ETHICS

OBJECT OF
EXPERIENCE
 OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE

❖ Choose any item in your surroundings. (Anything,

whatever you like to choose.)

❖ As you choose the object or item, think of its value

and reflect to your own experience using the item
that you chose, whether it is good or bad and as well
as the learnings you had from the certain experience.

❖ How does it affect on how you live your life?

 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the discussion the students should be able to:
o Learn the definition, nature, and importance of ethics to an
individual and society.
o Explain the normative ethics and meta-ethics under ethics itself.
o Explicate the difference between moral standards and non-
moral standards.
o Enumerate the characteristics of moral standards to easily
identify its dissimilarities to non-moral standards.
o Explore how moral standards are formed.
 ETHICS
FREEDOM PRINCIPLE
CHOICE
⮚ The word “ethics” is derived from the
Greek word ethos which means,
“customs and habits” and “moral”
comes from the Latin word mores
which means “customs or habits.”

⮚ Ethics or moral philosophy can be

provisionally described as the
empirical study of moral decisions.
Are you living an
examined life?
⮚The concept is derived from the Greek
word “ethos” which may mean tradition,
habit, character, or attitude. This is not
only about the nature of specific courses
of action, but it is also about the goodness
of people and what it means to lead a
decent life. (Leandro, Jr & Gubia-on, 2018).

⮚Ethics is a systematic analysis of the

nature of human actions. It is concerned
about the correctness and wrongness of
the act.
Good and Evil/Bad
⮚ Good and Evil/Bad is a very common dichotomy.
In cultures with Manichaean and Abrahamic
religious influence, evil is usually perceived as the
dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which
good should prevail and evil should be defeated.

Right and Wrong

⮚ Right actions do not cause harm, do not violate

rights of others, and are in accordance with how
a person wants to be treated.
⮚ Wrong actions cause harm, violate rights, and run
contrary to how a person wants to be treated.
Highest Order of Discipline
• Integrity- hold ourselves to the highest
ethical standards. To interact in an open,
honest positive manner and be guided by
what is right.

• Teamwork- work together with trust,

openness, honesty and respect.

• Inspired People- build a culture where

people are motivated, engaged, valued
and growing.
 ETHICS IS DIVIDED INTO NORMATIVE AND META-ETHICS

NORMATIVE ETHICS
• examine whether or not a particular act should or
should not be carried out.

TWO FIELDS OF NORMATIVE ETHICS

⮚Moral Philosophy - deals with moral ideas such as

what human beings "must do or how human beings
should be.“

⮚Applied or Practical Ethics - is a philosophy that

discusses strong and basic moral issues linked to
abortion/death penalty, etc.
How should I
live my life?
 ETHICS IS DIVIDED INTO NORMATIVE AND
META-ETHICS

META-ETHICS

• is a discipline that relies on meaning.

• It is a science that is seeking to address
non-moral questions about morality.
 "What is the meaning of ethical
terms, such as 'good' and 'right' and
'should’?”

"What are the motives for acting

ethically?“

"What is the nature of moral reason?

IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS
 IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS

Nature of Ethics
⮚ refers to the normative standards of behavior
pertaining to the ideal code of conduct of human
beings. This is substantially different from our
feelings.
⮚ Ethics is like a common rule which is applicable to
everybody irrespective of his/her religion. Most
religions advocate a high level of ethical standards.
From the standpoints of the authors mentioned above,
several views on the importance of ethics were propounded
and these are the following:

⮚(1) Through ethics people can determine the difference

between right from wrong, good and bad;
⮚(2) People can eliminate actions that do not conform to
what is right;
⮚(3) People will be very careful to the actions and
decisions to make;
⮚(4) People will not be disturbed of the internal and
external factors of not doing the right thing;
⮚ (5) Establish good habits of characters of a
person;
⮚ (6) Come up to rational decisions in facing an
ethical dilemma;
⮚ (7) It makes a person responsible in the family,
school and society;
⮚ (8) A person becomes sensitive to the needs of
others more than himself or herself;
⮚ (9) Reminds a person to fully need conscience in
decision making and a person can acknowledge
the actions made
 THE DIFFERENCES OF MORAL AND NON-MORAL
STANDARDS AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL STANDARDS

