ETHICS 111
Instructor: Mary Grace Y. Paracha
Lesson 1: The
Importance of
Rules
To explain the
importance of rules
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Analysis
1. What if there were no rules? What
are the possible consequences?
2. Are rules important? Why or why
not?
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Rules are established guidelines or instructions that
dictate how people should behave or what actions are
allowed or prohibited in a particular context or society.
They serve as a framework for maintaining order,
ensuring fairness, and promoting harmony in various
settings, such as schools, organizations, communities,
and legal systems.
Rules are meant to set orders. (the Philippine
Constitutions and other laws included) are meant for
man.
The law of the Sabbath “The Sabbath is made for man
and not man for the Sabbath”.
Rules are not meant to restrict your freedom.
“NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW”
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Lesson 2: Moral
and Non-moral
Standards
Distinguish between
moral and non-moral
standards
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Ethymology and Meaning of Ethics
Ethics – comes from the Greek word “ethos” meaning
custom used in works of Aristotle, while “moral” is the Latin
equivalent.
Ethics deals with morality
Ethics or moral philosophy, deals with moral standards, inquiries about
rightness or wrongness of human behavior or the goodness or badness of
personality, trait or character.
Ethics is the study of morality of human acts and moral agents, what makes
an act obligatory and what makes a person accountable.
Moral – is the adjective describing a human act (ethically
right or wrong, or qualifying a person, personality, character,
as either ethically good or bad.)
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Moral Standards or Moral Frameworks and Non-
Moral Standards
Moral Standards – are norms or prescriptions that serve as
the frameworks for determining what ought to be done or what
is right or wrong action, what is good or bad character.
(ex. Do not lie, Don’t steal, Don’t cheat others & Don’t kill) .
Moral standards are either consequences standards
(stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism) or non-consequences
standards (Aristotle’s virtue, St. Thomas’ natural law, or
Immanuel Kant’ good will or sense of duty).
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Moral Standards or Moral Frameworks and Non-
Moral Standards
Non-moral Standards – rules of good manners and
right conduct, etiquette, rules of behavior set by parents,
teachers and standards of grammar or language,
standards of arts, standards of sports set by the
authorities.
(ex. “observe rules of grammar,” ”do not wear socks that don’t
match,” or “do not eat with your mouth open”) .
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Large image slide
l li e s in i ts
o r n o n - m or a it s
Moral i s t i n g uis h e d f r o m
c e a s d
complian
co m p l i an ce.
Non-
c a u s e s a s e nse
l s t a n da r d s –
Mora
of guilt. m a y o n l y
l s t a n da rds –
Non-m o ra s s m e n t .
m e o r e mb a r r a
c a us e s s h a
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Classification of the Theories of Moral
Standards
1. Consequence (teleological, from tele which means
end, result, or consequence) standards – The
rightness or wrongness of a rule depends on the
consequences or the good that is produced in the world
or following the rule.
2. Not-only-consequence standard (deontological)
– the rightness or wrongness of an action or rule
depends on sense of duty, natural law, virtue and the
demand of the situation or circumstance (does not only
depend or rely on the consequences of the action or following the rule).
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Deontology (Rosen & Garner)
- The rightness or wrongness of an action depends on (or
is a function) of all the following:
a. consequences of an action or rule, what
promotes one’s greatest good, or the
greatest good of the greater number.
b. Consideration other than consequences, like
the obligatoriness or the act based on
natural law, or it’s being one’s duty, or it's
promoting an ideal virtue.
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What Makes Standards Moral?
“Act only according to the maxim whereby you can at the
same time will that it should become a universal law.” –
Immanuel Kant
The universal necessity of the maxim, what makes it a
categorical imperative is what makes it obligatory.
The obligation arises from the need of self-
preservation
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The Origin of Moral Standards: Theist and Non-
Theist
Theist – the origin of moral standards is God who “wrote his law in
the heart of every person”, the natural law.
Belief in God strengthens them to be moral.
Moral values and duties are seen as a reflection of the will of
a higher power
Non-Theist – the origin of moral standards is the moral frameworks
formulated by philosophers like Confucius, Immanuel Kant, Stuart
Mill, et al.
Morality can be based on reason, empathy, social evolution,
and human values.
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Activity
1. Classify the following into groups: moral standards and non-moral standards
• No talking while your mouth is full.
• Do not lie.
• Wear black or white for mourning; never red.
• The males should be the one to propose marriage not females.
• Don’t steal.
• Observe correct grammar when writing and speaking English.
• Submit school requirements on time.
• If you are a male, stay by the danger side (roadside) when walking with a female.
• Go with the fashion or you are not “in”.
• Don’t cheat others.
• Don’t kill.
• When you speak pronounce words correctly.
• Focus the microscope properly.
• Maintain a 36-24-36 body figure.
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Thank You for
Listening!
