Introduction to Ethics Prepared by Ms Sundae Cortez What is Ethics? What is Morality? • From the Greek word “ethos”, which means custom or practice • Focused on the general principles, rules and theories on determining what is right or wrong. Morality • A system of beliefs about what is right behavior and wrong behavior. • Deals with how a person relates with others and with the world to promote what is good. Characterictics of Moral Principles Prescriptivity Refers to the action-guiding nature of morality Impartiality Moral rule should be neutral Overridingness Moral principles should tower all other norms or standards of evaluation Autonomous from Arbitrary Authority Moral standards should be independent, hence be able to stand on its own Publicity Should be made public Practicability Moral standards exist in which human beings are capable of doing Two Kinds of Moral Act Act of Man Acts of which man has no control. Therefore, it is involuntary act like emotions, circulations of the blood, etc. Human Act Actions which are within the control of man like walking, talking, thinking, eating, and biting are examples Three Essential Elements of Act of Man and Human Act Knowledge Freedom Will The doer is aware of what he/she is doing Does an action with awareness Issue of moral responsibility is inevitable Act is not done by force State of being unrestricted from the internal impulse and external pressure Can make a wide range of choices whether to do it or not There is consent Will= approve or disapprove an act, his moral responsibility is diminished, if not, extirpated The doer has given his or her consent to do the act Voluntariness Perfect Imperfect All elements of human act are present. Knowledge is absent Simple Conditional Simply doing or not doing the act since one cannot do anything about it When a person is forced to do an act in which in normal condition it should not be done Determinants of Morality Object or Act itself Motive or Intent Circumstances Refers to the deed done by the doer of the action Purpose or reason of doing the act Involves the situations that surrounds the commission of the act 01 Ignorance Modifiers of the Act 02 Concupiscence or passion Absence of Knowledge Emotions whether negative or positive desire 03 04 Fear Violence Disturbance of the mind when a person is confronted by danger or harm to oneself or loved ones Happens when physical force is exerted to a person by another for the purpose of compelling or forcing to act against his will 05 Habits Modifiers of the Act Frequently repeated acts Moral Norms Used to measure whether an act done is good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral. It is a rule or standard in gauging the goodness or badness of an act. First Norm: Eternal Divine Law • • • • Objective The ultimate and absolute norm of morality Governed by Divine Reason that reveals the necessary relations between the creator and the creatures Includes beings in the physical and moral order • • • The eternal law is made known to man through his reason and conscience known as the natural law (lex naturalis) Moral law is ordinance of reason promulgated by those who have the authority and care of the community for promotion of the common good Human laws are those enacted by men Second Norm: Human reason • • This is related to person’s conscience which is proximate norm of morality telling a person internally what to do and should not do. It has to require proper formation and education on our part to attain a level of true and correct conscience Conscience According to the harmony or disharmony with the objective truth, conscience can either be correct or true, or erroneous or false. Having a correct conscience must always be obeyed, whatever it commands or forbids. An erroneous conscience can be: a. Invicibly erroneous a kind of judgment where mistake cannot be avoided regardless of the effort or attempt exerted to correct such b. Vincibly erroneous c. Perplexed d. charisaical Person is morally accountable since the error could have been avoided with ordinary diligence on his/her part This kind of judgment happens when a person has two alternative options but fears that bad consequences is present in both choices that either way he/she feels doomed, the person must postpone any action in making a choice The person magnifies small offenses as grave and serious ones as little As to the firmness in its judgment of the morality of the act, a. certain b. doubtful c. scrupulous d. lax The judgment is sure that the action is morally good or bad The person hesitates in making a particular judgment since he/she is not certain or unsure whether something is good or bad; moral or immoral This type of judgment is described as very cautious or extremely fearful that the person involved do not want to make any action in a given situation Is very different from the scrupulous conscience since the person takes serious bad act very lightly and considers as morally acceptable.
