Lesson 3: Thinking of Ethics

[Monteverros]
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Employ technical terms precisely when entering into a discussion on ethics;
2. Distinguish between a descriptive and a normative study of ethics; and
3. Understand the role player by reasoning in a course on ethics.

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”

- Ludwig Wittgenstein

It is the words of the man who will decide its awareness to the world. While we learn
something new in ethics, there are circumstances that there are new words that we
cannot understand what it means. Ethical definition of things are strict, therefore
understanding of new words and its clarifications will help us to realize to use common
terms or deep words with greater care and in more strictly defined ways.

While we learn something new in ethics, there are circumstances that there are
new words that we cannot understand what it means. Ethical definition of things are
strict, therefore understanding of new words and its clarifications will help us to realize
to use common terms or deep words with greater care and in more strictly defined
ways.

Between Ethics and Morals

[Monteverros]

Ethics refers to the broader philosophical study of what is right or wrong, good or
bad, and how we should behave. It involves examining and developing principles and
guidelines for making ethical decisions. Ethics can be more systematic and theoretical,
often involving critical thinking and reasoned analysis.

Morals, on the other hand, typically refer to the specific beliefs, values, and rules
that guide an individual's behavior and decision-making. Morals are often shaped by
cultural, religious, or societal influences and can vary from person to person. Morals
tend to be more personal and subjective, rooted in a person's sense of right and wrong.

It must be noted that ethics and morals can be interchangeably used in the book
and this subject, that is why we must know how they differ in order to understand it
clearly.

[Pitargue]
Example:
Ethics needs Principles (e.g. Honesty)
Morals need Values (e.g. Integrity)

Principles are fundamental rules or guidelines that direct behavior,

while values are personal beliefs and ideals that shape one's attitudes and
choices.

Note that the principles are universally accepted as a direct action

whereas values are personally based on person’s beliefs to identify such
thing.

Principle - Honesty: Honesty is a fundamental principle that emphasizes

telling the truth and not deceiving others. It's a universally recognized
guideline for ethical behavior.
 Value - Integrity: Integrity is a personal value that reflects an individual's
commitment to honesty and truthfulness in all aspects of their life. It goes
beyond just following the principle of honesty; it's a deeply held belief in
maintaining consistency between one's actions, words, and values.

.
In this chart, we define what is unethical, ethical, immoral, moral, and amoral.
What defines ethical and unethical as good and bad are based on principles,
whereas Moral and Immoral as good and bad are defined based on values. It
should be noted that the term amoral is an action that doesn’t bear any morality
and does not include ethical recognition. An action can be amoral if it cannot be
good or bad, where ethics are not concerned with it such as walking, eating,
reading, touching. What maters for it to be good and bad is how the person do it
in such a way that it might result to something that can be valued.

Descriptive and Normative Study of Ethics

[Espanillo]

Descriptive ethics involves objectively studying and describing actual

moral beliefs and behaviors within societies and individuals, focusing on
understanding how people perceive and act in moral situations without passing
judgment on their correctness

Normative ethics aims to establish moral principles and frameworks that

prescribe how individuals and societies should behave, offering guidance for
determining what actions are morally right or wrong, and evaluating them based
on various ethical theories and perspectives.

Moral Valuation and Issue

[Espanillo]
Moral valuation involves assessing actions and situations based on
ethical principles to determine their moral worth.
Moral issue is a situation that raises ethical concerns and differing
viewpoints due to conflicting values and principles.

For instance, imagine a situation wherein a person cannot afford a certain item,
but then the possibility presents itself for her to steal it. Issue is also often used
to refer to those particular situations that are often the source of considerable
and inconclusive debate

Moral Decision and Judgement

[Espanillo]
A moral decision is a choice made after considering ethical principles
and personal values to determine the morally right course of action.
Moral judgment refers to the process of evaluating actions, behaviors,
or situations as morally right or wrong based on ethical principles, personal
beliefs, and societal norms.

When one is placed in a situation and confronted by the choice of what act to
perform, he or she is called to make a moral decision.

Moral judgment serves as the foundation for making a moral decision, as it

involves assessing the ethical implications of a situation and determining what is
morally right or wrong, which then guides the choice of action in a moral
decision-making process.

For instance, when I make a choice to refuse to accept a bribe from someone.
When a person is an observer making an assessment on the actions of
someone, he is making a moral judgement.

They differ in terms of perspective, moral decision is the action made by the
person after considering ethical principles in the situation, wherease moral
judgement is the assessment of other person on his or her action as morally right
or wrong.

Moral Dilemma
[Cadivida]
A moral dilemma is a situation in which an individual or group faces a
choice between two or more actions, each of which has moral implications,
where choosing one action often means compromising another ethical principle
or value, leading to a difficult decision.

Going beyond simple reasoning if an action is good or bad, let us now discuss
moral dilemma. We have moral dilemma when an individual can choose only one
from a number of possible acions, and there are comellin ethical reasons for the
various choices, and not just or one obvious answer.

For instance, a mother may feel conflicted between stealing food from a store
and wanting to get that food to be able to feed her hungry child.

Why and how do we think something is right or wrong?

[Cadivida]
Ask the audiences….
Answer: Because of Reason

For example, cheating is bad just because there is a punishment is not a real reason of
it being wrong in itself.

To be able to understand the reasons on considering something as right or

wrong, we must put ourselves on a higher level of abstraction rather than
restricting ourselves on a narrow point.
In ethics, to be able to understand how things become right or wrong, we must
be able to take a higher level of abstract thinking towards the morality of those
actions.

Sources of Reason
[Pitargue]
Basically, we cannot be for certain that there is a fundamental objective right or
wrong in this world, that is why people used to cluster their ideas based on their
collective reasons and justifications whether something is right or wrong. There
are different sources of reasoning:

1. Ethical principles - Many individuals base their judgments on established

ethical principles, such as honesty, fairness, and respect for others. They may
evaluate actions against these principles to determine their ethical status.
2. Cultural norms - Cultural norms and societal values play a significant role in
shaping our understanding of right and wrong. People often adopt the moral
standards of their culture or society as a guide for their moral judgments.
3. Religious beliefs - Religious teachings and doctrines often provide clear
guidelines for determining what is morally acceptable. Many individuals derive
their moral judgments from their religious beliefs and scriptures.
4. Consequences - Some people assess the potential outcomes or consequences
of an action when determining its moral status. They might consider whether an
action leads to positive or negative results for individuals or society as a whole.
5. Intentions - The intentions behind an action can influence moral judgments.
People may view actions as more morally acceptable if the intentions behind
them are well-meaning, even if the outcomes are not favorable.
6. Utilitarianism - Utilitarian reasoning involves evaluating actions based on the
greatest overall happiness or benefit they bring to the majority of people,
prioritizing outcomes over other considerations.
7. Empathy - People often use their capacity for empathy to determine the
rightness or wrongness of actions, considering how others might feel in a given
situation.
8. Personal values - Individual values, shaped by life experiences, upbringing, and
personal reflection, also influence moral judgments. People may evaluate actions
based on their alignment with their deeply held beliefs