STUDENT GUIDE

Lesson 1

ETHICS
Ethics is a set of moral principles or set of principles conforming to proper conduct, as
established by the society, a profession or institution. It is a set principles based on what is good
or bad.
Moral is referred to a specific beliefs and attitudes or personal conduct of which if fallen
short, the action is described as immoral. It pertains to personal conduct. This is where ethics is
based.
Ethics is the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right
and wrong. It is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with human conduct, more specifically
the behavior of individuals in the society. The term is also applied to any system or theory of
moral values or principles

Lesson 2
The Origin of Ethics
It is clear that ethics could have come into existence only when human beings started to
reflect on the best way to live. This reflective stage emerged long after human societies had
developed some kind of morality, usually in the form of customary standards of right and wrong
conduct. Ex.
1. Hebrew bible (Old Testament) also accounts of God’s giving the Ten Commandment to
Moses at Mt Sinai.
2. Protagoras of Plato also accounts of Zeus giving humans a moral sense and capacity for
law and justice so they could live a larger communities and cooperate with one another.
Morality should be invested with all mystery and power of divine origin. This is the reason
why ethics is not independent field of study but rather a branch of theology.
So, ethics deals with integrity, principles, value, honor, choice, conscience, fairness,
responsibilities, right, honest (Britannica). However, it is not confined to religion only because
atheists also follow standards of ethics. (M. Velasquez, M. Meyer et. Al)
Ethics is based on well-founded standards or right and wrong that prescribe what humans
ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.
It has something to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong. It has to do with my
religious beliefs. Being ethical is doing what the law requires. It consists of the standards of
behavior our society accepts. (M. Velasquez, M. Meyer et. Al).
Ethics is about matters:
1. A good thing that we should pursue
2. A bad thing that we should avoid
3. The right ways that we should act
4. And the wrong ways of acting
It is about acceptable and unacceptable behavior. And it an obligation that are expected to
do and the prohibition that requires respect.

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Lesson 2
The Good and the Right

The good has to do with achievement of goals; the right, with laws and rules.
The good and the right each have their area of applicability; they often get confused
and students need to know the difference so that errors in ethical judgments are avoided.

The Good

What is good has to do with benefits. Something that benefits something or someone
else is called good for that thing or person. We can think of this instrumentally or
biologically. Instrumentally, an android phone is good for sending emails, sending and
receiving text messages, watching movies, playing online and offline games, shopping and
many other activities; what is good for the phone is what enables it to do so well.
Biologically, air, water, and food are good for living beings.

The Goodness approach to ethics uses the terms “good” and “bad” and their variants
and synonyms to evaluate actions, things, people, states of affairs, etc., as well as maxims or
guidelines for conduct. Some synonyms for “good” in this context are “helpful,”
“nourishing,” “beneficial,” “useful” and “effective.” Some synonyms for “bad” are their
opposites: “unhelpful,” “unhealthy,” “damaging,” “useless” and “ineffective.”

There are degrees of goodness and its opposite, badness. That some plants need full
sunlight to thrive and others need shade means that full sunlight is good for the former and
not so good for the latter.

An ethics – a set of moral principles or values – based on goodness applied to

concerns about choices between courses of action will ask questions about the anticipated or
hoped-for benefits of one course of action as opposed to another. An ethics based on
goodness applied to concerns about character will ask questions about the anticipated or
hoped-for effects on one’s habitual way of approaching life of one course of action as
opposed to another.

The Right

What is right has to do with conformance to rules or regulations. This is easy to see in
non-ethical situations. For instance, the right answer to “9 divided by 3” is 3. We apply a
mathematical rule, the rule for how to do long division, and derive the right, or correct,
answer. In ethical situations, we apply a moral rule to determine what the right course of
action is. If one finds a wallet with some money in it and the owner's identification as well,
the right thing to do is to return the money to the owner because it is wrong to keep
something that does not belong to one, especially if one knows who the owner is. The moral
rule in this case is “it is wrong to keep something that does not belong to you.”

The language associated with this school uses the terms “right” and “wrong” to
evaluate actions. Some synonyms for “right” are “proper,” “legal” and “correct.” Some
synonyms for “wrong” are “improper,” “illegal” and “incorrect.”

The primary meaning of “right” in an ethical context is conformance to moral rules.

