MODULE IN ETHICS

Ethics, and Its Key Concepts

Introduction

The discussion, description and explanation in this module hope to equip you students
with ideas on the importance of ethics and the key concepts related to the moral experience.
Make use of this module to provide you with insights and ideas to help you understand difficult
and pressing experiences that need proper perspicacity.

A. Ethics: Its Definition and Importance

Have you experience a situation where it requires that you have to choose on what to do
and part of it is to decide which of the choices is right or wrong? Can you recall an experience
where you really felt bad and sad because you hurt somebody because of your wrong action? Did
you ever wonder why people need to be good and avoid what is evil? Did it ever come to your
mind why we need to be pleasing in our action?

There are many people who ask why study ethics? Why be moral? Webster’s dictionary
has a number of definitions for moral including: - of or relating to principles of right and wrong
in behavior - conforming to a standard of right behavior. This is an important question for a
course on ethics - is being moral important to you, why (or why not)? Most people think doing
well in life is associated with being “good”. ([Link])

For example: do you think a person who gains money dishonestly is a success? Is a
politician who beats his wife and children a success? Is Mother Theresa a success - she had very
few of the thing society commonly associates with doing well. Most people like fairness, justice,
truthfulness, compassion in society. Ethics help give direction to societies and people who think
they cannot flourish without some form of morality. Morality is said to be breaking down in
society today - juvenile crime, drug abuse, alcoholism, teenage pregnancies, crime rates - all
seem to indicate that the moral fabric of society is breaking down. Moral questions are at the
heart of life’s vital issues - including those affected by the actions above. “Morality is primarily
concerned with the questions of right and wrong, the ability to distinguish between the two, and
the justification of the distinction. ([Link])

Montemayor (1994) mentions in his introduction on his book Ethics: The Philosophy of
Life that Ethics is the philosophy of life and that it delves into the deepest whys and wherefore of
human existence, men’s actions, problems and destiny.

He further mentions that to live well and happy, we must know what we are living for.
He says this is taught by Ethics that investigates the meaning and purpose of human life. He
mentions that according to Socrates the unexamined life is not worth living for man.

Montemayor (1994) also states that Plato one of the greatest philosophers of all times
proclaimed Ethics as the supreme science, the highest in the hierarchy of human values, as it is
Ethics that is concerned with the attainment of life’s greatest Good and Goal – Happiness.

Definitions of Ethics

The book of Montemayor (1994) provides the following definitions of Ethics:

1. Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human actions.

2. Ethics is the science of human acts with reference to right and wrong

3. Ethics is the scientific inquiry into the principles of morality.

4. Ethics is the study of the rectitude of human conduct

5. Ethics is the human conduct from the standpoint of morality.

6. Ethics is the science which lays down the principles of right living

7. Ethics is the practical science that guides us in our actions that we may live rightly and
well.

8. Ethics is normative and practical science, based on reason, which studies human conduct
and provides norm for its natural integrity and honesty.

9. According to Socrates, ethics is the investigation of life.

 Looking into these definitions we can say that they are similar to each other. The
definitions speak of the field of study of ethics as human conduct; and of the investigation of
such human conduct in terms of its morality. The important terms that can be seen in them are:

1. Science-systematic study or a system of scientific conclusions clearly demonstrated,

derived from clearly established principles and duly coordinated

2. Morality – the quality of human acts as right, wrong or indifferent, moral immoral or
amoral.

3. Human acts –acts done with knowledge, freedom and free will or consent.

Importance Of Ethics

Montemayor (1994) proclaims that the importance of the study of ethics follows immediately
from the importance of ethics itself. His idea is manifested in the following:

1. Ethics means right living and good moral character and it is in good moral character that
man finds his true worth and perfection. All the great teachers of the ages maintain that the
supreme purpose of human living lies not in the acquisition of material good or bodily pleasures,
nor in the attainment of bodily perfections such as health and strength; nor even in the
development of intellectual skills but in the development of the moral qualities which lift man far
above brute creation.

2. Education is the harmonious development of the whole man-of all man’s faculties: the
moral, intellectual, and physical powers in man. Now then highest of man’s power are his reason
and will. Hence, the primary objective of education is the moral development of the will

A. Rules And Its Importance to Social Beings (lifted from the book of De Guzman, (2017) -
Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society)
 You find rules everywhere. But did you ever ask yourself why you need to follow them?
Try to recall an experience where you followed a rule and assess what you did. Did you just
follow it without asking yourself why you need to follow it? Did you have any doubt about
following it?

Rules refer to explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a

specific activity or sphere. Rules tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular context or
situation. In many ways, rules serve as a foundation for any healthy society. Without rules,
society would like fall into anarchy.

