Module 1: Introduction to Key Concepts

Table of Contents

Introduction 2
Paulinian Essential Elements 3
Paulinian A rmation 3

Topic 1: Ethics: Its Meaning, Nature, and Scope 3

Learning Outcomes 3
Learning Activities 4
Activity 1: Diagnostic Exercises 4
Activity 2: Cooperative Group Learning (CGL) 4
Activity 3: Quotation Analysis 5
Processing 5
Ethics and Morality Distinguished 5
Ethics: A Philosophy of Action 6
Formation 7
Socratic Method 7
Simulation 7
Synthesis 7
Assessments 7
Assignments 9

Topic 2: The Moral Dimension of Human Existence 10

Learning Outcomes 10
Learning Activities 10
Introduction 10
Activity 1: Big Group Brainstorming 11
Activity 2: Lecturette 11
Activity 3: Jigsaw Activity 15
Activity 4: Lecturette 16
Activity 5: Simulation 16
Processing 17
Formation 18
Synthesis 18
Module 1: Introduction to Key Concepts

Assessments 19
Assignments 19

Topic 3: Discerning Moral Dilemmas 20

Learning Outcomes 20
Learning Activities 20
Introduction 20
Activity 1: Individual Discernment 21
Activity 2: Individual Practice 21
Activity 3: Role Play 22
Activity 4: Big Group Brainstorming 22
Processing 23
Formation 23
Synthesis 23
Assessments 23
Assignments 23

Topic 4: The Morality of Human Acts and Moral Accountability 24

Learning Outcomes 24
Learning Activities 24
Introduction 24
Activity 1: Diagnostic Exercise 25
Activity 2: Cooperative Group Learning (CGL) 25
Processing 25
Formation 26
Synthesis 26
Assessments 27
Assignments 27

Re ection Guide 28

Expanded Opportunities 28

References 29

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Module 1: Introduction to Key Concepts

Introduction

Gallinero (2018) introduced ethics with these ideas:

What is morality? Morality is a system of beliefs about what is right behavior and wrong
behavior (Rubin, 2015). Morality deals with how a person relates with others and with the
world to promote what is good (Thiroux and Krasemann, 2009). In his book, Elements of
Moral Philosophy, author and university professor Dr. James Rachels—a philosopher who
specialized in ethics—asserted that at the very least morality is the effort to guide one’s
conduct by reason—to act based on the best reasons for doing—while giving equal weight
to the interests of each individual affected by one’s decision (Rachels, 2015).

However, one queries, “Is there a difference between ethics and morality?” Well, these two
words are oftentimes used interchangeably either in ordinary conversations or in academic
discussions and symposia. But are these two terms exactly the same, or, is there a shade of
difference between them (Fernandez, 2018)?

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Paulinian Essential Elements

Ethical, Paulinian Leaders, and Professionals who

● consistently adhere to acknowledged moral standards of decision-making and
behavior in their personal, professional, and organizational affairs;
● declare and affirm the values and principles of honesty, transparency, and fairness in
their professional lives and endeavors;
● launch and sustain initiatives that openly advocate and tangibly uphold the rights
and dignity of those seeking redress for injustices committed against them;
● articulate, advocate and exemplify Paulinian ideals and values in their private and
professional lives nurtured by prayer and a deep relationship with God, and
● speak out to expose and redress violations of social and professional norms and
principles whatever the consequences may be.

Paulinian A rmation
“As a Christ-centered Paulinian, I am ethical, Paulinian leader, and professional,
consciously expressing my faith.”

Topic 1: Ethics: Its Meaning, Nature, and Scope

Learning Outcomes
During the learning engagement, you should be able to
● expound the meanings/concepts of ethics and morality,
● interpret issues and situations that have moral and ethical bearings explaining them
in the light of ethical theories, and
● deepen your understanding by creating a reflective essay on ethics and morality.

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Learning Activities

Activity 1: Diagnostic Exercises 10 minutes

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly:
1. What is ethics?

2. What is morality?

3. What are the similarities and differences between ethics and morality?

Activity 2: Cooperative Group Learning (CGL) 15 minutes

Instructions:
1. After doing Activity 1, brainstorm the meaning of ethics and morality with their
differences and similarities.
2. Assign a group representative to report the output in a form of a concept map/word
web.
3. Your teacher will give a lecturette (see Ethics: Fernandez) to process your group’s
output.

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Activity 3: Quotation Analysis 15 minutes

Direction: Work in a group to elucidate with examples on the line provided below.

