The right to work is as fundamental as the right to life.

We need to work in order to provide for

our basic necessities and comforts. Human beings deserve a life that has these. And the kind of
life that human beings truly deserve lends more importance to working because through work,
we can secure for ourselves and our families a life respect for human dignity. But our right to
work has a corresponding responsibility: We should work well. The pursuit of this responsibility
can be helped by an understanding of the values and ethics governing work and developing
these. Thus, this book on VALUES AND WORK ETHICS. An instructional material on the subject
Values and Work Ethics, this book focused on theories, concepts, and principles of human
values and work ethics. It looks into how values and ethics determine and shape human
behavior, particularly in the workplace. It aims to utilize knowledge for the cultivation of
desired values, for skills development in ethical reasoning and decision making, and for self-
actualization. It is inevitable that students, as they will soon start to live a life fully on their own,
will become members of the workforce. Findings and keeping jobs, and finding fulfillment in the
workplace will not be easy. Competition in the world of work does not only require excellent
skills, but also proper attitude and values for work. It is the educator’s task to equip students
with the knowledge, not only of those which concern their fields of specialization, but also of
moral principles and values that will make them successful workers in the future.

Two general forms of acts

Not all acts are to be taken as formal of ethics. Certain acts are of some value to ethics. Certain
acts are of some value to ethics, while others are expendable to ethical analysis. These become
clearer if we consider the two general forms of acts in the light of their moral value: the acts of
man and the human acts. Follow closely the discussion below and study why human acts are
considered to be formal object of ethics

ACTS OF MAN

INVOLUNTARY NATURAL ACTS…..ACTS OF MAN,ARE OF TWO TYPES: THE FIRST TYPE IS CALLED
INVOLUNTARY NATURAL ACTS.THESE INCLUDE THE INVOLUNTARY , INTUITIVE OR REFLEX ACTS
EXHIBITED BY MAN,SUCH AS THE BLINKING OF THE EYE, THE BEATING OF THE
HEART,SNEEZING,YAWNING,BREATHING,SCRATCHING, AND OTHERS. WHEN EATING,ARE YOU
ALWAYS AWARE OF THE WAY YOU CHEW OR SWALLOW YOUR FOOD ? PROBABLY NOT,UNLESS
YOU JUST HAD DENTAL SURGERY, OR SUFFERING FROM TONSILLITIS DOING THE FOLLOWING
AND CONFIRM FOR YOURSELF IF THEY ARE INDEED INVOLUNTARY. 1. STOP BLINKING FOR FIVE
MINUTES TO 10 MINUTES. 2.STOP BREATHING FOR FIVE TO 10 MINUTES 3.STOP YOUR HEARTH
FROM BEATING 4.STOP YOUR STOMACH FROM DIGESTING THE FOOD YOU HAVE TAKEN
DURING BREAKFASTCONTINUATION OF INVOLUTARY ACTS
NOW AFTER PERFORMING THE SUGGESTED EXERCISES ABOVE,ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS: CAN YOU CHOOSE NOT TO BLINK FOR AN ENTIRE DAY. ? CAN YOU STOP
BREATHING, EVEN FOR ONE HOUR ? CAN YOU STOP YOUR HEART FROM BEATING ? CAN YOU
TELL YOUR STOMACH TO STOP DIGESTING THE FOOD YOU HAVE EATEN ? IF YOU CAN, YOU ARE
SURELY NOT OF THIS WORLD .IF YOU CANNOT,THEN, BE REST ASSURED THAT YOU ARE
NORMAL-JUST LIKE EVERY BODY ELSE-BECAUSE THE ACTS YOU TRIED TO STOP ARE
UNSTOPPABLE AND UNCONTROLLABLE.THEY ARE INVOLUNTARY AND NATURAL

