ETHICS REVIEWER same time, a point of intersection of physical

world of events.
WEEK 7
Man becomes a conscious cross point of a
Man and Historical Action
conscious point of intersection.
POINTS OF INTERSECTION
To be conscious means
'Journey' is a way for us to explore the
• Man is a cross-point of physical events
crossing, the intersection of our lives
and he is conscious of himself as a cross-
between each other. - Jenova Chen
point
Man is a cross point or point of intersection • Because he is conscious, he is conscious
of certain lines of events on varied levels. himself of his limitations and his
These are point of intersection of natural possibilities
events, physical line of events, interpersonal, • As a body, you are a source of activity;
social, historical, and individual and being conscious, you have a certain
power to be creative
THE INTERSECTION OF NATURAL EVENTS
Insofar as man is a conscious point of
 After a period of evolution, the first
intersection of world lines of events; he has
forms of life on this earth probably came
the power to control these lines of events up
around 2.5 billion years ago
to a certain point within a certain limitations
 Then a bit later, around 700. Million
years ago, would be the emergence of THE CROSSPOINT AT INTERPERSONAL
what they call the first chordates. LEVEL
 More recently, about 500 million years • The human psychological personality is a
ago, would be the appearance of the cross point of various personal
vertebrates relationships – Freud/Erickson
 Probably about 250,000 years ago is the • Man emerged as the fruit of intersection
appearance of the first man • Man’s personality, to a great extent, was
 It took the natural processes about 50 determined by the relationships you had
billion years to form the nervous system, and have. Thus personality is a fruit of
the brain which is in you, the body which intersecting personal lines coming
is you together.
THE PHYSICAL POINT OF EVENTS • The differences of people are not only
determined by the differences of their
The earth, the natural processes took that physical bodies, but rather on what
long a time ago to form man’s brain, to final constitutes the different types of point of
polarize and organize matter that is in him; intersection of personal line of events.
and then came his consciousness – man • This cross point is not on the physical
became a pyscho-biological organism. In this sense anymore but on personal sense
cross point, man is composed of natural, implying that man is a product of certain
chemical, and physical elements, and at the network or web of personal lines.
THE SOCIAL POINT OF INTERSECTION following them, in certain point of time,
one becomes conscious of these ideals
• Man is a social product
and finally make them more authentic,
• You are Deja vu, you are already there,
more personal and dependent on one’s
• You are of a certain quality, a certain type
own deliberate decision.
for better or for worse, precisely because
• Man becomes conscious as a PERSON OF
you are a point of intersection of social
MEANING.
events.
• These social points of intersection create As a cross point between the call of meaning
social habits and practices we call and your own response, you are given to
“CULTURE”. yourself; and yet you will be what you make
of yourself.
HISTORICAL POINT OF INTERSECTION
Insofar as a man is a point of intersection of
• Man is a historical product
all these various kinds of events in all these
• You are born of a certain age, of a certain
various levels, you and l can be
period of history, not earlier, not later.
characterized, in one sense, by what we
• Historical lines of events are beyond
might call destiny or fate; on the other hand,
one’s control.
you and I are also characterized by a certain
• As cross point of historical events, “we
creativity and, therefore, a certain task or
are what we are”; we are given a set of
responsibility.
data • As historical products, we have to
start from a certain set of data given Seen as destiny, I am a set of limitations.
• History is what makes what we are now Seen as a task, I am a set of possibilities.
• As we become conscious of ourselves as DESTINY but also TASK
historical products, we also become
WEEK 8
aware of the historical possibilities that
we have. ETHICS and CULTURE
THE INDIVIDUAL’S POINT OF INTERSECTION ETHICS
(SELF)
The disciplined study of the rational
• This is a point of intersection resulting to justification of moral principle and moral
a unique individual with ideals, ultimate behaviour
goals, and purpose in life.
Components of Ethics
• Human personality which takes an
existential framework whereby his own Morality- Criteria of judging right and wrong,
person is included in some kind of good and evil
permanent whole, permanent totality
Moral Behaviour - Human behaviour
through transcendental or spiritual
towards any situation and its moral
viewpoint.
judgment
• Though may be set by ideals of the past
and perhaps, in the beginning blindly
Rational Justification- Justification of a Symbol - Gesture and different sign that
matter from different point of view in a express a particular meaning
deliberate way
Language - Verbal and written symbols that
can be used for communication with
Knowledge - Body facts and practical skills
that Knowledge people accumulate over
time

