GE-8 Ethics

Introduction: The Basic of Ethics

What is Ethics?

a. Etymological meaning – Greek term “ethos” – characteristic way of living belonging to

man as a rational being that is endowed with intellect and free-will Its Latin equivalent be “mos”,
“more” meaning tradition or custom. “Ethos” includes cultural mannerism, religion, politics,

laws and social aspiration of a group of people.

“What makes you a man?” – being rational, different from other animals, free to make decision
(intellect) –our faculty that allows us to acquire knowledge of the good; our thinking correlates our
action.
-educate ourselves with principle and theory.
-Plato’s charioteer – horse represents our desire; chariot represents our reality/us
-faculty that allows us to do something acquires us to gain knowledge.

Free Will – by product of our freedom

Basic Human Rights

Life

Property

Liberty (Freedom)

b. The Essential Definition

-Ethics is defined as the science of the morality of human acts, subject matter of ethics

-Ethics refers to well based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what human ought to
do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues; abstract
understanding of character for decision making)

-Ethics refers to the study and development of one’s ethical standards, general ethics

What Ethics is NOT?

a. Ethics is not about feelings that tell one what is right or wrong.

b. Ethics is not about one’s religious belief.

c. Ethics is not about what the law requires.

d. Ethics is not about what society accepts.

-based more on reason; the more reasonable you are

the better the action, because feelings change from

time to time.

Ethical Principle and Ethical Theories

-Ethical principles are the objective basis of ethics. They are the foundations of ethical analysis
because they are the viewpoint from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision.
As such, they are the basis of what is right or wrong.

-Ethical theories emphasized different points to reach an ethically correct decision. Each ethical theory to
be effective must be different to a common set of goals which are the ethical principles.

Right equals morally obligatory.

Good enhances life for those who possess it.

Ethical Principles

-are the objectives basis of ethics. They are the foundations of ethical analysis because they are
they viewpoint from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision. As such, they are
the basis of what is right or wrong.

-foundation of ethical analysis; guidance and basis of

right or wrong; good or bad Ethics cannot be taught, because ethics is relative;

“What is good for me may not be good for everyone”; there is no objective of ethics (it’s the
truth); cannot be changed from time to time or from person to person, whenever you are and whoever
you are.

General Ethical Principles

1. Beneficence – we ought to be do good and avoid evil; doesn’t change from time to time, do
good and everything gets even;

Fallacy of Equivocation (fallacy argument) – “I need not to do what is good, because doing bad is good
for

me, ergo doing bad is good.”

*Good in the first premise is called real good.

*Good in the second premise is called apparent good (evil good); ergo good in the third premise is
invalid. - Concept of the good –

2. Least Harmful – non-maleficence; neither choice is beneficial; choosing lesser harmful

3. Respect for Autonomy – self-sustenance and independence; rationality that makes us

autonomous - highly regarded commodity; respect every individual’s decision from every aspect
of their lives (individual’s autonomy) -our actions have social implications; affecting people (individual
freedom that we have to respect).

4. Justice – as fairness-equity due to personal equality according to it’s need; egalitarian concept.

5. Fidelity – faithfulness; ought to honor confidentiality and maintain trust.

Ethical Theories -emphasize different points to reach an ethically correct decision. Each ethical theory to
be effective must be directed to a common set of goals which are the ethical principles.

Ethical Principles are the objective basis of ethics. They are the foundation of ethical analysis because
they are the viewpoint from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision. As such,
they are the basis of what is right or wrong.

Distinction between Ethics and Morality:

-Ethics is the study of ethical principles and theories that may be applied in moral decision making. As
such, when one says, EHICAL it means an act that is based on certain ethical principles and theories.

-ethical principle of the theory applied by decision making; technically called an ethical function. Not
necessarily the good at all times.

-Morality refers to the quality of a human act which can either be MORAL, when GOOD, IMMORAL
when BAD, AMMORAL when NEUTRAL with moral implications. This is also called MORAL
DISTINCTION of human acts.

-moral distinction of human acts

Distinction between the Right and the Good

-Right refers to the actions that are ethically correct, usually in terms of specifiable rules of conduct
(Burton,1995) Ex. Right to honor commitment. Right to respect the sanctity of life.

- actions that are ethically correct; you do the right things in order to achieve what is good. Along with
an ethical theory that guides you with decision making.

-pertains to your observation to the rule of conduct in a form of procedural guidelines

-Good, according to Aristotle, is that which fits man. Good is anchored on reason. The foundation of
what is right. It is the aim of every human action.

- an objective of doing what is right; we do what is right because we want to achieve what is good.