There are a number of other uses of the term “right” in addition to conformance to moral

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 rules, such as the following:

1) Correct, truthful, as in “the right answer.” This implies that rightness is exclusive, that
there is one right answer or opinion and that others are wrong.
2) The best possible option or a very good option, as in “the right choice.” This also implies
exclusivity, but is problematic. Often one does not need to do what is best

Sometimes one only needs to do something good enough to get a useful response, a response
that gives feedback so one can further hone one’s strategy, one’s response to what is
happening.

3) Fitting, appropriate, in harmony with the way things are. This sense is more akin to the
goodness paradigm. It asserts an aesthetic component of rightness, as when one
artistically puts an element of a composition in “the right place.”
4) What the speaker approves of or assumes people generally approve of. This is an
uncritical usage and is the least useful.

Why It Matters

If someone says something is good, one can always ask “good for what?” If someone
says something is right, one can always ask “according to what rule?” The two domains of
discourse really are separate, and it is not useful to mix them. Mixing.
them is a form of category error, that is, an error “by which a property is ascribed to a
thing that could not possibly have that property.” That something has good effects does not
make it right. That something is in accordance with a moral rule does not make it good.

Implication to Following Rules

Rules are not just sufficient but rather necessary to social beings in the promotion of
the common good in every society. Making the distinction between good and right is
important because it promotes clarity of thought and allows an individual to assess oneself
and understand why rules have to be followed. It does not mean, however, that clarity of
language is a necessary condition for clarity of thought, but it certainly helps. The clearer
one’s thinking, the more likely one is to follow rules. Accurate thinking based on accurate
perception leads to accuracy of action, action that leads to attainment of one’s goals.

Lesson 4

Ethics, generally, is about:

1. Good thing that we should pursue and bad thing that we should avoid
2. Right ways we should act and the wrong ways of acting
3. Acceptable and unacceptable in human behavior
4. Involves obligations we are expected to fulfill and prohibitions that require respect or
ideals we are expected to fulfill and encouraged to meet.
Particular questions which consist fundamental issues of practical decision making that
can be judged right or wrong:

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Kinds of valuation:
1. Aesthetics (sense of feeling). This refers to judgment of personal approval or
disapproval about what we see, hear, smell or taste. Like: music, food, or
clothing. This does not belong to ethics as this has nothing to do with behavior.
2. Etiquette is concerned with right and wrong actions. Ex. A healthy young man
who refuses to offer his seat on the bus to an elderly lady. Inserting in a long
line on waiting clients.

PRELIM EXAMINATION

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Lesson 5
Ethics vs Morals

ETHICS Right MORALS

External Rules Personal
and
Principles
Many vary Wrong
between Rarely
Conduct
Environment change

Moral Principles are people’s norms, culture of group of people in a place or a country.
While Ethics has something to do with rules which are formed out from the moral principles

Moral is referred to a specific beliefs and attitudes or personal conduct of which if fallen
short, the action is described as immoral. It pertains to personal conduct. This is where ethics is
based.
Ethics – is primarily formed from
1. Moral (personal beliefs and attitudes) >
 To Moral Principles (people’s norms, culture of group of people in a place
or a country >
 To Ethics (philosophy that is concerned with human conduct, more
specifically the behavior of individuals in the society

To Law (enforced rules compelling a person to obey)

Lesson 6

Moral Standards are principles, norms or models an individual or a group has about
what is right or wrong, what is good or bad. It is an indication of how human beings ought to
exercise their freedom. Norms are expressed as general rules about our actions or behaviors.
Some examples are: “Take responsibility for your actions”; “Always tell the truth”; “Treat
others as you want to be treated”; “It is wrong to kill innocent people”. Values are underlying
beliefs and ideals that are expressed as enduring beliefs or statements about what is good and
desirable or not. Some examples are: “Honesty is good”; “Injustice is bad.” Moral Standards
are a combination of norms and values. They are the norms about the kinds of actions
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believed to be morally right or wrong, as well as, the values placed on what we believe to be
morally good and morally bad. In other words, they point us towards achievable ideals (De
Guzman, 2018).

What moral standards do? First, they promote human welfare or well-being; second,
they promote the “good” (animals, environment, and future generations); and third, they
prescribe what humans ought to do in terms of a.) Rights (responsibilities to society); and b.)
Obligations (specific values/virtues).

