Moral Standards and Human Behavior, Lecture notes of Ethics

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UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY

MODULE IN

LOGIC AND ETHICS

Logic and Ethics

WEEK 1. Class Orientation and Course Introduction

Desired Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the learners are expected to:

1. elucidate the significance of following rules and policies;
2. differentiate moral from non-moral standards; and
3. apply moral and non-moral standards to relevant experiences. ENGAGE Directions: List down some rules in basketball.

Knowledge Reservoir Based on the activity that you have answered, what and why do you think there are rules set in playing basketball? Do you think these rules have something to do with conduct and character of the people involved in basketball game? ETHICS DEFINED Ethics or moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy concerned with conduct and character. It is the systematic study of the principles and methods for distinguishing what is right or wrong and good or bad. Simply, ethics deals with the question of how people ought to act, and with the search for a definition of right conduct and the good life. The term “ethics” is derived from the Greek “ethos” meaning “custom” or “habit”. Ethics differs from morals or morality in the sense that ethics denotes the theory of right action and the greater good, while morals indicate their practice. Ethics encompasses moral ideals and behaviors, a person’s philosophy of life. Different cultures have distinct ways of perceiving the world. This difference also affects how ethical problems are viewed by different cultural communities. MORAL STANDARDS VS. NON-MORAL STANDARDS Morality may refer to the standards that a person or a group has about what is right and wrong, or good and evil. Accordingly, moral standards are those concerned with or relating to human behavior, especially the distinction between good and bad (or right and wrong) behavior. Moral standards involve the rules people have about the kinds of actions they believe are morally right and wrong, as well as the values they place on the kinds of objects they believe are morally good and morally bad. Some ethicists equate moral standards with moral values and moral principles. Non-moral standards refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature lack ethical sense. Basic examples of non-moral standards include rules of etiquette, fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules. Technically, religious rules, some traditions, and legal statutes (i.e. laws and ordinances) are non-moral principles, though they can be ethically relevant depending on some factors and contexts. The following six (6) characteristics of moral standards further differentiate them from non-moral standards:

Justice, “It cannot be right for A to treat B in a manner in which it would be wrong for B to treat A, merely on the ground that they are two different individuals, and without there being any difference between the natures or circumstances of the two which can be stated as a reasonable ground for difference of treatment.” Universalizability is an extension of the principle of consistency, that is, one ought to be consistent about one’s value judgments. E. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. Moral standard does not evaluate standards on the basis of the interests of a certain person or group, but one that goes beyond personal interests to a universal standpoint in which each person’s interests are impartially counted as equal. Impartiality is usually depicted as being free of bias or prejudice. Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned parties. F. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary. Prescriptivity indicates the practical or action-guiding nature of moral standards. These moral standards are generally put forth as injunction or imperatives (such as, ‘Do not kill,’ ‘Do no unnecessary harm,’ and ‘Love your neighbor’). These principles are proposed for use, to advise, and to influence to action. Retroactively, this feature is used to evaluate behavior, to assign praise and blame, and to produce feelings of satisfaction or of guilt. If a person violates a moral standard by telling a lie even to fulfill a special purpose, it is not surprising if he/she starts feeling guilty or being ashamed of his behavior afterwards. On the contrary, no much guilt is felt if one goes against the current fashion trend (e.g. refusing to wear tattered jeans). (Copyright 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog) Check Your Understanding Directions: Identify each item if it belongs to MORAL standards or NON-MORAL standards. Moral or Non-Moral

1. Do not destroy school property.
   2. Participating in rallies and strikes
2. Wearing fashionable clothes in public
   4. Avoiding food prohibited by your religion
3. Respecting others

EXPLORE

Directions: Identify the moral and non-moral standards in each picture. Then, write your reason/s for each. Use the table provided for your answers. MORAL REASONS NON-MORAL REASONS STANDARDS STANDARDS

WEEK 1: Module 1

Moral and Non-Moral Standards

Desired Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the learners are expected to:

1. elucidate the significance of following rules and policies;
2. differentiate moral from non-moral standards; and
3. apply moral and non-moral standards to relevant experiences. ENGAGE Directions: List down some rules in basketball.