As ethics outlines theories of right and wrong and good or bad actions, morality translates
these theories into real actions. Thus, morality is nothing else but a doing (or the practice)
of ethics (Babor 1999:9).

Processing
(Adapted from Fernandez, pp. 1–3)

Etymologically, the word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos which can be roughly
translated in English as “custom” or “a particular way and manner of acting and behaving.”
Thus, custom would also mean here as a form of behavior or character. The Latin equivalent
for custom is “mos” or “mores”. It is from this root word that the term “moral” or “morality”
is derived (Agapay 2008:1). The two terms, ethics and morality, in this sense, therefore, have
literally the same meaning. That is why ethics is usually taken as synonymous with morality.
Also because of this, ethics is also called morality, or more precisely, the other name of
ethics is morality.

Thus, in many instances, we often hear people say: “What he or she did is moral or ethical;”
“His or her conduct shows a lack of ethics/morals;” “The problem of that person is that he or
she doesn’t have a sense of morality and ethics;” “Our primary concern as a people should
be how to become moral or ethical in our behavior.”

Ethics and Morality Distinguished

Though ethics and morality, by virtue of their etymological construction, and on how they
are used in people’s daily conversations, share practically the same meaning, there is, still, a
slight distinction between them.

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Generally, both ethics and morality deal with the goodness or badness, rightness or
wrongness of the human act or human conduct. “But in ethics, we specifically study
morality. Morality gives ethics a particular perspective of what to study about—that is, the
rectitude of whether an act is good or bad, right or wrong. Morality provides a quality that
determines and distinguishes right conduct from wrong conduct” (Sambajon 2007:7).

Ethics: A Philosophy of Action

While ethics arms the person with a theoretical knowledge of the morality of human acts, so
he/she may know what to do as well as how to do it, there is a whole world of difference
between knowing and doing, knowledge and action.

Knowledge, however, as anybody can readily attest in everyday experience, is not always
performed. It does not automatically happen that, as a person knows, then he/she does. It
does not necessarily follow that knowledge leads or results in practical action.

This would only mean that ethics, or make that—“the learning” of ethics—does not actually
guarantee morality on the part of the person’s concrete and practical conduct and behavior.
A person does not necessarily do what he/she knows. It has been said that the farthest
distance for a person to cross is the distance between the head and the heart.

While ethics (the theory) provides certain principles and guidelines as to what is good and
bad, right and wrong in human conduct, it is morality which actualizes the theory. Ethics, as
one particular author beautifully puts it, is the “word”, while morality is the “flesh.” Morality,
therefore, is here aptly understood as the application (praxis) of ethics (theory) (Babor
1999:8).

Hence, we can say that both of them—ethics and morality—truly need and complement
each other. “As ethics outlines theories of right and wrong and good or bad actions, morality
translates these theories into real actions. Thus, morality is nothing else but a doing (or the
practice) of ethics” (Babor 1999, 9).

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Formation

Socratic Method
Instructions:
1. Your teacher will employ Q and A on the importance of rules in the family, school,
and community settings.
2. Answer the following question: What could happen when no one follows rules and
those who break them go unpunished?
3. Come up with a particular scenario and then act it out in class.

Simulation
Instructions:
1. As a group, discuss among yourselves what could happen when no one follows rules
and those who break them go unpunished.
2. Come up with a particular scenario and then act it out in class.

Synthesis
In this lesson, we discuss the similarities and differences of ethics and morality. We also
clarified some of the terms that will be used in the study of ethics. We have explored a
number of problematic ways of thinking of ethics; some give a too simplistic answer to the
question of our grounds or foundations for moral valuation, while others seem to dismiss
the possibility of ethics altogether.

Assessments
A. Determine whether each statement is true or false.

__________1. Ethics and morality do not share the same etymology.

__________2. Ethics and morality are exactly the same.
__________3. Ethics is defined as the theological study of the morality of human acts.
__________4. Ethics is also known as moral philosophy.

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__________5. Ethics is a practical science for it deals mainly with theories and
principles.
__________6. Ethics deals primarily with the rightness or wrongness of human
thinking.
__________7. Ethics and law are both concerned with right and wrong.
__________8. As a science, ethics employs the aid of divine revelation in its
investigation.
__________9. Ethics also deals with the ultimate principle and truth concerning the
physical universe.
__________10. As a theoretical science, ethics can be considered as a “way of life.”