Non-Moral or Conventional Standards are standards by which we judge what is good

or bad and right or wrong in a non-moral way. Some examples are: good or bad manners,
etiquettes, house rules, technical standards in building structures, rules of behavior set by
parents, teachers, other authorities, the law, standards of grammar or language, standards of
art, rules of sports, and judgments on the way to do things. Hence, we should not confuse
morality with etiquette, law, and aesthetics or even with religion. As we can see, non-moral
standards are matters of taste or preference. Hence, a scrupulous observance of these types of
standards does not make an individual a moral person. Violation of said standards also does
not pose any threat to human well-being.

Some individuals may have heard the term “Amoral” (n.d). It means not influenced
by right and wrong. If a person who is immoral acts against his conscience, a person who is
amoral does not have a conscience to act against in the first place. Infants could be said to be
amoral since they have not yet developed a mature mind to understand right and wrong. In
other words, an immoral person has a sense of right

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 and wrong but fails to live up to those moral standards. An amoral person has no sense of
right and wrong and does not recognize any moral standard.

Another word that needs clarification is the adjective “Unmoral” (n.d.). It refers to
something to which right and wrong are not applicable, such as animals, forces of nature, and
machines. For example, Typhoons cause damages to properties and loss of lives but they are
unmoral, since they are formed by unconscious natural processes that exist outside the
bounds of morality. When talking about non-moral agents, such as animals or weather
patterns, we use unmoral.

“Moral norms” (n.d.) have different forms. They can be expressed as principles,
dispositions, character traits, and even through the life of a person. These are different ways
of specifying criteria for moral judgments.

Lesson 7

Development of Moral Character (one’s actions > behavior)

Moral character is formed by one’s actions. And the habits or the emotional responses of
the person of good character are all united and directed the moral and the good. It occurs as we
grow and help us choose between right and wrong.
Moral character develops through behavior. Additionally, the moral and good are guided
by the habits and emotional responses of a person of excellent character. It happens as we mature
and aids in our ability to make moral judgments.

 Moral character is developed/formed from one’s actions which becomes his

habits or emotional responses (behavior) > moral character
Moral Valuation
To help distinguish moral valuation (morally good) calls for moral issue.
Ex. 1. A person cannot afford a certain thing (situation) but then the possibility presents
itself for her to steal it (moral issue).
Question 1
Does he violate the law? Yes, (moral law of stealing).
Question 2
Is this the only violation that he made?
No he doesn’t only violate the law but also ethics (as it involves the question of
respect for one’s property).
When one is placed in a situation and confronted by the choice of what act to perform, he
is called to make a Moral Decision. And a person who assesses on the action done or behavior
shown is making Moral Judgment.

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 - Moral decision: to steal
- Moral judgment: it is wrong

Lesson 8
Sources of Authority
The standards of valuation (values) are imposed by higher authority. And these standards
are based on:
1. Authority of Law – pertains to the rules and regulations that are put forward by an
authority figure that require compliance.
2. Authority of one’s religion – relies on the standards of divine command theory. And
the prohibitions given by religion (Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall
not commit adultery) are seen to intuitively coincide with our sense of what ethics
demands.
3. Authority on one’s own culture. What is acceptable or unacceptable is relative or
dependent on one’s culture. Different people/societies have their different cultures and
ways of thinking and valuing things/actions, too.

Lesson 9
Law
It is supposed that law is one’s guide to ethical behavior. At the first glance, this seems to
make a lot of sense. We recognize that there are many acts that we immediately consider
unethical (e.g. murder or theft) which we also know are forbidden by law. The law is enforced by
way of a system of sanctions administered through persons and institutions, which all help in
compelling us to obey. Taking the law to be the basis of ethics has the benefit of providing us
with an objective standard that is obligatory and applicable to all. So, we would not be surprised if
we hear someone say, “Ethics? It is simple. Just follow whatever the law says.”
- The law cannot tell us what to pursue, only what to avoid
- The law does not tell us what we should do, it works by constraining us from
performing acts that we should not do.
Religion
In religion, people claim that the idea of obeying God in all things is appealing and valid.
As a foundation for ethical values, this is referred to as the divine command theory. God, Allah or
Supreme Being commands and one is obliged to obey. That is the reason why the form of
religious upbringing is dependent on the religious background to back up the moral valuation.
Some religion present the clear code of prohibitions like: “Thou shall not kill”, Thou shall not
steal,” “Thou shall not commit adultery.” These intuitively coincide with the sense of what ethics
should rightly demand.

