Module 1 - Basic Concepts in Ethics

3/29/2021
MODULE 1: BASIC CONCEPTS IN ETHICS

Site:
New Era University
Printed by:
Nicole T. Aretañ o
Course:
GECETH-18 - Ethics
Date:
Monday, 29 March 2021, 2:37 PM
Book:
https://college.neu.edu.ph/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=155
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Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Pre Assessment Task
4. Week 1 -Ethics and Morality
5. Topic 2: Ethics And Philosophy
6. Topic 3: The Importance of Rules to Social Beings
7. Week 2: Moral Vs. Non Moral Standards
8. Topic 5: Dilemma and Moral Dilemmas
9. Topic 6: What is the minimum requirement for Morality?
10. Post Assessment Activity
11. Forum 1 A Module#1
12. Forum 1 B
13. Assignment 1 Module#1
14. Quiz 1
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1. Introduction
Fundamentals of Ethics covers the principles and moral judgments, and the criteria in
analyzing the morality of man. As a moral philosophy, ethics attempts to answer life’s big
questions about the conscious examination of a person and his belief. It carries the concept
of moral standards or rules, and their importance to man and to society, as a whole. The
moral and non-moral, good or bad, and right or wrong are considered normative studies of
human actions are also discussed. Final y, the concept of dilemma, reason, and impartiality
are also presented in this module.
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2. Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Articulate ethics from a different perspective.
2. Differentiate between Moral from No-moral standards.
3. Examine the importance of rules for social beings.
4. Decide when an action is said to be ethical.
5. Discuss the role of reason and impartiality.
6. Express an opinion about human conduct in general.
7. Deconstruct one's biases of various ethical perspectives.
8. Write a reflection paragraph on a current issue based on one's ethical perspective
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3. Pre Assessment Task
Up until now, the COVID - 19 (CoronaVirus Disease) has been affecting almost al aspects of
our lives: physical y, mental y, financial y, and emotional y. This unseen enemy has
adversely affected the world because of its deadly impact on people's lives and activities.
People from al walks of life are forced to stay at home to stop the spread of the infection.
One of the most affected is the Academic sector where you (student) and I Teacher) belong.
As a student, how does this pandemic affect your academic activities? How can you help
solve this pressing issue? Share your thoughts about this with a classmate or a friend.
Note: This task wil assess your knowledge of your values regarding the pressing issue of
the COVID 19 pandemic.
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4. Week 1 -Ethics and Morality
Topic 1: What is ethics, and morality?
Welcome! Are you familiar with ethics and morality? Probably yes, in fact, most of what we
do in life deals with ethics and morality. But before we delve into the complex world of
ethics, it is only proper to know its basic concepts.
Topic one unfolds the fundamentals of ethics. This serves as the key to understand the
deeper meaning of Ethics. Watch and learn from the discussion on the general concepts of
ethics on the youtube video provided here.
;
By default, the video talks about moral principles and moral behaviors that human beings
should act in order to live a good life. Ethics can be classified as behavioral and applied.
Behavioral ethics pertains to how we behaved when confronted with ethical dilemmas. For
example, an employee should show acceptable behavior such as showing respect, taking
responsibility, and accountability and communicating clearly in the workplace in order to
contribute quality output.
Allied ethics, sometimes called practical ethics is concerned with practical problems that
coincide with moral philosophy which includes subfields such as medical, social, legal, and
business ethics.
ETHICS AND MORALITY DEFINED
Ethics is derived from the Greek word Ethicos which means relating to one’s character,
customs, or manners. It is a science of character of an individual expressed as right or
wrong conduct or action.
Ethics is also related to moral principles that prescribe codes and explain what is” good or
bad, right or wrong or evil. It tel s us how choices are to be made and what the
consequences it wil yield.
In other words, ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts
such as good and evil, virtue and vice, or justice and crime.
What is Morality?
Morality comes from the Latin word m os (normative and Moris (genitive) meaning
customs or conduc t. It refers to what a person ought to do and not to do and are shared
and widely accepted as the standard for himself in a wider environment, that is the
community or society.
Various concepts as to how we live moral y arise from various ethicists, including how they
look at the meaning of morality. To start with, let’s take Rachels definition and example of
what morality is. James Rachels, a Philosophy professor (1941-2003) proposes a theory cal
ed
“minimum conception” of morality. He explains that the core of every moral theory should
accept at least a starting point. Rachels (1999) further argued that for a person to be moral,
his judgment should be backed up with sound reasoning - a minimum requirement for
morality.
Here's the story of baby Theresa that demonstrates one's judgement and moral action. Let