Culture: The set of society and custom

Culture is the Centre of a society and without
culture no society can even exist. It is the
main difference between human beings and
animals. It is a heritage transmitted from one
generation to another. It includes all the The Three Layers of Culture of Dennis O'Neil
ways and behaviours is social life. Man is
born in the environment of culture, in which Most obviously is the body of cultural
he seeks his way of behaving and acting in a traditions that distinguish your specific
given society. “Culture is everything which is society. When people speak of Italian,
socially shared and learned by the members Samoan, or Japanese culture, they are
of a society. “Horton and Hunt referring to the shared language, traditions,
and beliefs that set each of these peoples
apart from others. In most cases, those who
share your culture do so because they
acquired it as they were raised by parents
and other family members who have it.
The second layer of culture that may be part
of your identity is a subculture. In complex,
diverse societies in which people have come
from many different parts of the world, they
Elements of Culture often retain much of their original cultural
traditions. As a result, they are likely to be
Value - Criteria for judging right and wrong part of an identifiable subculture in their
Norm - Rule of guideline that says how to new society. The shared cultural traits of
Norm behave in a particular situation subcultures set them apart from the rest of
their society. Members of each of these
subcultures share a common identity, food
tradition, dialect or language, and other
cultural traits that come from their common
ancestral background and experience. As
the cultural differences between members
of a subculture and the dominant national
culture blur and eventually disappear, the
subculture ceases to exist except as a group
of people who claim a common ancestry.
The third layer of culture consists of cultural
universals. These are learned behaviour The Filipino Culture and Values
patterns that are shared by all of humanity
collectively. No matter where people live in The complexity of Filipino culture is
the world, they share these universal traits. compounded as this has been exposed to
continuous and various streams of culture
 communicating with a verbal language c from without.
onsisting of a limited set of sounds and
grammatical rules for constructing sent This influences were not passively absorbed
ences in to the Filipino culture but assimilated in a
 using age and gender to classify people ( selective way, and this process of an
e.g., teenager, senior citizen, woman, m acculturation varied from region to region.
an) Contributory Factors to Filipino Culture
 classifying people based on marriage an
d descent relationships and having kinsh The Filipino culture is a summation of
ip terms to refer to them (e.g., wife, mo indigenous forces and foreign influences
ther, uncle, cousin) that had come to bear upon the people in
 raising children in some sort of family se varying degrees during the last centuries.
tting These foreign influences that contributed in
the shaping of a Filipino culture are as
 having a sexual division of labor (e.g., m
follows:
en's work versus women's work)
 having a concept of privacy The Malays
 having rules to regulate sexual behavior
The basic component of Filipino culture is
 distinguishing between good and bad be
the Malay temperament which could best be
havior
described by “niceness and pleasantness” to
 having some sort of body ornamentation
others rather than by virtue of law abiding
 making jokes and playing games
features. In its fluidness of culture, the Malay
 having art family clan or unit is the world’s best security
 having some sort of leadership roles for system.
the implementation of community decis
ions
Chinese many ways. Some of them are: The
Traditional Concept The traditionalist holds
Filial piety between parents and children,
that Filipino culture was developed due to
the flexibility to go along with other people
the conglomeration of the physical,
and the “sageliness within and the kingliness
intellectual, moral, and spiritual aspects. It
without “of the Filipino is believed to be due
assumes that underneath the independent
to Chinese influence.
and widely divergent culture as shown in
The Indian influence their way of life, there is an underlying basic
root of unity that holds the cultural tree
Indian influence is found in the languages,
together and infuses one clear, distinct
mode of dressing, architectural art, folk,
substance through its veins. This includes
beliefs, brass, and copperware.
their art of living, philosophy in life, attitudes
The Hindu influence toward God, nature and fellowmen.

