1. What is Ethics? - It is primer 3. What is moral ?

➢ Ethics is a branch of philosophy that ➢ Morals, as defined by the dictionary, are

deals with questions of morality and rules of right and wrong action as well
principles of right and wrong conduct as the goodness or badness of human
➢ It seeks to provide a framework for character.
evaluating and guiding human behavior. ➢ Morality on the other hand, refers to a
➢ It helps individuals and societies make system of principles, values, and
ethical judgments and decisions. guidelines that determine what is good
➢ Ethics is also referred to as human or bad, and it governs the conduct and
freedom in the sense that it manifests in behavior of individuals or societies
how people interact with one another
and with nature, as well as in their ➔ Ethics and Morality are closely related
commitment to justice. concepts that deal with questions of
➢ When ethics concentrates on the right and wrong from good and bad, and
interaction that exists between people how individuals and societies should
and the rest of the world, it can be behave. Ethics is general and specific
claimed that ethics is generally while Morality is particular and varied
concerned with human independence. depending on a particular situation.
Despite these distinctions, ethics and
2. Why is ethics important? morality are intertwined and often used
➢ In order to tell the truth, maintain our interchangeably in many contexts. They
word, or assist a stranger in need, we both address questions of how
must follow ethical principles. Everyday individuals should behave, what values
decisions we make are guided by an and principles should guide their
ethical framework that helps us avoid actions, and how societies should
unjust results and helps us make establish norms and rules to promote a
decisions that have good effects on the just and fair coexistence.
world. Through our decisions, ethics
teaches us how to improve the world. 4. Family Values and Ethics
➢ Nicomachean Ethics, written by Aristotle ➢ Family values are often closely tied to
in 384–322 BCE, is often interpreted to cultural and moral traditions.
highlight the importance of habit in ➢ Ethical behavior within a family is crucial
behavior. It is a popular misconception for maintaining healthy relationships.
that Aristotle's view of virtues as habits Families that prioritize open and honest
and the idea of the good life as mindless communication, empathy, and conflict
repetition resolution skills teach their members
 how to navigate ethical dilemmas and supposed to do that even if it conflicts with
resolve disputes in a constructive and other non-moral standards.
ethical manner.
3. Moral standards are not established by
5. On Culture and Ethics authority figures - Moral standards are not
➢ Culture plays a significant role in invented, formed, or generated by authoritative
shaping the values that individuals and bodies or persons such as nations’ legislative
communities hold dear. These values, bodies. Ideally instead , these values ought to be
such as honesty, loyalty, respect for considered in the process of making laws.
others, and fairness, form the
foundation of ethical principles. 4. Moral standards have the trait of
Different cultures may prioritize certain universalizability - Simply it means that
values over others, leading to variations everyone should live up to moral standards. To
in ethical norms and behaviors be more accurate, however, it entails that moral
principles must apply to all who are in a
6. What are the moral standards? relatively similar situation.
➢ Moral standards are those that are
concerned with or relate to how people 5. Moral Standards are based on Impartial
behave, particularly how to distinguish Consideration - Moral standards do not evaluate
between right and wrong behavior. standards on the basis of the interest of a
Moral standards are the guidelines that certain person or group, but one that goes
people have for the kinds of behaviors beyond personal interest to a universal
they consider ethically acceptable and standpoint in which each person’s interest are
unacceptable. impartially counted as equal.

Characteristics of Moral Standards 6. Moral standards are associated with special

1. Moral standards involve serious wrongs or emotions and vocabulary - Prescriptivity
significant benefits - Moral standards deal with indicates the practical or action-guiding nature
matters which can seriously impact, that is of moral standards. These moral standards are
injure or benefit human beings. generally put forth as injunction or imperatives.
These principles are proposed for use, to advise,
2. Moral Standards ought to be preferred to and to influence to action retroactively, this
other values - Moral standards have overriding feature is used to evaluate behavior, to assign
character or hegemonic authority. If a moral praise and blame, and to produce feelings of
standard states that a person has the moral satisfaction or of guilt
obligation to do something, then he/she is
 7. The Philippine Law and Ethics 15th Century Rise of Nations
➢ The connection between Philippine law ➢ Freedom means to be free from
and ethics is multifaceted and crucial something. Liberty means to be free to
for maintaining a just and orderly do something.
society. Ethics refers to a set of moral
principles and values that guide human RIGHTS VS FREEDOM
behavior, while Philippine law consists Human rights include the right to life and liberty,
of the rules and regulations enacted by freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of
the government to govern the conduct opinion and expression, the right to work and
of individuals and institutions within the education, and many more. Everyone is entitled
country. to these rights, without discrimination.
➢ The Legal Foundations of the Philippine ● Rights are legal and moral entitlements.
Law lies in the Constitution. In concept, ● While freedom is the absence of
many principles and values embedded necessity, coercion, or constraint in
in Philippine law are rooted in ethical choice or action.
principles. Concepts such as justice, ● Rights is protected by the law
fairness, equality, and respect for human ● Freedom is protected by rights
dignity are fundamental to both ethical ● Rights Entitle You to freedom
frameworks and the legal system. ● Freedom Granted by rights
- Ethics and Morality are complex and ➢ Negative Freedom is : “I can do what I
multifaceted concepts that play a central role in want without interference. No one, even
guiding human behavior, shaping societal norms, the government, can be an obstacle in
and addressing ethical dilemmas. They are my enjoyment of freedom.”
essential for fostering a just and ethical society, ➢ Negative Freedom is in the long run in a
and the exploration and understanding of these way may be an Anarchy.
concepts continue to be topics of philosophical ➢ Negative Freedom is the power or right
and practical inquiry. to act, speak, or think as one wants
without hindrance or restraint.
(Lesson 2 ) ➢ Negative liberty is the absence of
Etymology obstacles, barriers or constraints. One
Eleutheria means “Freedom” or liberty. has negative liberty to the extent that
Old English “Fugol” - meaning Bird actions are available to one in this
German word “Freiheit” - means to love negative sense.
- Old English freedom "power” of
self-determination, state of free will;
emancipation from slavery, deliverance
John Locke (1632-1704) John Stuart Mill (1806-1873, England)
● Locke , political philosopher who - Mill "had a lifelong goal of reforming the
believed that people are born with world in the interest of human
reason and natural rights. well-being"
● Locke posited that people are born as ➢ “The happiness of the greater good or of
blank slates or "tabula rasas" and that the greatest number of people.

