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01 - The Foundation of Morality

This document discusses the foundations of morality. It defines morality as dealing with what is considered right or wrong in human behavior. Morality helps ensure fair play, make individuals good citizens, and maintain relationships. Key concepts in morality include moral standards, responsibility, and identity. The document also discusses rationality and impartiality as basic elements of human morality. It introduces Moral Foundations Theory, which identifies five innate moral foundations - care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity - that group into individualizing and binding clusters. A sixth foundation of liberty is also discussed.

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172 views

01 - The Foundation of Morality

This document discusses the foundations of morality. It defines morality as dealing with what is considered right or wrong in human behavior. Morality helps ensure fair play, make individuals good citizens, and maintain relationships. Key concepts in morality include moral standards, responsibility, and identity. The document also discusses rationality and impartiality as basic elements of human morality. It introduces Moral Foundations Theory, which identifies five innate moral foundations - care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity - that group into individualizing and binding clusters. A sixth foundation of liberty is also discussed.

Uploaded by

Princes joy Lasala
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GE102

ETHICS

Miss Melissa B. Puti


THE FOUNDATION
OF MORALITY
Morality
Morality is a practical and
philosophical science that deals with
the study of human acts.
Morality is a principle of what is
considered right or wrong, in
knowing what is good or bad.
Morality is a system of behavior in
regards to standards of right or
wrong behavior.
Importance of Morality to Human Behavior

It ensures fair play and


harmony between individuals

It helps make individuals good


people in order to have a good
society
It keeps individuals in a good
relationship with the power that
created them
Concepts Embodied in Morality

moral standards, with regard


to behavior

moral responsibility, referring


to our conscience

a moral identity, or one who is


capable of right or wrong action.
A moral standard refers to the norms which we
have about the types of actions which we believe
to be morally acceptable and
morally unacceptable

Moral standard involves the rules people have


about the kinds of actions they believe are morally
right and wrong.

Moral standard is concerned with or relating


to human behavior, especially the distinction
between good and bad behavior..
Moral Responsibility is an ethical concept
that refers to the fact that individuals and
groups have morally based obligations and
duties to others and to larger ethical and moral
codes, standards and traditions.
In philosophy, moral responsibility is
the status of morally deserving praise,
blame, reward, or punishment for an
act or omission in accordance with
one's moral obligations

Moral responsibility is a bundle


of obligations associated with a
role
The Elements of
Moral Responsibility

Causality

Knowledge

Freedom
Moral Accountability is the readiness
or preparedness to give an explanation
or justification to stakeholders for one’s
judgments, intentions and actions.
“It is a readiness to have one’s actions judged
by others and, where appropriate, accept
responsibility for errors, misjudgments and
negligence and recognition for competence,
conscientiousness, excellence and wisdom.”

Moral accountability could be defined


as ―blaming or crediting someone for
an action‖—normally associated with a
recognized responsibility.
Moral identity is a concept within moral
psychology referring to the importance of
morality to a person's identity, typically
construed as either a trait-like individual
difference, or set of chronically
accessible schemas.

Moral identity is the degree to


which being a moral person is
important to a person’s identity.
Basic Elements of Human Morality

Rationality

Impartiality
Rationality is a state of
being logical.
It is the capacity of a person
to reason proving a person’s
desire for truth.
Through rationality, man is
able to assess his actions.
Rationality is the Rationality
quality or state of implies the
being rational – conformity of
that is, being one's beliefs with
based on or one's reasons to
agreeable to believe, and of
reason. one's actions
The power of rationality involves a
movement from something mental
and/or logical to ethical.

Through this ability, man is able to


assess his actions as not only
logically informed but is as well
ethically founded.
Ways by Which an Act Can be
Judged

The act itself (Act)

The goal of an action


(End)
The surrounding factor/s
affecting one’s choice.
(Circumstance)
Impartiality is act that
involves man’s decision to
always aim to go for what is
just, equal, and balanced,
always weighing at things
that are devoid of any biased
judgment or pre-judgment.
Impartiality is a principle of
justice holding that decisions
should be based on objective
criteria, rather than on the
basis of bias, prejudice, or
preferring the benefit to one
person over another for
improper reasons.
MORAL FOUNDATIONS THEORY

Moral foundations theory


is a social psychological
theory intended to explain
the origins of and variation
in human moral reasoning
on the basis of innate,
modular foundations.
The Moral Foundations Theory was first
proposed by the following psychologists:

Jonathan Craig Jesse


Haidt Joseph Graham
According to Moral
Foundations Theory,
differences in people's
moral concerns can be
described in terms of
five moral foundations.
Foundations of Morality
Care: cherishing and protecting others;
opposite of harm
Fairness or proportionality: rendering justice
according to shared rules; opposite of cheating
Loyalty or ingroup: standing with your group,
family, nation; opposite of betrayal

Authority or respect: submitting to tradition and


legitimate authority; opposite of subversion
Sanctity or purity: abhorrence for disgusting
things, foods, actions; opposite of degradation
These five foundations are argued to
group into two higher-order clusters

the Person-Focused
Individualizing Cluster of Care
and Fairness

the Group-Focused Binding


Cluster of Loyalty, Authority and
Sanctity.
A sixth foundation,
liberty (opposite
of oppression)
was theorized by
Jonathan Haidt in
“The Righteous
Mind.”
Care/Harm

This foundation is related to our long


evolution as mammals with
attachment systems and an ability to
feel (and dislike) the pain of others.

It underlies virtues of
kindness, gentleness, and
nurturance
Care – Protect others from harm
Fairness/Cheating

This foundation is related to the


evolutionary process of reciprocal altruism.

It generates ideas of justice, rights,


and autonomy.
In the original conception, Fairness
included concerns about equality.
When the theory was reformulated in 2011
based on new data, the emphasis on
proportionality.
Fairness – exchanges are reciprocal
and proportional, don't cheat
Loyalty/Betrayal

This foundation is related to our long


history as tribal creatures were able to
form shifting coalitions.

It underlies virtues of patriotism and


self-sacrifice for the group.

It is active anytime people feel that it’s


“one for all, and all for one.”
Loyalty – support our team and
our tribe
Authority/Subversion

This foundation was shaped by our


long primate history of hierarchical
social interactions.

It underlies virtues of leadership


and followership, including
deference to legitimate authority
and respect for traditions.
Authority – respect those above
you in the hierarchy
Sanctity/Degradation

This foundation was shaped by the


psychology of disgust and
contamination.
It underlies religious notions of striving
to live in an elevated, less carnal, more
noble way.
It underlies the widespread idea that the
body is a temple which can be desecrated
by immoral activities and contaminants
(an idea not unique to religious traditions).
Sanctity – noble things are good,
disgusting things are bad
Liberty/Oppression

This foundation is about the feelings of


reactance and resentment people
feel toward those who dominate
them and restrict their liberty.

The hatred against manipulators and


dominators motivates people to come
together, in solidarity, to oppose or
take down the oppressor.
Liberty – overcome tyranny and
oppression

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