B. Identify what is asked in each item below.

__________1. It is the Latin word for morality.

__________2. It is a type of norm that is concerned with the proper or right way of
doing things.
__________3. It is a type of norm that the community comes to accept as good or
bad.
__________4. It is the Greek origin of the word ethics.
__________5. It is the material object of ethics.
__________6. It is a type of norm that has something to do with the need for group
cohesion and for strengthening the bonds that keep the community
together.
__________7. It is the formal object of ethics.
__________8. It is one of the divisions of ethics which is considered as the basic
course.
__________9. It is nother division of ethics which applies the specific and fundamental
norms and principles in various specific areas of human life and activity.
__________10. It is defined as the practical science of the morality of human act or
conduct and of the good life.

C. CGL Output (See Activity 2 under Learning Activities.)

D. Simulation Performance (See this item under Formation.)

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Assignments
1. Look for an article or news item in the net that deals with a particular contemporary
ethical issue. Discuss why the issue is an ethical one

2. Reflective Essay: Should I be Moral? (Fernandez, p. 29)

Instruction: Write a short reflection on the question below after reading the story of
“Gyges” in Plato’s book The Republic. In summary: “Gyges is a shepherd who
stumbles upon a ring that at his command makes him invisible and, while in that
state, he can indulge in his greed to the fullest without the fear of getting caught. He
can thus escape the restraints of society, its laws, and punishments. So he kills the
king, seduces his wife, and becomes king himself” (Pojman & Fieser 2017:67-68). So
imagine you got the ring of Gyges, would you still do what is good and what is right?
In brief, would you still act morally? Why should you, or not?

3. Research on the meaning of the following terms: etiquette, policy, law and
commandment.

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Topic 2: The Moral Dimension of Human Existence

Learning Outcomes
During the learning engagement, you should be able to
● differentiate among moral and nonmoral standards, moral standards and etiquette,
policy, law, and commandment;
● cite situations justifying whether the actions are moral or nonmoral, and
● simulate the characteristics of moral principles.

Learning Activities

Introduction
Michael Moga attested, “The experience of morality is part of every person’s life. It is found
in the various obligations that arise, the experience of actions which should be either
performed or avoided. Thus, terms such as “good,” “bad,” “right,” “wrong,” “appropriate,”
“ought,” “obligation”, “duty” and the like, are commonly found in various forms in human
conversations” (1993:1).

Fernandez also queried, “But it can be asked whether the whole of human experience falls
under the ambit of morality? Are all areas of human life covered by ethical evaluation and
judgment? Are all human conduct and enterprise subject to moral praise or condemnation?
Or, are there some aspects in human experience not within the domain of ethics and
morality?” (2018:17). In which Moga also premised, “Are we to think of morality as
something which is [only] found in one limited area of human life without any relevance to
the other areas [such as in the social, aesthetic, religious, business, scientific, etc.] Or are we
to conceive of morality as (an integral] part of every human experience…” (Moga 1993:1).

On the other hand, Gallinero opined, “For most people, the fundamental moral question is,
‘What should I do?’ or ‘How should I act?’ Ethics are presumed as moral rules on how a
person should act…. But is that all there is to ethics? Is ethics just about following rules of

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do’s and don’ts? This obsession with rules somehow neglects the more important aspect of
being a human person and that is becoming what should be. In other words, the more
important question for ethics is not ‘What should I do?’ but ‘What kind of person should I
be?” (2018:7-8)

Activity 1: Big Group Brainstorming 10 minutes

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly:
1. How are moral standards different from nonmoral standards?

2. How do moral standards differ from etiquette, policy, law, and commandment?

Activity 2: Lecturette 15 minutes

Read the following text (adapted from Fernandez, 2018:12-16):

Kinds of Valuation and Types of Norms

One very important element by which human conduct is determined and assessed in terms
of its morality is in reference to a norm. What is a norm? A norm is here understood as a
rule, standard, or measure. Specifically, it is something by which an act or conduct is
measured as good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral.

Richard Gula defines norm as “the criteria of judgement about the sorts of person we ought
to be and the sorts of actions we ought to perform” (as cited in Agapay 2008:77).

Thus, by norm of morality, we mean the standard of right and wrong in human actions. This
is precisely the very reason why certain actions are considered as morally good and the

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others as morally bad (Montemayor 1994:53). The norms of morality therefore are the
“standards that indicate the rightfulness or wrongfulness, the goodness or evilness, the
value or disvalue of human conduct” (Agapay 1991:53).

