MORAL PHILOSOPHY WEEK

1 TO 5: KEY CONCEPTS
Limay Polytechnic College

MHAR ANTHONY VILLAESTER

AY 2020-2021, 1st Sem
What is Philosophy?
(from Greek, by way of Latin, philosophia, “love of wisdom”) the rational, abstract, and methodical
consideration of reality as a whole or of fundamental dimensions of human existence and experience.
It is the systematic and critical study of fundamental questions that arise both in everyday life and
through the practice of other disciplines.

The aim in Philosophy is not to master a body of facts, so much as think clearly and sharply through
any set of facts. Towards that end, philosophy students are trained to read critically, analyze and
assess arguments, discern hidden assumptions, construct logically tight arguments, and express
themselves clearly and precisely in both speech and writing.

The Three Big Questions of Philosophy

There are three central questions in Philosophy that can never be really answered, but instead should
be thought of as the foundational elements by which humans frames ourselves and our systems of
justification.

What is Knowledge?
This refers to the following kinds of issues and questions: How can we know anything (i.e., the
starting position of the radical skeptic)? Is there absolute, transcendent, universally true knowledge
(e.g., mathematical truths or Platonic ideals) or is all knowledge practical, local, and contingent on the
particular knower and context? What is the relationship between the internal mental world
(either experiential/perceptual or rational) and the actual state of the external world, and how can we
know about that relationship?

How should we conduct ourselves?

This question gets at the issue of the nature of the human condition as it pertains to morality and
questions of what constitutes "the good." Related questions are: What is a valued life and valued way
of being? How should we approach these questions? Are there moral absolutes that can be used to
judge virtue or is it all a social construction, relative to history and context? What should be the
metrics by which we determine how we want to be?

How should we govern ourselves?

This merges questions one and two into a practical and social angle. That is, given our state of
knowledge and given our values for what constitutes the good, what should our social and political
organizations look like? What are the principles around which we should organize our social
structure? Who should have power and why? What are the most important social values (e.g.,
equality, freedom, justice, security) and how should we structure society to maximize them? 

Branches of Philosophy

Definition of Ethics
Ethics is the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral
duty and obligation.

Ethics refers to the principles of conduct governing an individual or a

group (example: professional ethics).

How Ethics can be viewed

It is about matters such as the good thing that we should pursue and the bad thing that we should
avoid; the right ways in which we could or should act and the wrong ways of acting.

It is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human behaviour.

It may involve obligations that we are expected to fulfill, prohibitions that weare required to respect,
or ideals that we are encouraged to meet.

Terms/Points to Understand
Not all value judgements fall under the realm of ethics.

Examples:
o Aesthetics: good or bad movie, good or bad color combination, good or bad product
o Etiquette: not offering a bus seat to the elderly is bad, being the first in line for the food in a
party
o Technical valuations: wrong way to cook, good way to shoot a bal

Ethics & Morals

Various thinkers and writers posit a distinction between the two, but there is no consensus as to how
to make the distinction.

Ordinary conversation presents a much less rigid distinction between these terms.

In our class, we will be using ethical and moral or ethics and morality interchangeably.

Descriptive & Normative

A descriptive study of ethics reports how people, particularly groups, make their moral valuations
without making any judgment either for or against these valuations.

A normative study of ethics, as is often done in philosophy or moral theology, engages the question:
What could or should be considered as the right way of acting?

A philosophical discussion of ethics engages in critical consideration of the strengths and weaknesses
of the two theories.

What is Moral?
Moral definition, of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the
distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.

What is Moral Values?

Moral values are relative values that protect life and are respectful of the dual life value of self and
others. The great moral values, such as truth, freedom, charity, etc., have one thing in common. When
they are functioning correctly, they are life protecting or life enhancing for all. But they are still
relative values. Our relative moral values must be constantly examined to make sure that they are
always performing their life-protecting mission.

What is Moral reasoning?

Moral reasoning applies critical analysis to specific events to determine what is right or wrong, and
what people ought to do in a particular situation. 

Moral Dilemma/s
A moral dilemma is a situation in which a person is torn between right and wrong. A moral dilemma
involves a conflict with the very core of a person’s principles and values. The choice the person
makes may leave them feeling burdened, guilty, relieved, or questioning their values. A moral
dilemma often forces the individual to decide which option he or she can live with, but any outcomes
are extremely unpleasant no matter what. Moral dilemmas are often used to help people think through
the reasoning for their beliefs and actions, and are common in psychology and philosophy classes.
Some examples of moral dilemmas include:

A situation when one is faced with many bad choices , and a moral decision has to be made.

o Example: A poor mother’s child is dying due to starvation. Having no means to send the child
to a hospital, she decides to steal.

Are situations in which there seems to be either no correct action or, from another perspective, too
many correct but conflicting actions. Can be used to test ethical theories and to develop ethical
insights because of the acute challenges they pose.

In a moral dilemma, at least two mutually exclusive actions have a clear moral rationale for them or
there is simply no moral answer at all.

o Example: A kidnap victim is forced (a)to kill another victim, or else his/her
kidnappers will (b)kill three or more victims.

What is not a moral dilemma?

Two Situations:
Cheating on a difficult exam
Stealing office supplies from an employer

Choices: a course of action we know to be morally correct and a course of action that will bring us
great benefit Dilemmas, but not moral dilemmas
With clear moral answers