PHILO 1O1

Standards and Dilemmas

 The term “right” is abstract .
 The frame of reference include – etiquette, law, economics religion, self- interest,
fascism,( belief in a natural social hierarchy by a dictatorial leader) marxism,(theory and
practice of communism), sexism (member of one sex are less able), and racism,
(discrimination by an individual or a person).
 Evaluating and dieting conduct, different frames of reference have emerged that contain
criteria for appraising conduct as right and wrong in different areas.
 Such prescriptions can do conflict with laws that prohibit discrimination.
 Morally right and wrong clearly often conflicts with what is right and wrong from other
perspectives.
Differences between Moral and Non-moral Standards
Morality – the standards that an individual or a group has about what is right and wrong, or
good and evil.
Morality – is an informal public system applying to all rational persons, governing behavior that
affects others, and has the lessening of evil or harm as its goal.
Morality is a complex of concepts and philosophical beliefs which an individual determines
whether his or her actions are right and wrong.
“Conformity to such codification is called morality.”
“Moral” may refer to as general summary of a moral principle.
1. Moral standards refer to the norms which we have about the types of actions which we
believe to be morally acceptable.
 Moral standards deal with matters which can either seriously harm or seriously benefit
human beings.
 Moral standards equated to moral values and moral principles.
 Rules are a stabilizing force that enhances the survivability of individuals, families, and
nations.
 It is important to remember that the moral development of young people depends on
the ethical capacities of the adults who interact with them on a daily basis- especially
parents, teachers,and adults in the community.
 Every young person needs both a role model to inspire them and environment that
holds up good values.
2. Non- moral standards refer to rules or standards that are unrelated to moral or ethical
considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or lack of
ethical sense.
Examples of non-moral standards- fashion standards, rules in games, and various house
rules.
 Laws and ordinances – are non-moral principles, though they can be ethically relevant
depending on some factors and contexts.
 Etiquette -refers to norms of correct conduct in polite society or to any special code of
social behavior courtesy.
 The rules of etiquette are prescriptions for social behavior or courtesy. If you violate
them, you are likely to be considered ill-mannered, impolite, or uncivilized, but not
necessarily immoral.
 “That if you want to fit in, get along with others and must observe the common rules of
politeness or etiquette.”
 Statutes are laws enacted by legislative bodies. The law that prohibits theft is a statute.
“People sometimes confuse legality and morality, - breaking the law is not always or necessarily
immoral. The legality of an action does not guarantee that it is morally right.
Not all the Rules of a professional code are purely moral in character, and even when they are,
the fact that a rule is officially enshrined as part of the code of profession does not guarantee
that it is a sound moral principle.
HOW MORAL STANDARDS Formed?
 It is influenced by the following:
1. moral principles we accept as part of our up bringing,
2. values passed on to us through heritage and legacy,
3. the religious values that we have inherited from childhood,
4. the values that were showcased during the period of our education,
5. the behavior patterns of those who are around us,
6. the implicit standards of our culture, and our experiences.

Characteristics of Moral Standard

1. Moral standards involve serious wrongs or significant benefits- matters which seriously
impact, that is, injure or benefit human beings.

Ex. Violating some basketball rules – may matter in basketball games but does not
necessarily affect one’s life or well-being.
2. Moral standards ought to be preferred to other values, “states that a person has the
moral obligation to do something, then he is supposed to do that even if it conflicts with
other non-moral standards and even with self- interest.
2.1. when a particular law becomes seriously immoral, it may be people’s moral duty to
exercise civil disobedience or it may be prudent to lie to save one’s dignity.
2.2. when a particular law becomes seriously immoral, it may be people’s moral duty to
exercise civil disobedience.
3. Moral standards are not established by authority figures or somebody in authority
has publish them, moral standards cannot be changed nor nullified by a particular
authoritative body. Its validity lies on the soundness or adequacy of the reasons that are
considered to support and justify them. Example : Catholic church.
4. Moral standards have the trait of universalizability. It means that everyone must live
up to mora standards. Example: the Golden Rule, “ Do unto others what you would them
do unto you”
Universalizability - is an extension of the principle of consistency.” Consistency about
one’s value judgements.
5. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. Moral standards do not
evaluate standards based on the interests of a certain person or group but one goes
beyond personal interests.
Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate considerations to
the interests of all concerned parties.
6. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary.
Prescriptively indicates the practical nature of moral standards such as, “Do not kill”
Do no harm and love your neighbor”
 MORAL DILEMMAS
A moral dilemma is also called an ethical dilemma and refers to a situation where an individual needs to
make a choice but faces a conflicting situation between one or more alternatives. Ideally, the choice they
make presents a dilemma because every available option may be wrong or incorrect.

Why is moral dilemma important?

Moral dilemmas are helpful for individuals to interrogate who they really are as individuals. It helps them
in making choices that they consider correct even when others deem them as incorrect.

How do you solve a moral dilemma?

A moral dilemma can be resolved when someone makes a choice that is deemed the best regardless of
the situation. Based upon their morals, a person's actions can help in solving the dilemma. However, it is
not always true that the choice made resolves the dilemma as it can hurt all parties involved

What is your definition of a moral dilemma?

A situation that calls for a person to make a choice where any alternative picked results in the same
repercussions. There is no better alternative in this case.

Another definition could be the dilemma between correct and incorrect choices.

What are Kohlberg's six stages of moral development?

Kohlberg's six stages of moral development is a theory that posits three levels of morality, each
comprised of two stages. It attempts to explain an individual's approach to moral dilemmas. Lawrence
Kohlberg began his career as a professor of developmental psychology at Harvard University.

Moral reasoning by means of progressive succession. Moral reasoning refers to the cognitive process
that takes place as an individual decides on a course of action that may be right or wrong.

Theory of moral development by suggesting that humans undergo three levels of moral reasoning, each
comprised of two stages.

The three levels are comprised of the pre-conventional level, the conventional level, and the post-
conventional level of moral development. These three levels and six stages of moral development are
the fundamental structure of Kohlberg's theory

What is Kohlberg's Preconventional stage?

Kohlberg's preconventional stage refers to moral decisions being made in response to consequence -
punishment and reward. Children in this stage obey authority figures to avoid punishment and
encourage reward.

Why is Kohlberg's theory of moral development important?

Kohlberg's theory of moral development is important in providing insight into the decision-making
process when individuals are presented with moral choices. It further promotes interest and
investigation into the domain of moral psychology.