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 However, there is multiplicity of religions. Example there are religions have prohibitions
concerning what food may be consumed, while others do not share the same constraints. Are we
compelled
Lesson 10
Culture
Culture is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in
human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of
the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region
or location. Wikipedia
Culture comprises the information, beliefs, arts, laws, conventions, abilities, and habits of
the people who belong to these groups as well as the social behavior, institutions, and norms that
are present in human communities. Cultures are frequently ascribed to, or derived from, particular
places.
Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a
population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called "the way
of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion,
rituals, art.
There is no single best definition of culture. However, in general, culture is a system of
learned and shared beliefs, language, norms, values, and symbols that groups use to identify
themselves and provide a framework within which to live and work.

A population's culture is comprised of all of its inherited customs, institutions, and artistic
expressions that are transmitted from one generation to the next. Culture encompasses norms of
behavior, attire, language, religion, customs, and artistic expression. It has been described as "the
way of life for an entire society."

How do I define my culture?

Beyond our language, food, customs, and clothes, culture exists. It consists of our conduct,
values, and beliefs. We must study and consider our own cultures before we can genuinely
understand one another. To truly understand each other, we should first examine and reflect on
our own culture. In doing so, we can then begin to understand and appreciate the similarities and
differences of other cultures. We may then start to recognize and comprehend the similarities
and discrepancies between other cultures.

Lesson 11
Difference between Moral and Non-moral
Non- moral standard is about the behavior or immediate effects upon human well-being.
It is a matter of taste or preference like etiquette or rules of a game.
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 Moral standard is a standard about behavior or practices with serious or immediate
effects upon human being. It is a principle about what is right and wrong that promote welfare, the
good for others and prescribe human responsibilities and obligations.
A moral standard is one that pertains to actions or conduct that has direct, significant, or
immediate impact on people. It is a morality principle that upholds human duties and obligations,
advances welfare, and serves the interests of others.
MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Lesson 12
Moral Dilemma
Moral dilemmas are conflicts of morals where you are forced to choose between two or
more options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option.
A dilemma is a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or
more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones. It is a conflict in which you have to
choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action.

1) An individual is presented with two or more actions, all of which the individual has the
ability to perform.
2) There are moral reasons for the individual to choose each of the actions.
3) The individual cannot perform all of the actions and have to choose which action, or
actions to perform when there are three or more choices.

Since there are moral reasons to choose each action, and the individual cannot choose
them all, it follows that no matter what choice the individual makes, he or she will be failing
to follow his or her morals. In other words, someone or something will suffer no matter what
choice he or she makes.

Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

1. Individual Moral Dilemma

This is a moral dilemma that involves the individual on a personal level. Factors such
as personal health issues, family issues, personal financial issues, peer pressures and socio-
economic issues among many others may lead to ethical tensions within the person himself.
Example: A child in the family is in a dilemma whether to donate his kidney for the sake of
his sister or not considering that there may be some health complications that may arise in the
future.

2. Organizational Moral Dilemma

This is a moral conflict that occurs in the organization or institution where individuals
within the organization will face the dilemma of personal choices against the working ethics
of the organization or institution. Example: a network administrator who found out about the
infidelity of his best friend’s wife through her emails is in a dilemma whether to inform his
best friend about it or not considering the policy of the company on personal emails. Other
examples may be found in businesses, scholarship policies, medical field, and employment
discriminations among others.
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 3. Systemic Moral Dilemma
This is a moral dilemma that occurs at a macro level. Factors such as political
pressures, economic conditions, societal attitudes, government regulations and policies
may bring about a moral dilemma. These factors affect operations and relationships
which drives an impact to the people, the market, the workplace and others on a local,
national and international level. Examples are death penalty, Contractualization, War on
Drugs Program of the Government, RH Law….

Lesson 13
Steps in Confronting Moral Dilemmas
1. Find CLARITY: Reflect on the situation and the morals associated with each.
How to get clarity:
a. Create some space
b. Meditate/ contemplate
c. Talk to others
2. Know your VALUES: Be sure about your own values.
Essential values:
a. Kindness
b. Humility
c. Courage
3. EMBODY your VALUES: Completely accept and practice those values.

