Name: DARREN N.

FELICITAS Block/Time: BLOCK 1 / 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

MODULE 1 LESSON 2: The Moral Dimension of Human Existence

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly:

▪ Both ethics and morality arise from personal, cultural, or societal values that shape how individuals perceive
what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior.

- both ethics and morality are deeply rooted in personal, cultural, or societal values, which significantly shape
individuals' perceptions of what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior. However, they interact with these values in
slightly different ways.

How Values Influence Ethics and Morality:

1. Personal Values:

• Morality: Personal values are central to an individual's moral beliefs. These are often formed early in life,
influenced by family, upbringing, personal experiences, and religious or philosophical teachings. A person's
moral compass is largely shaped by their own sense of right and wrong based on these internalized values.

o Example: An individual who values honesty as a core personal belief may feel morally obligated to
always tell the truth, even in difficult situations.

• Ethics: Personal values also play a role in ethical decision-making, but ethics often involves evaluating
personal values in a broader, more structured context. Ethical systems might challenge personal values
when broader principles, such as fairness or justice, come into play.

o Example: A doctor may have personal moral concerns about certain medical procedures, but
ethical guidelines may require them to prioritize patient autonomy and offer all treatment options
without personal bias.

2. Cultural Values:

• Morality: Cultural values heavily influence moral standards. What is considered morally right or wrong can
vary greatly across different societies and cultures, leading to moral relativism—the idea that morality is
not universal and changes based on cultural context.

o Example: In some cultures, individual freedom might be highly valued, leading to moral approval of
actions that prioritize personal choice. In other cultures, community welfare might take precedence,
leading to different moral judgments about the same actions.

• Ethics: Cultural values can inform ethical frameworks, but ethics tries to create universal principles that
apply across cultures. Ethical theories such as human rights frameworks seek to define standards that
transcend individual cultural norms.

o Example: Ethical discussions about human rights often promote ideas like freedom, equality, and
justice as universal values, even if some cultures prioritize collective over individual rights.

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3. Societal Values:

• Morality: Societal values are embedded in laws, social norms, and practices that shape moral views. These
values evolve over time and influence what behaviors are considered acceptable or unacceptable in a given
society.

o Example: In some societies, same-sex relationships may be morally accepted, while in others,
societal values may deem them immoral based on religious or traditional views.

• Ethics: Ethical reasoning often critically evaluates societal values. In many cases, ethics challenges societal
norms by appealing to broader or more objective standards of justice, fairness, and equality.

o Example: Societal values may support segregation or inequality in some contexts, but ethical
principles grounded in justice and equality challenge such norms, as seen in historical
movements like the civil rights movement.

▪ How do moral standards differ from etiquette, policy, law, and commandment?

Moral standards are broader and more universal, focusing on right and wrong in a fundamental sense. While,
Etiquette concerns socially accepted behavior in everyday situations and is less serious than moral standards.
Policy deals with specific organizational or institutional rules for behavior and operations.
Law is a formal system of rules enforced by governments, often with moral underpinnings but designed for societal
order.
Commandments are moral and ethical rules grounded in religious belief, often seen as absolute and divinely
mandated.

Each category plays a distinct role in shaping human behavior, and they may overlap but serve different functions
depending on the context.

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