ETHICS REVIEWER Human Acts (actus humanus) – actions that are

done by the human person based on knowledge

JOHN LOCKE – considered the human person as and the full consent of the will.
“a thinking intelligent being” He believed that
every man will always search for good. Acts of man (actus hominis) - actions that are
done in the absence of either knowledge or will
IMMANUEL KANT – considers the human or of both knowledge and will.
person as autonomous self-regulating will who
is capable of making moral decisions by and for Voluntary Human Conduct – includes all actions
himself as well as non-actions because the human
person understands and wills these activities in
VIKTOR FRANKL – human being is able to live relation to some end that he has in view.
and even to die for the sake of his ideals and
values. Human being is ultimately self- Value – individual deems to be useful, desirable
determining. or significant.

ERICH FROMM – believed that conscience Imago Dei – image of God

enables the person to know what ought to be
done in order to become his own self. Summum Bonum – highest good, man is also
naturally good
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS – believed that what
constitutes the human person as a moral ETHICS AND ITS RELATION TO OTHER SCIENCES
subject is his conscience.  Ethics and Logic
PLATO – called Ethics the Supreme Philosophy,  Ethics and Psychology
the science par excellence. Because ethics deals  Ethics and Sociology
with the attainment of man’s highest good—  Ethics and Economics
happiness.  Ethics and Education
 Ethics and Law
CONFUCIUS, PLATO & ARISTOTLE – held that  Ethics and Aesthetics
philosophers must be the rulers of all peoples.  Ethics and Politics
 Ethics and Religion
Golden Maxim – “salus populi est suprema lex”
meaning, the welfare of the people is the
3 Moral Ethical Principle of Immanuel Kant
supreme law.
 Human freedom
CHAPTER I  Immortality of the soul
ETHICS – greek word, ethos which means  The existence of God
customs, usage or character. It is clearly defined
as a practical normative science, based on
reason, which studies human acts, and provides
norms for their goodness and badness.

Division of Ethics – General and Applied ethics

General ethics – diverse ethical formulations of Theocentrism – God’s system of beliefs and
general and universal concepts and principles values is morally superior to all others (god
which serve as the foundation of morality. centered)

 Normative ethics – attempts to disclose FR. VITALIANO GOROSPE – morality of the

the underlying moral norm. Filipino is the consideration of the actual and
 Non-normative ethics – factual the prevailing norms of right and wrong among
investigation of the social patterns of a Filipinos.
society.
EDMUND BURKE - “the only thing necessary
Applied ethics – focuses on particular situations for the triumphs of evil is good men to do
in life where general ethics can be applied. nothing”

 Special ethics – does not apply the Strengths of the Filipino Character
general moral concepts and principles
1. Pagkikipagkapwa-tao
but also specifies the particular
2. Family oriented
situations in life in which they are valid
3. Joy and humor
and legitimate.
4. Flexible, acceptable and creative
Legal Ethics 5. Hardworking and industrious
6. Religious
Bioethics – ethics for medical profession 7. Patient

CHAPTER II CHAPTER III

Dilemma – form of argument composed of a PLATO, ARISTOTLE, AUGUSTINE & THOMAS
conjunction of two hypothetical statements as AQUINAS – judgement regarding the morality
its major premise. of an action is based on the person who did
action
PROTAGORAS OF ABDERA – cultural relativism
Character – moral aspect of a person
3 claims: (1) the man is the measure of all
things, of the things that are they are, and of Read: LAWRENCE KOHLBERG & JEAN PIAGET
the things that they are not, (2) that he could
make the worse argument appear better or the Moral psychology – moral development
weaker argument appear to be the stronger (3)
Moral philosophy – moral development ought
that one could not tell of the gods existed or
to be
not.

Ethical relativism – also known as moral

relativism.

Ethnocentrism - one particular ethnic group is The Stages of Moral Development

somehow superior to all others (man centered)
1. Pre-Conventional Stage
 Self-focused stage  human person must learn to control
a. Stage 1 - Obedience and his passion
punishment orientation  person shares common element:
o obey the rules and avoid reason
physical damage to persons
RENE DESCARTES – get away to the authority of
and property.
the church
b. Stage 2 - Pleasure orientation
or the instrumental-purposive DAVID HUME – central fact about ethics is that
orientation moral judgements are formed not by reason
2. Conventional Stage alone but through feelings
 Group-focused stage
c. Stage 3 – peer and group THOMAS NAGEL – morality must be rooted not
acceptance orientation in feelings or emotions – subjective, it must be
d. Stage 4 – Social structure rooted on reason – objective
orientation
 the basis of morality must be on the
3. Post-conventional stage
happiness
 Individual judgement is based on
self-chosen principle, and moral 8 STEPS TO MORAL REASONING PROCESS
reasoning is based on individual
rights and justice 1. gather the facts
e. Stage 5 – Social-contract 2. define the ethical issues
orientation 3. review relevant ethical guidelines
f. Stage 6 – the universal ethical 4. obtain consultation
principle 5. list the alternative courses of action
6. compare the alternative with the
CHAPTER IV principles
7. weigh the consequences
DAVID HUME – virtue is in conformity to reason 8. make a decision
 Reason over feelings
CHAPTER V
Church scholars – religion is a necessary
EPICUREANISM AND HEDONISM
foundation of morality
HEDONISM – pleasure is good and pain is evil
Western thinkers – foundation of morality is
reason ARISTIPPUS – founder of hedonism, life is
basically search for pleasure, pleasure is always
Plato – Mind or the intellect – Highest level of
good.
the soul
Physical Pleasure – best of all other things
because it is exciting, dynamic and worth living
STOICS
EPICURUS OF SAMOS – practical philosopher
Garden – school of Epicurus ANTISTHENES – follow both the life and
philosophy of Socrates
Pleasure – for epicurus, it is the chief aim of
human life Cynosarges (the silver dog) – School of
Antisthenes
DEMOCRITUS, The Atomist – God is not the
creator of everything. Diogenes of Sinope – student of Antisthenes,
he was labeled as cynic because he lived like a
Egoistic Hedonism – epicurean philosophy form dog
Pleasure is the standard of goodness – Gorgias – Antisthenes attended some lecture of
Epicurus, human beings have the capacity to him
always desire for pleasure
Cynics – civilization is corrupt – material wealth
TYPES OF PLEASURE weakens the people and makes them physically
 Both natural and necessary and morally soft – happiness could not obtain
 Natural but not necessary by means of pleasure
 Neither natural nor necessary ZENO OF CITIUM – founder of Stoicism – he
studied under the cynic philosopher, Crates
Self-Centered Moral Philosophy – epicurean
ethics Painted Porch – stoic school of philosophy
founded by Zeno
Basic guide to Epicurean living
Stoicism – philosophy of Zeno
1. Do not fear god
2. Do not worry about death 3 divisions of philosophy of Aristotle
3. Do not fear pain
4. Live a simple life  Logic
5. Pursue pleasure wisely  Physics
6. Make friends and be a good friend  Ethics
7. Be honest in your business and private
Unimportant to stoics – pain and pleasure,
life
8. Avoid fame and political ambition poverty and luxury, sickness and health

