DRAFT

MORAL DILEMMA
You have a job as network administrator for a company that employs your best friend’s
husband. One day, your best friend’s husband sends you a message asking you to
release an email from quarantine. This requires you to open the email, at which point you
discover that it’s correspondence between this guy and his secret lover. After releasing
the email, you find yourself in pickle. Your instinct is to tell your best friend about his
husband’s infidelities, but divulging the contents of the company emails is against
company policies and you could lose your job. Once it becomes plain that your best
friend found out about his cheating husband through a company email, all trails will
inevitably lead to you as the leak. Do you tell him about the indiscretion?
Yes. This situation goes in the principles of valuing the approach. Under this principle, a person
is tasked to ponder the good and evil between the moral dilemma. In which the result would
most probably land on which act could result in alternative good with lesser evil.
Analyzation.
The central conflict happened to exist from the clash between the interpersonal relationship duty
of the person and its duty of adherence to the company’s policy. In the application of the
approach aforementioned, weighing which one matters the most should be the expected
outcome of the decision.
Interpersonal Relationship. In view of the universal ethics, adultery is considered as an immoral
act. In which in case, you accidentally learned of illegal affair of your best friend’s husband. This
will fall into the principles of friendship incorporating the virtue of being honest and truthful.
Contemplating the effect of the act of adultery to your best friend’s welfare.
Adherence to the Company. Company policies play a vital role in the professional field wherein
rules are being imposed to set organization within the company to achieve its goal. In the act, it
is considered unrightful to disclose any information within the company’s supervision. But, the
act of using the company’s email for personal use, even if intentionally or accidentally is also
considered against the company’s policy. Also, the content incorporated therein threatens the
welfare of an individual. To know that one of your company members is involved in such an act
like adultery, do you think that it would not have any effect on the company?
Decision.
Weighing the circumstances, it is rightful to disclose the information you learned to your best
friend considering that it is considered as universal ethics. In the end, both you and your best
friend’s husband could be penalized from breaking the rules of the company. Exemption could
be applied on your part since you just have told the truth.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
DRAFT
1. What are the stages of moral development? Discuss each.
To give a clearer view on the stages of moral development, a table is presented to organize
ideas presentably and properly.

KOHLBERG’S MORAL STAGES

PRECONVENTIONAL
Punishment and ObedienceBehavior driven by avoiding punishment.
MORALITY Behavior driven by self-interest and
(CHILDHOOD) Individual Interest
rewards.
Interpersonal Behavior driven by social approval
STAGES

CONVENTIONAL
MORALITY Behavior driven by obeying authority and
(ADOLESCENCE) Authority
conforming to social order.
Behavior driven by balance of social
Social Contract
POSTCONVENTIONAL order and individual rights.
MORALITY
(ADULTHOOD) Behavior driven by internal moral
Universal ethics
principles.

