MEMORY AID weakening of the moral resolve of

the Filipinos. People of other

CHAPTER 1 countries suffer as much, if not
worse, but this is no consolation as
Ethics – is derived from Greek “ethos” which we should be looking up to the ideal.
means “characteristics way of acting”, Perhaps, we should think more of
“habit”, or “custom”. moral standard as our priority.
- The latin equivalent in this is “MOS”,
“MORES” from which it come the ETHICS AND RELIGION
word MORAL and MORALITY.
- It is the study of man’s reason and It is both concerned with
freedom, and was studied by Greek moral education, but they differ from
philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, each other. Ethics is a science and
and Aristotle. Aristotle is regarded relies on reasons for its conclusions.
as the father of moral philosophy Religion is a system of beliefs and
with three important treatises. practices based on faith and
Nicomachean, Eudemian, and Magna revelation, or truths revealed to man
Moralia Ethics. by God.
Ethics – is the science of the morality of ETHICAL NORMS AND LAWS
human acts. As the actions are done NORMS
intentionally and freely. As the human acts - It covers thoughts and feelings.
are differentiated from acts of the man which - “A man who lusts after a woman is
are instinctive. committing adultery.”
- Normal norms require proper
THE ART OF CORRECT LIVING spiritual disposition towards what in
awful.
Ethics is an art, is it “the art of LAWS
correct living”. That every person is - Human Laws regulate external
expected to be decent and actions, but not thoughts and
trustworthy. Ethics as “the only feelings.
necessary knowledge”. That morality - The laws of society sometimes
is not only necessary to a person but legalize immoral acts.
it is also to a society. Without the
civic morality (the code of conduct which ETHICAL APPROACHES
is expected to be adhered to by the citizens of There are two approaches, the atheistic and
that particular society, locality or state, for theistic ethics.
maintaining harmony and development of
- The atheistic approach assumes that
the society.) communities perish;
only matter exists and that morality
without personal morality their
is
survival has no value. – Beltrand
an invention of man to preserve
Rusell.
society. Moral truths are temporary
and changeable depending on the
ETHICS AND THE FILIPINO
situation, and the concept of good
and evil is relative.
Filipinos does believe that in
- The theistic approach assumes that
moral integrity and a just society.
God is the Supreme Lawgiver and
Corruption, commercialism, over
that everything must conform to His
population, unequal distribution of
plan of creation. Man is accountable
wealth, and lack economic
opportunities all contribute to the
 for his actions and deserves Man is an organism composed of a
punishment in this life or the next. material body and a spiritual soul. He is the
GENERAL AND SPECIAL ETHICS whole of his materiality and immateriality,
the substantial union (hylomorphic) of body
GENERAL ETHICS – is about the and soul, matter and spirit. This essential
principles of morality. wholeness is what we call human nature.
SPECIAL ETHICS - is the application Human nature is made up of man's
of the principles of General ethics to the biological, psychological, and rational
problems and issues confronting a person on powers.
account of his circumstances in life, for The biological powers are nutrition,
instance, as a citizen, neighbor, worker, wife, locomotion, growth, and reproduction. The
husband, psychological powers include those of the
or child. senses, such as smelling, tasting, seeing,
hearing, perceiving, imagining and
CHAPTER 2 remembering, and those acts of emotions,
such as love, hatred, desire, disgust, joy,
Ethics - is the study of man as a moral being. sorrow, fear, despair, and courage. The
What goals we assign to ourselves, what rational powers are those of the intellect and
actions we choose to do, and how we treat the will - comprehension and volition,
others -depend on how we understand respectively.
ourselves as a human being. Socrates is wise
indeed for proposing that the starting point NATURAL LAW: All human powers or
of faculties are operational tendencies towards
wisdom is "to know oneself. what is good to man as a rational animal. In
this sense, human nature is the natural law
FILIPINO BELIEFS because, like the laws of society, it directs
man in all his activities. Natural law differs
Filipinos believe that ... from
1. Man is a creature of God. the so-called laws of nature which are the
2. Man has an immortal soul. forces governing the material universe,
3. Man has an assigned destiny in life. including man. Natural law applies only to
4. Man must do good or else be man as a rational animal. When we speak of
punished by God. an act as "contrary to natural law", we mean
5. Man by nature is good but is the act to be against human nature or
morally weak. humanity.