4. Share and SEEK HELP: Finally chose and consult if you are having a difficulty.
Freedom as Foundation for Moral Acts
Freedom is the foundation for moral acts because without freedom there is no choice,
with no choice it is impossible for an action to be right or wrong, moral or immoral. The
action is predetermined. Every person has his own freedom, and there’s no limits onto it.
And that is the main reason why freedom is based on the moral act. It is to give limit to the
people, limit to know what would be right or wrong in his decision.
Why do matters of right/wrong and good/bad need a foundation? What difference
would a foundation make? Let’s consider these comments from someone: “I am going to
obey my conscience regardless of whether it is or it is not grounded in any foundation. I
am going to obey it even if some reliable foundation tells me not to. Even if a god
suddenly appears and tells me to do something that my conscience won’t let me do, I am
not doing it. So, where did this conscience come from? How about if a person’s
conscience contradicts the conscience of another individual?

The comment above leads us to the question of choice, freedom or liberty and
decision. It also leads to the question of end.

Freedom or liberty may be described as the power or right to act, speak or think
as one wants without hindrance or restraint. But this power is not absolute. It has
limitations. “Great power comes with great responsibility.” Imagine the world if there is

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 no limit to freedom and no appeal for responsibility. When one changes the question
from “what do I want to do?” to “what do I ought to do?”, all moral acts become clearer
and point to freedom of choice. There is the invocation for people to use their freedom in
way that they won’t harm anyone including animals, plants and the whole of nature, to
not abuse their freedom and to give limitation to it. The exercise of freedom to act
morally liberates us from our selfish passions and desires. If we are not free in making
decisions, then the ethical value of our decisions are questionable.

Kant points to freedom as the autonomy or self-determination of rational beings.

This type of freedom plays a crucial role in the ethical journey of each individual, of
societies and humanity as a whole. Our everyday choices allow us to pursue our goals
that in a way enable us to live well and pursue the kind of human beings we ought to be.
We want to be virtuous by choice, for example, because reason and experience teaches
us that there is no fulfillment in life if we are coerced to live a life that we do not like.
There is no true happiness from slavery within. Human potential and creativity flourishes
when there is liberty.

Freedom has a Moral Dimension

1. The moral dimension belongs to the realm of human freedom.

The act or conduct that is not the result of free choice is without moral quality.
Morality relates to what we are accountable for. Freedom is not just about what we
can do but also about what we must do. It does not follow that just because we can do
something so we must do it.

2. The moral dimension refers to the concern for the good and happy life.
Moral philosophy claims an essential connection between goodness and
happiness. The moral dimension is concerned with defining ultimate goal of man or what
constitutes his happiness. The path to being happy is the way of goodness.

3. The moral dimension speaks to our sense of moral responsibility.

The moral dimension pertains to what freedom entails – the freedom to commit –
and the limits that the freedom of others imposes on our own. The moral dimension is
about developing the skills for sound decision making based on ethical principles.

Lesson 14
Culture Defines Moral Behavior
Culture is the outlook, attitudes, values, goals and practices shared by a group,
organization or society.
Culture shapes our norms.
What is norms? Norms refers to what is usual, typical or standard practice of a group
that shapes their culture. These norms govern our behavior, whether acceptable or not, in the
society. Culture reflects moral and ethical beliefs and standards that speak to how people
should behave and interact with others.

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 Culture is a manner of looking at reality by a certain group of people, in a certain
place, and in a certain time in history. It consists of the way people relate to the world
through basic assumptions and images which would more or less give them a coherent
view of reality they experience (Claver, 1978). It involves the following: a) material
living (dress, housing and architecture); b) way of behaving (customary manners and
conduct); c) way of speaking (language use); d) way of thinking (thought processes);
e) way of feeling (shared psychology); f) way of meaning (arts and symbols); g) way of
believing, valuing and meaning (views of life and attitudes).

Since every culture is a carrier of a community’s social practices and beliefs, the
moral behavior and values are also passed on from generation to the next.