The concepts of good and bad, right and wrong, moral and immoral, proper and improper,
appropriate and inappropriate are the primary concern and focus of ethics as a
philosophical discipline. However, these concepts, to some extent, in one way or the other,
are also found and used in many other areas of human experience. Thus, there is a need to
find out what are these other areas and clarify how each area specifically employed the
above concepts.

What follows, in relation to the above point, comes from Ramon Reyes in his book The
Ground and Norm of Morality (1989:1-3).

According to Reyes, upon closer analysis of the various meanings of the expression “what is
proper,” or “what is good and right” and other similar expressions, we can identify and
differentiate at least four types of norms and standards within what he calls as the ethos or
mores of a community:

1. Technical Norm. This refers mainly to man’s needs which come from his bodily
space-time limitations. This norm has to do with survival, health and well-being. It is
connected with problems of effecting change, of transforming natural words, the
problems of coping with natural forces…. Thus, this norm is concerned with the
techniques of how certain things pertaining to survival, among others, should be
done or not done. And because of these, every community then prescribes certain
proper ways of working and doing things. For example, there is the “right” way of
preparing the field for planting rice, the “correct” way of constructing the roof of a
house, among others. Because of this technical norm, certain community members
are considered “good,” meaning good workers; efficient and productive others are
considered lazy, good-for-nothing.

Some specific examples where this kind of norm is evident are found in the following
statements: “that’s not the proper way to wash the dishes, “your manner of dribbling the

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ball is bad,” “your way of fixing the broken door knob is not good,” “you ought to do the
PowerPoint presentation this way,” “her approach in solving the math problem is wrong.”

2. Societal Norm. This particular type of norm has something to do with the need for
group cohesion and for strengthening the bonds that keep the community together.
In relation to this norm, for example certain manners or attire, certain ways of
speaking or of conducting oneself, certain rituals and ceremonies are considered
“proper” and “fitting,” “appropriate” or “recommended,” because they maintain and
strengthen the bonds that keep the community together. Other ways of behavior are
prescribed or frowned upon because they are unmindful of or destructive of social
relations.

Some specific examples of the above type of norm are found in such expressions as “you
ought to knock first before you open the door,” “one should not pick one’s nose in public,”
“it’s not right to talk while one’s mouth is full,” “one ought to follow the rituals set forth by
her fraternity when it comes to accepting new members.” These and other similar examples
belong to the category of etiquette or what is known as “GRMC” (Bulaong Jr. et al. 2018:2).

3. Aesthetic Norm. This refers to typical perceptual forms regarding color, shape,
space, movement, sound, feeling and emotion, touch and texture, taste, scent and
odor, which are considered by the community as “ennobling,” “cathartic,”
“heightening man’s existence,” or “beautiful,” because they represent a certain free
play and celebration of the human spirit.

Some specific examples of this type of norm are found in such expressions as “country
music is good,” “the latest Star Wars movie is bad,” “the food sold at the school cafeteria is
terrible,” “Leonardo da Vinci’s painting is admirable,” “my female students’ styles of dressing
are obnoxious,” “Vice Ganda’s fashion sense is simply outrageous,” “President Duterte’s
manner of speaking is utterly disgusting.”

4. Ethical or Moral Norm. The moral or ethical norm refers to some ideal vision of a
human person, an ideal stage or perfection of his/her being, which serves as the
ultimate goal and norm. In relation to this kind of norm, the human person and his

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or her actions are judged to be right or wrong, good or bad. Because of these ideal
visions of what a human person should be, a community has what is sometimes
called the “nonnegotiables,” those things which the community cherishes and
considers of ultimate worth, which also give ultimate sense and direction to human
existence. Therefore, all the other norms—technical, societal, and aesthetic—are to
be subordinated to this moral or ethical norm.

The above discussion shows us that it is important to be able to identify and differentiate
the various types of norms from one another. Being able to do this, it allows us to pinpoint,
with a certain degree of accuracy and consistency, as to what particular kind of valuation we
are making in a given context. In this way, we would be able to render meaningful, relevant,
and most importantly, critical assessment on certain moral issues and actions that we
encounter.

The proper recognition of what belongs to the technical, societal and aesthetic sphere
would also allow us to have a rough guide as to what belongs to a discussion of ethics.
These are the ones that are characterized by certain gravity and concern of the human
well-being or human life itself. Therefore, matters that concern life and death such as war,
terrorism, graft and corruption, poverty, inequality, are often included in discussions of
ethics. However, this general description is only a starting point and will require further
elaboration (Bulaong Jr. et al. 2018:3).