Moral Standards
• refer to the guidelines we have on the types of acts that
we find to be morally permissible and morally
unacceptable. It primarily deals with issues that can
either potentially threaten or greatly benefit human
beings. Some ethicists placed moral ethics on par with
social values and moral principles. (Leandro, Jr & Gubia-
on, 2018)

• normally promote the common good, that is, the welfare

and well-being of human beings, animals, and the
environment.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL STANDARDS
By: Velasquez (2012)

❖ Moral standards entail serious harm or benefit.

Examples of this are the following: theft, the murder
of innocent people, respect others, a feeding program
for the poor, etc.

❖ Moral standards are not determined by authority

figures. Moral values should always be upheld, even
though they are at odds with self-interest.

❖ Moral standards should be adopted over other

values, including self-interest. Moral standards should
always be retained even if they are at stake with
self-interest.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL STANDARDS
By: Velasquez (2012)

❖Moral standards are focused on objective

considerations. The basis of considerations and
decisions must not be favorable only to a particular
person or group. Anyone who commits mistakes and
wrongful acts then is punished accordingly. It must be
an unbiased or impartial consideration.

❖Moral standards are perceived to be universal. We want

everyone to live up to these norms and feel resentful
when somebody doesn't live up to them. Moral
standards believed to be universal as it is applicable
anywhere and anytime.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL STANDARDS
By: Velasquez (2012)

❖Moral standards are correlated with

different feelings and vocabulary. If
anyone doesn’t live up to the norm or
standards, he will feel guilty, bad,
and wrong. The same is true when
someone else does not live up to the
expectations, norms, and standards,
others may feel disgusted at this
person.
 THE DIFFERENCES OF MORAL AND NON-MORAL
STANDARDS AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL STANDARDS

Non-Moral Standards
• on the contrary, apply to laws which are not related to
social or legal considerations.

Examples of Non-Moral Standards

by: (Leandro, Jr & Gubia-on, 2018)

⮚Etiquette - is a decorum, propriety means reverence

for the formal criteria governing conduct in a civilized
society.

⮚Statute is a written law passed by a legislative body

as defined by Oxford English and Spanish Dictionary
⮚ The Professional Code of Ethics

❖ consequently, is a set of guidelines

intended to help practitioners
differentiate between right and wrong
to guide their decision-making. Such
rules, also referred to as the Code of
Ethics, define the purpose and ideals of
the organization, how staff within the
organization are to handle the issues,
and the expectations to which workers
are bound.
HOW MORAL
STANDARDS
ARE FORMED
There are various factors on how moral standards are
influenced:

1. The moral values or principles that we conform

with, in our rearing;
2. The character and manners that imbibed with us by
means of birthright;
3. The religious values that our forefathers taught us;
4. The values we learned from school;
5. The moral conduct, ways and habits of those
people around us;
6. The direct and implied cultural norms;
7. Our life experiences; and
8. Our critical thinking in these experiences.
APPLICATION:

How can we restore people's interest in

learning and developing the ethics of
each individual?
“Subtlety may deceive you;
integrity never will.”
-Oliver Cromwell
REFERENCES:
✔ https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://www.dictionay.com/browse/etiquette%
3Fs&ust=1629699420000000&usg=AOvVaw27EP-ztWaeHG58eIS0Vlbn&hl=en
✔ https://www.ethicssage.com/2017/03/why-do-we-need-ethics.html
✔ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/professional-code-of-
ethics
✔ https://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/sorting-right-from-
wrong.aspx?fbclid=IwAR03HdMsAbSy5fckuBerRj36ZwGcUGeT19lGSXHFkOVrZSbcxqsa
GsSRZPo
✔ https://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/religious-studies-and-
philosophy/it-is-important-to-know-right-from-
wrong.html?fbclid=IwAR04hhTVFrwU_WdNoxHzxa3sFarTegdM1QAiLs_Ntk8vvU5uSz75
nzuWJ_I
✔ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/professional-code-of-
ethics