2. Cite one example based from your experience and apply the different stages of moral
development.
There are six stages of moral development according to Lawrence Kohlberg. Let us try to
internalize its concept by the application of our own experience.
1. Punishment and Obedience- It reminds me of my childhood when my mother used to say
“sige itapon mo yan papaluin kita.” As a child I used to obey my mother since I do not want to be
hit in the butt.
2. Individual Interest- Again, it is more of our childhood when someone older than you instruct
you to do something in return for a reward like candies. I remember my mother used to tell me
to go to sleep in the afternoon in order for me to go with them in the plaza during weekends.
3. Interpersonal- Growing up, you will be becoming aware of the society you are living in. In
this part, you will be able to engage more in social relationships. Like in a group of students, the
right and wrong will be determined by the majority in order for you to become part of that group.
4. Authority- More of being oriented to what is considered right in a particular setting. I became
aware of this when I was in elementary. Obeying the rules of the school to act proper and
behave accordingly.
5. Social Contract- At this part, you become wiser in actions you are executing, contemplating
your rights and social order. At this time of my life, I do not often observe this kind of perspective
within me since I am still in my adolescence. Maybe there are times when I perform such things
but most of them are unintentionally.
6. Universal Ethics- The concept of universal ethics lies within the nature of humans. It is
simple yet complicated to internalize and apply consistently. As for me, I still have lots of things
to be cultivated in order to settle in a structured moral perspective. But then, I could observe it in
a glimpse when making a tough decision.
SUMMATIVE TEST
DRAFT
CASE ANALYSIS
You’ve been on a cruise for two days when there’s an accident that forces everyone on
board to abandon ship. During the evacuation, one of the boats is damaged, leaving it
with the hole that fills it with water. You figure that with 10 people in the boat, you can
keep the boat float by having nine people scoop the filling water out by hand for 10
minutes while the 10th person rest. After that person’s 10- minute rest, he or she get back
to work while another person rests, and so on. This should keep the boat from sinking
long enough for a rescue team to find you as long as it happens within the five hours.
You’re taking your first brake when you notice you best friend in a sound lifeboat with
only nine people in it and he beckon you to swim over and join them so you won’t have
to keep bailing out water. If you leave the people in the sinking boat, they will only be
able to stay afloat for two hours instead of five, decreasing their chance of being
rescued, but securing yours. What do you do?
I will definitely not leave the sinking boat just for the sake of my own. The scheme is already
organized to at least wait for the rescue. If I leave them to assure my life to be saved even if the
first option most likely works, it will fall in the act of selfishness. It will no longer be a suicidal act
which we considered immoral because the probability of being rescued is high as long as the
process will keep on going. The chance of survival will not decrease and by working together
there is no need to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of others.

ADDENDUM II- 1 STANDARD AND DILEMMAS

ACTIVITY I - What are the moral dilemmas that college students like you usually
encounter?

That would probably be the act of cheating, especially that we are confined into a new
mode of learning. Imagine in a situation that your grades are failing and the only way to
at least pass these subjects is to get high scores in examinations. You are opted to
cheat by having your notes beside you during exams or communicating with your other
classmates to share some answers.

Another example of this is when your friend asks for your work to copy for him to comply
with the requirements or else, he will fail. You need to ponder whether to give your work
to your friend, valuing your relationship with him and face the possible consequences
that you both might be penalized once your professor gets to know about your act. Or,
not to tolerate the act of cheating but to lose your friend.
 DRAFT
ACTIVITY 2 - Differentiate MORAL STANDARD from ETIQUETTE. Give your
examples.

These two concepts can be simplified by examining the variables of law and moral.
From that, we can actually figure out that there is a difference between these two
concepts. The principle is that not all LAWS/ETTIQUETES are MORAL and MORAL is
not always considered in the application of the LAW.

For example, the government legalized the practice of abortion in the country. Abortion
is considered as an immoral act based in the principles of universal morality. Therefore,
there is a conflict.

Another is the legalization of the practice euthanasia. Killing is against the moral of
humanity whatever reason it is. It is a moral standard that crosses all cultures and
touches the instinctive nature of humans. It is about valuing the essence of humanity.

ACTIVITY 3 - Resolve the dilemmas given as examples in The Three Levels of Moral
Dilemma above.

MORAL DILEMMA #1. Imagine yourself to be an inmate in Muntinlupa Bilibid Prison. A

jail guard is about to hang your son (also a prisoner) who tried to escape but was
recaptured and wants you to pull the chair underneath your son to strangle him to
death. He says that if you don’t, he will not only kill your son but some other innocent
inmates as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. WHAT
SHOULD YOU DO?

