Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society
INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts in Ethics
ETHICS
THE IMPORTANCE OF RULES TO
SOCIAL BEINGS
-Branch of philosophy concerned with
morality or the rightness or wrongness
of human behavior.
•
- Derived from the Greek word, “ethos”
means character, or in plural, ‘manners’
•
MORALITY
-Speaks of a code or system of behavior
in regards to standards of right or wrong
behavior.
•
Regulations or principles that serve to
govern conduct within a specific activity
or sphere.
Gives us a clear meaning of what is or
not allowed in a particular context or
situation.
Without them, anarchy would likely
ensue.
RULES BENEFIT SOCIAL BEINGS IN
VARIOUS MANNERS:
HOW TO DEFINE GOOD/ RIGHT?
GOOD:
A. RU1. RULES PROTECT SOCIAL BEINGS BY
RIGHT:
- Beneficial to
- in compliance REGULATING BEHAVIOR
everybody
-Boundaries and limits to certain
with laws
- Achievement of
behaviors. Failure to follow such
and rules
goal
boundaries mean consequences.
TYPES OF GOOD:
TYPES OF
- Some people are abusive to rules
RIGHT:
- This allows limitations to be set on one's
INSTRUMENTAL
NON-MORAL
behavior
GOOD
RIGHT
- EX: Atty. Gaddon suspended by
- email for chatting.
- if you answer
supreme court due to aggressive
Uses an instrument
recitation. It
bullying behavior towards a reporter
to do good
does not
- Used for our benefit comply with
rules
B. 2. RULES HELP GUARANTEE EACH
BIOLOGICAL
- 1+1 = 2
PERSON CERTAIN RIGHTS AND
GOOD
- It is right but
FREEDOM
- Food, water, and
not in
-Forms the frameworks of society through a
air. Satisfies
accordance with
nation's constitution. Such rules are created
biological needs of
any rules
to guarantee individuals rights and
individual
freedoms, as well as protection from
- Used for our needs MORALLY
unchecked power by the government.
RIGHT
e.g., 1987 Constitution
THEOLOGICAL
- according
-All based on code of standard or Law
- No longer good, if it to moral
doesn’t serve its
principles.
3. RULES PRODUCE A SENSE OF
function/purpose/goal - If you pick
up a wallet, and
JUSTICE AMONG SOCIAL BEINGS
return it
-Rules on division of power and check and
- Walking in
balances prevents the centralization of
pedestrian
power to a single government entity.
lane
Transcriber: Sarah B. Taguinod
Reference: De Guzman, J. M, et al. (2017). Ethics: principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City : Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
20 February, 2022: Revision 1
Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society
INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts in Ethics
-Check and Balance
e.g. - Police shot down a man in front of the
daughter. Conditioned people to feel
powerless
- nder authority. But it is not right, equal
rights despite power given to you.
4. RULES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A
HEALTHY ECONOMIC SYSTEM
- Without the regulation of such economic
systems, monopolies would have the power
to make the system favor themselves.
- Protect consumer and manufacturers
- Follow law of supply and demand
- Make sure to protect all human beings
equally
MORAL STANDARDS VS NONMORAL STANDARDS
MORAL
NON-MORAL
STANDARDS
STANDARDS
-Involve the moral
- Rules that
principles that
have
individuals have
nothing to do
regarding the kind
with moral or
of behaviors they feel ethical issues.
are ethically right and - Rules of
wrong.
etiquette,
fashion
standards, rules
in games and
house rules
Not all rules are moral rules. That is, not
all standards are moral standards.
Morality refers to the set of standards
that enable people to live cooperatively
in groups. It’s what societies determine
to be “right” and “acceptable.”
Sometimes, acting in a moral manner
means individuals must sacrifice their
own short-term interests to benefit
society (Morin, 2020).
CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL
STANDARDS
1. MORAL STANDARDS INVOLVE
SERIOUS WRONGS OR SIGNIFICANT
BENEFITS.
-Moral standards deal with matters
which can seriously impact, that is,
injure or benefit human beings. It is not
the case with many non-related
standards.
- Some sports have rules necessary for
game, NOT a moral standard
2. MORAL STANDARDS OUGHT TO
BE PREFERRED TO OTHER VALUES.
-Moral standards have overriding
character or hegemonic authority. If a
moral standard states that a person has
the moral obligation to do something,
then he/she is supposed to do that even
if it conflicts with other non-moral
standards, and even with self interest
- Telling a lie to save dignity, is morally
wrong
- Lying to protect someone is still
MORALLY WRONG, according to law
3. MORAL STANDARDS ARE NOT
ESTABLISHED BY AUTHORITY
FIGURES.
-Moral standards are not invented,
formed, or generated by authoritative
bodies or persons such as nations'
legislative bodies. Moral standards
cannot be changed or nullified by the
decisions of particular authoritative
body.
Transcriber: Sarah B. Taguinod
Reference: De Guzman, J. M, et al. (2017). Ethics: principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City : Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
20 February, 2022: Revision 1
Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society
INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts in Ethics
- Cannot be nullified by someone event
hose with power
proposed for use, to advise, and to
influence to action.
- Considered in process of making a law
- To help in evaluate behavior
4. MORAL STANDARDS HAVE THE
TRAIT OF UNIVERSALIZABILITY.
- Praise good behavior
-Simply, put it means that everyone
should live up to moral standards. To be
more accurate, however, it entails those
moral principles must apply to all who
are in the relevantly similar situation.
