ETHICS

(CHAPTER 1)
 WHAT IS ETHICS?
• Derived from the Greek word ethos which originally
means custom or character
• A branch of philosophy that studies the rightness or
wrongness of a human action
• Concerned with questions of how human persons
ought to act and the search for a definition of a right
conduct and the good life
• The attempt to seek the “good” through the aid of
reason is the traditional goal of ethics
 WHAT IS ETHICS?
• However, there is no single, absolute definition of
ethics.
• It is constantly evolving as a result of change in
socio-cultural and political context.
Example:
o In Greek tradition, ethics was conceived as relating to
the concept of the “good life.” Thus, ethical inquiry was
directed toward discovering the nature of happiness.
o Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics does not only present a
theory of happiness, but also provides ways in which
happiness is attained.
 WHAT IS ETHICS?
Examples (continued)
o In Judeo-Christian Tradition, the ideals of
righteousness before God and the love of God and
neighbor, not the happy or pleasant life, constitute the
substance of ethics.
 DIFFERENCE OF
ETHICS AND MORALITY
ETHICS MORALITY
Theory of right action and the Indicates practice and the
greater good rightness or wrongness of a
human action
Undertakes the systematic study Prescriptive in nature; It tells us
(questioning and critical what we ought to do and
examination) of the underlying exhorts us to follow the right
principles of morality way
Aims to guide one’s action by
reason and gives equal weight
to the interests of each
individual affected by one’s
decision
 DIFFERENCE OF
ETHICS AND MORALITY
ETHICS MORALITY
Characterized by as an ‘end-
governed rational enterprise’
whose object is to equip people
with a body of norms (rules and
values) that make for peaceful
and collectively satisfying
coexistence by facilitating their
living together and interacting in
a way that is productive for the
realization of the general
benefit.
 TYPES OF ETHICS
1. Normative ethics – prescriptive in nature as it
seeks to set norms or standards that regulate right
and wrong or good and bad conduct. It attempts to
develop guidelines or theories that tell us how we
ought to behave. It is evaluative and prescriptive.
2. Metaethics – descriptive in nature. It is constituted
by questions of meaning of the various ethical
terms and functions of ethical utterances. It is
analytic and descriptive.
3. Applied ethics – application of ethical or moral
theories for the purpose of deciding which ethical
or moral actions are appropriate in a given
situation.
 TYPES OF APPLIED
ETHICS
1. Business ethics – deals with ethical behavior in the
corporate world
2. Biomedical and environmental ethics – deal with
issues relating to health, welfare and the
responsibility we have towards people and our
environment
3. Social ethics – deals with the principles and
guidelines that regulate corporate welfare within
societies
 MORAL VS NON MORAL
STANDARDS
1. Moral Standards – norms that individuals or group
have about the kinds of actions believed to be
morally right or wrong, as well as the values placed
on what we believed to be morally good or morally
bad.
- they normally promote “the
good”, that is, the welfare and well-being of humans
as well as animals and the environment
- they prescribe what humans
ought to do in terms of rights and obligations
- sum of combined norms and
values
 MORAL, AMORAL AND
IMMORAL
Examples:
1. A lion killing a zebra
2. A toddler hitting a baby
3. A 19 year old man stealing from a shop
4. A child accidentally firing a gun and injuring a
relative
5. A 40 year old woman hitting her child
 MORAL, AMORAL AND
IMMORAL
• Moral – an action which is considered morally right
or good; morally neutral is one that is independent
from moral judgment
• Amoral – one performed by someone who is not
morally aware, that is, doesn’t have any concepts or
understanding of right and wrong
• Immoral – considered morally wrong