The only way here is to have sacrifice. The essence of being a mother to your child is
indispensable, it is innate and pure. But the situations beg for this consequence as your
child tried to break the rule in that certain place wherein laws are being strictly imposed.
Also, getting more people involved in such an act of killing and if you have the option to
minimize the fatalities, closing your eyes is the option even if it means to kill your own
son. Killing is considered immoral, but if the status quo in that particular place allows
such an action like killing to penalize someone who breaks the law, the rule of law
should be executed. Probably, you would find yourself searching for reasons but to
ponder in your mind that your child should be penalized and to do such a grievous act to
save many would be enough to consider.
 DRAFT
MORAL DILLEMA #2. Assuming that you have a job as a Network Administrator in a
megamall in your place. The mall also employs your best friend’s husband. One day,
your best friend’s husband sends you a text message asking you to release an e-mail
from quarantine. This requires you to open the e-mail, at which point you discover that
it is a correspondence between this guy (friend’s husband) and his secret lover. After
releasing the e-mail, you find yourself in trouble. Something tells you to confide to your
best friend about the husband’s infidelities but divulging the contents of company e-
mails is against company policy and you could lose your job. Once it becomes plain
that your best friend found out about his cheating husband through a company e-mail,
all indications will point to you as the one who leaked the whole thing. DO YOU TELL
YOUR FRIEND ABOUT THE ESCAPADE OF HER HUSBAND?

Yes. The central point here is about truth. Saying the truth is a virtue, it is a must though
there are some instances that you can stretch the truth in weighing the outcomes of it.
But then, in the situation presented the application of this virtue is considerably right. By
telling the truth, you might lose your job and that is it. But at the same time, you value
the importance of your friendship and the virtue of being true. Adultery is considered
immoral and by not telling the truth, you can be subjected for tolerating this immoral act
and it is behind your best friend. The importance of pondering the value must be applied
and therefore, you should tell the truth.

MORAL DILLEMA #3. Your partner is dying from a rare disease. Luckily, a cure has
recently been invented by one pharmacist who lives close by. This pharmacist is
selling the cure for ten times the amount it cost him to produce it. You try to raise the
money, but even borrowing from friends and taking a loan from the bank, you can only
raise half the amount. You go to the pharmacist and offer to pay him half now and half
later, but he refuses, saying that he invented the cure and is determined to make money
off it.

You believe you could break into his store one night after he has gone home
and steal the cure. This would definitely save your partner, although you might be
arrested for the crime.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?? WHAT IF YOU COULD ONLY STEAL THE
CURE BY KILLING THE PHARMACIST, ARE YOU WILLING TO BE A MURDERER??

I absolutely raised my objection in this act. The point is; yes indeed, you want to save
the life of your partner but you need to cross the line of killing other people to save
him/her. Isn’t that will land into a conclusion of replacement? That in order to save the
life of your partner you need to take the life of others? Well, that would be a total
murder. You tried everything to help your partner and that endeavor came to a point of
its end.
 DRAFT
ADDENDUM II- 2 ETHICS AND THE DYNAMICS OF CULTURE
ACTIVITY ONE - How do you think can reason and impartiality help in resolving
perennial societal issues such as racism and sexism?

In finding a reason for how we should properly handle a situation, wherein we need to
postulate our mindset to do a rightful action and view, the concept of impartiality applies.
This is seeing all people as the same and equal before the application of law. It
promotes equality therefore it rejects prejudices and biases. In relevant issues like
racism and sexism, there are underlying concepts we could incorporate therein. Here
comes the concept of ethnocentrism and xenocentrism, an assertive approach of which
one is superior and inferior that leads to invalidation of one’s human welfare and rights.
Through impartiality, there is a concept of equality in which there is tolerance,
acceptance, and respect.

ACTIVITY TWO - How do you think your community influences your behavior?

We cannot deny the fact that we are socially constructed, highly influenced by external
factors as we tend to look at ourselves in the mirror of our society to be fit and accepted
the way we behave and the way we should be. The existence of culture connects
people and creates unity. Those who are against it will be considered immoral. There is
a principle of obedience, tolerance, and discipline. It is part of our soul that makes the
soul or our society as a whole.

