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• Ethics


  Branch of philosophy that explores what is right or wrong
• Philosophy


  Love of wisdom
• Ethics as philosophy

  • Challenge to explore essence of truth, existence and morality
• Moral dilemma

  Involves a situation where different courses of action lead to both positive and negative outcomes
• Major areas in ethics

  • Meta ethics - explore meaning of moral terms like right, good, and justice, help understand rules of ethics
  • Normative ethics - examines ethical actions and standard of moral behavior, figure what we do and why
  • Ethics of religion - consider relationship between ethics and religious beliefs, explore moral codes with various religious tradition
• Philosophical method of inquiry

  • Logic - analyze argument and assess
  • Epistemology - studies of theory of knowledge
• Characteristics of culture


  • Shared and transmitted
  • Learned and acquired
  • Social phenomenon
  • Gratifies human needs
  • Dynamic
  • Integrated
• Cultural views

  • Ethnocentrism - judging based on own cultural standards
  • Xenocentrism - valuing other culture highly than one's own
• Key elements of decision making

  • Principle of double effect (St. Thomas Aquinas) - good effect must compensate for bad effect, morally good or indifferent
  • Essential condition for performing act - evil effect must not precede good effect
• Ethical inquiry


  Involves systematic exploration of justice, virtue, and morality
• Five ethical principles


  • Autonomy
  • Prevent harm
  • Do good
  • Justice
  • Fidelity
• Seven principles of ethics

  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Fairness
  • Compensation
  • Courage
  • Wisdom
• Culture


  Encompasses a wide range of aspects (knowledge, beliefs, customs, and behavior)
• Steps to solve moral dilemma


  • Examines act in relation to agent
  • Determine consequence of acts
  • Identify intention of acts
  • Decide accordance with divine and natural laws
• Charles Darwin recognized that humans possess unique qualities
• Unique qualities that set humans apart

  • Physical and mental superiority - intelligence and consciousness (think, analyze, and make decisions)
  • Social complexity - intricate social structure, create organization, building cities, and establish institutions
  • Moral consciousness - make ethical choices, develop moral standards and learn from actions
• Cultural relativism


  Ethical norms differ from one society or culture to another
• Strengths of cultural relativism

  • Avoid moral dictatorship - moral standards vary across cultures
  • Respect cultural beliefs - validity of different moral perspectives with diverse cultures
  • Promote unity and understanding - encourage tolerance and foster
• Problems with cultural relativism

  • Tolerance and justice - ignoring social justice
  • Rejects universal moral standard - idea of common moral principle, hindering moral progress
  • Assumes culture incomprehension - understanding other cultures is impossible
  • Vulnerability and discrimination - belief in cultural superiority/inferiority, fostering racial discrimination
• Immanuel Kant's views on moral feeling

  • Moral feeling defined - feel pleasure or displeasure when actions align with world duty
  • Practical function - serves as motive for action and ground for judgement
  • Universal origin - rational thought rather than sensory experience
• Values


  Fundamental beliefs that guide individual attitudes, behavior and decision making, influence how individuals perceive and interact
• Source of values


  Influenced by personal experience, relationships, family, peers and education
• Axiology


  Belief system that influences behavior and decision making
• Role of values


  Determine what is considered good or bad
• Max Scheler's theory of value


  • Intentional objects of feeling prioritized from lowest to highest rank
• Filipino values (Thomas Quintin and Donato Andres)

  • Closeness in the family
  • Debt of gratitude
  • Social acceptance
  • Social mobility
  • Self esteem
• Theist


  Religious leaders
• Norm


  Standard of behaviour shared by members of a social group