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UNIT ONE
UNDERTANDING CIVICS EDUCATION
INTRODUTION
This unit focuses on the meaning of civics and ethics, objectives of civics and ethical education,
sources and the historical development of civic and ethical education and civic virtue.
Brainstorming
Q. list the various sources of civics and ethical education? Explain the
interdisciplinary nature of civics and ethical education.
1.1.4 Historical Development of Civics and Ethical Education
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Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
The history of civics dates back to the earliest theories of Confucius in ancient china and Plato in ancient
Greece. Civic education was started in Athens, Greece. In the medieval period, citizenship was given by
the religious institutions. However, strong bond of government and religious institutions declined through
time since the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe. Eventually, this led to the separation of civics education
from religious education, hence civics become secular.
Explain the historical development of civics and ethical education?
2. Civic virtue
What is civic virtue?
It is the traits /character that believed to be good for private as well as common public welfares. It is
the cultivation of the habit of person that claims to be important for the success of the
community/commitment to the democratic principles. Civic virtue is divided in to two:
A. Civic disposition: it is the awareness, development and readiness of the citizen to exercise their
right and responsibility without any sort of fear and negligence. It is also seen as characters that
are deemed for the healthy functioning of society.
B. Civic commitment: it refers to the unreserved effort of citizens are required to follow for the
maintaining of the welfare of the society.
Assessment
I. Choice
B. Constitution D. Sociology
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Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
UNIT TWO
Q. what comes to your mind when you hear/read the word ethics?
Ethics can be defined as follows;
It is a science which studies Morality, i.e. What is good or bad, what is acceptable or
unacceptable?
Ethics is the philosophical study of morality and practical implication of systematic
moral outlook.
It is the systematic study of human action from the point of view of their
rightness/ wrongness as the means for achievement of the ultimate happiness.
Brainstorming
Normative Ethics
Normative ethics is the sub-field of ethics that attempts to determine what moral standard/s to
follow, and to make our action/s to be morally good or bad, i.e.to determine the moral/immoral
nature of human action/s.
Morality refers to the social norms and values that guide both individuals and communities, and their
interaction with other human beings, and with their environment.
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Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
Morality is the rule and ethics is the theory of that rule/moral rule.
Ethics is broader than morality.
Q. compare and contrast the relationship between ethics and morality? Briefly
explain the specific difference/s between ethics and morality.
Q. Do you ever think that moral principles are uniform or divergent across
communities or societies? Why?
There are two schools of thought on the nature of moral values. These are Ethical relativism and
Ethical universalism.
2.2. Q. Briefly explain the specific difference/s between ethical relativism and ethical
universalism. Is ethics universal or relative? Discuss with practical examples.
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Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
with this view there are three strands of consequentialism. These are; utilitarianism, egoism and
altruism.
2.2.1.1 Utilitarianism
According to utilitarianism an action can be right if the consequence of an action is more favorable
than un-favorable to everyone.
According to this view an action is morally right if the consequence of the action is more favorable
to the society except the doer of the action. Here moral actions are motivated by sympathy and
compassion to others especially for the disadvantaged section of society.
2.2.2 Deontology
Most people know what is right. The problem comes in doing what is
right. Immanuel Kant
The rightness of an action is not dependent on the consequence/s to which it leads but on its own
inherent nature. Sometimes actions that we take to achieve some other goals might be bad.
Deontologists are telling us that the morality of an action should not be measured in terms of its
consequences. Instead, actions should be weighted by themselves.
Fidelity: everybody has a duty to keep promises/ or contract, others commitment, which they have
voluntarily made.
Reparation: everybody has a duty of compensation for previous wrongful acts they have done on
others.
Gratitude: If others have done well to me, I owe them a debt in return.
Duty of beneficence: promoting the maximum possible intrinsic good or promoting the common
good/welfare of others.
Non- malfeasance: the duty of refraining from doing harm.
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Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
A duty of justice: everybody is expected to be fair and just in the treatment of citizens.
The duty of self improvement- Improving oneself and ones excellence.
Assessment
Give short answer/s for the following questions
1. What is ethics?
2. What are the major branches of ethics?
3. What is morality?
4. Explain the need for ethical education?
5. What is professional ethics?
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UNIT THREE
Introduction
This unit is aimed at exploring different thoughts on the concept of state and theories on the
formation of state, government and the functions of government, citizen and citizenship.
2. Social contract theory: State is an artificial creation based on the voluntary contract among people.
3. Force theory: it holds the idea that state emerged through process of conquest and coercion of the weak
by the strong, i.e. war + expansion=state.
4. Natural theory: basically, this theory believes that state is natural and gradually evolved from
family, clan, tribe, society.
5. Marxist theory: State is originated from the split of society in to social classes with a sharp and a
polarized social interest.