ACTIVITY THREE - Give one Filipino cultural practice that should never be tolerated
and explain why.

The close-minded view in the LGBTQ+ community and the use of religious principles to
go against them. We are aware that Filipinos are religious, being a Christian nation,
they used to incorporate all their acts in their religious beliefs. Prejudice views in the
LGBTQ+ is open despite people are oriented in the concept of tolerance and
acceptance because it goes against their belief.

ACTIVITY FOUR – Why can’t all cultural practices be always correct?

Absolute morality can not go across the borders of culture. For in the concept of cultural
relativism, the basis of the good and evil depends on the culture of a particular area.
Also, in its context, there are conflicts highlighted in the application of morality within a
society as it can be going against the welfare of its people. And to cross these principles
and idealism in different cultural contexts, it would probably result in conflicts that might
deteriorate the beliefs of one another.
 DRAFT
ACTIVITY FIVE - How does cultural relativism promote equality?

The core of cultural relativism is to apply tolerance. In viewing other cultures having
different views and to understand that these differences are the moral of their own
society, we can manage to apply tolerance. By that way of looking at it, fostering
acceptance instead of judging culture prevails.

ACTIVITY SIX – How and why cultural relativism a threat to morality?

Morality in nature should be absolute and concrete in order to fully stabilize the
condition of moral application in the whole. With the existence of cultural relativism,
morals are viewed in different ways across different cultures. If there are hundreds and
thousands of concepts of morals, which one is true? What is the concrete definition of
applicability of morality that should stand between cultures? Simply, cultural relativism
puts more ambiguity the way we should unitarily understand the principles of morality.

ACTIVITY SEVEN – Why is ethnocentrism something that should be avoided by

everyone?

Ethnocentrism is a clear evidence of degrading one’s culture from the assertion that
their own weighs heavier. It creates a perspective of being superior to other cultures.
Racism is a clear manifestation of how this kind of idealism destroys the value of
humanity.

ACTIVITY EIGHT - Should cultural diversity lead to moral diversity? Decide with
reasons.

In general, yes. Diversity across cultures sets varieties of moral perspectives. Reasons
for it to be understand are elaborated in the following conditions:

1. Diversity of culture most likely resort to diversity of morals as societies tend to make
their culture as a background for moral establishment.
2. Morals should be congruent to culture for it to be accepted and tolerated.
3. The existence of absolute morality to be applied across different cultures may cause
conflicts.

ACTIVITY NINE - How does culture define moral behavior?

Culture is the fundamental structure of what morals to be set in a particular society. And
in order for a moral to be accepted, it should be first accepted by the culture. Though
 DRAFT
the point of their existence seems to be started at the same phase, culture is deemed
necessary for the applicability of a moral.

ACTIVITY TEN - How does cultural relativism promote moral relativism?

The logic here is, the principles of cultural relativism should also be also applied in
terms of morals.

1. If there is a difference in culture therefore, there are different morals established

as it depends on the culture.
2. It is unjust and unacceptable to judge one’s culture the same with their morals.
3. There is no objective standard between different cultures and morals.
4. Tolerance must be applied in both culture and morals.

ACTIVITY ELEVEN – Why are Filipinos more of xenocentrics than ethnocentrics?

Technically pertaining, Filipinos are considered xenocentric from the fact that it is a third
world country or a developing country. Wherein, those countries are more likely to
compare their status to the first world countries even if it most likely means to degrade
their own society. Some observable examples are Filipinos’ obsession with others’
countries fashion, entertainment, technology, and progressive development.