It is the most pervasive in the Filipino belief The Nationalistic View

system. For instance is the prediction of
This concept regards culture as the
Filipino newspaper readers for horoscope
summation of the needs of the people, the
and fortune-telling sections.
description of their past and present
The Spanish Heritage condition, an expression of their values,
thoughts and emotions, and the depiction of
It is reflective of more developed societies at
their historic struggles to liberate
their point of contact, broadened the
themselves. True national culture is
outlook of the Filipino. Spain introduced a
inextricably linked to the people’s needs,
community oriented rather than a family
ideas, emotions, and practices.
oriented religion in the form of Christianity It
contributed to an elite class. A social and Cultural Dualism
political organization, according to western
This theory maintains that the Philippines is
institutions, was brought into the
a transitional society dominated on one side
Philippines.
by the traditional culture and on the other
The Americans side by the modern culture. The norms and
values of these two forces inevitably oppose
The United States further broadened this
each other leading to conflicts in the life of
heritage by introducing a democracy that
individual. Because of the conflict brought by
called for individual liberty and equality as
the various foreign influences into the
well as a national political community to
Philippines, the Filipinos have to engage into
which everybody was supposed to
a selective integration and modification of
participate through national suffrage.
foreign influences into a distinct Filipino
The Filipino Cultural Perspectives culture.

The Filipino culture’s existence and

development is viewed and interpreted in
Belief System through the hospitality they give to their
visitors and friends. They love to mingle with
Filipinos are religious. They believe so much
people particularly with friends and
in supernatural powers and view themselves
relatives. They engage themselves in mutual
as only a speck in this wide universe. This
cooperation, which is best pictured through
Filipino belief in the supernatural powers
the “bayanihan”.
taught them to trust prayers rather than
hard work in the realization of their dreams. In terms of emotion, the Filipinos are
Success is considered a blessing from above, friendly. They smile at people, even with
a result of good luck and faith. It also taught strangers when they are approach. They are
him to value traits like perseverance, warm and simple. Women in the Philippines
patience, and endurance. are highly regarded and respected and can
be relied upon when it comes to family
Good is considered relative. What is
affairs.
considered good to one may not be good to
another. Happiness and success differ from WEEK 9
one person to another. Elders, parents, and
Cultural Relativism
superiors are respected and obeyed.
Hospitality is one practice Filipinos believe in The view that all beliefs, customs, and ethics
because it is their way of implementing are relative to the individual within his own
threw golden rule: “Do unto others what you social context.
want others do unto you”.
“Different cultures have different moral
Value System codes” often is used as a key to
understanding morality. Proponents argue
Cultural values are shared assumption of
that there is not as universal truth in ethics;
what is right, good, or important. Values
there are only the various cultural codes and
actually guide man’s behaviour and action as
nothing more. The customs of different
he relates himself in most situations in life.
societies is all that exist In other words,
The Filipino values can best be seen from the “right” and “wrong” are culture-specific
aspects of personal and social relationships.
Tightening the Definition– The focus here is
Personally, the Filipinos value more their
on whether or not one culture can judge
honour and status than anything else.
another; the focus is not on whether or not
Majority of them takes care of their honour
one individual can judge another.
(karangalan) rather than wealth.
Challenges our ordinary belief in the
In decision making, the Filipinos usually
objectivity and universality of moral truths-
consult and take into consideration the
consensus of the family members as the
as a universal truth or ethical standard that
feelings of those who are to be affected.
--
Socially, the Filipinos give more emphasis on Your own code of ethics offers nothing
social relationships. This can be seen
special and is no better than that of another What is our reaction to “strange or different”
culture. customs?
Some Conflicting Approaches  Label them as backward, uneducated, or
primitive.
Moral Realism (aka Moral Objectivism):
 Label them heathens…
There are objective moral facts. Therefore,
 Discriminate or harass them.
ethics is somewhat like science: Its task is to
discover (not decide) what these moral facts  Convert them to “our” custom or
are. – Try to examine the situation and thought.
context to discover the moral “facts.” This correlates with imperialist
Ethical Absolutists: There is a single approaches…
standard ethical standard; that standard is Claims of Cultural Relativists
usually their own. —Each culture is right
unto itself, so such practices would be 1. Different societies have different moral
morally permissible in some countries and codes.
morally wrong in the US. 2. The moral code of a society determines
Ethical (cultural or moral) Relativists: Each what is right within that society.
culture as an island unto itself, right in its 3. There is no objective standard that can be
own world, and they deny any overarching used to judge one societies code as better
standard with which conflicting cultures (not than another.
individuals) can be judged. - There is a single
moral truth in terms of which all cultures and 4. The moral code of our society offers
individuals are to be judged. nothing special.