the way they are treated and educated

➢ Positive liberty is the possibility of
ultimately shapes who they will become.
acting — or the fact of acting — in such a
Classical Liberalism
way as to take control of one’s life and
● John Locke and English philosopher
realize one’s fundamental purposes.
was the first to argue that individuals
➢ Positive Freedom is : “I can not do what I
had innate rights of life, liberty and
want and people or the government can
prosperity
force me not to do something even
● Government comes about through the
against my own will because they
agreement of free individuals that their
believe it is better for me in the long
rights are best protected by associating
run.”
with one another
➢ Positive Freedom is in the long run in a
● If the contract was broken people have
way may be a Dictatorship.
the right to rebel
➢ If there is no intellect, there would be no
discipline. Reason can legislate but only
What is Locke's liberalism?
through our discipline can its legislation
- In liberal Lockean social theory the
be turned into action. Our discipline is
function of government is negative. It is
an instrument of our FREE choice. -
willed into being by individual men to
Aristotle
serve merely as an umpire in the
➢ All our freedom should always be a
competitive scramble for wealth and
reflection of our conscience and love for
property.
others.
➢ All human beings are equal, communal
“DO THE RIGHT THING , BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT”
and autonomous. Everyone has a divine
- Immanuel kant
gift to be equal and exercise the rights
● Immanuel Kant was an influential
to life, liberty, property and happiness.
philosopher of the 17th and 18th
➢ For Locke, in the state of nature, all men
centuries.
and women are created by God thus, it
● Reason imposes its own abstract,
should be exercised by all human
formal laws on our actions. Morality
beings since it is of divine cradle.
ultimately rests, not on sense
 experience or feelings, but on reason. ➢ For Rousseau, the social contract is an
● These summaries and problems deal agreement among individuals that
with Kant's Groundwork of the involves collective will and common
Metaphysic of Morals. interest to preserve and maintain a
genuinely free political society.
Freedom
Kant connects morality with freedom “FREEDOM IS WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT’S
In order to be free, we must act autonomously: BEEN DONE TO YOU “- JOHN PAUL SARTE
● Act in accordance with a law we have ● Our Freedom determines who we
constructed ourselves (out of reason) become.
not a law given or imposed on us. ● Sartre reminds us the importance of
● Act in accordance with the law no Freedom regardless of the power of
matter the consequences (not in order other people to coerce our desires,
to get something else) beliefs and decisions.
➢ For Kant, freedom is not about following (LESSON 3)
one’s passions or submitting to one’s POSTMODERNISM - All truth is relative.
inclination but rather controlling them. Ex-is-ten-tial-ism
➢ For Kant, one must strive to overcome A philosophical theory or approach that
all forms of irrationalities or irrational emphasizes the existence of the individual
tendencies to attain a rational life. person as a free and responsible agent
determining their own development through acts
Jean-Jacque Rousseau (1712-1778) of the will
● Born in Geneva, Switzerland
● Later moved to France Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
● convinced people are smart and kind ➢ "FATHER OF EXISTENTIALISM"
and good. ➢ Danish philosopher-theologian from the
● Only society and a few bad people 19th century
corrupt others. ➢ "Golden Age", of intellectual and artistic
● The Social Contract (1762) activity.
● People should have as much individual ➢ a has been a major influence in the
freedom as possible development of 20th-century philosophy,
● Government formed by a Social especially existentialism and
Contract: a direct democracy where postmodernism.
everyone is equal and has an equal say ➢ Danish philosopher born in Copenhagen
in politics ➢ Human existence is always individual in
character, never social
 ➢ PROPONENT OF LEAP FAITH. ATHEIST
➢ Regine Olsen (engaged with A - NO
seventeen-year-old daughter of a THEIST - THEUS = GOD
politician but later they broke their AGNOSTIC
engagement) A - NO
➢ "Poet-philosopher" (in honor of both his GNOSTIC - NOSTUS = KNOWLEDGE
passion and his highly literary
experiments in style and form) ➢ "Gott ist tot" (THE DEATH OF GOD)
➢ Nihilism - nihil means does not exist
THREE SPHERES OF EXISTENCE ➢ The Gay Science & Thus Spoke
● AESTHETIC SPHERE concerned with, Zarathustra
and living for, their own pleasure and - Age of Enlightenment
happiness .(0 - 25 YEARS OLD) - the idea of God can no longer provide
values
● ETHICAL SPHERE live life according to ➢ Ubermensch creates his own morality,
moral requirement (good and evil) based on his own experiences rather
(26 -50 YEARS OLD) than accept the morality dictated by
institutions like the church
● RELIGIOUS SPHERE characterized by
faith in and dependence on God (51 - Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)
TILL DEATH) ➢ arguably the best known philosopher of
the twentieth century
Friedrich Nietzsche ( October 15, 1844) ➢ is a philosopher of human freedom. He
➢ A GERMAN PHILOSOPHER, ESSAYIST, built an existentialist philosophy, where
AND CULTURAL CRITIC man loneliness and responsibility is
➢ An atheist absolute. Despite this fragile condition,
➢ Nietzsche spoke of "the death of God," man has to invent his way to define who
and foresaw the dissolution of he is.
traditional religion and metaphysics Notable Artworks
➢ He began his career as a classical ➢ Presentations are communication tools
philologist before turning to philosophy that can be demonstrations, lectures,
➢ “GOD IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SCIENCE speeches, reports, and more.
AND TECHNOLOGY”
➢ His unpublished works came into the Freedom is existence.
hands of nazi, that's why world war 2 - Man is unconditionally free because
started. freedom "exists as it is.
 - Freedom is about "making a choice" and doing harm to another is not only wrong,
that by choosing freedom, a person is but wrong enough that the state can
asserting his existence and his freedom intervene to prevent that harm from
However... occurring.
- "Freedom" in the Sartre concept is not
the freedom to just do something or According to Mill Utilitarianism is
anything. He says "you are free" because - Mill's (1993: 7) utilitarianism is a system
the person always has a choice, of ethics according to which 'actions are
"therefore choose." right in proportion as they tend to
-Freedom is the capacity to choose- produce happiness, wrong as they tend
Therefore to produce the reverse of happiness'
- Freedom is a choice and this choice - Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that
comes with a responsibility. determines right from wrong by focusing
on outcomes. It is a form of
Bad Faith consequentialism. Utilitarianism holds
● Living in Bad Faith means you believe that the most ethical choice is the one
you have no other choice but assume that will produce the greatest good for
the role you think you should play. the greatest number.
● When we assume we have no freedom
to control our lives and succumb to the The trolley
external circumstances that limit our
movement, we are living in Bad Faith.
● By acting in bad faith, we deny our
choices and remain shackled to the
pseudo-world we created.

