SDSSU

Tandag-Campus Module 3 Lesson 2

GE-Ethics The Act: Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage

Module 3

2
Lesson
Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage

Specific Learning Outcomes:

After working on this module, the students will be able to:

1. Identify the meaning of Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage in relation to their personal experiences
2. Create a decision on situational dilemmas using the
context of impartiality.
3. Elucidate a problem using the 7-step Model for ethical
decision making.

INTRODUCTION
As a human being we have our concepts of Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage using
our personal experiences. The students will be grouped into 5 members and they will exchange ideas
concerning their point of view about Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage using their own
experiences. After the given time limit for the activity, each group will present their outputs by the use
of Table indicating their names and their shared experiences on the following terms.

C. ABSTRACTION
Is reason a requirement for morality?
A relevant definition of reason to our topic is “the power of the mind to think, understand, and form
judgments by a process of logic” (Merriam-Webster 2017). However, one of the most influential philosophers in
the history of Western philosophy, Immanuel Kant, argued that reason alone is the basis of morality, and once
the person understood the basic requirement for morality, he or she would see that acting morally is the same as
acting rationally (Beck, 1960). In Kant’s view, the definition of morality alone shows that a person must decide
what to do. You, as a person, can think and reflect on different actions and then choose what action to take. That
a moral decision means mere desires did not force you to act in a particular manner. You acted by the power of
your will.
Is impartiality a requirement for morality?

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Tandag-Campus Module 3 Lesson 2
GE-Ethics The Act: Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage

Before discussing how impartiality is related to morality, it is important to understand what impartiality is.
It is a broad concept, but it is also identified as a core value in professional codes of ethics. Impartiality is
commonly understood as a principle of justice. It denotes that decisions should be “based on objective criteria
rather than based on bias, prejudice, or preferring to benefit one person over another for improper reasons”
(Jollimore, 2011); impartiality stress everyone ought to be given equal importance and not favor one class
(people, animals, or things) capriciously.
How is impartiality a requirement for morality? For example, during an exam, you saw your friend (who
is sitting next to you) secretly open her notebook to look for an answer to one of the test questions. Your teacher
noticed that your classmate was doing something suspicious. He called your classmate and asked if she was
cheating. She surreptitiously closed her notebook and answered, “No”. Your teacher did not trust your
classmate’s answer so he asked you. What will you say? According to philosopher and professor Dr. James
Rachels, for your decision to be moral, you should think about how it will affect your friend, your teacher, the rest
of your classmates, and how it will affect you as a person. An impartial choice involves basing your decision on
how all the persons in the situation will be affected, and not to the advantage of a particular party that you favor.
Thus, for the question, “are reason and impartiality a requirement for morality?” Let us go back to what Dr.
James Rachels (2004) said: morality “at the very least is the effort to guide one’s action based on the most
logical choice (reason) while giving equal importance to the interest of each person affected by your decisions
(impartiality).” The 7-step Moral Reasoning Model
A key distinguishing feature of a moral dilemma is that it typically arises when individuals or groups might be
harmed, disrespected, or unfairly disadvantaged (Beall, 2017). Most ethical decisions lie in a gray area. Often
you are faced with a situation where there are no clear-cut or obvious choices; the situation cannot be
determined by simple quantitative analysis of data. Ethical decision-making requires interpretation of the
situation, application of your values, and estimating the consequences of your action. In real life, our situations
do not involve between right and wrong; good or bad. Oftentimes, it is about choosing between good and better
or worse.
Knowing this, you would ask, how do you make ethical decisions? Here is a 7-step model for ethical
decision-making. Ethical decision-making is a process of evaluating and choosing among alternatives in a
manner that is consistent with moral principles (University of California, 2004).
Making ethical choices requires the ability to make distinctions between competing options. Here are seven
steps to help you make better decisions.

(Watch a video on YouTube about impartiality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGn3zC862Q: )

The 7-step model for ethical decision-making

1.Gather the facts

2. Identify the stakeholders
3. Articulate the dilemma
4. List the alternatives
5. Compare the alternatives with the principles
6. Weigh the consequences
7. Make a decision
(Adapted from 2nd gen. CHED-GET, XU Training)

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Tandag-Campus Module 3 Lesson 2
GE-Ethics The Act: Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage

Gather the facts

Do not jump to conclusions. Ask questions (who, what, where, when, how, and why). There may be
instances when facts are hard to find or are not available because of the uncertainty that surrounds ethical
issues. Nevertheless, gather ass many facts as you can. Clarify what assumptions you are making.
Identify the Stakeholders
Identify all the persons involved and will be affected in an ethical situation. Who are the primary
stakeholders? Who are the secondary stakeholders? Why are the stakeholders in the issue? Get the proper
perspective. Try to see the situation through the eyes of the affected.
Articulate the Dilemma
Once you have gathered the facts and identified the stakeholders, you must express the ethical dilemma.
What are the competing values? The purpose of articulating the dilemma is to make sure that you understand the
situation and the moral conflict you are facing. Awareness and comprehension are important in making the right
decision, especially when there are lives that will be affected.
List the Alternatives
Think creatively about potential actions, as there may be choices you neglected. This will help ensure that
you have not been pushed back into a corner. For example, you may already have solution A and solution B. Try
to brainstorm and come up with solutions C that might satisfy the interests of the primary parties involved.
Compare the Alternatives with the Principles
In decision-making, specify the relevant values that you want to uphold in making your decision. Then
compare whether your alternative actions are in line with your values. Identifying the values and comparing your
action with these values is important because it will help identify if your alternative action is illegal or unethical,
thus making this action easy to discard.
Remember the scenario we presented early in our discussion where you were a junior executive, and you
accidentally found out that your officemate was making anomalous transactions at the expense of your
company? (Introduction, Topic 1, When do you say a situation is a moral experience) You were in a dilemma on
whether or not to divulge what you knew because you found out about the anomaly by illegally logging in to your
officemate’s computer. Your possible actions were to keep quiet, confront your officemate, or report him to the
administration. In this situation, what are the values that need to be upheld? Let us say, the value is honesty.
Does keeping quiet uphold honesty? No. Does confronting your officemate uphold honesty? No. Does reporting
your officemate to the administration (even if you had to admit that you illegally used his computer) uphold
honesty? Yes. Thus, based on this list, you now know which among the three possible actions the moral decision
is.
Why is it important to have a system in making decisions? In systematically considering your set of values,
the risk of overlooking is important principles and considerations are reduced. Hence, the chance of doing
something you will regret in the future is also reduced.
Weigh the Consequences
When considering the effects of your actions, filter your choices to determine if your options will violate
ethical values. Determine how all the stakeholders will be affected by your decision.
Make a Decision

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Tandag-Campus Module 3 Lesson 2
GE-Ethics The Act: Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage

Remember, deliberation cannot go on forever. You must avoid “paralysis by analysis” or the state of over-
analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the
outcome. There is no easy, painless decision to a moral dilemma.
However, it is also important that the decision you make reflects the value you want to uphold.

On Moral Courage

Moral courage is the courage to put your moral principles into action even though you may be in doubt,
are afraid, or face adverse consequences. Moral courage involves careful deliberation and mastery of the self.
Moral courage is essential not only for only a virtuous life, but also a happy one because integrity is essential to
self-esteem.
However, according to philosopher Mark Johnson, acting morally often requires more than just strength
of character (Drumwright and Murphy, 2004). Johnson added it is important to have “an ability to imaginatively
discern various possibilities for acting within a given situation to envision the potential help and harm that are
likely to result from a given action (Johnson, 1994).” This ability is called moral imagination.
Moral imagination is [an] “ability in particular circumstances to discover and evaluate possibilities not
merely determined by that circumstance, or limited by its operative mental mode or merely framed by a set of
rules or rule-governed concerns (Werhane, 1999).” Although it is a necessary component, moral imagination is
not sufficient alone for moral decision-making. Moral reasoning is still needed.
How can one practice moral courage? This is where the “will” comes into play. It takes determination
and willpower to act on and stand by your moral principles.

What is “will”?

Generally, “will” is the mental capacity to act decisively on one’s desire. It is the faculty of the mind to
initiate action after coming to a resolution following careful deliberation (Joachim, 1952). Within Ethics, “will” is an
important topic along with reason because of its role in enabling a person to act deliberately.
On the concept of “will” in Classical Philosophy, Aristotle said: “The soul in living creatures is
distinguished by two functions, the judging capacity which is a function of the intellect and sensation combined,
and the capacity for exciting movement in space.” (Hett, 1964).

Why is the “will” as important as reason?

Aristotle believed that “will” is the product of intellect and sensation; and that “will” give the person the
capacity for “exciting movement in space”. For example, Riza is torn between buying a new smartphone or save
up for a trip outside the country. On the one hand, she can afford the smartphone now. On the other hand, she
would be nowhere near her target travel date because her savings is still far from enough. Riza weighed the pros
and cons of buying a new phone and saving up for her trip. Eventually, she decided to walk away from the store
and go to the bank to deposit her money. It was Riza’s “will” that enabled her to walk out of the store without
buying the phone she liked.

Developing the “will”

Aristotle discussed the difference between what people decide to do and what they do. In Aristotle’s
philosophy, using intellect to decide is just one part of the moral decision. The resolve to put the decision into
action is the role of the “will”. He said since vice and virtues are up to us, “we become just by the practice of just

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Tandag-Campus Module 3 Lesson 2
GE-Ethics The Act: Reason, Impartiality, and Moral
Courage

actions; self-control by exercising self-control; and courageous by practicing acts of courage (as translated by
Baird, 2016).”
Self-mastery, therefore, is the product of the “will” that is achieved by actually putting rational, moral choice into
action.

Congratulations!!!
You are done with this lesson…
Stive more to be happy.

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