Republic of the Philippines

SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY

Main Campus, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Website: www.s;suonline.edu.ph/
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Institute of Arts and Sciences

SELF – PACED LEARNING PLAN
ETHICS
TITLE OF CONTENT OF THE LESSON/SHORT SELF-LEARNING ANSWERS TO GUIDE
OBJECTIVES GUIDE QUESTIONS
TOPIC READINGS/EXPLANATION ACTIVITIES QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 2 1. Differentiate Hume and the Philosophy of Mind 1. In what way are 1. Students will be divided
Lesson 1: responses based  Put himself in opposition to ancient feelings important into 5 groups. As a
Feelings in on reason and and modern philosophers with his in moral decision- group, they will come up
Relation to those based on take on emotions making according with a scenario where a
Moral feelings.  Put forth his 4 theses stating that to Hume and person based on his or
emotions are just as significant to Scheler? her decisions on
Dilemmas
2. Capture and reason: feelings. They will act
analyze their  Reason alone cannot be a motive to 2. In what way is a out what they deduce
feelings in their the will, but rather is the “slave of the feeling detrimental could happen when a
moral experiences. passions”. in moral decision- person based on his or
1. Moral Distinctions are not making? her decisions on feelings
derived from reason. alone.
2. Moral distinctions are derived
from the morals sentiments:
feelings of approval (esteem,
praise) and disapproval (blame)
felt by spectators who
contemplate a character trait or
action.
3. While some virtues and vices are
natural, others are (including
 Justice) are artificial.
4. For Hume, “Passions” (which he
used to refer to emotions and
feelings) are categorized into two:
Direct and Indirect.
Scheler and the Philosophy of Feelings
 Max Ferdinand Scheler was a German
Ethical Philosopher distinguished for
his contribution in phenomenology,
ethics, and philosophical
Anthropology (Davis and Steinbach,
2016).
 For him, emotions are the most
important aspect of human existence
(Dy, 1986). Scheler asserted that
emotions/feelings are, inherent,
objective, and it exists even if you
have not experience it before (a
priori). He rejected the idea that
feelings re in the subconscious and
asserted that it is actually the purest
sphere of human consciousness.
(Tymieniecka, 1993)
 Scheler presented four strata of
feelings. He claimed that these strata
or levels are constant and it follows
and exacts order of importance. He
called these levels of feelings as the
“Stratification model of emotive life”
1. Sensual Feelings
2. Vital Feelings
3. Psychic Feelings
4. Spiritual Feeilngs
Difference Between Responses based on
Reason and on Feelings
 On the opposite side of the discussion
about the role of feelings in making
moral decision are those who argued
on the use of reason over feelings.
Philosopher and Professor Dr. James
Rachels asserted that moral
reasoning, you could not rely on your
feeling no matter how powerful these
feelings may be. Feelings can be
irrational and merely a product of
your prejudice, selfishness, or
cultural conditioning. The Morally
right thing to do is one that is
supported by rational argument if:
a. The facts are correct.
b. The moral principles are
correctly applied.
c. Each individual’s well
being is treated equally
important.
What is the role of feelings in Decision-
Making
• Reason plays a role in making a
moral decision. Philosophers
encourage the use of reason in
making moral decisions.
However, it should be noted be
noted too that our moral
compasses are also powerfully
influenced by feelings.
• On several instances, reasoning
in moral decisions is preceded by
an initial intuition or gut-feeling.
 20th century Philosopher Alfred
Jules Ayer described two
elements in moral judgement:
a. “emotive” – expresses
positive feeling towards a
particular act.
b. “prescriptive” – is an
instruction or
prescription of a
particular behavior.
Why feeling can be obstacles to making
the right decisions
• There are three central features
as to why emotions can be
obstacles in making the right
decisions:
1. Its non-deliberate nature
2. Its partial nature
3. It is capricious
The Non-deliberate Nature Of Feelings
• Deliberate means the act was
intentional, planned, with
conscious effort, while non-
deliberate is the contrary term
that denotes spontaneous
actions.
• Philosopher Aaron Zeev
summarized the non-deliberate
nature of feelings as follows:
1. Responsibility entails free choice;
if we are not free to behave in a
certain manner, then e are not
responsible for this behavior.
2. Free choice entails an intellectual
 deliberation in which alternatives
are considered and the best one
is chose. Whithout such
consideration, we clearly cannot
understand the possible
alternatives and are not
responsible for preferring onr of
them.
3. Since intellectual deliberation is
absent from emotions, we cannot
be responsible for our emotions.
The Partial Nature of Feelings
• Emotions notoriously play
favourites.
• There are two aspects in the
partial nature of emotions:
1. Decisions based on feelings focus
on a narrow area
2. It reflects personal and self-
interest perspective
The Capricious Nature of Feelings
• The problem with emotions is
that it rises up for arbitrary
reason. For example you did not
give money to and old beggar
asking for alms simply because
she tugged at your shirt and
startled you. Aspects or
situations could rile up your
emotion, and situations that have
nothing to do in moral situations
could rile up your emotion, and
this will certainly influence your
subsequent moral judgement
 (Pizarro, 2000).
How Emotions Help in Making the Right
Decisions
• There are three ways in which
feelings, especially negative ones,
help in making the right
decisions:
1. It signals the need to to
adjust behavior
2. It can help us learn from
our mistakes
3. Emotional responses can
be reshaped as time pass
by
• Psychologist have long
acknowledged that emotions
serve as red flags. Emotions
signal that something is
happening and that it needs our
attention (Arnold, 1960).
Studies have shown, that negative
emotions are integral to our ability to
learn. The surge of negative emotions
trigger “counterfactual thinking”.
Counterfactual Thinking is a
psychological concept about the human
tendency to create possible alternative
scenarios other that what had actually
happened.

Prepared by: Noted: Approved:

ROD FRANCIS D. NARIT ELVIE D. DURAN, Ed, D DR. FRANCIS ANN R. SY
Name & Signature of Faculty/Staff Director, Institute of Arts and Sciences Concerned VP/Campus Director