Culture’s Role in Moral Behavior

So, how does culture shape moral behavior? Within culture are moral codes that
are practiced through social behavior. Moral codes are a set of rules or guidelines that a
person or group follows in order to live a just and good life. Moral codes are heavily
dependent upon culture. This is because each culture has its own ideas of what is
considered right or wrong, and what is regarded as good or bad. Moral codes dictate
many aspects of our lives, from how we act with different age groups, to how we dress,
and even how we treat other people.

Cultural Relativity
Cultural relativity is the view that ethical and social standards reflect the cultural
context from which they are derived. It differs fundamentally from 1 another and so moral
framework also differ.
In other words: The idea of cultural relativism holds that moral and social norms are
a reflection of the culture from which they originate. Its moral frameworks differ from one
another because of these fundamental differences.
For example.
1. Is it fair to criticize Muslim women for wearing burgas just because they deviate
from Western notions of femininity?
2. Is it fair to criticize the preferences of the LGBTQ as the deviate from Biblical
views?
Cultural Relativism

Culture may vary from one location to another, from one society to another, and
from a nation to another nation. And this becomes problematic when the ideas and
practices of right or wrong and good or bad of one ethnic group clashes or overlaps
with another even in a wider context of societies, nations and religions. This brings us to
the idea of cultural diversity and relativism. Cultural relativism claims that ethical truths
are relative-that the rightness of an action and the goodness of an object depend on or
consist in the attitude taken towards it by some individual or group, and hence may vary
from individual to individual or from group to group. Ethical judgments have their
origins in individual or cultural standards. It is the principle of regarding the beliefs,

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values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself. An individual's
beliefs and activities should be understood by others from the perspective of that
individual's own culture (Runes, 1983; Baldwin, 1986; Martin, 2007; De Guzman, 2018).

The idea of cultural relativism is that the terms right and wrong are completely
dictated by the culture that they are being used in. A person’s actions should be looked at
with all things taken into account, especially the religion and culture that they grew up
in. Supporters strongly believe that one’s moral codes and beliefs of right and wrong are
influenced completely by the culture in which an individual is raised. A better way to
look at this would be that what is considered morally correct in one culture, may be
deemed wrong in another. It doubts if there truly is a universal idea of right and wrong.
In other words, the cultural lenses carry with them their own biases of ethical behavior.

The Filipino Way

The Filipino culture is so rich and diverse that it has greatly transformed in time.
Although it is composed of diverse ethnolinguistic groups spread across the islands,
these cultural communities have somehow retained their indigenous moral values and
belief systems while consciously or unconsciously embracing Western lifestyles brought
about by colonial subjugation for five centuries and the adverse effects of globalization
that followed. Our culture and history molded us to what we are now.

Unfortunately also, Filipinos are in deep cultural identity crisis. Many of us show
little appreciation for our culture. Our colonizers have been instrumental in making us
believe that our culture is inferior to theirs to the point that the more individuals look
closer to foreign or Caucasian features using chemicals and treatments, the more they
feel that their status is elevated thereby looking down on their fellow Filipinos. With this
colonial mentality that we imbibed aside from the proliferation of diverse lifestyles
brought about by rapid global changes, our ethical values continue to disintegrate. This
situation may seem negative but there is hope in every adversity. As generally observed,
Filipinos are resilient; they rise from the challenges like bamboos that bend but do not
break from the ravages of storms year round. We can be proud of our identity if we can
convince ourselves that the values of our culture are the sources of our strength and
willpower as a nation worthy of respect and admiration like those of other cultures
(Wostyn, et al., 2004: 110).

Strengths and Weaknesses of Filipinos

Strengths
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao: Opening yourself to others; feel one with others with dignity and
respect; deal with them as fellow human beings.
- sense of fairness and justice
- concern for others
- ability to empathize with others
- helpfulness and generosity
- practice of hospitality
- sensitive to other feelings and trust

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2. Family Orientation: a Genuine and deep love for family.
-commitment and responsibility
- honor and respect
- generosity and sacrifice
- sense of trust and security

3.Joy and Humor: Cheerful and fun- loving approach to life and its up and down, pleasant
disposition, a sense of humor and propensity for happiness that contribute not only to
the Filipino charm but also to the Filipino Spirit. We laugh at those we love and hate.
We tend to make joke about our good and even bad fortune, to smile even in the most
trying of times.
-emotional balance and optimism
-healthy disrespect for power and office.