Rules benefit social beings in various manners:

1. Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior. Rules build boundaries that place
limits on behavior. Rules are usually coupled with means to impose consequences on those who
violate them. One of the reasons people follow accepted rules is to avoid negative consequences.

2. Rules help to guarantee each person certain right and freedom. Rules form frameworks
for society. Nations are generally nations of laws and the governing principles are outlined in
what is called constitution. Because the majority has agreed to follow and consent to be governed
by such a constitution, the freedoms outlined exist.

3. Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings. Rules are needed in order to keep
the strong from dominating the weak that is to prevent exploitation and domination. Without
rules, schemes in which those with the power control the system, would take over. In effect, rules
generate a stable system that provides justice, in which even the richest and the most powerful
have limitations on what they can do. If they transgress rules such as laws and ordinances and
take advantage of people, there are consequences both socially and criminally.

4. Rules are essential for a healthy economic system. Without rules regulating business,
power would centralize around monopolies and threaten the strength and competitiveness of the
system. Rules are needed to ensure product safety, employee’s safety and product quality.
Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual property. Rules and regulations also keep
the banking system stable so as to avoid depression and the like.
 In short, society could not soundly function without rules and regulations. Rules are
necessary to protect the greater good. Even the freest societies ought to have rules in order to
avoid exploitations and tyranny while upholding the common good.

B. Moral Standards versus Non-moral Standards (lifted from the book of De Guzman,
(2017) -Ethics: Principles of Ethical Behaviour in Modern Society)

Do you know the meaning of standards? Have you been in a situation where you were
chosen because you met the standards or you were disregarded because you did not meet the
standards? But are you aware that there are different kinds of standards and the kind is dependent
on their implication or effect on people and situations? Why do you think there is the need to
distinguish moral standards from non-moral ones?

It is important to note that different societies have different moral beliefs and that our
beliefs are deeply influenced by our own culture and context. For this reason, some values do
have moral implications, while others don’t. Let us consider, for example, the wearing of hijab.
For sure, in traditional Muslim communities, the wearing of hijab is the most appropriate act that
women have to do in terms of dressing up. In fact, for some Muslims, showing parts of the
woman’s body, such as the face and legs, is despicable. However, in many parts of the world,
especially in Western societies, most people don’t mind if women barely cover their bodies. As a
matter of fact, the Hollywood canon of beauty glorifies a sexy and slim body and the wearing of
extremely daring dress. The point here is that people in the West may have pitied the Muslim
women who wear hijab, while some Muslims may find women who dress up daringly
despicable.

Again, this clearly shows that different cultures have different moral standards. What is a
matter of moral indifference, that is, a matter of taste (hence, non-moral value) in one culture
may be a matter of moral significance in another.
 Now, the danger here is that one culture may impose its own cultural standard on others,
which may result in a clash in cultural values and beliefs. When this happens, as we may already
know, violence and crime may ensue, such as religious violence and ethnic cleansing.

This is where the importance of understanding the difference between moral standards
(that is, of what is a moral issue) and non-moral ones (that is, of what is a non-moral issue―thus,
a matter of taste) comes in. This issue may be too obvious and insignificant for some people, but
understanding the difference between the two may have far-reaching implications. For one, once
we have distinguished moral standards from non-moral ones, of course, through the aid of the
principles and theories in ethics, we will be able to identify fundamental ethical values that may
guide our actions. Indeed, once we know that particular values and beliefs are non-moral, we will
be able to avoid running the risk of falling into the pit of cultural reductionism (that is, taking
complex cultural issues as simple and homogenous ones) and the unnecessary imposition of
one’s own cultural standard on others. The point here is that if such standards are non-moral (that
is, a matter of taste), then we don’t have the right to impose them on others. But if such standards
are moral ones, such as not killing or harming people, then we may have the right to force others
to act accordingly. In this way, we may be able to find a common moral ground, such as agreeing
not to steal, lie, cheat, kill, harm, and deceive our fellow human beings.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

[Link] on the definition of ETHICS, discuss at least three definitions according to your own
understanding (in a two-three paragraph)

2. Accordingly, Man has his own reason and will, should you consider your own thoughts,
actions, and decisions as manifestation of ethical acquisitions? Why and why not?

3. Why rules and regulations important? Cite three reasons and give specific example that is
present in our society to justify your answer.
4. Are the governing rules in our society has something to do with your personal understanding
about morality? Why?

5. Is cheating allowed in a relationship (be it friendship or love life) Does it conforms to social
standards and or the context of the present society? Why?