us try to read and analyze the case of “Baby Theresa” as fol ows.
Baby Theresa was born with a disease cal ed “Anencephalic” meaning no cerebrum, cerebel
um, and the top skul is missing but has a brain stem that keeps her from breathing. In Florida,
where Theresa’s parents lived, most babies who are detected to have this kind of disease while
in the mother’s womb are aborted because even if they are born, babies wil usual y die in a
few days. Theresa’s parents, being aware of their daughter's situation and the law, decided
and volunteered to donate baby Theresa’s organs to baby’s who are in dire need of organ
transplants. But it is the law that prohibits the removal of organs while the donor is stil alive.
The law further states that taking organs wil kil someone. Baby Theresa died after 9 days,
and her organs had deteriorated and were worthless.
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Now, do you think Theresa’s parents' decision is moral? According to the argument from
“Wrongness of Kil ing” it says that it is wrong to kil a person just to save another. In baby
Theresa’s case, taking her organs would be kil ing her and saving other people's lives,
therefore, taking organs is wrong. However, Rachels’ argued on this theory. Here are his
arguments:
· Shouldn’t there be an exception to the rule?
· That baby Theresa is not conscious; in fact, she wil never have a life, and she is going to
die soon; that is from the medical point of view.
· Should we regard baby Theresa as already dead?
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5. Topic 2: Ethics And Philosophy
Ethics and Philosophy
One might ask, are ethics and philosophy related? If yes, what is the connection between
these two terms?
In your previous lesson, you've learned that ethics serves as the guideline for human beings
to lead a life that follows moral standards. But the question is, how sure we are that what
we do is always right? This question will lead us to the fundamental nature of knowledge,
reality, and existence- called "philosophy".
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the three major figures in ancient philosophy who
considered ethics as a philosophical engagement. They were the ones who were able to see
the possibility of thought and action or theory and practice that exist in dynamic unity.
1. Socrates
On a day in 399 BC, the philosopher Socrates stood before a jury of 500 of his fellow
Athenians who accused of "refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state" and of
"corrupting the youth." If found guilty; his penalty could be death.
2. Plato
He was Socrates’ student who took over the task when He (Socrates) was executed for
allegedly “corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens. Plato discussed every kind of
philosophical idea, including Ethics wherein he enhanced the ethical orientation of
philosophy by presenting human life as a struggle and what life is ought to be.
3. Aristotle
A student of Plato is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, who made important
contributions to logic, criticism, rhetoric, physics, biology, psychology, mathematics,
metaphysics, ethics, and politics. His works include the necessity of finding one’s purpose
and practicing moderation in life in order to achieve what we call eudaimonia which means
happiness.
N ow, you might ask "why ethics is philosophical?", The answer is that ethics emerges from
our basic desire to make sense of the complexities of human conditions. Questions such as
“Who Am I?”, “What Am I To Do With my Life?”, and “Who Do I Want To Be?” are al but
expressions of the human need to understand oneself and be able to use such knowledge as
a guide for actions.
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6. Topic 3: The Importance of Rules to Social Beings
Are you familiar with the Golden Rule (GR) that goes: "Treat others as you want to be
treated". This adage becomes part of global ethics today. Let me share with you a well-
known story about the Golden Rule. Here it goes:
There was once a family whose Grandpa was also living with them. Because of old age
he can no longer hold things the way he used to do. While eating he dropped and broke his
plate spilling
the food, and was scolded and given a cheap wooden plate instead. Grandpa was so
unhappy.
His grandson saw what happend and made two wooden plates. His parent saw what their
young son was doing
and asked him: "Son what are you doing?" The son replied: "I'm making two wooden plates
so that when
you two grew old and must eat alone". His Mom and Dad looked sad and realized how they
were mistreating Grandpa.
So, they decided to let grandpa eat with them once more even Grandpa will spill his food
again.
The story is an example of Golden Rule. But be cautious of this Golden Rule because
this does not apply all
the time. As a social being, we need to abide by the rules in a community where all of
us belong in order to achieve a harmonious relationship. Rules are a clean set of
guidelines for what we can do and we cannot do.
Ethical standards serve as the guiding principles of human conduct. Doing what is
right is the mantra in Ethics.
But how sure we are that these actions are acceptable, especially to the people
around us?
What are the different kinds of rules?
As social beings, we have to act in accordance with the rules being imposed in the
community where we belong. Rules come in different faces.
Rules serve as the foundation for any healthy society. They tell us what is or what is not
