COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

ETHICS
COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK
1 1 1

Significant Concepts and General Overview of Ethics and Philosophy

 Read course and unit objectives

 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
 Proactively participate in classroom discussions
 Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

Cognitive:
1. Identify the meaning, scope and importance of the Ethics
2. Understand the meaning, concepts and terms used in ethics
3. Differentiate ethics from other discipline
4. Explain the importance of ethics

Affective:
1. Listen attentively during class discussions
2. Demonstrate tact and respect when challenging other people’s opinions and ideas
 3. Accept comments and reactions of classmates on one’s opinions openly and graciously.
4. Develop heightened interest in studying Morality

Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions and group activities
2. Express opinion and thoughts in front of the class

Cultural Relativism.” Chap. 2 in The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 16-31. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-
Hill College, 2004.

Why is there a need to study ethics at all as a subject in college? Clearly, only a few, if there are any at
all, of the students in this course are philosophy majors and are interested in philosophical questions
academically. In fact, most students in an ethics course probably think that such endeavour is a waste
of time and distracts them from their major. Why then is it important to take a course in ethics? Does
not everyone already have a sense of what is good and bad behaviour? Does not everyone have an
instinct about what one ought to do, and what one’s duties are? Why is there a need to spend time
thinking about what is already inherent in everyone’s mind?
the 20th century existentialist philosopher Albert Camus stated that a man without ethics is a wild beast
loosed upon this world in this lecture we are going to provide an introduction to ethics to do so we will
examine the subject matter of the discipline discuss some of the most important questions addressed
by moral philosophers distinguished between moral subjectivism and moral realism examine the
famous is aught problem and look at the difference between teleological and deontological theories of
ethics as a philosophical discipline ethics originated in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago Socrates
and a group of teachers from ancient Athens known as the Sophists are said to be the first moral
philosophers in Western civilization.

WHAT IS ETHICS

 The Latin word mos or moris (and its plural mores)from which the adjective moral is derived is
equivalent to ethos.
 Etymologically, ethics is but a survey of patterns of behavior that is done by the human being in
general or a society in particular.
 Ethics, generally speaking is about matters such as the good thing that we should pursue and the
bad thing that we should avoid; the right ways in w/c we could or should act and the wrong ways of
acting. It is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human behavior. It may involve
obligations that we are. Ethics as a subject for us to study is about determining the grounds for the
values w/ particular and special significance to human life.

INTRODUCTION
Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human conduct. Ethics is a science. A science is a
relatively complete and systematically arranged body of connected data together with the causes or
reasons by which these data are known to be true. Ethics squares with this definition, for it is a
complete and systematically arranged body of data which relate to the morality of human conduct; and
it presents the reasons which show these data to be true. Ethics is therefore a science.

Ethics is a practical science. If the data of a science directly imply rules or directions for thought or
action, the science is called practical, If the data of a science enrich the mind without directly implying
rules or directions, the science is called speculative. A speculative science presents truths that are to
be known; a practical science presents truths that are to be acted upon. A speculative science enlarges
out knowledge and enhances our cultural equipment; a practical science gives us knowledge with
definite guidance. Now the science of Ethics presents data which directly imply and indicate directions
for human conduct. Ethics is therefore a practical science.

Ethics is a science of human conduct. By human conduct we mean only such human activity as is
deliberate and free. A deliberate and free act, an act performed with advertence and motive, an act
determined (i. e., chosen and given existence) by the free will, is called a human act. yicts per tormed
by human beings without advertence, or without the exercise of free choice, are called acis of man, but
they are not human acts in the technical sense of that expression which is here employed. Ethics treats
of human acts, human acts make human conduct: Ethics is therefore a science of human conduct.

Ethics is the science of the morality of human conduct. Human conduct is free, knowing, deliberate
human activity. Such activity is either in agreement or disagreement with the dictates of reason. Now
the relation (agreement or disagreement) of human activity with the dictates of reason is called morality.
Ethics studies human activity to determine what it must be to stand in harmony with the dictates of
reason. Hence, Ethics deals with the morality of human conducts

The same Ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos, which means "a characteristic way of acting”
Now the characteristic mark of human conduct is found in the free and deliberate use of the will in a
word, this characteristic is found in human acts. Thus we perceive that the name Ethics is suitably
employed to designate the science of human acts, of human conduct. The Latin word mos (stem: mor-)
is the equivalent of the Greek ethos. Hence, we understand why Ethics is sometimes called Moral
Science or Moral Philosophy.
OBJECT
Every science has a Material Object and a Formal Object. The Material Object is the subject-matter of
the science: the thing, or things, with which the science deals. The Material Object of Ethics is human
acts, that is to say, human conduct.