Knowledge Reservoir Based on the activity that you have answered, what and why do you think there are rules set in playing basketball? Do you think these rules have something to do with conduct and character of the people involved in basketball game? ETHICS DEFINED Ethics or moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy concerned with conduct and character. It is the systematic study of the principles and methods for distinguishing what is right or wrong and good or bad. Simply, ethics deals with the question of how people ought to act, and with the search for a definition of right conduct and the good life. The term “ethics” is derived from the Greek “ethos” meaning “custom” or “habit”. Ethics differs from morals or morality in the sense that ethics denotes the theory of right action and the greater good, while morals indicate their practice. Ethics encompasses moral ideals and behaviors, a person’s philosophy of life. Different cultures have distinct ways of perceiving the world. This difference also affects how ethical problems are viewed by different cultural communities. MORAL STANDARDS VS. NON-MORAL STANDARDS Morality may refer to the standards that a person or a group has about what is right and wrong, or good and evil. Accordingly, moral standards are those concerned with or relating to human behavior, especially the distinction between good and bad (or right and wrong) behavior. Moral standards involve the rules people have about the kinds of actions they believe are morally right and wrong, as well as the values they place on the kinds of objects they believe are morally good and morally bad. Some ethicists equate moral standards with moral values and moral principles. Non-moral standards refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature lack ethical sense. Basic examples of non-moral standards include rules of etiquette, fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules. Technically, religious rules, some traditions, and legal statutes (i.e. laws and ordinances) are non-moral principles, though they can be ethically relevant depending on some factors and contexts. The following six (6) characteristics of moral standards further differentiate them from non-moral standards:

Justice, “It cannot be right for A to treat B in a manner in which it would be wrong for B to treat A, merely on the ground that they are two different individuals, and without there being any difference between the natures or circumstances of the two which can be stated as a reasonable ground for difference of treatment.” Universalizability is an extension of the principle of consistency, that is, one ought to be consistent about one’s value judgments. E. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. Moral standard does not evaluate standards on the basis of the interests of a certain person or group, but one that goes beyond personal interests to a universal standpoint in which each person’s interests are impartially counted as equal. Impartiality is usually depicted as being free of bias or prejudice. Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned parties. F. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary. Prescriptivity indicates the practical or action-guiding nature of moral standards. These moral standards are generally put forth as injunction or imperatives (such as, ‘Do not kill,’ ‘Do no unnecessary harm,’ and ‘Love your neighbor’). These principles are proposed for use, to advise, and to influence to action. Retroactively, this feature is used to evaluate behavior, to assign praise and blame, and to produce feelings of satisfaction or of guilt. If a person violates a moral standard by telling a lie even to fulfill a special purpose, it is not surprising if he/she starts feeling guilty or being ashamed of his behavior afterwards. On the contrary, no much guilt is felt if one goes against the current fashion trend (e.g. refusing to wear tattered jeans). (Copyright 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog) Check Your Understanding Directions: Identify each item if it belongs to MORAL standards or NON-MORAL standards. Moral or Non-Moral

1. Do not destroy school property.
   2. Participating in rallies and strikes
2. Wearing fashionable clothes in public
   4. Avoiding food prohibited by your religion
3. Respecting others

EXPLORE

Directions: Identify the moral and non-moral standards in each picture. Then, write your reason/s for each. Use the table provided for your answers. MORAL REASONS NON-MORAL REASONS STANDARDS STANDARDS

WEEK 2: Module 2

The Moral Dilemmas

DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the learners are expected to:

1. determine the moral dilemmas reflected in various personal and social experiences;
2. exhibit affirmation or confirmation in deviating from the moral dilemmas experienced in the society; and
3. suggest constructive ways in coping with the moral dilemmas. ENGAGE Directions: Express your thoughts on the given situation below. Write your answer on the space provided.