4.Hard Work and Industry: capacity for hard work given to raise one's standard living of a
decent life for one's family.

5.Faith and Religiosity: Faith in God - accepting reality to comprehend as a human created
by God. "Pampalakas- loob"

6.Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity

7.Ability to Survive
Weaknesses
1. Kanya-kanya Syndrome: Self-serving attitude that generates feeling of envy and
competitiveness towards others (status vs prestige).
- personal ambition but insensitive to common good
- crab mentality
- lack of appreciation resulting unhealthy competition

2. Extreme Personalism
- always trying to give personal interpretation to actions
- thank you with "but" (compliment- criticism-compliment)

3. Passivity and Lack of Initiative: strong reliance to other’s fate

-“yeah proud Pinoy”. It's all because of the race (nationality/blood) not by persons
attitude, hard-work, dream and perseverance etc.
-very complacent (relax) but their rarely is a sense of urgency (It's OK we have 1 day
left to finished, just relax)
-too patient without any plan or action
(matiisin) "Bahala na System" - No matter what, At least we tried.

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 -doubt and debate first than study, discuss until planning and action

4. Lack of Discipline: relaxed attitude but poor time management

- impatient and unable to delay gratification or reward
- love to take short-cuts or 'palusot' system
- carelessness
5. Colonial Mentality: Patriotism vs Active awareness
- luck of love and appreciation on what they have
- open outside but side-open or close inside

6. Family Orientation: a Genuine and deep love for family.

- commitment and responsibility
- honor and respect
- generosity and sacrifice
- sense of trust and security

7. Extreme Family Centeredness

- strong family protection good or bad condition

Universal Values – (lahat ng culture agree to the values)

Universal human values are those ideals that we believe should be privileged and
promoted in the lives of all human beings in spite of the differing cultures and societies
where we grew up. A value is one of our most important and enduring beliefs, whether
that be about a thing or a behavior. Even though some values may be universal, they
often arise from particular religious, socio-cultural and political contexts (UNODC,
2018: 21).

Rachels (2018: 23) points out that there are some moral rules that all societies
must embrace because these rules are necessary for society to exist. The rules against
lying and murder are two examples. Telling the truth and valuing life are being enforced
across cultures although they are expressed differently and exceptions to the rule cannot
be denied. Human rights are also universal in character.

1. Human Dignity
2. Justice
3. Love
4. Respect
5. Equality
6. Forgiveness
7. Happiness
8. Safety
9. Freedom
10. Intelligence

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11. Human Dignity
12. Justice
13. Love
14. Respect
15. Equality
16. Forgiveness
17. Happiness
18. Safety
19. Freedom
20. Intelligence

A CODE FOR NURSING STUDENTS

As students are involved in the clinical and academic environments, we believe that ethical
principles are necessary to guide to professional development. Therefore within these
environments we;

1. Advocate the rights of all clients.

2. Maintain client confidentiality.

3. Take appropriate action to ensure the safety of clients, self and others.

4. Provide care for the client in a timely, compassionate and professional manner.

5. Communicate client care in a truthful, timely and accurate manner.

6. Actively promote the highest level of moral and ethical principles and accept responsibility for
our actions.

7. Promote excellence in nursing by encouraging lifelong learning and professional development.

8. Treat others with respect and promote environment that respects human rights, value, an choice
of cultural and spiritual beliefs.

9. Collaborate in every reasonable manner with the academic faculty and clinical staff to ensure
the highest quality of client care.

10. Use every opportunity to improve faculty and clinical staff understanding of the learning needs
of nursing students.

11. Encourage faculty, clinical staff, and peers to mentor nursing students.

12. Refrain from performing any technique or procedure for which the student has not been
adequately trained.

13. Refrain from any deliberate action or omission of care in the academic or clinical setting that
creates unnecessary risk of injury to client, self or others.

14. Assist the staff nurse of preceptor in ensuring that there is full disclosure and that proper
authorizations are obtained from clients regarding any form of treatment or research.

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 15. Abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages or any substances in the academic and clinical
setting that impair judgment.

16. Strive to achieve and maintain optimal level of personal health.

17. Support access to treatment and rehabilitation for students who are experiencing impairments
related to substance abuse or mental or physical health issues.

18. Uphold school policies and regulations related to academic and clinical performance reserving
the right to challenge and critique rules and regulations as per school grievance policy.