The Formal Object of a science is the special way, aim, or point of view that the science employs. In
studying or dealing with its Material Object. Now, Ethics studies human acts (its Material Object) to
discover what these must be in order to agree with the dictates of reason. Hence the special aim and
point of view of Ethics is the right morality, or rectitude, of human acts. We assert, then, that the Formal
Object of Ethics is the rectitude of human acts.

IMPORTANCE

Ethics employs the marvelous faculty of human reason upon the supremely important question of what
an upright life is and must be. It is therefore a noble and important science. Ethics furnishes the norm
by which relations among men (juridical, political, professional, social) are regulated. It shows what
such relations must be, and indicates the reasons that require them to be so. Thus, Ethics is
fundamental to the sciences of Law, Medicine, Political Economy, Sociology, etc. It is, in consequence
of this fact, a very important science.

Faulty ethical theories, as well as the lack of definite ethical principles, have been and are still the
cause of great disorders in the political and social world. This fact is apparent in such things as
Bolshevism, Nihilism, Socialism, Birth Control, Eugenics, Companionate Marriage. Sound Ethics
supplies the scientific knowledge which evidences the unworthiness and unreason of such things.
Ethics is therefore a science deserving of careful study.

DIVISION

Ethics has two major parts, viz., General Ethics and Special Ethics. General Ethics presents truths
about human acts. and from these truths deduces the general principles of morality. Special Ethics is
applied Ethics. It applies the principles of General Ethics in different departments human activity,
individual and social. The following scheme presents the plan upon which the present study of Ethics is
developed:

General Ethics
A. The ultimate end of man
B. Human acts
C. Morality of human acts
D. Law and conscience
E. Virtue in general
F. Historical survey of the different ethical traditions

Special Questions in Ethics

A. Rights and duties
B. Individual ethics
C. Social ethics
D. Political ethics
E. Professional ethics

Following this scheme, we divide the present treatise into two parts (viz., General Ethics, and Special
Ethics). First Part is divided into Chapters. Second Part is divided into two Books (which deal
respectively with Individual Ethics and Social Ethics), Books are divided into Chapters. The Chapters
are divided into convenient Articles.

BRANCHES OF ETHICS

Normative Ethics - The largest branch, it deals with how individuals can figure out the correct moral
action that they should take. Philosophers such as Socrates and John Stuart Mill are included in this
branch of ethics.
Meta-Ethics - This branch seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties and judgments such as
if truth values can be found and the theory behind moral principals.
Applied Ethics - This is the study of applying theories from philosophers regarding ethics in everyday
life. For example, this area of ethics asks questions such as "Is it right to have an abortion?" and
"Should you turn in your friend at your workplace for taking home office supplies?"
Moral Ethics - This branch questions how individuals develop their morality, why certain aspects of
morality differ between cultures and why certain aspects of morality are generally universal.
Descriptive Ethics - This branch is more scientific in its approach and focuses on how juman beings
actually operate in the real world, rather than attempt to theorize about how they should operate.
Knowing how to best resolve difficult moral and ethical dilemmas is never easy especially when any
choice violates the societal and ethical standards by which we have been taught to govern our lives.

Cultural Relativism.” Chap. 2 in The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 16-31. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-
Hill College, 2004.
Licuanan, Patricia et al. “A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People— Building Nation.” {n Values in
Philippine Culture and Education: Philippine Philosophical Studies |, edited by Manuel B. Dy Jr.,

Study Questions
1. What are differences between Philosophy, Science, and Theology?
2. What is the importance of Studying Ethics?
3. Differentiate General and Special Ethics?
4. What is Ethics?
5. How can you use Ethics in your everyday life?

John Deigh in Robert Audi (ed), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 1995.

Cultural Relativism.” Chap. 2 in The Elements of Moral

Philosophy, 16-31. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill College,
2004.
Licuanan, Patricia et al. “A Moral Recovery Program: Building
a People— Building Nation.” {n Values in Philippine Culture
and Education: Philippine Philosophical Studies |, edited by
Manuel B. Dy Jr.,