ACTIVITY TWELVE - Below are some of the most bizarre or out-of-this-world cultural
practices that are still being carried out today (All That Is Interesting, 2017). Research
and study the following and fill up the chart below:

Cultural Practice History Cultural Reasons Why It

Significance Devalues Human
Life
Finger amputation Finger amputation This practice shows Cutting off your
amongst the Dani or commonly called a deep symbolism upper half fingers
Tribe of Indonesia “ikapali” is the for the members of to express your
when a loved one practice of the Dani Tribe. It shows bereavement
dies women members of respect, and seems to be
Dani Tribe in bereavement to horrific. The pain
Indonesia. This their deceased that it will cause is
practice requires family members. unimaginable,
women to cut the especially if you
upper half of their remove your
fingers when fingers like your
someone died in clothes. Also, it
 DRAFT
the family to ward might cause
off spirits and as a health risks for a
symbol of possible infection.
bereavement. This
practice was
discovered by
Richard Archbold,
an American
explorer in 1938.
This practice
however was
banned by the
Indonesian
government a few
years ago.
Endocannibalism of Endocannibalism is The practice in a Often, unusual
the Yanomami the practice of deep sense means practices put the
Tribe in the Amazon eating the remnants valuing the spirit of welfare of the
Rainforest of South of the body of the the deceased people at risk.
America deceased member members of the Imagine mixing
of the Yanomami tribe. This is to the powdered
tribe believing that believe that by the remnants of a
they should keep practice of deceased person
the spirits alive for endocannibalism, in your soup
the generation as a spirits are alive and unknowingly the
kind of protection to passed through health risk that it
evil spirits. generations to could bring.
Yanomami Tribe serve as a guide
lives across the and protection.
Amazon Forest
composed of 200-
250 villages.
The Torajan people Person’s funeral in The practice of Being exposed to
of Indonesia’s Torajan’s culture is dead cleansing such practice that
practice of considered the reflects how the requires you to
exhuming the most important day people of the touch the body of
corpses of their of their life. It took a Torajan tribe value the dead people
dead fellow long time to have their dead family seems so
villagers and that day. Upon the members. It is part unhygienic. Eating
parading them process, the dead of looking up on besides the, could
around the village body of the person things they did you ever imagine
is dressed with when they were what kind of
colorful clothes, alive and it is giving bacteria roaming
regularly visited and back in return. around to be
clean and even attached and
displayed. eaten by yours?
 DRAFT
Ashura: Self- Self- flagellation The reenactment of Flagellation on the
flagellation ritual of happens in the martyrdom of other hand seems
Shiite Muslims commemoration of Hussein shows by many as a kind
the death of respect and being a of profanity to your
Hussein, grandson good follower of body. Allowing
of Prophet Islam for Shia yourself to be
Mohammad for his Muslims. beaten, increasing
martyrdom. It is the risk of possible
conducted every infections and
year on the 10th day complications.
of Muharram, the
first month of
Islamic Calendar.
The Eskimos’ rare Eskimos who are This practice In view of this
funeral ritual of geographically happened to exist practice, whatever
setting the elderly located in the due to the needs of reasons behind it
adrift on a floating northern the Eskimo’s to still the instinct of
iceberg when facing hemisphere survive within human falls in the
death or old age experience cold limited resources. act of suicidal or
climate for almost They just tend to murder which are
the entire year thus, believe that this considered
survival is critical practice is not killing immoral.
since the resources someone or to
are limited resulting murder but sending
in the creation of people to the
strange practices afterlife.
based on it. One is
the funeral ritual to
the feeble elders of
the tribe to be set in
the floating iceberg
to strive for death
from hunger, and
extreme cold until it
submerges.
The female genital FGM is the removal This practice in The practice
mutilation (FGM) of of a woman’s women shows a seems to violate
African women external genetalia cultural significance the welfare of
that is widely by believing that women by putting
practice in African this values the their life at risk as
countries and essence and purity it may cause
Middle East. This is of a woman. To be extreme pain and
to believe that it not influenced by possible infections
keeps women pure, sexual desires that that could result in
free to sexual can lead them to death.
pleasures and improper behaviors
 DRAFT
desires that makes and impurity.
them more
disciplined to be
viewed as women.