ETHICS

LESSON 3
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students should able to:

1. Discuss human existence in relation to ethics

2. Identify schools of ethics

3. Explain the concept of professional ethics

 HUMAN
EXISTENCE
AND ETHICS
Human Existence
and Ethics
• Ethics is the moral code that guides how
an individual should behave.

• It deals with moral principles.

• Ethics is also about the individual’s

search for meaning while dealing with
human problems:
 HUMAN PROBLEMS
Logical Epistemological Cosmological
Problems of Problems of the truth Problems of the universe
reasoning

Ethical Aesthetical Science

Problems of morality Problems of art and Problems of science
beauty
Therefore, with the various
definitions of ethics every
individual should be open in
dealing with ethical problems
● Human beings are logical beings but human existence is
inexplicable. At the moment a person is born, he or she
begins to suffer and will continue to suffer until death.

● To have been born human is tragic because life is a

perpetual process of making sense of the absurdity of one’s
existence.

● Making sense of the meaning of human existence

throughout history has brought about many developments in
the study of ethics.
 01
SCHOOLS OF
ETHICS
SCHOOLS OF ETHICS
● Ethics deals with a diverse prescription of
universal concepts and principles that serve as
foundation of moral beliefs.

● Some may agree that there is no such universal

or absolute ethical principle that would apply to
all, as elaborated on by relativism.

● Some may say that the standards of right or

wrong are always relative depending on cultural
and social factors.
SCHOOLS OF ETHICS
● In many cases ethics can be connected to
morality.

● According to Donal Harrington, “Morality

can be viewed in different perspectives - as
a law, as an inner conviction, as love, as
personal growth, and as social
transformation.”
 SCHOOLS OF ETHICS
Nuances between ethics and morality

ETHICS MORALITY
Theoretical prescriptions/ Based on principles
Critiques practiced by a particular
community
• The nature of the good
• The nature of human • Fundamental convictions
person of human agent
• Criteria of judgement • Character of moral agent
• Use of norms
• Situational analysis
 03
ETHICAL
RELATIVISM
ETHICAL RELATIVISM
● Also known as moral relativism

● Is a school of ethics anchored on the principle that

morality is relative to the norms of a particular culture.

● It is a theory based on norms relative to a particular

culture or society.
 Ex.: Some cultures may accept certain acts and
behaviors that are unacceptable to other cultures.
ETHICAL RELATIVISM
• Acknowledges societal diversity, that every society has a
unique moral design and culture; and people’s beliefs are
greatly influenced by culture.

• The challenge to each society is the preservation of its

cultural uniqueness and acknowledgment of cultural
differences.
 03
ETHICAL
PRAGMATISM
ETHICAL PRAGMATISM
• Is a philosophical approach or movement that began in the
1870s.

• The term was coined by Charles Sanders Pierce and further

developed by William James.

• It is considered as America’s most distinctive and major

contribution to the field of philosophy.

• It is more of a theory on knowledge, truth, and meaning

rather than morality.
ETHICAL PRAGMATISM
• Although the language of moral interest may appear in many of
the writings of Peirce and James, it is interesting that a
pragmatic conception of good and truth can be applied in the
medical context especially in term of decision making and
moral reasoning.
 04
ETHICAL
UTILITARIANISM
 ETHICAL UTILITARIANISM
• Founded by two English Philosophers Jeremy Bentham
(1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), this school
of ethics states that the rightness or wrongness of actions is
determined by their consequences.

• The principles of utility formulated by Mill states that

”actions are good insofar as they tend to promote
happiness, bad as they tend to produce unhappiness. The
utility or usefulness of an action is determined by the extent
to which it promotes happiness rather than its reverse.”
MORAL
ISSUES
 MORAL ISSUES
• There are numerous ethical issues in the field of medicine that are
perceived to be controversial. Diversity, decision making,
compliance, and governance are some of the concerns that need
to be considered when doing an ethical review in the context of
the health care profession.

• Various views formulated by many philosophers, theologians,

and moralists provide people with difficult decisions as to
whether an action is acceptable or not.