• Moral agent – a being capable and responsible of

moral decisions
• Moral patient – not capable of moral decisions
 CRITERIA FOR MORAL
AGENCY
1. We need to be free to make choices
2. We need to be rational
3. We need to be self-aware and conscious
4. The act must be intentional
5. The act has an effect on others, in so far as it can
benefit them or harm them
 MORAL STANDARDS
Characteristics of Moral Standards:
1. Moral standards deal with matters we think can seriously
injure or benefit humans, animals and the environment
2. Moral standards are not established or changed by the
decisions of authoritative individuals or bodies
3. Moral standards are overriding, that is, they take
precedence over other standards and considerations
4. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations
5. Moral standards are associated with special emotions
(such as guilt and shame) and vocabulary (such as right,
wrong, good or bad)
 MORAL VS NON MORAL
STANDARDS
2. Non-Moral standards – refer to standards by which
we judge what is good or bad and right or wrong in a
non-moral way.
- matters of taste or preference
- an observance of these types of
standards does not make one a moral person.
Violation of said standards does not pose any threat to
human well-being
(e.g., don’t text while driving, don’t talk when your
mouth is full)
What is the
Importance of Ethics?
Ethics is important because...
1. It satisfies basic human needs.
2. It creates credibility.
3. It unites people and leaders.
4. It improves decision-making.
5. It brings long term gains.
6. It secures the society.
Why should students study Ethics?
1. Ethics allows you to live an authentic and meaningful life.
2. Ethics makes you more successful.
3. Ethics allows you to cultivate inner peace.
4. Ethics provides for a stable society.
5. Ethics may help out in the afterlife.
Meaning and Importance of Rules
1. Rules are instructions that tell you what are you allowed to
do and what you are not allowed to do.
2. A rules is a statement telling people what they should do in
order to achieve success or a benefit of some kind.
3. Rules are statement that describe the way things usually
happen in a particular situation.
4. Rule tells you the normal state of affairs.
5. Rules influence or restrict actions in a way that is not good
for a person.
6. Rules tell us something that is true or should happen and
then the authority has officially decided that it is true.
7. Rules are principles or regulations governing conduct, action,
procedure and arrangement, etc.
THE MORALITY OF
HUMAN ACTS

Subheading goes here

 Definition of Human Acts
Refers to actions done by a person
in certain situations which are
essentially the result of his/her
conscious knowledge, freedom
and voluntariness.
 Acts of Man
Actions which happen in the person
“naturally,” even without his/her
awareness of himself/herself while
doing them.
 Basic Elements of Human Acts
• The act must be deliberate
– It must be performed by a conscious agent
who is very much aware of what he/she is
doing and of its consequences-good or evil
• The act must be performed in freedom
– it must be done by an agent who is acting
freely, with his/her own volition and powers
• The act must be done voluntarily
– It must be performed by an agent who
decides willfully to perform the act.
Major determinants of the Morality of Human
Acts:
1. The Act itself or the Object of the Act
– The action that is done by an agent or what
the person does
– The substance of the moral act and regarded
as the basic factor of morality
– It is the act which the will chooses to perform
Major determinants of the Morality of Human
Acts:
• The Motive or the Intention
– The purpose or intention that for the sake of which
something is done
– It is practically present in all human acts, it then
becomes an important and integral part of morality
Four Principles:
o An indifferent act can become morally good or morally evil
depending upon the intention of the person doing the act
o An objectively good act becomes morally evil due to a wrong
or bad motive
o An intrinsically morally good act can receive added
goodness, if done with an equally noble intention or motive
Major determinants of the Morality of Human
Acts:
• The Circumstances
– Conditions that influence, to a lesser or
greater degree, the moral quality of the
human act
– They basically provide practical answers to a
particular questions as to the WHO, WHERE,
BY WHAT MEANS, WHY, TO WHOM, HOW,
WHEN of the act.
 Modifiers of Human Acts
• Ignorance
– an absence of knowledge
– It is unavailability of information about the causes or
effects of a thing or action
o Vincible Ignorance – can easily be remedied through
ordinary diligence and reasonable efforts on the part of
the person who is in this particular mental state
o Affected ignorance – kind of ignorance which an individual
keeps by positive efforts in order to escape blame and
accountability
o Invincible Ignorance – when a person is not capable of
correct his ignorance.
 Modifiers of Human Acts
• Concupiscence
– Refers to the bodily desire of man sometimes
called “passion”
– Strong or powerful feeling or emotion
Classifications:
o Antecedent – do not always destroy
voluntariness, but they diminish accountability
for the resultant act
o Consequent – do not lessen voluntariness,
but may even increase acountability
 Modifiers of Human Acts
• Fear
– Disturbance of the mind of a person who is
confronted by an impending danger or harm
to himself or loved ones
Principles governing Fear:
o Acts done “with” fear are voluntary
o Acts done “because of” intense fear are
involuntary
 Modifiers of Human Acts
• Violence
– This is a force usually physical inflicted upon
a person for the purpose of compelling the
said person to amend or act against his will
– involuntary
 Modifiers of Human Acts
• Habit
– Constant and easy way of doing things
acquired by the repetition of the same act
– Actions done by force of habit are voluntary in
cause, unless a reasonable effort is made to
counteract the habitual inclination