Different Notions of
Morality
What is the message of the picture?
Every action has consequences.
Because of Freedom, the Human Person has a
concept of morality…
MORALITY
• From the Greek word MORES –
behavior
• Refers to the sense of rightness or
wrongness of an act.
MORALITY
• Quality of the human act that is
either good or bad, right or
wrong based on some norms
Popular Notions of Morality
▪ Deontological or Ethics of Duty
▪ Consequentialism
▪ Utilitarianism
▪ Subjectivism
▪ Pragmatism
▪ Altruism
Let’s ponder…
Is it good if I choose to tell a lie in order
to save a friend from a murderer?
Do you agree that if a poor boy steals a food
from a convenient store to ease his hunger
for 3 days can be considered as good action?
Deontological Ethics or Ethics of Duty
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
▪ Belief that humans possess the ability to reason
and understand universal moral laws that they
can apply in all situations. Unlike many other
ethical theories, deontology does not focus on
the consequences of individual actions.
▪ States that it is possible to determine the
rightness or wrongness of an action by
examining the action themselves, without
focusing on their consequence.
Deontological Ethics or Ethics of Duty
▪ Deontological (duty-based) ethics are concerned
with what people do, not with the consequences of
their actions.
✓ Do the right thing.
✓ Do it because it's the right thing to do.
✓ Don't do wrong things.
✓ Avoid them because they are wrong.
▪ Intention is relevant: I am acting a certain
way only if I act for the right reason.
Deontological Ethics of Ethics of Duty
▪ Implication of Deontology: A person’s
behavior can be wrong even if it
results in the best possible outcome.
And an act can be righteous even if it
results in a negative outcome.
Real Life Examples of Ethics of Duty:
▪ Do not kill.
▪ Do not steal.
▪ Do not make false promises
▪ Do not cheat.
▪ Do not lie.
Consequentialism
▪ It is possible to determine the rightness or
wrongness of actions by examining its
consequences.
▪ Focuses on the consequences. (The ends justifies
the means)
▪ For instance, most people would agree that lying is
wrong. But if telling a lie would help save a person's
life, consequentialism says it's the right thing to do.
The Trolley Problem
You have to decide between
killing one person or killing
five.
Utilitarianism
▪ Utilitarianism is an ethical theory
developed by Jeremy Bentham and John
Stuart Mill who adopted the principle
that right actions are those that produce
the greatest total happiness/ pleasure
for everyone affected by the
consequences of actions.
Utilitarianism
A theory of morality that advocates actions that foster
happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause
unhappiness or harm. Whatever brings happiness to
the greatest number of people.
Can be applied to individual actions – Should I cheat on
my Calculus exam?
Can be applied to a general rule – Should Juan prohibit
cheating?
Or to an ethical principle - Is cheating unethical?
Utilitarianism
The focus is on the overall consequences for the
total group of people. Thus, utilitarianism is a
consequentialist approach to judging moral
behavior.
Examples of Utilitarianism in Real-life
Redistribution of Wealth
In many economies, the population of the poor is
greater than the rich. Therefore, wealth
redistribution can result in more happiness for a
greater number of people.
Examples of Utilitarianism in Real-life
Mandatory Vaccination
Having everyone vaccinated produces a good
outcome because it reduces or eradicates
communicable diseases.
Examples of Utilitarianism in Real-life
Mandatory Lockdowns during Pandemic
To curb the spread of viruses
during a pandemic, governments
can implement laws that restrict
movement and reduce person-
to-person contact. This results
in protecting the health of the
citizens provided that the basic
needs of their citizens are met.
Examples of Utilitarianism in Real-life
Criminal Justice
In the utilitarian philosophy, criminals
should be punished to discourage
future criminal activity.
To produce the best outcome for
society, a utilitarian system will seek to
balance these ideas with the aim of
producing a happier society where
crime and punishment are at a
minimum.
Subjectivism
▪ David Hume (1711-1776) was a Scottish
philosopher known for his skepticism.
Humans do not make moral decisions
based purely on rational reasoning, but
rather based on both reasoning and
sentiment.
▪ The belief that values are subjective. Often
called moral relativism.
Subjectivism
▪ What is right and what is wrong vary based on
context, time period, and culture.
▪ If you believe something is evil, that is just your
own personal preference.
▪ This emphasizes that moral opinions are based on
our feelings and nothing more. On this view, there
is no such thing as objective right and wrong.
Example of Subjectivism in Culture
Marriage Eskimo Tradition
A man can have multiple
wives. He can share his
wife to his visitors as a
sign of hospitality.
Example of Subjectivism in Culture
VS
“Pagpag”
Pragmatism
It emerged in 19th century in America out
of empiricist view, that knowledge is
acquired through experience.
Philosophers of Pragmatism: William
James, Charles Pierce and J. Dewey. A
movement against traditional
philosophies; realism and idealism based
on too much speculation which is difficult
to verify.
Pragmatism
▪ An action is considered as morally
right if it is practical, workable,
beneficial, and useful otherwise it
has no moral worth.
Example of Pragmatism
Would you abort a deformed fetus?
In Christian ethics, particularly St. Thomas Aquinas, model
of ethics, abortion in whatever form is absolutely immoral
because at the first place the act is evil because it implies
killing. For the pragmatists however, it is better to abort a
deformed fetus that let it suffer for a lifetime. The act of
aborting a deformed fetus for the pragmatists therefore is
practical, workable, beneficial, useful.
Pragmatism
▪ Believes that moral judgements should
not be based on the action that is done
but rather on the results of that action.
▪ The value of anything is determined
solely in terms of its usefulness in
achieving some end.
▪ Pragmatist believes that the end justifies
the means.
Altruism
▪ A theory of conduct that regards
the good of others as the end
of moral action. The term
(French altruisme, derived from
Latin alter, “other”) was coined in
the 19th century by Auguste
Comte.
Altruism
▪ Holds the welfare of others as the standard of
good and self-sacrifice as the only moral action.
▪ Acting for the sake of other’s people’s interest.
Real-life examples of Altruism
▪ Giving your used clothes and shoes to an
unsheltered person.
▪ Giving up your seat to give to someone else
▪ Helping your classmate with a project, who
helped you study
▪ Offering pro bono professional services
▪ Letting someone with fewer grocery items go
ahead of you
Is morality relative? Is there such a
thing as an objective universal
moral truth?