Ethical Pluralists: Cultures can legitimately 5. There is no universal truth in ethics…

pass judgments on one another, but 6. It is arrogant to judge the conduct of
encourages us to listen to what other other societies; we should adopt an attitude
cultures say about us as well as what we say of tolerance toward the practices of other
about them.- Try to find some middle ground cultures.
(in some situations this practice may make
sense, less judgmental) The Cultural Differences Argument

Reminder-- Different cultures have different Right and wrong are only matters of opinion,
moral codes. What is right within one group and opinions vary from culture to culture.
maybe abhorrent to another. E.g., This is cultural differences argument--They
Treatment of the dead, Polygamy, Sharing of argue from facts about differences between
wives among Eskimos, Infanticide cultural outlooks to making conclusions
about the status of morality. How is this a
logical fallacy? In other words, how is it
logically unsound?
Different cultures have different moral - Tolerance towards slavery, anti-
codes. Therefore, there are no objective Semitism, hatred towards ethnic groups,
truth in morality. or minorities, child porn, sex slave trade
The trouble is that the conclusion does not  If we took the cultural relativism
follow from the premise—that is even if the seriously, we would have to regard
premise is true, the conclusion might be these behaviours as immune from
false. – Logical fallacy is called non sequitur. criticism as long as they are
WHY? The premise concerns what people considered morally acceptable
believe; some believe one way and others within the practicing culture.
believe another, but the conclusion concerns 2. We could decide whether actions are
what really is the case. Just because two right or wrong just by consulting the
cultures believe differently does inherently standards of our society. In Colonial
mean that one belief cannot be true. America slavery was OK, women were
not allowed to vote or own property,
The Greeks believed it was wrong to eat the
primogeniture was practiced, etc.;
dead. The Callatians believed it was right.
therefore, these things were right.
Does it follow, from the mere fact that they
+ Deciding what is right or wrong in a
disagreed, that there is no objective truth in
situation is easier
the matter? No, it does not follow—it could
be objectively right or wrong that one or the - This position requires that we
other was simply mistaken. accept moral codes as proper and cannot be
improved.
It attempts to derive a substantive
conclusion about a subject from the mere 3. The idea of moral progress is called into
fact that people disagree about it. doubt
Caution: This is a simple point of logic. This • Progress implies doing things better, but
does not necessarily mean that the cultural relativism rejects making judgments
conclusion is false, the logic is that the about past eras.
conclusion does not follow from the
• Reform movements such as rights to
premise.
women and minorities that implies modern
The Consequences of Accepting Cultural society is better is a judgment that is
Relativism impossible to make.
1. We could no longer say that custom of 4. The idea of moral progress is called into
other societies are morally inferior to doubt
others. (This is one of the main points of
• Progress implies doing things better, but
Cultural Relativism.)
cultural relativism rejects making judgments
+ We would have to stop about past eras.
condemning other societies merely
because they are different.
 • Reform movements such as rights to
women and minorities that implies modern
society is better is a judgment that is
impossible to make.
Problems with Cultural Relativism
1. No blame of other cultures for “wrong” or
“evil” deeds. Are cultures morally infallible?
2. No criticism of our own culture
3. No idea of moral progress
4. in a relativist society the view of the
majority rules. Is this fair?
5. Is tolerance a universal value, in which
case relativism is paradoxical?
6. Don’t we all instinctively believe that some
things are universally right and wrong?