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In Unitary states, authority and power are focused exclusively on the central government. It has the
following basic features:
indivisible Sovereignty
existence of monopolistic government
sole/single sources for all political power
centralization of all political power
Exclusive authority of the central government
Q. explain the essential difference/s between unitary and federal states? Are these the only forms
of state structure? Discuss
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
3.2. Government
Brainstorming
3.2.3 Organs of
Government Brainstorming
Q. What comes to your mind when you hear/read the word citizenship?
Q. list and explain some of the ways of acquiring and loosing citizenship.
Q. Go through the FDRE constitution, and explain the way Ethiopian citizenship is determined
in the FDRE constitution? 10
WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
Assessment
I. Choice
1. Which theory of state formation best go in line with the ideas of democracy?
A. divine theory
B. social contract theory
C. force theory
D. Marxist theory
2. Identify the correct statement?
A. Jus sanguine principle mainly emphasis on decent.
B. In the principle of naturalization, there are no preconditions to be met to be a citizen of a given
country.
C. According to principles of Jus sanguine, a child born in a particular state become a citizen of that
country irrespective of his/her parents nationality.
D. Principle of jus soli mainly emphasis on blood relation as mode of acquiring citizenship.
II. Short answer
1. What does state mean?
2. What is government?
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
UNIT FOUR
CONSTITUTION AND CONSTITUTIONALISM
Introduction
This unit deals with constitution and constitutionalism, the purposes and functions of constitution. In
doing so, you will assess the Ethiopian constitutional experience. Finally, you will look at the
fundamental democratic principles enshrined in the FDRE constitution.
Q. explain the roles the traditional/customary laws played in the conducts of government? Is it
right to consider these customary laws as constitutions? Discuss
4.3.2 The 1931 constitution of Ethiopia
The emergence of the 1931 constitution is related with internal & external influences &
considerations.
1. Foreign motives- to get acceptance from the West that Ethiopia has a constitution and that
the government in Ethiopian is a constitutional government.
2. Domestic Motives –In line with the effort of centralization process, the constitution was
designed as a legal weapon for concentrating power in the hands of the emperor and for
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
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precluding the nobility from the political game. N.B: The constitution was drafted by an
individual called fitawrari T/Hawariat T/mariam. He used the 1898 Japanese constitution as
a model or proto type. The constitution has 7 chapters and 55 articles.
Q. What are some the fundamental democratic principles of the FDRE constitution?
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
The 1995 constitution gave recognition to the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
2. Parliamentary democracy
Supreme power resides on the parliament.
Q. explain the similarities and differences between the1955 constitution and the preceding
constitutions? Discuss on the peculiar features of the FDRE constitution.
Assessment
II, CHOICE
1. Among the following alternatives, which alternative is true about the 1931 constitution of
Ethiopia?
A. It proclaims a unicameral house.
B. It used as the legal weapon to concentrate power in the hands of the emperor.
C. Considers popular sovereignty as the basic democratic principle.
D. It specifies the size and tenure of the parliaments
III, SHORT ANSWER
1. Define constitution and constitutionalism?
2. What are the major types of constitution?
3. Write at least two reasons for the revision of 1931 Ethiopian constitution
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
UNIT FIVE
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Introduction
In this unit, we will discuss on the meaning of democracy, fertile conditions for democracy, values
and principles of democracy, human rights, classification of human rights.
Q. What comes to your mind when you hear/read the word democracy?
5.1.1 Defining Democracy
Can you define democracy in your own words?
The word democracy is coined from two Greek words, i.e., demos (meaning people) and kratia
(meaning to govern, to rule). “Democracy” can literally be translated as Government of the People or
Government of the Majority.
Democracy is a people centered system where the people are the
. heart, the roots.
Q. What comes to your mind when you think about democratic elections?
5.2.1 Definition of election
Election is a formal procedure /process by which individuals decide on “what to choose”. The act that
individuals perform while choosing among different alternatives in an election is called voting.
Fundamental principles of democratic election:
a. Fair d. Periodic
b. Free e. Competitive
c. All inclusive f. Secret ballot
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
Voters in the Ethiopian electoral law should fulfil the following requirements.
Ethiopian citizenship
He/she should be eighteen/more than eighteen years old on the date of registration.
The voter should have resided in the constituency, at least, for 6 months.
According to the Ethiopian election law, one should fulfill the following basic requirements to run
as a candidate.
1. He/she has to be an Ethiopian citizen.
2. He/she should know and understand the language of the area he/she is intending to run as
a candidate.
3. He/she should be 21 and above years old.
4. He/she should have resided, at least for 5 years, regularly in the constituency he/she is
intending to run as a candidate before the day of the election.
5. He/she should have the endorsement of, at least, 500 eligible voters if he/she is nominated by
the party and 1000 signatures if he/she is running privately.
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WU, DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
Module on Introduction Civic and Ethical Education
Assessment
Q. list and explain Karl vassal’s classification of human rights?
Choice
1. Among the following alternatives, which one is FALSE about first generation of human rights?
A. It embodies the right to asylum
B. the government should abstain itself from interference
C. It encompasses the right to association
D. the government should interfere in the life of the individual
2. Which one of the following is NOT a fundamental principle of election?
A. universal suffrage and all exclusiveness C. regularity and secret ballot
B. free and fair election D. competitive and transparent