Regarding morality, Filipinos believe that ... A MORAL BEING

Three characteristics reveal man's moral
1. Morality is "batas ng Divos" nature:
2. A person should respect his • Man by natural insight is able to distinguish
humanity, 'pagkatao" between good and evil, right and wrong,
3. A person should love and care for moral and immoral. All people, including
his family. those we regard as primitive, have an
4. A person should strive to live understanding of what is right or wrong, of
peacefully with others. what is permitted and prohibited behavior.
5. A person should fear God and His • Man feels himself obliged to do
punishment. what is good and to avoid what is evil. He is
moved by the inner force of his being
RATIONAL ANIMAL demanding that what is good "ought to be
done, and what is evil "ought" to be avoided.
 • Man feels himself accountable for the sum of a person's physical constitution,
his actions so that his good deeds merit talents, abilities, and habits which define
reward, while his evil deeds deserve characteristic behavior. In layman's terms,
punishment. Man feels content with personality consists of the physical qualities
himself for doing a good deed, or he feels and mannerisms of an aesthetically refined
remorseful for doing an evil deed. All person. As persons, all men are equal
cultures have a system of reward and regardless of race.
punishment based on the concept of However, one person may have more
justice. personality than another.

These characteristics show man's BRENNAN OBSERVES:

innate perception of truth, duty, and law. "The person does not grow in stature, but
Contrary to this view is the theory personality develops and enlarges itself
suggesting that human nature as a blank according to the pattern of his actions, the
sheet (tabula raza) on which culture writes mature use of his powers, and the scheme of
its text, so that man is merely the product of his habits. There is no such thing as cultivating
social interaction and his behavior is nothing a person, but we speak of cultivation of
more than "a reflex of social conditioning" personality. Hence, personality is the result of
(Erich Fromm, Beyond the one's achievement". (Ibid: 291).
Chains of Illusion, 29).
Character is often taken as
synonymous with personality. This is correct
MAN AS PERSON
if
personality is taken as the sum-total of the
Man is born as an individual, or
psychological systems in an individual which
person. Person is human nature actualized
enable him to adjust to his environment.
and manifested in the history of place and
Character, however, refers the person's
time.
choice of values and his intelligent exercise
of his freedom. (Vernon Jones, Meaning of Character,
Etymologically, the word "person" Collier's Encyclopedia, V-708)
comes from the Greek "prosophon" which is While personality is an aspect of the
the mask worn by stage actors. The Latin body, character is an aspect of the human
"personare" alludes to the mask which is soul.
constructed so as to project forcefully the We describe personality as pleasant or
voice of the actor. Underneath the person is unpleasant, but we speak of character as
human nature which is the principle of good or bad in the moral sense. "Personality",
human activity. says Brennan, "the principle of rational
action,
Person is defined as "an individual, character is the principle of moral action"
existing separately and independently from (Ibid: 292)
others, capable of knowing and loving in an
intellectual way, and of deciding for himself MORAL CHARACTER
the purpose or end of his actions" (Brennan: Character is the will of the person
280) We also refer to person as “self" or "ego". directing him towards a recognized ideal.
This is how human actions are significant
PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER because they actualize man's potential to be
The person is an individual human being. what he
Personality is the sum of those physical truly is as a rational being when a person
attributes and tendencies which define a falls short of the expectation, he is said to
person's distinctive behavior. Personality is have
bad character. On the other hand, a person being forced to do so by another person or
who lives up to the ideals of his humanity is situation.
said to have good character, or moral WILLFULLY - it is an act wherein the doer
integrity. Character is not the product of a consents to the act, accepting it as his own,
moment's and
inspiration, but a disciplined tendency to assumes accountability for its consequences.
choose the right thing in any given
circumstance. KINDS OF HUMAN ACT
It is adherence to what is true, ELICITED ACTS - are those
beautiful, and good in us. History counts men performed by the Will but are not bodily
of great character who acted against and externalized such as the following:
above the pre vailing beliefs and practices of
their day, like Jesus Christ, Sakya Muni or
Buddha, Confucius, Gandhi, Martin Luther
King, Jose Rizal, Nino Aquino, Pope John Paul
II, and many more.

SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE PERSON

Society is but an extension of the
person. Ethics is particularly relevant
because of man's social nature. The golden
rule, for that matter, is concerned about the
other person.
Among modern thinkers, George Hegel COMMANDED ACTS - are the
teaches that man is fully developed in his mental and bodily actions performed under
participation in family life, civic community, the command of the Will.
and in the State. Likewise, Thomas Hill Green
(1836-1882) expresses the conviction that a
person's morality must identify itself with
public welfare.
Paul Tillich puts it more clearly and
emphatically when he says natural law is the
demand for us, "to be a person in the
community of other persons".

CHAPTER 3

THE HUMAN ACT

Actions, since they are products of us MORAL DISTINCTIONS
thoughts and desires, reveal our moral With the norm of morality human
character. What we are and what becomes of acts are either:
us as persons depends on our choices and UNO - Moral Actions are those in
actuations. conformity with the norm of morality. (e.g,
working, studying, paying debts, loving someone. etc.)
KNOWINGLY – it is an act wherein the doer DOS - Immoral Actions are those which are
is conscious and aware of the reason not in conformity with the norm of morality.
and the consequences of his actions. (e.g, cursing, cheating, lying. etc.)

FREELY – it is an act wherein the doer acts TRES - Amoral Actions are those which
by his own initiative and choice without stand neutral or indifferent to the norm of
morality. (Drinking wine is amoral, but
excessive drinking is wrong.) Acts with Double Effect: Alfredo Panizo
cites these principles:
A person is held morally responsible
INTRINSIC & EXTRINSIC EVIL
for any evil effect which flows from
Immoral Acts are either intrinsically
the action directly willed and as a natural
or extrinsically evil.
consequence of such action,
Intrinsically Evil
though such evil effect is not directly willed
An act is intrinsically evil when its
nor intended.
wrongfulness is part of the nature. (e.g, Act of
Stealing.)
Extrinsically Evil A human act with double effect, one
An act is extrinsically evil when its good and another evil are morally
wrongfulness comes from an outside factor. permissible under four conditions. A
violation of any of these conditions
VOLUNTARINESS: DIRECT & INDIRECT makes an act unjustifiable:
VOLUNTARY
Voluntariness comes from the latin - The action which produces double
word "voluntas", which means the Will. effects must be good in
itself, or at least morally indifferent.
- The good effect must not come from
the evil effect.
- The purpose of the doer is the
attainment of the good effect, with
the effect being tolerated as an
incidental result.
- The good effect must outweigh in
importance the evil result.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HUMAN ACT