- to develop our rationality in order for us to be happy

–Aristotle-to educate ourselves of what is good, naturally and ideally

-The objective is that in everything that we do the aim of every human action is the good which
is called Eudaimonia; happiness as the constant objective
-the virtue Ethics of Aristotle (Nichomachean Ethics) dedicated to his son -in everything that we do
there is always a reason which is the good.

Types of Ethics – each type has a corresponding approach being real to the subject
matter;

understanding what is good.

a. Metaethics – investigates where our principles come from and what they means - The concern is
understanding the concept like “What is good?” “Where did our universal understanding of what
is good come from?”.

b. Normative Ethics – takes on more practical task, which is to arrive at moral standards that regulate
what is right and wrong conduct. This may include good habits that we should acquire, the duties
that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on others.

-task to provide us with norms; standards and normal way of doing things, guide us in a way we do
things, ways of doing good, moral standards; practice actions of doing good.

c. Applied Ethics – involves examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion,

infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homo sexuality, capital punishment, nuclear war etc.

-application of norms or the moral standards, the concepts and principles. Understanding the
morality of the action; “Why do we say that abortion is bad?”

“What perspective does the pro-abortion have?”

Moral vs. Non-Moral Standards

Moral Standards – are norms that individual or groups have the kinds of action believed to be morally
right or wrong, as well as the values placed on what they believed to be morally good or morally
bad.

-normally promote the good that is the welfare and well – being of humans as well as animals and
the environment.

Norms – general rules about our action and behavior

Values – enduring belief of what is good and desirable

Norms + Values = Moral standards Ex. Killing is absolutely wrong. Helping the poor is good
Some Ethicist equate moral standards with moral values and moral principles
Non-moral Standards – refer to the standards which we judged what is good or bad and right and wrong
in a non-moral way. -don’t have moral implications Ex. Standards of Etiquette, the law (itself), Standards

of aesthetics, fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules -these are matters of taste
and preference

Moral Standards – “Do not harm others”

Non-moral Standards – “Do not text while driving”

What is a moral Dilemma?

A moral dilemma is a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more
conflicting options, neither of which is acceptable of beneficial to the person making a choice.

Four Elements of Moral Dilemma;

1. Moral agent is a person before moral situation subjected to a moral dilemma;

2. Moral situations is a situation that entails you from doing good or bad

3. Two or more conflicting options – there should be only one available option; there should be no
other available option. If there is an available option, that is not a dilemma

4. Neither option is acceptable nor beneficial taking choice

-it is only a dilemma if there is no other option

available.

Is this a moral dilemma?

-To protect and to preserve a virgin forest or to allow miners and loggers for economic development No,
this is not a moral dilemma because there are still options available. When dilemma involves human
action which have moral implication, they are called Ethical or Moral Dilemmas.

Foundation of Morality

-Morality presupposes that the person is capable of choosing what is right and wrong. The ability
to choose is grounded on the idea that the person is free.

-FREEDOM in REASON

-Do good and Avoid evil -“We either live in virtue or vice. And to live in either

way depends on our choices.”

(Dr. Ryan Maboloc) -Freedom = Responsibility (liability, immutability)

-“Hell is other people.” (Jean Paul Sarte)

-“The limit of freedom is freedom itself.” Your freedom ends when another person’s freedom begins.

Presuppositions of Morality

-Immanuel Kant mentioned three postulates of ethics:

1. Human Freedom

-man is free

-threefold phrases in carrying out freedom:

a. before the act

b. during the decision/act

c. after the decision/act

2. Immortality of Soul

-it is indestructible per se

-manifested in our capacity of knowing and reflecting

-intellectual soul is spiritual not material

3. God (Supreme Intelligence, Being)

-order in the world, proper arrangement of things and purpose.

Ethical Relativism and Ethical Realism:

Ethical Relativism

-Ethical Relativism is also known as Moral Relativism.

-This is an ethical doctrine which claims that there are no universal truths or absolute moral principles.

-The standards of right and wrong are always relative to a particular culture or society (Cultural
Relativism).
-The moral opinion of an individual is as good as any other, for there is no objective basis for saying that
a particular action is right or wrong apart from specific social group (TImberza, 1994).

Ethical Realism

-Ethical Realists hold that ethical or moral statements point to moral facts that exist in the world. They
exist no matter what anyone may think of them. Ethical statements like killing is bad is a
fact that exists independently, apart from culture and what others may think of it (Abulad et al,
2013)

-Moral claims do report facts and are true if they get

the facts right.

-Different facts, different realities do have different

status of good