VOLUNTARY NATURAL ACTS

The second type of nonmoral acts are called voluntary natural acts. They include voluntary and
natural, but not necessarily reflexive acts, such as sleeping,eating,drinking etc. These types are
actions we usually perform as part of our daily, socially learned activities such as brushing our
teeth, combing our hair ,cutting our nails, taking a bath etc. The second type of nonmoral acts is
different from the first type because it involves a certain degree of freedom and voluntariness,
so to speak .One may decide, for instance, when to sleep, or whether to sleep or not, whether
or not to brush one’s teeth, but one cannot decide when to start or stop his heart from beating.
However ,these actions are similarly categorized under acts of man because they are neither
moral nor immoral . We cannot, for instance, judge our classmate to be moral or immoral just
because his heart is beating, or because he did not take his breakfast before going to school.
Hence, because involuntary natural acts and voluntary natural acts are neither moral nor
immoral, they do not possess any moral values. Nonmoral acts can hardly be the formal objects
of ethics. But we should take note that the voluntary natural act, like sleeping, could become
moral acts if they are performed beyong their natural purpose. Sleeping at work, for example, is
no longer perceived as simply a natural act, but an unethical and an unacceptable act.

HUMAN ACTS

The second general form of ACT is called Human Acts. Human acts include actions that are
conscious,deliberative,intentional,voluntary and are within the preview of human value
judgment. Human Acts are either moral or Immoral.

Classification of Human acts

Acts are judged as to their moral worth based on conformity to standards or norms of morality.
Human acts are classified into the following: 1.Moral or Ethical Acts. These are human acts that
observe or conform to a standard or norm of morality. Some examples of moral or ethical
actions include helping others on need, taking examinations honestly, returning excess for
change received, giving party to your friends and others. 2. Immoral or unethical acts. These are
human acts that violate or deviate from a standard of morality. Immoral/unethical actions may
include, refusing to help others in distress, cheating in an examination, speaking ill of others,
and others AMORAL or NEUTRAL ACTS For the purpose of clarity, let us include amoral or
neutral actions in the discussion. Amoral or neutral actions do not apply to human acts can
either be moral or immoral but not morally neutral.Instead,the classification applies to non-
moral acts ( acts of man ).Recall that these acts are neither good nor bad in
themselves.However,depending on the circumstances surrounding a neutral act, it may become
a moral/ethical or immoral/unethical act. As we pointed out earlier, done during office work
schedule ( e.g., a teacher sleeping in her class, a security guard sleeping in his night duty, and
others.)

Components of Moral Act

Depending on the ethical theory applied, a moral or human act may be ethical/ moral or
unethical/ immoral if one or two of its elements either conform to or violate a moral principle
of the theory. Differences in elements emphasized mark the difference between and among
major theories of ethics. These elements upon which to focus assessment of whether moral or
human acts conform to or violate a particular norm are enumerated below. 1.The intention or
motive of the act. For instance, studying the lesson is intended to pass an exam, or training for
a basketball match is intended to win the championship title. 2.The means of the act. This is the
act or object employed to carry out the intent of the act. The act of studying hard is a means to
pass an exam, or the act of training one’s self is a means to win the championship match. The
means Can also be a person. For example, a person who pretends to help another to advance
his selfish interest is a person who treats another person as a means to his personal end. 3.The
end of the act. The intent of the act is assumed to be always directed toward a desired end or a
perceived good, such as passion the exam or winning the basketball championship tournament,
wherein the means employed will help achieve the end. For example, reading the lesson to pass
an exam or training in the hard court for the championship. The end of the act thus becomes
the basis or foundation for the intent of the act.

