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Group 1 Handout
Group 1 Handout
Submitted by:
Beltran, Erica
Capacio, Allyza
Carias, Julchen
Paliwag, Joshua
2BSA-2
Submitted to:
• Norms that individuals or groups have about the kinds of actions believed to be morally
right or wrong, as well as the values placed on what we believed to be morally good or
morally bad.
• Moral standards normally promote “the good”
• Norms plus values equal moral standards.
According to many scholars, moral standards have the following characteristics, namely:
1. Moral standards deal with matters we think can seriously injure or benefit humans,
animals, and the environment, such as child abuse, rape, and murder.
2. Moral standards are not established or changed by the decisions of authoritative
individuals or bodies.
3. Moral standards are overriding.
4. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations.
5. Moral standards are associated with special emotions.
NON-MORAL STANDARDS
• Refer to standards by which we judge what is good or bad and right or wrong in a non-
moral way
• Technically, religious rules, some traditions, and legal statutes (i.e. laws and ordinances)
are non-moral principles, though they can be ethically relevant depending on some
factors and contexts.
• If a moral standard says “Do not harm innocent people” or “Don’t steal”, a non-moral
standard says “Don’t text while driving” or “Don’t talk while the mouth is full”
MORAL DILEMMA
According to Karen Allen, there are three conditions that must be present for situations to be
considered moral dilemmas.
1. The person or the agent of a moral action is obliged to make a decision about which
course of action is best.
2. There must be different courses of action to choose from. Hence, there must be two or
more conflicting options to choose from for moral dilemmas to occur.
3. No matter what course of action is taken, some moral principles are always
compromised. This means that, according to Allen, there is no perfect solution to the
problem.
There are several categories of moral dilemmas within philosophical thought. They can seem
complex, but learning the basics of them can help identify them and mould a solution for them:
LEVELS OF DILEMMA
At the pre-conventional level (most nine-year-olds and younger, some over nine), we
don’t have a personal code of morality. Instead, our moral code is shaped by the standards of
adults and the consequences of following or breaking their rules.
Authority is outside the individual and reasoning is based on the physical consequences of
actions.
At the conventional level (most adolescents and adults), we begin to internalize the moral
standards of valued adult role models.
Authority is internalized but not questioned, and reasoning is based on the norms of the group to
which the person belongs.
Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post-
conventional morality). That is to say, most people take their moral views from those around
them and only a minority think through ethical principles for themselves.