Because human acts come from the
DIRECTLY & INDIRECTLY VOLUNTARY: intellect and the will, they express the
- The result of an act which is thoughts and desires of a person, revealing
primarily intended is said to be his moral character. Hence, people are
directly voluntary. judged by their actions like trees by their
- The result of an act which follows or fruits. We condemn a person for his evil deed
goes along with the primarily or praise him for doing what is good.
intended act is indirectly voluntary.
DIRECTLY & INDIRECTLY VOLUNTARY: CHAPTER 4
A person is accountable for indirectly
voluntary acts when: MORAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Human acts, because they are
- The doer is able to foresee the evil voluntary, are
result or consequence though in accountable act. Actions are imputed on the
general way. doer as its principal cause and, therefore,
- The doer is free to refrain from doing deserving of either reward or punishment.
that action which would result in the
foreseen evil. THE SUBJECT OF HUMAN ACTS
- The doer has the moral obligation The subject of a human act is any
not to do that which would result in person who is capable of acting intelligently
something evil. and freely. Like the ship captain
who assumes full responsibility for the ship either tendencies desirable object, or
and its cargo, a person is accountable for his tendencies away from undesirable
decisions and actuations. A person is either objects. The former are considered positive
guilty or innocent, deserving, or under emotions, such as love,
serving of punishment. desire, delight, hope, and bravery. The latter
are negative emotions, such
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES as hatred, horror, sadness, despair, fear, and
The penal laws of the country anger. In relations to actions, passions are
provide for a system of punishments for either antecedent or
wrongdoings, ranging from fines to consequent. Antecedent passion comes as
imprisonment. The capital natural reaction to an object
punishment or death penalty is reserved for or stimulus without being aroused
“Heinous crimes”. intentionally. It precedes any act, thus
Unless also prohibited by the laws of it is called “antecedent”. It is antecedent
the land, passion when we feel happy in
no punishments are imposed on immoral the company of a friend. Consequent
acts; However, immoral acts carry with them passion, on the other hand, is the
the burden of guilty, remorse and shame. result of an act which causes it to be aroused.
The scriptures speak of death as the Reading pornography, for
punishment for sins. It means both physical instance, arouses sexual desires.
and spiritual death.
The medical science traces many FEAR
illnesses to immoralities and spirituals ACTING WITH FEAR - voluntary and
disorientations. Evil acts and habits cause accountable.
suffering and unhappiness, not only to the ACTING OUT OF FEAR - It is simply
victims, but to the perpetrator and his voluntary because the person remains in
relatives. The shamefulness of such actions control of his faculties. It is, however,
is shared by all the members of the family of conditionally voluntary, because if it were
the guilty. And there is the risk of being not the presence or a danger, the person
ostracized, losing a job, or being abandoned would not have acted.
by loved ones. VIOLENCE – It is any physical force exerted
MODIFIERS OF on a person by a free agent for the purpose
HUMAN ACT of compelling said person to act against his
- A voluntary act is under the control will. Insults, torture, isolations, starvations,
of the intellect and will of a person and mutilation are example of violence.
- Factors that may influence the HABITS - is the readiness, born of frequently
intellect and will repeated acts, for acting in a certain manner.
- These factors are called modifiers of Habits are acquired through the repetitions
human. of an act over a period of time. They are
IGNORANCE - absence of knowledge either good or bad. Habits become like a
VINCIBLE (ignorance) - can be easily be second nature, moving one to do
corrected through ordinary diligence. something with relative ease without much
INVINCIBLE (ignorance) - not aware of his reflections. They are difficult to overcome.
state of ignorance, or, being aware of it, does Unless a reasonable effort is made to
not have the means to rectify such ignorance. counteract the inclinations.
AFFECTED (ignorance) - Remains ignorant POVERTY - Poverty is never an excuse for
in order to escape responsibility. committing a crime just as wealth does not
justify abuses. But there is a correlation
PASSION - Passions, or concupiscence, are between poverty and crimes. People who
psychic responses. They are
are dirt poor and starving are unlikely to
think about their morals.

ACTIONS AND EMOTIONS

THOUGHT 1
- Man is not a robot devoid of
feelings.
- Every human act involves a person
emotionally.
- We are enjoined love God “with all
our hearts and soul”
THOUGHT 2
- Emotions are natural and
beneficial.
- Express approval of what is good
and worthy in an object.
- Express disapproval and
repudiation of evil such.

REFINEMENT OF EMOTIONS
Emotions, however, need to be
subjugated to reason because unbridled
passions could lead a person to his
perditions. One must learn to rein his
emotion and work them to his advantage. “it
is evident”, says Bernard Haring, “that
education, through proper discipline and
cultivation of the values of emotional life (in
which we include the cultivation of the
values of the character and dispositions), is
in many ways more significant than the tense
straining of will power” many ways more
significant than the tense straining of will
power” ( The Law of Christ, I – 199)

Moral perfection comes from within.

Filipinos speak of a good person as
possessing “ mabuting kalooban”. He is one
who is mapagmahal, matulungin sa kapwa at
may takot sa Diyos.