Having said that, there is still one problem that we need to grapple with even if we are
successful in making a distinction of what belongs to the domain of ethics and what does
not. This complication is brought about by the fact that the distinction itself “…is not always
so clearly defined. At times, the question of what is grave or trivial is debatable, and
sometimes some of the most heated discussions in ethics could be on the fundamental
question of whether a certain sphere of human activities belongs to this discussion”
(Bulaong et al. 2018:3).

Take for instance the matter of wearing clothes. Is this just a “question of taste” or, are there
really certain manner of wearing them (na pagka may bastos) that call “for some kind of
moral judgement and evaluation”? Can we just say that President Duterte’s way of speaking

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(the cursing and all the expletives) “is simply showing bad manners” (and thus, a question
merely of etiquette) or just “a cultural thing”? (Ngin-ana man gyud manulti ang mga bisaya),
or, does this style of verbal behavior by the President deserve moral outrage?

Activity 3: Jigsaw Activity 20 minutes

Instructions:

1. Form a group with six members.

2. According to Velasquez (2012), moral standards have six characteristics (Gallinero,
pp. 6) as provided below. Each group will be assigned one moral standard to be
discussed.

Six Characteristics of Moral Standards

a. Moral standards involve behaviors that seriously affect other people’s
well-being.
b. Moral standards take a more important consideration than other standards,
including self interest.
c. Moral standards do not depend on any external authority but in how the
person perceives the reasonableness of the action.
d. Moral standards are believed to be universal.
e. Moral standards are based on objectivity.
f. Moral standards are associated with vocabulary that depicts emotion or
feelings

3. Each group will choose one expert facilitator.

4. In ten minutes, the original group will discuss their assigned topic.
5. After the discussion, the expert facilitator will stay in the group while the rest of the
members will be distributed to other groups. The expert facilitator will exhaustively
discuss the topic while the rest of the visiting members will attentively listen and ask
questions if there is a need to verify.
6. After the 10-minute discussion, members will go back to their original group.
7. The teacher will assign a new topic to each group and the visiting member who

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happens to be attending to that topic will be the one to facilitate his/her original
group.
8. After ten minutes, the teacher will surprisingly pick out one member of the group to
discuss their latest topic assignment.

Activity 4: Lecturette 15 minutes

Instructions:
1. Working in a group, give five examples (life-situations) on moral standards and
nonmoral standards. (See Gallinero, pp. 6-7.)
2. List down five specific actions that can be considered as belonging to the domain of
morality and another same number that do not.
3. Provide a justification why you consider them as moral and nonmoral actions
respectively.

Activity 5: Simulation 20 minutes

Instructions:
1. Working in groups, you will be assigned a particular characteristic of moral principles
by your teacher from among the eight characteristics provided below.

Eight Characteristics of Moral Principles

a. Reasonability
b. Impartiality
c. Prescriptivity
d. Overridingness
e. Autonomous from Arbitrary Authority
f. Publicity
g. Practicability
h. Universalizability

2. Your group will be asked to create a real-life situation applying the characteristic(s)
assigned to you. Afterwhich, an explanation will be purveyed.

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Processing
(Adapted from Fernandez, pp. 17–18)

When can one truly say that “something (an act/conduct/behavior) or someone is moral or
immoral, ethical or unethical?” Are there clear and neat rules that govern morality that can
easily be accessed in practically all situations of human existence?

Moga cites and explores two basic positions to the above questions in his book Toward
Authentic Morality: An Ethics Textbook for the Philippines (1993:2-3). The first position is
what he calls the “A-Morality” position. Here, morality is understood as occupying just one
area among the many diverse areas in human life. The other areas, which are termed as
nonmoral “have their own meanings, [rules] and goals and are [said to be free and]
independent [from any form of moral or ethical] evaluation. Morality’s scope is simply
confined to a specific and limited area in human existence. Hence, the rest of the other
areas in human experience are not subject to ethics or morality.

The second position is quite the opposite of the previous position. This position claims that
practically all of human life is under the domain of morality. That morality is “ever present
and is necessary for man to be truly human.” Moreover, this particular position “would
affirm that there are clear cut moral rules for every situation in life. It insists that “to be
human means that one recognizes these rules and strictly follow them since they are the
basic guides for everything we do.” Thus, this position totally considers morality as
permeating all facets of human experience.