The Result?
1. Many reject the cultural relativism WEEK 10
arguments --. It makes sense to condemn
Moral and Character Development
some practices wherever they occur.
Interest in Moral Character
2. It makes sense to acknowledge that our
society while imperfect has made moral  1980s to present—renewed interest,
progress. often ranking ahead of academics
 1935 to 1970—decline for a variety
3. Because Cultural Relativism implies these
of complex reasons
judgments make no sense, the argument
 1600s to 1935—seen as central
goes, it cannot be right.
issues by parents, school, community
Moral Character Defined
Damon (1988) identified six ways that social
scientists have defined morality:
 Evaluative orientation that
distinguishes good and bad and
prescribes good
 Sense of obligation toward standards
of a social collective
  Sense of responsibility for acting out 7. “Metamoral” characteristics meaning
of concern for others they make morality possible even though
 Concern for the rights of others they are not inherently moral.
 Commitment to honesty in
Theories of Morality and Moral
interpersonal relationships
Development
 State of mind that causes negative
emotional reactions to immoral acts. External/Social
Four Psychological Components Includes behaviourists and sociologists who
commonly view morality as a product of
Ethical Sensitivity - The perception of moral
external imposition in the form of
and social situations, including the ability to
consequences and/or the intentional
consider possible actions and their
transmission of social rules and norms,
repercussions in terms of the people
respectively;
involved;
 Human nature is neutral (blank slate)
Ethical Judgment - The consideration of
 Conditioning perspective (Skinner, 1971)
possible alternative actions and the rationale
 Family as the primary interpreter of
for selecting one or more as best;
culture
Ethical Motivation - The selection of moral  Religions as central cultural forces.
values most relevant in the situation and the
Internal/Psychophysiological
commitment to act on that selection;
Includes nativists and sociobiologists who
Ethical Action - The ego strength combined
commonly focus on genetic and
with the psychological and social skills
maturational influences;
necessary to carry out the selected
alternative.  Rousseau (1979) believes that human
nature is essentially good;
7 Psychological Components of The “Moral
 Clark and Grunstein(2000), found that up
Anatomy”
to 50% of variance in behavior may be
1. Moral behaviour (prosaically, sharing, genetically determined;
donating to charity, telling the truth)  Wilson’s (1975, 1998) view is that our
2. Moral values (believe in moral goods) sense of right and wrong is the result of
3. Moral emotion (guilt, empathy, biological evolution interacting with
compassion) culture and social convention.
4. Moral identity (morality as an aspect
Interactional
self-image)
5. Moral personality (enduring tendency to Divided into subcategories of instinctual
act with honesty, altruism, (psychoanalytic, psychosocial, and socio-
responsibility) analytic theories that view human nature as
6. Moral reasoning (about right and wrong) instinctual, undeveloped, and in need of
control or socialization) and maturation al
(cognitive-and affective-developmental  As personality constructs, virtues are
theories and social-learning theories that habitual ways of thinking, feeling,
view human nature as good.); committing, and acting that reflect
moral character.
 Human nature is instinctually anti-social
and undeveloped (Freud, 1990). Persons With Moral Character Are Inclined
 Developing conscience and morals is to:
primarily one of middle childhood
Show kindness and compassion with
(Erickson, 1993)
empathetic understanding
 There are 3 psychological
transformations in the individual/ social  Show the courage to be honest and
relationship: (1) in early childhood, (2) in principled irrespective of circumstances;
middle childhood and early adolescence,  acquire a wide range of abilities that
t and (3) in later adolescence enable them to independently resolve
problems, analyse situations where
moral values and principles may be in
conflict, and adapt to change in a
personally and socially constructive
manner; and
 Display a high level of effort in their daily
work, and a high level of commitment to
individual and group goals and
standards.

Four Domains of Human Experience

Attachment Bond With Parents - children
learn about compliance and respect;
Moral-emotional Responsiveness - children
Personality/Identity learn about the ways in which emotions
regulate moral life, including reparation and
Includes theories that find virtue rooted in
healing responses after wrongdoing;
personality and personal identity.
Moral Valuation - children learn about the
 Virtues as a combination of
developmental processes of deriving and
(a) Natural predispositions and justifying moral rules in behalf of values; and