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) and Utilitarianism

➢ The government should protect the Like most philosophical problems, the Trolley

harmony and balance of all. Individual Problem is not designed to have a solution. It is,

freedom should be the priority always. rather, intended to provoke thought, and create

➢ "The happiness of the greater good or of an intellectual discourse in which the difficulty of

the greatest number of people." resolving moral dilemmas is appreciated, and

➢ Mill wrote what is known as the 'harm our limitations as moral agents are recognized

principle' as an expression of the idea

that the right to self-determination is not
unlimited. An action which results in
utilitarians would favor whatever option in which Mill's moral rights and considerations of justice
the greater numbers of lives are saved. The are not absolute, but are only justified by their
moral value of an action is not in its intrinsic consequences to promote the greatest good of
nature, but rather in its consequences. the greatest number.
- Answerable by whether it is morally ● JUSTICE = MORAL RIGHTS
good or bad and has an outcome ● Justice promotes the greater social
- It also states that for every decision we good.
make, there is a possible consequence.

UTILITARIANISM - an ethical theory that argues

for the goodness of pleasure and the
determination of right behavior based on the
usefulness of the action's consequences.
● One's actions and behavior are good
inasmuch as they are directed toward the
experience of the greatest pleasure over
pain for the greatest number of persons.
● The goodness or badness of an action is
based on whether it is useful in
contributing to a specific purpose for the
greatest number of people.
● It is consequentialist.

In other words...
Actions are morally right if it serves the
GREATEST PLEASURE of the GREATEST
NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

➢ Moral good = Happiness =Pleasure

➢ Intended pleasure and privation of
pleasure
➢ THEORY OF LIFE - to prefer pleasure to
increase happiness - John Stuart Mill