After evaluating these two extreme positions, and taking into account their respective value
to human life, Moga offers a third position. The third position is what he considers as a
“middle” ground to the previous two positions. He says that “morality is not just limited to a
few select areas of man’s life but is found in every situation in various ways as there are
situations in life where the focus of human experience is a moral obligation or value, when
we are concentrating on what should [italics included] be done.”

However, “there are also other situations in life when morality is more in the background.
While morality is not explicitly thought about, it serves as a horizon or context which gently

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and implicitly guides us. Morality may not take the form of clear moral rules or precise
moral actions. There may be no clear guidelines given to us but it is present as an
awareness of a moral dimension which subtly evaluates a given situation.”

In conclusion, Moga contends that “if we are to be fully human we must somehow manage
to maintain a sort of balance in all of these areas of our lives without neglecting any.” We
have to avoid, according to him, to simply focus in one or on a few limited areas and fail to
give justice to the others. Human existence is too rich and complex to confine ourselves to a
single or few dimensions only. “Life challenges us to live fully in all areas, balancing a mature
moral sensitivity with a well-rounded involvement in other areas of life.”

Formation
Direction: Create a simple collage of the following statement:

Life challenges us to live fully in all areas, balancing a mature moral sensitivity with a
well-rounded involvement in other areas of life.

Synthesis
In this lesson, we have established the scope and the rationale for a discussion of ethics. We
explored various domains of valuation in order to distinguish what makes a particularly
grave type of valuation a moral or ethical one.

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Assessments
1. Group Quiz
Give five examples each of moral standards and nonmoral standards.

2. Situation Analysis
Your teacher will give you a particular situation wherein you will give comments
applying the eight characteristics of moral principles (Fernandez) and six
characteristics of moral standards (Velasquez).

3. Essay
Answer the following questions:
a. What makes the ethical/moral norm distinct and unique from all the others?
b. Should all areas of human existence be covered by ethics? Why or Why not?
c. Give one specific and concrete example (in the form of evaluative
statements/expressions) on each of the various types of norms. Explain what
makes the moral/ethical norm distinct from the rest

Assignments
1. Research
Create a sample survey whether people nowadays make decisions using the eight
characteristics of moral principles and six characteristics of moral standards.

2. Look for an article or news item applying the above-mentioned moral principles and
moral standards.

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Topic 3: Discerning Moral Dilemmas

Learning Outcomes
During the learning engagement, you should be able to
● create and act out scenarios involving moral dilemma explaining their thoughts and
feelings on the given issues,
● make decisions on issues involving moral dilemma, and
● deepen understanding by creating your own moral dilemma and practice in advance
the Ethical Decision Making Process (The 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model).

Learning Activities

Introduction
Every normal, moral individual encounters a moral dilemma, whether consciously or
unconsciously. Dilemma is defined as “a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made
between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones.” A typical moral
example of this is a mother who has an ectopic pregnancy. She has to decide between two
equally undesirable options; whether to abort the child and save her life or let the baby be
born and endanger/sacrifice her life. If you face a problem “but the solutions available to
you will only create another problem or worse create more problems, then you are in a
dilemma” (Gallinero, p. 9). Gallinero continued:

A moral dilemma is a situation where

1. there are two or more actions that you can possibly do,
2. there is a moral reason(s) for doing such actions, and
3. you cannot do all the possible actions presented to you; you only need to choose
one.

Since there is a moral reason(s) for doing each of the possible courses of action that you
can do, it follows that no matter what action you choose you will go against your sense of

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what is right and wrong. That somehow, no matter what you do, you are doing something
morally wrong, but at the same time you are also doing something right.

This lesson on Discerning Moral Dilemmas is crucial since in real life one will be facing moral
dilemmas whether he/she likes it or not. That is why one of the major requirements is to
make a challenging moral dilemma and provide solution(s) using the different ethical
theories which will be discussed in the succeeding lessons.

Activity 1: Individual Discernment 5 minutes

Direction: Choose only one between the two given items. Which one do you prefer?
1. Final Exam vs. Fiesta
2. Boyfriend/Girlfriend vs. Parents
3. Siargao Escapade vs. Grand Family Reunion

Activity 2: Individual Practice 15 minutes

Direction: Solve the following dilemma (adapted by Gallinero, W., et. al. p. 3):

Suppose you were in this situation:

You are a junior executive for a firm. As it was your habit, you are still in the office working
while most of your officemates have gone home. Soon, you find yourself in need of a file for
your presentation; so you texted Michael, your fellow junior executive, to ask if he has a
copy. Several minutes have passed, but Michael did not reply. You called his mobile phone,
but you only got the automated voice saying the number cannot be reached.

