MODULE in CRIMINOLOGY 6 (PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL

STANDARDS)
Course: CRIMINOLOGY 6
Course Title: PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS
Course Credit: 3 Units
Contact Hours/week: 4 hours
Prerequisite: None

Course Description:
This course is an integration of values education, police ethics and police community
relations (PCR). Initially, the study covers the general concepts and foundations of
ethics with emphasis on the right Filipino values for national transformation and
reformation of the Philippine police system. Discussions gradually focus on the
effects of ethics and values in the society, the government and especially in the
PNP. Ethics and values are studied as applied to the present Law Enforcement
Code of Ethics and Police Professional Conduct as embodied under Section 1, Rule
II of the PNP Rules and Regulations. Final topics deal on the development of PCR
as well as the philosophies and foundations of good police community and human
relations.

Course Outcomes: At the end of the course, the students are expected to:
1. Explain the foundations of ethics and values.
2. Discuss the salient points of the PNP code of professional conduct.
3. Evaluate the PNP core values and virtues and its impact to their performance.
4. Recite the law enforcement code of ethics in today’s setting.
5. Appraise the moral/ethical weaknesses of the PNP causing incompetence and
propose a solution for the problem.
6. Provide specific recommendations to upgrade the PNP capabilities after
evaluating the law enforcement code of ethics, the code of professional conduct,
ethical standards, and the PCR system.

Two Small Words

There are Two Words that when put together mean many different things to many
different people. Two Words that can put smiles on people’s faces or anxiety in their
hearts. Two Words that may strike hatred in some and love in others. Two Words
that are more than just words.

They are a title, an occupation and a career. Better yet, they are two words that
describe a lifestyle. A lifestyle like no other for the men and women who choose to
place a badge on their chest and promise to serve and protect.

A lifestyle that may require these persons to save, in a split second, someone’s life
while risking their own. A lifestyle that makes these persons face good and bad
every single day that others don’t see. A lifestyle that asks these persons to wake up
every morning without the assurance they will come home that night.
Two words mean all that. Two words that should forever be remembered. These two
small words are ________ __________.
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
environment. as
one’s motivation.
One’s character shows on how the The image that one presents in front of
 person acts and reacts to his or her other.
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 things should work
group, culture, etc. It according to an
defines how 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 Because we believe in
the right thing to do. something being right or
wrong.
Flexibility Ethics are dependent on Usually consistent,
others for definition. They although can change if
tend to be consistent an individual’s beliefs
within a certain context, change.
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: QUIZ

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) (Use separate
sheet)

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