(b) Interactions with the Moral Volition - children learn about the
environment that involve both ways in which autonomy and will become
reflection and commitment to moral associated with what should be done.
values and behaviour.
Shared Characteristics among Moral by the desire to conform to the group. More
Exemplars than anything else, this can cause a good
child to do the wrong thing.
 A long-term commitment to moral
ideals, including a general love of Consequential Reasoning - Many simply
humanity; reason "Will I get caught?" This kind of
 A willingness to be socially influenced reasoning does not allow much room for our
and to change; virtues to be implemented. A critical decision
 The conscientious use of morally can become a "cost/benefit" analysis, rather
justifiable means to pursue their moral than a character issue.
goals; We Focus on the Vices, Instead of the
 a willingness to risk their self-interest for Virtues - It is much easier to count the bad
the sake of their moral goals; and things (teenage pregnancy, drug/alco hol
 A clear image of themselves and their abuse, etc.) than it is to count the good
ideals, including humility, optimism, things (children w orking hard to get good
faith, and a sense of spirituality. grades, helping each other succeed,
Why Is Character Development Hard? improving their sports skills, giving to
charity, etc). Vices are simply easier to count.
Moral Immaturity - Most people don't think
that our character is ever fully developed People are Not Perfect - We all make
and can always be changed. But certainly our mistakes.
character gets ingrained to some degree as WEEK 11
we approach late adolescence. Until that
time the virtues can be both malleable and Minimum Requirements of Morality and
inconsistent. Ethical Decision Making Framework

Negative Cultural Influences - As a The Problem of Definition

descriptive statement, some cultures  There are many rival theories, each exp
emphasize different virtues to different ounding a different conception of what i
degrees. (For example, in some cultures, t means to live morally, and any definiti
honor is the most important virtue, and on that goes beyond Socrates’ simple fo
shaming yourself or your family is the most rmulation (“how we ought to live”) is bo
serious consequence. In other cultures, lying und to offend at least one of them.
is conside red acceptable if it involves the
 James and Stuart Rachelsproposes a ‘mi
sale of goods to feed your family.) nimum conception’ of morality: a core t
Lack of a Role Model - For children who do hat every moral theory should accept, at
not have role models, building character can least as a starting point.
be unguided and unpredictable.
Peer Pressure/Conformity/Acceptance - We
all know the pressures that can be exerted
Reason and Impartiality A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

 Moral judgments must be backed by go A. Recognize an Ethical Issue

od reasons.
1. Could this decision or situation be damagi
 Morality requires the impartial consider
ng to someone or to some group? Does this
ation of each individual’s interests
decision involve a choice between a good a
Moral Reasoning nd bad alternative, or perhaps between two
"goods" or between two "bads"?
 We cannot rely on our feelings, no matt 2. Is this issue about more than what is legal
er how powerful they might be.
or what is most efficient? If so, how?
 Our feelings may be irrational and may
be nothing but products of prejudice, B. Get the Facts
selfishness, or cultural conditioning. 3. What are the relevant facts of the case?
 Our decisions must be guided as much What facts are not known? Can I learn more
as possible by reason. about the situation? Do I know enough to
 The morally right thing to do is always make a decision?
the thing best supported by the 4. What individuals and groups have an imp
arguments. ortant stake in the outcome? Are some con
The Minimum Conception of Morality cerns more important? Why?
5. What are the options for acting? Have all
Morality is, at the very least, the effort to gu the relevant persons and groups been cons
ide one’s conduct by reason— ulted? Have I identified creative options?
that is, to do what there are the best reason
s for doing C. Evaluate Alternative Actions
while giving equal weight to the interests of 6. Evaluate the options by asking the followi
each individual affected by one’s decision. ng questions:
The Conscientious Moral Agent.  Which option will produce the most goo
 Is concerned impartially with the interes d and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian
ts of everyone affected by what he or Approach)
she does  Which option best respects the rights of
 Carefully sifts facts and examines their all who have a stake? (The Rights Appro
implications. ach)
 Accepts principles of conduct only after  Which option treats people equally or pr
scrutinizing them to make sure they are oportionately? (The Justice Approach)
justified  Which option best serves the communit
 Is willing to “listen to reason” even y as a whole, not just some members? (
when it means revising prior convictions The Common Good Approach)
 Is willing to act on the results of this  Which option leads me to act as the sort
deliberation. of person I want to be? (The Virtue Appr
oach)
D. Make a Decision and Test It
7. Considering all these approaches, which o
ption best addresses the situation?
8. If I told someone I respect ‐‐
or told a television audience ‐‐
which option I have chosen, what would the
y say?
E. Act and Reflect on the Outcome
9. How can my decision be implemented wit
h the greatest care and attention to the con
cerns of all stakeholders?
10. How did my decision turn out and what
have I learned from this specific situation?