Module 1: 4 hours

Introduction to Ethics and Values

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
● explain the difference between ethics and morality; character and personality
● have deep understanding of human existence

Teaching-Learning Activity/Lesson Proper:

UNDERSTANDING ETHICS
Etymologically, the word ethics is coined from the Greek word “ethicos”, or that
which pertains to “ethos”, the English translation of which is “custom” or “character”. From
this etymological meaning, ethics is taken to mean as a philosophical science that deals
with the morality of human conduct or human acts.
What do we mean by “morality of human acts?” Morality of human acts refers to the
goodness of the badness, the rightness or the wrongness of human acts.

Ethics is a philosophical science. This means that ethics is one of the many disciplines in
philosophy.

Enhancement reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml

Four Disciplines / Divisions in Philosophy:

1. Descriptive or Speculative – a discipline in philosophy that posits the question: What is the
nature of reality? (Metaphysics)
2. Normative – a discipline in philosophy that posits the question: What is good and what
is bad? Or what is right action and wrong action? (Moral
philosophy)
3. Practical philosophy – a discipline in philosophy which reflects upon truth in relation
to action. (Logic)
4. Critical philosophy – a discipline in philosophy that posits the question: What is truth?
(Epistemology)

CHARACTER VS. PERSONALITY

Character Personality
It is objective in nature. It is within a It is subjective. It changes at point in
person. time.
A particular system of trait that is A set of characteristics that each person
permanent to each person. possesses.
It is molded depending on his It influences how one behaves as well as
environment. one’s motivation.
One’s character shows on how the person The image that one presents in front of other.
acts and reacts to his or her peers and how
she or he deals with everything that happens
around him or
her.

UNDERSTANDING MORALITY
Moral integrity is the only true measure of what man ought to be. The most successful
professional, is nothing unless he too is morally upright. Thus, the philosophers speak of Ethics
as the “only necessary knowledge”.
Morality is the foundation of every human society. Without civic morality,
communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value. Every culture
admits the importance of morality as a standard of behavior. When the moral foundation of a
nation is threatened, society itself is threatened.
 Morality is the quality of human acts by which they are constituted as good, bad or
indifferent.

ETHICS VS. MORALITY

Ethics Morality
What is it? The rules of conduct Principles or habits with
recognized in respect to a respect to right or wrong
particular class of human conduct. It defines how
actions or a particular group, things should work
culture, etc. It defines how according to an
thing are individual’s ideals and
according to the rules. principles.
Source Social system / External Individual / Internal
Why we do it? Because society says it is the Because we believe in
right thing to do. something being right or
wrong.
Flexibility Ethics are dependent on Usually consistent,
others for definition. They although can change if an
tend to be consistent within individual’s beliefs change.
a certain context, but can
vary between
contexts.

MORALITY AND HUMAN EXISTENCE

● There is morality because there is man.

1. Man is the only Moral Being by virtue of the following reasons.

a. Man is a being of action.
b. Man has intellect.
c. Man has will.
2. Man as an Animal
3. Man as a Rational Animal
4. Intellect compared with will
5. Concrete Basis of Morality

UNDERSTANDING VALUES
Undeniably, there is a metaphysical dependence of values in ethics, for values have
ethics as one of their indispensable carriers. True enough, ethics and values support each other.
An ethics without values is hollow and shallow and, therefore, weak. Values without ethics
are paralytic. Needless to say, values are values even if they are not put into practice because
primarily – not absolutely - values are objective. If values are construed this way, it can be
inferred that they have nothing to do with ethics. The contention can be justified in view of
the fact that not everything which is good is moral or ethical. In other words, not all values
(good) are necessarily moral. The good in a glass of water – because it satisfies our thirst – does
not quality water as moral. The good in food – because it satisfies our hunger – does not
make food moral as well.

General definition of Values

1. Values are the object of human desire and striving; they are also the subjective
assessment of a particular object insofar as it is good.
2. Values are our beliefs, those beliefs which we hold to be true. Thus values inspire us to
struggle towards our proximate and ultimate ends.
3. Values refer to things, person, ideas or goals which are important to life; they
enable us to direct, understand, and evaluate our lives. Thus, they refer to our
ideals and our principles by which we live. Further, values are those which we like,
approve, esteem, enjoy and prize.

Properties of Values

1. Values are subjective – when we say values are subjective, we mean that the
existence and the validity of values are dependent upon on the feelings or attitudes of
the subject.
2. Values are objective – when we say values are objective, we mean that the
existence and the nature of values are independent of a subject.
3. Values are relative – this means that values have intrinsic limitation and
imperfection.
4. Values are bipolar – this mean that values do not exist alone; they always exist with their
counter values. Thus, values are either positive or negative.
5. Values are hierarchical – when we say values are hierarchical, we do not classify values
but rather we rank them. When we rank values, we establish order of importance
among them. The closest meaning of ranking values is prioritizing values.

ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
Every organization has values that are important to the group. It will help the
organization to survive. Organizations develop values much the same as each individual
has developed values.

Enhancement reading:
https://www.slideserve.com/rhys/introduction-to-ethics-values-and-attitudes

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS

Human acts are actions that proceed from the deliberate free will of man. In a broader
perspective, the term human acts refer to any activity performed by man.
This activity could either be physical, spiritual, internal, or external. Moral philosophy, however,
treats the term human acts not in its broader but in its stricter meaning.
Moral Philosophy, therefore, understands human acts as actions that are proper only to man.
These actions are those which man does not share with the brutes for human acts are rational
and willed acts.

Three-fold Elements of Human Acts

1. Knowledge
2. Freedom
3. Voluntariness

HUMAN ACTS VS. ACTS OF MAN

Human Acts Acts of Man

It requires man’s rationality. It does not require man’s rationality.
It requires knowledge, freedom and Done without knowledge, without
voluntariness (elements of human acts) consent and involuntary.
It does not need man’s freedom and
will.
Man takes responsibility of his action It does not make man responsible for his
action.

Visit also: https://www.slideshare.net/espirituanna/human-acts

Enhancement Activity:
1. Briefly explain when can an act or attitude is considered
a. ethical and
b. moral
2. Identify whether the following are human act or act of man.
a. Looking
b. Seeing
c. Dreaming
d. Day dreaming
e. Breathing

Assessment:
a. Based from the learning that you have gained in this module, what do you think could
be the general effect or consequence/s if a person doesn’t follow or do what is ethical
and what is moral. Answer this by using the table below. Limit your answers to not
more than 50 words. (30 points)

Ethical Moral
What if a person doesn’t
follow/do it?

b. Determine whether the following acts are considered human act or act of man. Put an X
mark on the corresponding column in identifying your answers. (15 points)

Human Act Act of Man

1. killing by self defense
2. theft by a kleptomania
3. rape under the influence of drugs
4. cheating in order to pass
5. sleep walking

References:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml
https://www.slideshare.net/espirituanna/human-acts
https://www.slideserve.com/rhys/introduction-to-ethics-values-and-attitudes