allowed in a specific situation or context.
Say, a mother tells her son the proper way of crossing the street by means of following the
road signs in order to avoid accidents.
On the other hand, school rules help the stakeholders, employees, the faculty members, and
the students to maintain a harmonious relationship among them. Rules refer to explicit
regulations governing conduct within a specific activity. (“Rule”,n.d.) Rules tell us what is or
what is not in a particular context. Social rule systems include institutions such as norms,
laws, regulations, taboos, customs, and a variety of related concepts and are important in
the social sciences and humanities.
What do you think would happen if rules do not exist? Without rules, society would likely
fall into anarchy.
Rules are established to protect the weaker class in society since they are at a disadvantage
if such regulations are broken.
When rules are properly set and followed, they provide a stable environment and human
co-existence in a community, resulting in peace and order.
Rules benefit man in various ways:
Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior - rules build boundaries that limit man’s
behavior. The rule is a means of imposing consequences on those who violate them.
Rules help to guarantee each person certain rights and freedom. Rules serve as frameworks
for society. Rules on a division of power and checks and balances further protect
individuals' freedom and liberty.
Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings. Rules are needed to keep the strong
dominates the weak. In other words, they prevent exploitation and domination.
Therefore, rules and regulations are crucial and necessary to protect the people in a
society. These rules are needed to avoid exploitation and tyranny while upholding man's
common welfare.
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7. Week 2: Moral Vs. Non Moral Standards
Topic 4: MORALS AND NON MORAL STANDARDS
Watch this video and be able to see the distinction between moral and non-moral
standards by giving examples. Be ready for a graded discussion during our consultation
schedule.
Also, read some discussion about the said topic provided below.
Moral standards keep everyone to act in the right way, for you and me to show an
acceptable manner or behavior. Moral standards are norms that we have about the kinds of
actions believed to be morally right or wrong. It also involves our values in promoting the
welfare and well being of humans as well as animals, and the environment.
Non-Moral standards, on the other hand, refer to standards. Study the table below and be
able to differentiate moral from non-moral standards
Moral Standard
Non-Moral standard
Moral standards are norms that individuals or
Non-moral standards refer to standards by
groups have about the kinds of actions
which we judge what is good or bad and right
believed to be morally right or wrong, as well
or wrong in a non-moral way.
as the values placed on what we believed to
Examples of non-moral standards are
be morally good or morally bad.
standards of etiquette by which we judge
Moral standards normally promote “the good”,
manners as good or bad, standards we call
that is, the welfare and well-being of humans
the law by which we judge something as legal
as well as animals and the environment.
or illegal, and standards of aesthetics by
Moral standards, therefore, prescribe what
which we judge art as good or rubbish.
humans ought to do in terms of rights and
Hence, we should not confuse morality with
obligations.
etiquette, law, aesthetics, or even religion.
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8. Topic 5: Dilemma and Moral Dilemmas
What is dilemma? How does this apply in ethics? The dilemma is a term used for a situation
when a tough decision is to be made between two or more options. A dilemma refers to
conflict, a problem, or situations that have two possible choices.
A moral dilemma also known as an ethical dilemma pertains to an agent/person who faces
a tough moral decision. For example, These examples show the conflict between two moral
norms which is (1) repaying one’s debt, (2) protecting others from harm. In simpler terms,
a person who faces a dilemma is required to do two or more actions, but cannot do both of
the actions. Quite intriguing! Now, let’s ask some ethics experts about moral dilemmas.
Ethicists propose that when one conflicting moral action dominates another moral action,
the case is not a genuine dilemma.
The three levels of Moral Dilemma
1. Personal dilemmas - are dilemmas that are experienced on a personal level. Here’s an
example of a personal dilemma from Jean-Paul Satre (1957).
Nearly twenty-four centuries later, Jean-Paul Sartre described a moral conflict the resolution
of
which was, to many, less obvious than the resolution to the Platonic conflict. Sartre (1957) tel
s of a
student whose brother had been kil ed in the German offensive of 1940. The student wanted to
avenge his brother and to fight forces that he regarded as evil. But the student’s mother was
living
with him, and he was her one consolation in life. The student believed that he had conflicting
obligations. Sartre describes him as being torn between two kinds of morality: one of limited
scope
but certain efficacy, personal devotion to his mother; the other of much wider scope but
uncertain
efficacy, attempting to contribute to the defeat of an unjust aggressor.
2. Organizational dilemmas -refer to ethical cases encountered by people in an