Adopted by the NSNA House of Delegates, Nasheville, TN on April 6, 2001.

NINE PROVISIONS FOR THE CODE OF ETHICS TO GUIDE A NURSE

Provision 1. The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent
dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.
The nurse must have a high level of respect for all individuals, and allow dignity
in regards to dealings in care and communication. It's important that patient's
families are also treated with respect for their relationship to the patient. Nurses
must understand the professional guidelines in communications and work with
colleagues and patient families. It's important to understand the proper
professional relationship that should be maintained with families and patients. All
individuals, whether patients or co-workers have the right to decide on their
participation in care and work.
Provision 2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an
individual, family, group, community, or population.
The patient should always be a first and primary concern. The nurse must
recognize the need for the patient to include their individual thought into care
practices. Any conflict of interest, whether belonging to external organizations, or
the nurse's habits or ideals that conflict with the act of being a nurse, should be
shared and addressed to not impact patient care. Collaboration with internal and
external teams to foster best patient care is a necessity. Understanding
professional boundaries and how they relate to patient care outcomes is important.
Provision 3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health,
and safety of the patient.
It is important for the nurse to understand all privacy guidelines with regards to
patient care and patient identifiers. Nurses involved in research must understand
all aspects of participation including informed consent and full disclosure to the
patient of all aspects required to participate in the study. The nurse must
understand any institutional standards set in place to review his/her performance;
this includes measurements of progress and the need for further review or study to
meet performance standards. To become a nurse, competence must be
demonstrated in clinical and documentation prowess. Standards of competence
will continue at institutions and academic organizations that employ the nurse. If
there is witness or recognition of questionable healthcare practice, it is important
that the patient is protected by reporting any misconduct or potential safety
concern. And finally, the nurse will not provide patient care while under the

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influence of any substance that may impair thought or action, this includes
prescription medication.
Provision 4. The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for
nursing practice; makes decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation
to provide optimal patient care.
As a nurse, it's inherent that accountability for all aspects of care aligns with
responsible decision making. Use of authority must be professional and about all
aspects of individualism and patient, ethical concerns. Nursing decisions must be
well thought, planned, and purposefully implemented responsibly. Any delegation
of nursing activities or functions must be done with respect for the action and the
ultimate results to occur.
Provision 5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the
responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and
integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.
A nurse must also demonstrate care for self as well as others. An ideal nurse, will
have self-regard towards healthcare practices and uphold safe practice within the
care setting and at home. It's important for a nurse to have a high regard for care
as an overall inert ability once the profession is entered. A character becoming a
nurse would include integrity. Nurses should be concerned for personal growth in
regards to continued learning of the profession. The ability to grow as a nurse with
improvements to care, changes or trends in care should be adapted to maintain
competence and allow growth of the profession.
Provision 6. The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes,
maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and
conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.
As a nursing profession, standards should be outlined within and external to
institutions of work that dictate ethical obligations of care and need to report any
deviations from appropriateness. It's important to understand safety, quality and
environmental considerations that are conducive to best patient care outcomes.
Provision 7. The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through
research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the
generation of both nursing and health policy.
Nurse education should include principles of research, and each nurse should
understand how to apply scholarly work and inquiry into practice standards. Nurse
committees and board memberships are encouraged to contribute to health policy
and professional standards. The ability to maintain professional practice standards
should continue, changing and enhancing as developments in practice may over
time.
Provision 8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public
to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
Through collaboration within the discipline, maintaining the concept that health is
a right for all individuals will open the channels of best practice possibilities. The
nurse understands the obligation to continue to advance care possibilities by
committing to constant learning and preparation. The ability of the nurse to

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 practice in various healthcare settings may include unusual situations that require
continued acts of diplomacy and advocacy.
Provision 9. The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional
organization, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the
profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
Nurses must continue to gather for committees and organize groups where they
may share and evaluate values for accuracy and continuation of the profession. It
is within these organizations that nurses may join in strength to voice for social
justice. There is a need for continued political awareness to maintain the integrity
of the nursing profession. The ability of the nurse to contribute to health policy
should be shared among the profession, joining nurses throughout the world for a
unified voice.
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics with interpretative
statements. Silver Spring, MD

FINAL EXAMINATION

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