- Person should be consistent and live
up to moral standards
- Not allowed to be changed by
authority, but processed from bill,
approved, then studied before law is
passed
5. MORAL STANDARDS ARE BASED
ON IMPARTIAL CONSIDERATIONS.
-Moral standards do not evaluate
standards on the basis of the interests of
a certain person or group, but one that
goes beyond personal interests to a
universal standpoint in which each
person's interests are impartially
counted as equal.
- Should not be biased, specific to an
interest of one person, but should be
towards all
6. MORAL STANDARDS ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIAL
EMOTIONS AND VOCABULARY.
-Prescriptivity indicates the practical or
action-guiding nature of moral
standards. These moral standards are
genetically put forth as injunction or
imperatives. These principles are
- Guilt someone if it is bad
DILEMMA AND MORAL DILEMMA
DILEMMA- refers to a situation in which
a tough choice has to be made between
two or more options, especially more or
less equally undesirable ones.
MORAL DILEMMA- a situation where a
difficult choice has to be made between
two courses of action, either of which
entails transgressing a moral principle
-Also known as ethical dilemma
GREEK PHILOSOPHER "MORAL
DILEMMA"
" Return a borrowed weapon to a
friend who is not in his right mind."
CEPHALUS - “justice" as speaking the
truth and paying one's debts.
SOCRATES - two moral norms:
repaying one's debts and protecting
others from harm
"Some ethicists propose that when one
of the conflicting moral requirements
overrides the other, the case is not a
"genuine moral dilemma.''
THE KEY FEATURES OF A MORAL
DILEMMA
-The agent is required to do each of two
(or more) actions;
- the agent can do each of the actions;
but the agent cannot do both (or all) of
the actions.
Transcriber: Sarah B. Taguinod
Reference: De Guzman, J. M, et al. (2017). Ethics: principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City : Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
20 February, 2022: Revision 1
Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society
INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts in Ethics
-neither of the conflicting moral
requirements is overridden.
THREE LEVEL OF MORAL
DILEMMAS
PERSONAL DILEMMAS
- are those experienced and resolved on
the personal level.
-Situations in which the decision-maker
must consider two or more moral values
or duties but can only honor one of them
1. you are the only one involved
2. Teacher-student relationship
3. Some think it is wrong; can’t lose job
or will get judgement from others
ORGANIZATIONAL DILEMMAS
-ethical situations encountered and
resolved by social organizations.
- decision made for an entire
organization and not only in personal
level
STRUCTURAL DILEMMAS
-refer to cases involving networks
of institutions and operative theoretical
paradigms
ONLY HUMAN BEINGS
CAN BE ETHICAL
A belief that only human beings can be
truly ethical
1. Only human beings are rational,
autonomous, and self-conscious.
The qualities of rationality, autonomy,
and self-consciousness are believed to
confer a full and
equal moral status to those that possess
them.
2. Only human being can act morally
or immorally.
-Animals which devours other animals
cannot to be immoral
-Only beings that can act morally can be
required to sacrifice their interest for the
sake of others.
3. Only human beings are part of the
moral community
- The so-called moral community is
defined in terms of the essential social
relations that exist between or among
beings
- Only human beings can practice values
such as love, honor, social relationships,
forgiveness, compassion, and altruism.
FREEDOM AS A FOUNDATION
OF MORALITY
-Only Human Beings can be ethical
(animals cannot act morally)
• rational, autonomous, and selfconscious
• can act morally or immorally
• part of the moral community
morality is based on freedom and
choice
-morality is a question of
choice
-morality requires and allows
choice
-everyone who wishes to function
morally and rationally in a society has to
make choices virtually every minute of
the day
MINIMUM REQUIREMENT
FOR MORALITY: REASON AND
IMPARTIALITY
1. Reason as a requirement for morality
entails those human feelings be
important in ethical decisions, but they
Transcriber: Sarah B. Taguinod
Reference: De Guzman, J. M, et al. (2017). Ethics: principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City : Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
20 February, 2022: Revision 1
Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society
INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts in Ethics
ought to be guided by reason. Sound
reasoning helps us to evaluate whether
our feelings and intuitions about moral
cases.
2. Impartiality, on the other hand,
involves the idea that each individual's
interests and point of view are equally
important. Also called evenhandedness
or fair-mindedness, impartiality is a
principle of justice holding decisions
ought to 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.
Ethical dilemmas also arise even in
professional work.
Ans: true
7. Ethical Dilemmas also arise even in
professional work
Ans. True
7. Structural moral dilemmas refer to
cases involving network or institutions
and operative theoretical paradigms
Ans. True
NOTE: sagot ko lamang po itu hehez
QUIZ 1
1. Moral Standard are needed in order
to keep the strong from dominating the
weak.
Ans: False
2. Rules can’t tell us what is or is not
allowed in a particular context or
situation
Ans: false
3. Rules deals with matters which can
seriously impact, that is, injure or benefit
human beings.
Ans: false
4. Moral standard evaluates standards
on of the interest s of a certain person or
group, but one goes beyond personal
interest.
Ans: false
5. Organization moral dilemmas refers
to ethical cases encountered and
resolved by social organization.
Ans: true
Transcriber: Sarah B. Taguinod
Reference: De Guzman, J. M, et al. (2017). Ethics: principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City : Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
20 February, 2022: Revision 1