organization.
The organizational dilemma is all about how to reconcile inconsistency between individual
needs
and aspirations on the one hand, and the collective purpose of the organization on the
other. Organizational dilemmas can take may different forms; from ethical through to toxic
workplaces, it is important to be able to specifically define what the dilemma is and what is
the root
cause.
3. Structural dilemmas - is wider in scope that involves cases of a network of institutions

that encompass multi-sectoral organizations. Finding a satisfactory system of roles and
relationships would be an on-going universal struggle. Therefore, managers should create
clear-cut solutions instead of confronting enduring structural dilemmas/tough trade-offs
without easy solutions or answers.
Other Examples of Moral Dilemmas
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1. Accounting
Your supervisor enters your office and asks you for a check worth $150.00 for expenses he tel
s
you he incurred entertaining a client last night. He submits receipts from a restaurant and
lounge. At
lunch, your supervisor’s girlfriend stops by to pick him up for lunch and you overhear her tel
ing the
receptionist what a great time she had at dinner and dancing with your supervisor the last
night
before.
What would you do?
2. Bank Tel er
You have worked as a bank tel er for several months when one of the other tel ers who has
become
a good friend tel s you that her daughter is extremely il and that she must have an operation
to survive. She also tel s you that she has no insurance and the operation wil cost $10,000. She
then
confides in you that she took $10,000.00 from a dormant account at the bank to pay for the
operation. She assures you that she has already started paying it back and wil continue to do
so
until it is already returned.
What do you do?
3. Computers
I n your spare time at work, you have developed a new spreadsheet program on the personal
computer in your office. It is even more powerful, yet easier to use than anything on the
market. You
share your new program with a friend who encourages you to market it on your own because
could
probably make an incredible profit in a short period of time. This is a very attractive option,
yet you
developed it using the company equipment and during the time that you are at work.
What do you do?
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9. Topic 6: What is the minimum requirement for Morality?
Minimum Requirement for Morality: Reason and Impartiality
Reason and impartiality are the minimum requirements for a person to be considered
moral. Reason in terms of morality tel s us that human feelings may be important but sound
reasoning helps us to evaluate whether our feelings and intuitions are correct and
defensible.
Impartiality, on the other hand, refers to the idea that each individual’s interests and points
of view are equal y important.
Impartiality is a principle that deals with our decisions that should be based on the
criteria of being just or objective, rather than bias or has a prejudice. Impartiality is a
requirement for being moral. Some ethicists argued that we have to strive impartiality
because it promotes our wel being, therefore, earning respect and appreciation of others.
The principle of impartiality is central to both deontological and utilitarian ethical theories,
both of which cal for an impartial appraisal of a situation, fol owed by the moral y
appropriate response. These impartial moral theories require an individual to set aside
personal interests and considerations, that is, they require us to make decisions based on
objective criteria, rather than personal bias.
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10. Post Assessment Activity
Click here to access the activity on post-assessment
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11. Forum 1 A Module#1
Click here to access the Forum discussion.
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12. Forum 1 B
Click here to access Forum 1 B
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13. Assignment 1 Module#1
Click here to access assignment #1
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14. Quiz 1
Click here to access quiz 1
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3/29/2021

MODULE 1: BASIC CONCEPTS IN ETHICS

2. Organizational dilemmas -refer to ethical cases encountered by people in an

3. Structural dilemmas - is wider in scope that involves cases of a network of institutions

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