ETHICS (SOCSCI 1110)
PREPARED BY: PATRICIA GRACE O. VALERIO, LPT
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
What is Philosophy?
PHILOSOPHY
-The main characteristic of philosophy is rational
argument.
- Philosophers clarify concepts and analyze and test
propositions and beliefs, but their major task is to analyze
and construct arguments.
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG?
[Link]
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
Kitty Genovese
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
What is ETHICS?
ETHICS
• The root word of "ethics" is the Greek word "ethos" (ἦθος). It generally
means "character", "custom", or "disposition". The related term "mores" in
Latin, which also relates to manners and character, is another source for the
concept of ethics.
• Ethics is that branch of philosophy that deals with how we ought to live,
with the idea of the good, and with concepts such as “right” and “wrong.”
• It is also called MORAL PHILOSOPHY
THE KEY DIVISIONS WITHIN THE STUDY OF
ETHICS ARE:
• Descriptive morality
• Moral philosophy (ethical theory)
• Applied ethics.
DESCRIPTIVE MORALITY
• It is empirical (factual and observational, not judgmental).
• It describes what people actually do or believe about morality.
• Refers to actual beliefs, customs, principles, and practices of people.
MORAL PHILOSOPHY (ETHICAL THEORY)
• Refers to the systematic effort to understand
moral concepts and justify moral principles and
theories. It analyzes key ethical concepts such
as “right,” “wrong,” and “permissible.”
• Deontology (Kantian Ethics)
• Teleological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics
DEONTOLOGY
The right action is the one that
follows a moral rule or duty,
regardless of the consequences.
“Act only according to that maxim whereby you
can at the same time will that it should become a
universal law without contradiction.”
- Kant
SHOULD BATMAN
KILL THE JOKER?
TELEOLOGICAL ETHICS
CONSEQUENTIALISM = UTILITARIANISM
Principle of Utility
“Greater good for the greater number of people”
TELEOLOGICAL ETHICS
•Act Utilitarianism – Jeremy Bentham
•Rule Utilitarianism – John Stuart Mill
VIRTUE ETHICS
• says that it is important not only to do the right
thing but also to have the proper dispositions,
motivations, and emotions in being good and doing
right.
• Having virtue means doing the right thing, at the
right time, in the right way, in the right amount,
towards the right people.
FILIPINO VIRTUE ETHICS (JEREMIAH REYES)
KEY CONCEPTS:
• Loob - The Filipino understanding of the “inner self” or moral core.
• Kapwa - Central concept in Filipino ethics; means “shared identity” or “fellow human.”
• Relational Virtues - Filipino ethics is highly relational—virtues develop through
interactions with others.
SOME KEY VIRTUES INCLUDE:
• Hiya (Sense of propriety)
• Utang na Loob (Debt of gratitude)
• Pakikisama (Harmony and getting along)
• Pakikiramdam (Shared inner perception)
• Lakas-ng-Loób / Bahala Na (Courage / Determination)
APPLIED ETHICS
• Branch of ethics that deals with how moral principles
are applied to real-world situations and specific fields of
human activity.
• Deals with controversial moral problems.
How These Subfields
Work Together?
•Theory without practice is empty.
•Action without theory is blind.
•Ethical awareness is the necessary
condition for human survival and
flourishing.
MORALITY AS COMPARED WITH OTHER
NORMATIVE SUBJECTS
• Morality vs. Religion
• Morality vs. Law
• Morality vs. Etiquette
MORALITY VS. RELIGION
Morality Religion
Based on reason and Based on divine authority
human experience or revelation
Seeks rational Based on belief in higher
justification power
MORALITY VS. LAW
Morality Law
Focuses on what is right or Focuses on what is legal or
wrong, even if it’s not legal illegal
Some legal actions may still Some immoral actions are not
be immoral (e.g., racism, illegal (e.g., lying, doing
slavery, abortion in some nothing when someone is in
views) danger)
MORALITY VS. ETIQUETTE
Morality Etiquette
Deals with what is right Deals with what is polite
and just or proper
Involves deeper values Involves social customs
like honesty, justice, and like table manners or dress
respect codes
WHY MORALITY IS UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT
• Morality asks for reasons and encourages critical thinking.
• It goes beyond custom, rules, or authority—it deals with the core of
human character and how we ought to live.
• The goal of moral philosophy is to find and apply valid moral
principles that help us live well and build a better society.
Do you remember our first activity where I asked whether cheating is always wrong
or not? Your answers varied. Some of you said it’s absolutely wrong, while others
believed it depends on the intention or the outcome—whether it benefits you or not.
One of you even said that cheating is wrong in any situation but admitted to still
doing it academically. These differing answers show how our moral judgments are
shaped by our unique backgrounds, cultures, and personal values.
With so many differences, how can we find common ground?
TRAITS OF MORAL PRINCIPLES
• Prescriptivity
• Universalizability
• Overridingness
• Publicity
• Practicability
PRESCRIPTIVITY
is the practical, or action-guiding, nature of
morality. Moral principles are generally put forth
as commands or imperatives, such as “Do not kill,”
“Do no unnecessary harm,” and “Love your
neighbor.”
UNIVERSALIZABILITY
Moral principles must apply to all people who are
in a relevantly similar situation. If one judges that
act X is right for a certain person P, then it is right
for anyone relevantly similar to P.
OVERRIDINGNESS
Moral principles have predominant authority and
override other kinds of principles. They are not the
only principles, but they also take precedence over
other considerations including aesthetic,
prudential, and legal ones.
PUBLICITY
Moral principles must be made public in order to
guide our actions. Publicity is necessary because
we use principles to prescribe behavior, give
advice, and assign praise and blame. It would be
self-defeating to keep them a secret.
PRACTICABILITY
A moral principle must have practicability, which
means that it must be workable and its rules must
not lay a heavy burden on us when we follow
them.
Moral obligation
DOMAINS OF ETHICAL ASSESSMENT
• Action
• Consequence
• Character
• Motive
ACTS
• Acts are natural responses of man over his
freedom.
Two types of acts:
1. Human Acts - voluntary
2. Acts of Man - involuntary
“It is not living
that matters,
but living rightly.”
-Socrates