• The following ethical issues are those that continue to be talked

about and debated on because of their controversial nature.
 ABORTION
• Abortion is considered illegal in the Philippines. Article II,
Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:

”The state recognizes the sanctity of life and shall protect and
strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It
shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn
from conception (Article II, section 12).”
 ABORTION
• Abortion can be direct, induced, or even caused by natural cases or
accidents.

• In some instances, abortion becomes necessary when the life of the

mother is at stake.

• For anti-abortion groups, abortion is the ultimate violation of life for it

is the act of killing an individual that is not yet able to speak for himself
of herself.

• For those who support abortion, they believe that pregnant women,
especially victims of rape, should be given the chance to decide for
themselves.
 EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)
○ Euthanasia is the practice of ending a life intentionally, usually in
situations when the individual is terminally ill, to relieve him or her of
pain and suffering.

○ Also known as mercy killing

○ Is regarded as a merciful release of an individual from an incurable

sickness.
 EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)
○ According to Herbert Hendin (2004), He describes euthanasia as the
process of inducing the painless death of a person who is severely
debilitated for reasons assumed to be merciful, either through voluntary,
non-voluntary, or involuntary means.

○ Voluntary euthanasia. Is when an individual gives consent to subject

himself or herself to a painless death.

○ Non-voluntary euthanasia. Is conducted when the permission of the

patient to perform the process is unavailable, like in the case of patient
in a deep comatose, or neonates born with significant and major birth
defects.
 EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)
○ To this day, euthanasia, as an ethical issue, remains to be controversial
because it is the act of taking away a life in a way that is perceived to be
against the society’s accepted moral standards.
 GENETIC ENGINEERING
○ Is a controversial ethical issue because it involves genetic
manipulations that are perceived to be against moral
standards set by society.

○ Through genetic engineering, humans are seen to be acting

as their own gods because of procedures that enable them to
manipulate the genetic make-up of organisms.
 GENETIC ENGINEERING
The following are some procedure involved in genetic engineering:
○ Genetic Screening is a procedure whose main purpose is to
screen, choose, and select the genes for proper detection of any
genetic disease and other chromosomal malformations. Genetic
screening is usually done for the early diagnosis of diseases.

○ Genetic interventions are techniques such as genetic control,

therapy, and surgery. People can now “intervene” in the
biological process and “control” bad or defective genes.
 GENETIC ENGINEERING
○ Stem-cell therapy is a form of genetic engineering that makes use
of stem cells to treat or prevent diseases. It has been the subject
of controversy because of how stem cells are sourced.

○ In vitro fertilization (IVF) is popularity known as laboratory

fertilization. In the past, this technology became the subject of
controversies because of many religious groups opposing the
procedure as they perceive it to be deviation from natural process
of fertilization.
PROFESSIONAL
ETHICS
 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
○ Ethics covers the philosophy of doing what is right. Therefore,
Professional ethics covers the morally accepted behavior of
individuals in the workplace.

○ The code of ethics of a particular profession serves as the guiding

principle in the ethical practice of a profession.

○ Professionalism in the workplace is necessary in maintaining a

healthy and productive work environment.

○ Professional ethics guide individuals in dealing with issues and

conflicts in the workplace in order for them to remain functional.
THANK YOU
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POST-QUIZ
1. It is a theory based on norms relative to a particular
culture or society.
A. Ethical utilitarianism
B. Ethical relativism
C. Ethical pragmatism

2. It is more of a theory on knowledge, truth, and meaning

rather than morality.
A. Ethical utilitarianism
B. Ethical relativism
C. Ethical pragmatism
3. States that the rightness or wrongness of actions is
determined by their consequences.
A. Ethical utilitarianism
B. Ethical relativism
C. Ethical pragmatism

4. According to him, Morality can be viewed in different

perspectives - as a law, as an inner conviction, as love, as
personal growth, and as social transformation
A. Donal Harrington
B. Charles Sanders Pierce
C. Jeremy Bentham
5. He coined the term Ethical pragmatism
A. Donal Harrington
B. Charles Sanders Pierce
C. Jeremy Bentham

6-8. Give 3 moral issues

9-10. Give at least 2 human problems