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EXPLORE

What is a moral dilemma? A moral dilemma is a conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action. A moral dilemma is a conflict of morals, where you are forced to choose between two or more options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option. No matter what choice you make in these situations, you always end up compromising some moral value. A moral dilemma is a situation in which a person is torn between right and wrong. Some examples of moral dilemmas include: The classic “lifeboat dilemma”, where there are only 10 spaces in the lifeboat, but there are 11 passengers on the sinking ship. A decision must be made as to who will stay behind. Moral dilemmas are instances when individuals are confronted with conflicting answers to the question, “what is right?” Answers to this question come from various sources. One is personal experience or the things an individual gains every day from social interactions. Another source – the one pursued by philosophers – is to obtain moral judgments by applying the principles of morality. In psychology, a moral dilemma is said to arise when distinct psychological mechanisms for moral judgment yield conflicting judgments of individual cases. Situations like these can place a person in a moral conflict, in which several alternative courses of action can have positive and negative outcomes. Conflict typically involves opposing values, beliefs, and norms. Thus, conflict is rooted not only in individual behavior but also in different values and norms of the society. The English Oxford Dictionary defines moral dilemma as a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails transgressing a moral principle. In matters of right and wrong, individuals are expected to have moral principles to guide them in moral decision-making. In philosophy, a moral dilemma is based on a distinction between what one foresees (or could or should have foreseen) as a result of his or her voluntary action (free will) and what, in the strict sense, he or she intends to do. Moral dilemma relates primarily to the principle of double effect that takes root in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas. In his work Summa Theologica , St. Thomas introduces the principle of double effect in his discussion on the permissibility of self- defense. He himself holds that killing one’s assailant is justified, provided that one does not intend to kill him or her. The act of self-defense may have double effect: first, the saving of one’s own life; second, the slaying of the aggressor. He also argues that since one’s intention is to save one’s own life, the act is not unlawful. However, St. Thomas maintains that the permissibility of self-defense is not unconditional. The act of self-

1. There must be a reason sufficiently grave calling for the act in its good effect. If this condition cannot be fulfilled, then there is no adequate reason for the act at all, and the act is prohibited in view of its evil effect. The sufficiency of the reason must be determined by the nature, circumstances, and importance of the act.
2. The intention of the agent (person, doer) must be honest. If the person really wills the evil effect, then there is no possibility that the act is acceptable. The direct willing of evil is always against reason and, hence, against the principles of ethics. Steps in Solving a Moral Dilemma Making moral decisions is a rational, step-by-step process that requires the careful analysis of alternatives and their consequences. Using the principles that govern moral decisions, the following steps are suggested:
3. Examine the acts in relation to the agent. The immorality of human acts is determined by examining the acts in themselves in their relation to the agent (person, doer) who performs them. The agent and the facts surrounding the act must be assessed.
4. Determine the consequences of the acts. The second step of testing the morality or immorality of a human act is called consequentialism. The principle of consequentialism suggests that one must weigh the consequences of a human act to determine whether it is moral or immoral.
5. Identify the intention of the acts. For St. Thomas, the morality or immorality of the act resides in the intention of the person. If the agent intends to cause harmful consequences, then the act is immoral.
6. Decide in accordance to divine and natural laws which govern moral life. St. Thomas holds that not all aspects of the human person are either moral or immoral. Nonetheless, he suggests that divine and natural laws are the criteria by which people can judge the morality or immorality of their moral decisions especially when they are faced with moral dilemmas. In pursuit of moral decisions, the human person must discern and make all the right choices by relating them to divine law and the ultimate good of humanity. EXPLAIN Directions: Identify the type of moral dilemma reflected in each scenario. Justify your answer. Mercy Killing:________________________________

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Live-in Relationship:_________________________

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Padrino System:_____________________________

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Political Dynasty:____________________________

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Corrupt Politician Helping the Poor:______________

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