Moral Act and Human Will

Moral acts or human acts stem from the human will that controls or influences the internal and
external actions of man. The will stirs a person to act, or hampers him from acting. It colors the
motives for his engaging or disengaging in a certain action. Living against all odds, hoping in the
midst of hopelessness, finding meaning in great loss, selfless sacrifice for others – these are just
a few cases that demonstrate the power of the will to motivate the human soul for goodness,
hope and determination. It is this part of the soul that affects the freedom and reasoning of he
individual. The will is the agency of choice. The will may prompt reason to overpower passion or
on the other extreme, arouse passion and allow it to overrun reason. As such, the will is a
potential force for both good and evil. The strength or weakness of the will determines the
strength or weakness of a person’s character. If action follows being, agere sequitor esse, and if
the will affects action, the will must be brought closer to reason and to the proper sense of
morality and goodness.

Biasura, Jhazreel Mae N.

BSA 2B

1. Descriptive ethics, is the study of people's beliefs about morality. is a form

of empirical research into the attitudes of individuals or groups of people to uncover
people's beliefs about such things as values, which actions are right and wrong, and
which characteristics of moral agents are virtuous

Some examples of descriptive ethics include:

“68% of respondents said they disapprove of the administration.”

“This movie has a pretty bad rating on Rotten Tomatoes.”
“9 out of 10 experts agree that our product is better than all the rest.”

2. Prescriptive or normative ethics, is the study of ethical theories that prescribe how
people ought to act,Normative ethics is the study of what you should or should not do.

Examples of normative ethical claims would include:

“Murder is wrong.”

3. Consequentialist ethics suggests an action is good or bad depending on its outcome. An

action that brings about more benefit than harm is good, while an action that causes more
harm than benefit is not. The most famous version of this theory is Utilitarianism.

For instance, most people would agree that lying is wrong. But if telling a lie would help
save a person's life, consequentialism says it's the right thing to do.
Two examples of consequentialism are utilitarianism and hedonism. Utilitarianism judges
consequences by a “greatest good for the greatest number” standard.

4. Nonconsequentialist ethics is a type of normative ethical theory that denies that the
rightness or wrongness of our conduct is determined solely by the goodness or badness of
the consequences of our acts or of the rules to which those acts conform.

From a teleological standpoint, stealing, for example, would be deemed right or wrong

depending on the consequences. Suppose I were contemplating stealing a loaf of bread
from the neighborhood grocery store. My motive alone would have nothing to do with
the rightness or wrongness of the act
 Another example, some of Ross's prima facie duties (non-injury and beneficence, for
instance) are directly related to promoting good consequences or minimizing bad ones,
but others (fidelity, gratitude, justice) are not.

5.  Authoritarian Ethics appeals to authority and force in determining what constitutes right

from wrong, good from bad, moral from immoral. The authoritarian conscience is the
"voice of an internalized authority such as the parental authority, or state authority."

A government who is more concerned with having people obey laws than in people
having some freedom is an example

The developing child depends completely on the care and love of the adult. The need for
approval and the fear of disapproval are powerful motivating factors for ethical judgment.

6. Theological ethics is the systematical, reflective presentation of

Christian ethics understood in the pre-reflective sense.

You should contribute to disaster reliefs because God commands it or it will bring you
heavenly rewards.

7. Situation ethics, also called situational ethics, in ethics and theology, the position that
moral decision making is contextual or dependent on a set of circumstances. Well,
situational ethics are where actions change depending on the situation, making something
that might have been immoral before, now moral.

A good example is killing a mass murderer before they are going to kill hundreds of
people, such as if they had them held hostage.

8. Practical ethics is a linking discipline, seeking to bridge theory and practice. It involves
taking these more general principles and 'applying' them to specific areas of human life:
medicine; business; our relationship with the environment; reproduction; war; and so on.

It is respect to real-world actions and their moral considerations in the areas of private
and public life, the professions, health, technology, law, and leadership. Perfect example
to consider is euthanasia or mercy killing if morally justifiable.

Another example, for every employee, a company expects the employee to act with
honesty, treat co-workers, business partners and customers with respect, report colleagues
and business partners who engage in misconduct and so on. This is because a
company has to bring reality to the equation and explain how its ethical principles work
in practice.