Ethics

Chapter 1

THE ETHICAL DIMENSION

OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
Chapter 1
The Ethical Dimension of Human Existence

Introduction

In August 2007, newspapers reported what seemed to be yet another sad incident of
fraternity violence. Cris Anthony Mendez, a twenty-year-old student of the University
of the Philippines (UP), was rushed to the hospital in the early morning hours,
unconscious, with large bruises on his chest, back and legs. He passed away that
morning, and the subsequent autopsy report strongly suggests that his physical injuries
were most probably result of hazing. What exactly happened remains an open question,
as none of those who were with him that night came forward to shed light on what had
transpired? Needless to say, none of them came forward to assume responsibility for
the death of Cris.

Even as the leaders of the Sigma Rho fraternity publicly denounced the death of Cris,
those members who had been with him that night vanished, avoiding and refusing to
cooperate with legal authorities. Meanwhile, UP students and the general public
clamoured for justice. In a move that surprised the student body, the UP Chancellor
called on all fraternities to justify their continued existence. Meanwhile the case of the
tragic death of Cris Anthony Mendez was left unresolved. It remains that way up to this
day.

No one knows just what exactly happened. No charges have been filed, no definitive
testimony has been forthcoming. But there is more to this for us than just a criminal
mystery. Pondering on the death of Cris, we may find ourselves asking questions such as
‘What is the value of one’s life?” “What exactly were the wrongs done to Cris by his so-
called fraternity brothers?” or perhaps “is there any good in fraternities?” These
questions that concern good and bad, or right or wrong - and these questions concerning
value are the kind of questions that we deal in ethics.

Specific Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

- Identify the ethical aspect of human life and the scope of ethical thinking;
- Define and explain the terms that are relevant to ethical thinking; and
- Evaluate the difficulties that are involved in maintaining certain commonly-held
notions on ethics.
Duration
Chapter 1: The Ethical Dimension of Human Existence = 12 hours
(9 hours discussion;
3hours assessment)

Lesson

1 VALUE
Definition of Ethics

- The good things that we should do and the bad things that we should avoid;
the right ways in which we could or should act and the wrong ways of acting. It
is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human behaviour. It may
involve obligations that we are expected to fulfil, prohibitions that we are
required to respect, or ideals that we are encouraged to meet.

Clarifications and Terminologies

1. Recognize that there are instances when we make value judgements that
are not considered to be part of ethics.

Kinds of Valuations
a. Aesthetics - derived from the Greek word “aesthesis” (“sense” or
“feeling”) and refers to the judgements of personal approval or
disapproval that we make about what we see, hear, smell, or taste.

e.g.
For instance, I could say that a new movie I had just seen was a
good one because I enjoyed it or a song I heard on the radio was a bad
one because it had an unpleasant tone.

b. Etiquette - certain approval or disapproval of actions which can be

relatively more trivial in nature. It is concerned with right and wrong
actions, but those considered not quite grave enough to belong to the
discussion on ethics.

e.g.
For instance, I may think that it is right to knock politely on
someone’s door, while it is wrong to barge into someone’s office.
Perhaps I may approve of a child who knows how to ask for something
 properly by saying please, and otherwise, disapprove of a woman that I
see picking her nose in public.

c. Technical Valuation - derive from the Greek word “techne” the English
words techniques and technical which are often used to refer to a proper
way (or right way) of doing things but may not necessarily be an ethical.

e.g.
Learning how to bake, for instance I am told that the right thing to
do would be mix the dry ingredients first, such as flour or sugar before
bringing in any liquids, like milk or cream: this is the right thing to do in
baking but does not belong in the discussion of ethics.

2. Ethics and Morals

Morals - used to refer specific beliefs or attitudes that people have or to

describe acts that people perform.

Ethics- the discipline of studying and understanding ideal human

behavior and ideal ways of thinking

3. Descriptive and Normative

Descriptive Ethics - reports how people, particularly groups, make their

moral valuations without making any judgement either for or against
these valuations.

Normative Ethics - often done in philosophy or moral theology, engages

questions “What could or should be the right way of acting? In other
words, a normative discussion prescribes what we ought to maintain as
our standards or bases for moral valuations.

4. Issue Decision Judgement and Dilemma

Moral issue - used to refer to those particular situations that are often
the source of considerable ad inclusive debates (thus we would often
hear topics such as capital punishment and euthanasia as moral issue)

Moral Decision - when one is faced in a situation and confronted by the

choice of what act to perform.

e.g. For instance, I choose not to take something I did not pay for.
 Moral Judgment - when one is an observer who makes an assessment
on the actions or behavior.

e.g. For instance, a friend of mine stole from a store and I find it wrong to
do so.
Moral Dilemma - Going beyond the matter of choosing right over
wrong, or good over bad, and considering instead the more complicated
situation wherein one is torn between choosing one of two goods or
choosing between the lesser of two evils; When an individual can choose
only one from a number of possible actions and there are compelling
ethical reasons for the various choices.

e.g. A mother may be conflicted between wanting to feed her hungry

child, but then recognizing that it would be wrong for her to steal.

Reasoning
Why do we suppose that a certain way of acting is right and its opposite is wrong?
The study of ethics in interested in questions like these: Why do we decide to consider
this way of acting as acceptable while that way of acting is unacceptable? To put it in
another way, what reasons do we give to decide or to judge that a certain way of acting
is either right or wrong?
A person’s fear of punishment or desire for reward can provide him a reason for
acting in a certain way. It is common to hear someone say “I did not cheat on the exam
because I was afraid that I might get caught”. The promise of rewards and the fear of
punishment can certainly motivate us to act, but are not in themselves determinants of
the rightness or wrongness of a certain way of acting or of the good or bad in particular
pursuit. Is it possible to find better reasons for finding a certain way of acting either
acceptable or unacceptable?
Going beyond whatever motivations or incentive is present in an instance of
cheating (or not doing so), our thinking may take on a level of abstraction, that is
“Cheating is wrong” by recognizing proper reasons for not acting in this way. Beyond
rewards and punishments, it is possible for our moral valuations, decisions and
judgment to be based on a principle or a moral framework.

Principle
- Rationally established grounds by which one justifies and maintains her moral
decisions and judgement.

Moral Theory/Framework
- A systematic attempt to establish the validity of maintaining certain moral
principles. It is a structure which can evaluate our reasons for valuing a certain
decision or judgement. This can make us reflect on the principles that we
maintain and thus, the decisions and judgments we make. By studying these,
we can reconsider, clarify, modify, and ultimately strengthen our principles,
thereby informing better both our moral judgments and moral decisions.