ETHICS

(ETHICS 101)

Emmanuel T. Grumo, MAT-RE

 Course Specification

Writer : Emmanuel T. Grumo, MAT-RE

Members : None

Course : Ethics 101

Course Description:

The course deals with the principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of
the person, society, and interaction with the environment and other shared resources (CMO 20 s
2013).
Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong that an individual originally picks up
from the community. This philosophical discipline discusses the comprehensive study of human
acts in relation to some popular ethical theories in the light of rational demonstration. It also
teaches the students to make moral decisions by using the dominant moral frameworks.

Units / Credit Equivalent: 3 units

Course Outcomes:

In this course, you are expected to achieve the following outcomes of learning:

 Acquire the knowledge they need in their quest for meaningful and purposeful living;
 Gain more informed view about what they ought to do with respect to each moral dilemma
they will encounter in their lives;
 Demonstrate moral behavior as role models to others.
 Value the significance of moral principles as a guide to human conduct.
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

 Discuss the Meaning and scope of Ethics.

 Make decisions based on moral norms and imperatives
 Create solutions to ethical problems in different areas of concern.
 Participate in nation-building through vigilance on the different issues.
 Course pack Structure

MODULE 1 – MEANING OF ETHICS AND ITS’ GENERAL CONCEPT

Intended Learning Outcomes: Identify the meaning of Ethics; its Norm, and its
Characteristics as well as the nature of Human
Act.
Lessons:
1.1 Meaning Of Ethics
1.2 Kinds of Valuation/Types of Norms and Characteristics of Moral Principles
1.3 Meaning of Human Acts, Its’ Determinants, and Its’ Modifiers

MODULE 2 - THE NATURAL LAW ETHICS

Intended Learning Outcomes: Discuss the principles of Natural Law Theory

Lessons:
2.1 Natural Law according to Aristotle, Stoics, and St. Thomas Aquinas
2.2 Natural Law and the Church Teachings
2.3 Specific Moral Principles under Natural Law

MODULE 3 - UTILITARIAN ETHICS

Intended Learning Outcomes: Explain the Principles of Utilitarian Ethical Theory

Lessons:
3.1 Meaning and Origin of Utilitarianism
3.2 Utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

MODULE 4 - DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICAL THEORY OR DUTY ETHICS

Intended Learning Outcomes: Identify the Principles of Deontological/Duty

Ethics

Lessons:
4.1 General Introduction to Kant and Meaning of Duty
4.3 Categorical Imperative, Maxim, Autonomy, and Kingdom of Ends.

MODULE 5 - ETHICAL/MORAL RELATIVISM ETHICAL THEORY

Intended Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate the Principle of Ethical Relativism

Lessons:
5.1 Meaning of Ethical Relativism
5.2 Arguments FOR and AGAINST Ethical Relativism
MODULE 6 - VIRTUE ETHICS

Intended Learning Outcomes: Apply the Principle of Virtue Ethics

Lessons:
6.1Definition of Virtue and Aristotle’s concept of Virtue
6.2 Virtue as the Good Character and the Golden Mean
6.3 Acquisition and Development of Virtues
 Module Template

Module No. & Title: 1 Meaning and the general concept of Ethics

Module Overview:

Welcome students to another important course in your journey to becoming a true human
being; that is to become a moral person. This module will help and guide you to become such. It
will broaden your understanding of how to live an ethical life despite the immoralities that are
happening today. As a student, this module will open your mind to what are the things that should
be done hence they are good and the things that should not be done because they are bad.

Module Objectives/Outcomes:

1. Discuss the meaning of Ethics.

2. Identify the Types of Norm and the Characteristics of Moral Principles.
3. Apply the knowledge of human act through the use of Determinants of
Morality and Modifiers.

Lessons in the module: For students to have an idea, just simply enumerate lessons
contained in a module.

Lesson 1.1 Meaning of Ethics and Its’ general concept

Lesson 1.2 Kinds of Valuation/Types of Norms and the Characteristics of
Moral Principles
Lesson 1.3 Meaning of Human Acts; Its’ Determinants and Its’ Modifiers
 The Lesson Structure

Module No. and Title: 1- Meaning and the general concept Of Ethics
Lesson No. and Title: 1.1 Meaning of Ethics and its general concept
Learning Outcomes: 1. Discuss the meaning of Ethics;
2. Differentiate good/moral acts from bad/immoral acts
2. Identify the basic ideas in the general context of Ethics.
Time Frame: 1 hour
Introduction:

Good day students. Welcome to an exciting topic that will lead you to understand the
meaning of Ethics in general. This will help you to evaluate your own actions as well as the moral
issues that we are facing today.

Activity: Think, pair, share [5 minutes]

Instruction; Answer this question;

+ Aristotle said, “An unreflected life is not worth living” what is your understanding of
this saying?

Choose a partner with whom you will share your answer to the question given
above. Then the teacher asks for volunteers to share their answers with the whole
class.

Analysis:

Let us now examine your answers.

1. Some answers are not good enough; hence they are so shallow.
2. Some answers are good but not enough to warrant that you have the knowledge of Ethics.
3. Few answers are out of context.

Abstraction:

What is Ethics? Etymologically [ that is according to the origin of the word and its
meaning] derived from the Greek word EOWO [Ethos], which means custom to mean the way of
acting common to all men of all places of all times. The English term moral is taken from the Latin
MOS or MORIS, which also means custom. Thus, Ethics and Moral Philosophy or Moral Science
are IDENTICAL/same. From a realistic point of view, Ethics is the practical and philosophical
science of the morality of the human act or human conduct. Based on this definition, there are
three important points to consider.
a. Ethics is a science - means Ethics is a body of knowledge together with its
explanations arranged SYSTEMATICALLY
 b. Ethics is practical - means Ethics present principles and rules to be acted upon [ to
be practiced/done].
c. Ethics is Philosophical - means Ethics seeks to explain its subject matter in the light
of its deepest principle by means of human reason alone.

The Objects of Ethics. Every science has its own proper objects [ the focus of
study/subject matter]
a. Material object - Human Act/Human Conduct
b. Formal Object - a human reason which will give the moral rectitude of human act
[good or bad/ right or wrong]

Division of Ethics. There is Two main division of Ethics.

a. General Ethics - which is the general principles of right or wrong/ good or
bad.
b. Special/Applied Ethics - which is the application of the general principles
of good or bad to the particular or specific field/area.
Under this division (Special Division) it has two kinds;
a. Individual Ethics
b. Social Ethics -- under this kind, it has five types –
a. in the family
b. in the state
c. in the church
d. international society
e. in the various profession.

The Importance of Ethics. It has Four basic Importance.

a. Only Ethics studies the morality of the human act by means of human reason
alone
b. It teaches man how to act in accordance with his/her rational nature by giving
him/her the rules of human conduct.
c. By providing rules of human conduct, Ethics enables men to live together in
harmony. Thus, Ethics makes life in society possible.
d. The principles of Ethics are in unison with the principles of Christian morality.
These principles are also used as a means of approach to the demonstration of
many truths of the Catholic religion.

Application:

This time, it would be good for you to answer personally

the following activities below;
1. What is the meaning of Ethics?
2. Look for an article in a magazine or newspaper which tackles an ethical issue.
And consider the following questions.
a. What makes it a matter of Ethics?
b. What is your moral judgment on this issue?
c. State your reasons for such judgment?
Closure:

Congratulations on finishing your first lesson. You now have the knowledge of the
meaning of Ethics. In Lesson 2, you will be introduced to the Moral Valuation/ types of Norms
and the characteristics of Moral Principles.