralized Decision
making
 FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION OF
MORAL ACTS

LESSON 5
LEARNING OBJECTIVES(S):

▪ To explain why only human beings can be ethical.

And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain
My friend I'll make it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm
certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
I saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much, much more
I did it, I did it my way
FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION OF
MORAL ACTS
● Ethics applies to human persons
○ Unlike the lower forms of animals, human persons have a choice
or freedom, hence morality applies only to human persons
● Freedom and Moral Choice
○ Making moral choice is a necessary consequence of being a
human person.
○ Because a human person has freedom, s/he has a choice and so
is responsible for the consequences of his/her choice.
● To be ethical: Own not merely abide by moral standards
 CULTURE: HOW IT DEFINES
MORAL BEHAVIOR

LESSON 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES(S):

▪ Articulate what culture, enculturation, inculturation and

acculturation mean
▪ Attribute facets of personal behavior to culture
▪ Explain how culture shapes the moral agent
BRAINSTORMING

When you hear the word “culture”, what comes to

your mind?
 Marriage Practices - Give
BRAINSTORMING different marriage practices as a
result of culture.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
▪ Culture is the integrated pattern of human
knowledge, beliefs and behaviors
▪ Culture is the set of means used by mankind to
become more virtuous and reasonable in order to
become fully human
▪ As moral a moral agent, the human person is born
into culture
 ▪ Enculturation is a process of
learning from infancy till death, the
components of life in one’s culture.
▪ Inculturation refers to the
ENCULTURATION, missiological process in which the
INCULTURATION Gospel is rooted in a particular
AND culture and the latter is transformed
by its introduction to Christianity
ACCULTURATION ▪ Acculturation is the cultural
modification of individual group, or
people by adapting to or borrowing
traits from another culture.
How Culture Shapes the Moral Agent
▪ Culture definitely affects the way we evaluate and
judge things
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

LESSON 7
LEARNING OBJECTIVES(S):

▪ Explain cultural relativism

▪ Cite the strengths and weaknesses of cultural relativism
 WHAT IS CULTURAL RELATIVISM?

Cultural Relativism is the idea that a person’s beliefs, values and practices should
be understood based on that person’s own culture, rather than be judged against
the criteria of another
(Cultural relativism is the view that moral or ethical systems, which vary from
culture to culture are all equally valid and no one system is really better than any
other.
This is based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good and evil, so
every judgment about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any
opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of a person)
 Cultural Relativism vs. Cultural
Perspective

● If we hold on to strict cultural relativism, it is not possible to say that

human sacrifice is “wrong” or that respect for the elderly is “right”.
After all those are products of the culture. This takes any talk of
morality right over the cliff, and into meaningless gibberish.
● Relativism, in general, breaks down when examined from a purely
logical perspective.
● Absolute relativism is contradictory and impossible
THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

LESSON 8
LEARNING OBJECTIVES(S):

▪ Analyze crucial qualities of the Filipino moral identity

▪ Evaluate elements of the Filipino Character
The Filipino Character has weaknesses:

1. Extreme family-centeredness Extreme personalism

2. Lack of Discipline
3. Passivity and lack of initiative
4. Colonial Mentality
5. Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality
6. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
7. Emphasis on porma rather than substance
The Strengths of the Filipino Character
are:
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao
2. Family orientation
3. Joy and Humor
4. Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity
5. Hard work and Industry
6. Faith and Religiosity
7. Ability to survive
KEY POINTS
● The Filipino has a number of strengths. Their strengths, when they become
extreme, however, may also become their weaknesses.
● His/her strengths help him/her become ethical and moral but his/her
weaknesses obstruct his/her moral and ethical growth.
● Culture has a significant impact on morality.
● The Filipino group-centeredness and “kami” mentality make it difficult for the
Filipino to stand up against the group when that is the moral thing to do.
● There is much need for home, school and society as a whole to help every
Filipino grow into the strong moral person everyone is called to become.