EPICTETUS, The Sage Slave – influential stoic

CHAPTER VI
Major issue of stoicism – controlling what we
STOICISM – aiming for happiness
can and accepting what is beyond our control
Stoics – believed that excessive desires may
Epaphroditus – bear and forbear
lead the person to depression and therefore to
unhappiness. Musonius Rufus – powerful stoic before Zeno,
teacher of Epictetus
CYNICISM – Philosophical school that is against
to the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle – Marcus Aurelius Antoninus – kindest, wisest
founder, Antisthenes and most virtuous philosopher
 3 levels of Plato’s Republic

Stoic Maxim – “live according to nature”  Peasants

 Military
2 aspects of stoic maxim
 Philosopher-king
1. Human person should conform
Proxenus of Atarneus – aristole’s education
themselves to nature in the wider sense
was directed by him
2. They should conform their actions to
nature in the narrower sense Plato’s Academy – 20 years as a student
and as a teacher (Aristotle)
Reason – own essential nature
DIOGENES LAERTIUS – says that on one
Stoics – believed in destiny or fate, useless to
occasion when plato read aloud a difficult
fear the future because they will happen
treatise about the soul “was the only
anyway. Simple enough: control one’s attitude
person who sat it out, while the rest rose up
Moral good – only good and went away”

Wickedness – only evil SPEUSSIPUS – plato’s successor

Diogenes – quoted Chrysippus when he said NICOMACHUS – father of Aristotle,

that an animal’s first impulse is to self- physician to Kung Amuntas II of Macedonia
preservation
PYTHIAS – Aristotle’s wife, died giving birth
Virtue – living according to reason to her daughter

Cosmopolitanism – all persons are citizens of HERPYLLIS – second relationship of Aristotle

the same human community
NICOMACHUS – son of Aristotle to Herpyllis
CHAPTER VII ALEXANDER THE GREAT - King Philip’s son
of Macedon – teach by Aristotle for
HERODOTUS – good is relative to specific
knowledge and science
culture
Apollo Lyceus – Aristotle dedicated his
PROTAGORAS – man is measure of all things –
school to a god
ethical relativism
Lyceum – school of Aristotle

Peripatetics (peripatos) – students of

aritotle was called
3 orders of Soul
Principles
 Vegetative
Principle of Actuality – act – form
 Sensitive
 Rational Principle of Potentiality – potency – matter
Hylomorphic Doctrine – body is the matter 3 different versions of Aristotle’s moral
and the soul is the form philosophy

Plato – soul has pre-existence  Eudemian

 Nicomachean ethics
Aristotle – no body, no soul
 Magna moralia
Entelechy – definite form of the body
Aristotle – ethics is not only science but also an
Tabula Rasa – blank slate art – art of living well

2 parts of the soul – Rational and Irrational Nicomachean ethics – purpose of humal life

Irrational soul – united with the body Eudaimonia – highest of fullest happiness

 Vegetative part – nutrition, growth and Mesotes / Just middle – “neither deficient nor
reproduction excessive” – ruled by reason
 Desiring part – epithumia, thumos and
Virtue – activity that proceeds from certain
boulesis
proper dispositions
Rational Soul – independent of the body
Virtuous acts – proceeds from habitual states,
 Practical intellect – order to attain end right intention
 Speculative intellect – pure thought or Moral virtue – rationally measured activity
intellection, the level of contemptation following the rule of the just middle, motivated
– connected to reason by right intention and proceeding from a
Phronesis – aims to control the desiring permanent disposition acquired through
part of the irrational soul habitual action.

Reason – elevates man above any other Practical wisdom – provides to the truth about
creatures the intrinsic worth and excellence

Teleological – end or purpose Good – for Plato, signifies a transcendent,

otherworldly end of man
2 types of end
Ergon – performs his function
Intrinsic End – done for its own sake
Arete – pertains to excellence
Instrumental End – done as means for
other ends

Good – special function of a thing

Polis and Act of Contemplation - moral

virtue within the framework of the
communal life