Then you remembered that a few days ago, you unintentionally saw Michael’s password
when he logged into his office computer. Since you absolutely need the file now (or else
your project presentation will fail), you decided to log into Michael’s computer without
asking permission. As soon as you gained access, you see that he left his email open.
Something in the email caught your eye, so you read it. You see, based on what you have
read that Michael is making anomalous transactions in the company’s name.

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You thought about reporting him but you realize you will have to admit violating company
regulations on logging into someone else’s computer. Even if you report him anomalously,
the investigation will ultimately lead back to you and the fact that you invaded Michael’s
privacy. If you confront Michael about his illegal transactions, you will have to admit that
you logged into his computer without his permission. However, if you decide not to do
anything, you will have to carry the burden in your conscience and continue working with
Michael even though you know he is doing something illegal. You will have to live with the
knowledge that the company is losing money because of his dishonest transactions, and
that you did not do anything to stop him just because you knew about it by invading his
privacy. What will you do?

Activity 3: Role Play 20 minutes

Instructions:

1. There are three levels of moral dilemmas: personal, organizational and structural.
Your teacher will assign one level to your group.
2. Depending on the assigned level, your group will present a scenario showing moral
conflict faced by the following situations:
a. A person whose choice will adversely affect very important people in his/her
life (personal)
b. A business owner whose choice will adversely affect either the company or
the employee (organizational)
c. A high-ranking government official who needs to choose between
implementing or not implementing a policy not because it will affect the poor
communities, but not implementing it will also impact the environment
(structural)

Activity 4: Big Group Brainstorming 10 minutes

Direction: Brainstorm on the issues that emerge in the role play in Activity 3.

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Processing
Visit the following website, and then answer the example exercises given:
[Link] (last accessed 13 July 2020)

Formation
Direction: Say something about this line:

Man is the only creature who is not only capable of knowing but who also knows what he
knows.

Synthesis
In this lesson, you will learn how to face moral dilemmas in an activity so that in real life you
will be able to face life’s complexities.

Assessments
Do the following items:
1. Read the moral situation of your friends Kayla and Gia at
[Link]
(last accessed 13 July 2020). What will you tell the police during their interview?

2. Make a challenging moral dilemma and provide a solution to it.

Assignments
Do the following items:
1. Look for an issue involving moral dilemma and say your piece on the issue.
2. Advanced Reading Assignment: Read the topic, The Morality of Human Acts and Moral
Accountability (Fernandez).

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Topic 4: The Morality of Human Acts and Moral

Accountability

Learning Outcomes
During the learning engagement, you should be able to
● describe human acts and acts of man, differentiating them through justifications/
sample situations, and
● simulate and apply the principles governing each modifier of human act (e.g
ignorance, passion or concupiscence, fear, violence, and habit).

Learning Activities

Introduction
In ethics, we have to know the difference between acts of man and human acts. We need to
differentiate one from the other because moral accountability of the human person lies on
it. It is only when a human person makes human acts that he/she is responsible for his/her
actions. What then is human acts differentiated from acts of man?

Paul Glenn (1965:3) defined human acts as “an act which proceeds from the deliberate free
will of man.” While Karl Peschke (1985: 247) defined human acts (Actus Humani) as “actions
that proceed from insight into the nature and purpose of one’s doing and from consent of
free will”. Agapay (2008:21) also purported that human acts are actions which are done by a
human person as a result of his/her knowledge, freedom and voluntariness, hence, these
actions are performed by man knowingly, freely, and voluntarily. Therefore, Baldemeca, et.
al (1984:92) claimed that human acts are “classified as good or bad, right or wrong, and
thus, subject to morality and its norms.”

Fernandez (2018:30-31) generalized, “In the above cited definitions and elucidations, three
important elements or constituents are obviously present for an act to be strictly

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considered a human act: knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness or consent—on the part of
the acting agent. Here, it is worth noting that human acts are free and conscious acts of a
human person which are proper to humans alone. These actions are what make a human
being “truly human”, an earthly creature different and distinct from all others.”

Activity 1: Diagnostic Exercise 10 minutes

Instructions:
1. Make a list of specific actions that can be classified as human acts, as well as actions
that can be considered as acts of man.
2. Provide justification to your list. Lecturette will follow.

Activity 2: Cooperative Group Learning (CGL) 15 minutes

Instructions:
1. Your class will be divided into five groups. Each group will be assigned one modifier
of human act.
2. Your group will be asked to brainstorm about your assigned modifier.
3. Afterward, prepare a creative presentation to the class. Point out the principle
behind each modifier in order to assess the moral responsibility of the person under
their assigned modifier. Lecturette will follow

Processing
(Adapted from Fernandez, pp. 31-43)

Most textbooks in Christian Ethics and morality dealing with the subject usually distinguish
between human acts from acts of man. While human acts, as mentioned, proceed from
one’s conscious knowledge as well as freedom and voluntariness, the same cannot be said
for acts of man. The latter are simply actions which happen in the person “naturally,” even
without his/her awareness of himself/herself while doing them. These actions are done
without deliberation, reflection and consent. They are performed just instinctively.

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Thus, it can be rightfully said that all human acts are acts of man, but not all acts of man are
human acts. Examples of acts of man are the various physiological processes, such as the
beating of the heart, breathing, respiration, digestion and the like. Other examples include
those actions that are spontaneously happening in the person during his/her impulsive,
unconscious and instinctive moments, such as instant and spontaneous feeling of fear, rage
and anger, sleeping, dreaming, seeing, eating and walking, among others.

Acts of man, therefore, are those that humans share with animals whose actions and
movements emanate from purely sensual nature. These things are performed without
deliberation and free will. The person here is neither morally responsible nor accountable
for these kinds of actions.

Formation
Direction: The following questions will be posted by your teacher on a social media account
(e.g. Facebook), where you are to post your one-sentence reply.

1. What have I learned in this module?

2. What have I done?
3. How can I improve?

Synthesis
Focusing exclusively on human acts is limited. Contemporary ethicists point to the
importance of “personhood.” It is the human being himself/herself who gives meaning and
receives significance from the acts that he/she executes. While human acts and personhood
are always bound together and even inseparable, the primacy of the person cannot be
contested.

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Assessments
1. Diagnostic exercise (See Activity 1 under Learning Activities.)
2. Creative Presentation Output (See Activity 2 under Learning Activities.)
3. Determine whether each statement is true or false.
_____a. Human acts refer to actions that are done freely or voluntarily.
_____b. Human acts that are good are the only one’s subject to morality.
_____c. Human acts are also actions that are done with ignorance.
_____d. Acts of man and human acts are both the concern of ethics.
_____e. An example of an act of man is the act of sleepwalking.
_____f. Human acts are the ones that emanate from our instinctive sensual nature.
_____g. Human acts are those that we share with animals.
_____h. Human acts are responsible acts, unlike in the act of man.
_____i. The act of mindless breathing can be considered as a human act.
_____j. The presence of voluntariness turns the act into an act of man.

Assignments
Do the following items:
1. Identify actions that are considered acts of man and human acts.
2. Enumerate them on a fishbone map.

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Re ection Guide

1. What have I LEARNED this day that has helped me do all aspects of this better?

2. What have I DONE this week that has made me better at doing all aspects of this?

3. How can I IMPROVE at doing all aspects of this?

Expanded Opportunities

For Topic 1:
1. Answer the following questions:
a. What is the importance of studying ethics?
b. What is the difference between ethics and law?
c. What is the distinction between ethics and religion?

2. Answer the Quotation Analysis in a journal workbook as follows:

“As ethics outlines theories of right and wrong and good or bad actions, morality
translates these theories Into real actions. Thus, morality is nothing else but a doing (or
the practice) of ethics” (Babor 1999:9).

For Topic 2:
Research on the terms: subjectivism, psychological egoism, and ethical egoism.

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For Topic 3:
Read “Moral Dilemmas: A Preface to Complexity” Ethics Primer, pp. 85-90.

For Topic 4:
Comment on this statement: “Human acts, in turn, determine the morality of the human
person.”

References

Fernandez, Apolinar, et al. Ethics: Deciding What’s Right and Wrong. Davao City: SMKC
Printshoppe, 2018.

Gallinero, Winston, et. al. Ethics. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc., 2018.

Ocampo, Ma. Liza Ruth. Ethics Primer: A Young Person’s Guide to Moral
Reasoning. Davao City: Vibal Group, Inc., 2018.

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