Introduction to Ethics
(GE-ETH101) | BATCH 2024
COLLEGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE – DE LA SALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
PREPARED BY: CORINNE RENIVA
LECTURER: PROF. DONNIE CORREA
INTRODUCTION
According to Emmanuel Kant…
“…when people make moral decisions, feelings come into play,
organizing them into INCLINATIONS, AFFECTIONS, PASSIONS,
and DESIRES.”
NOTE
“Emotions and inclinations must be checked by reason because
otherwise they become our dominant motives and produce a
heteronomous state of will.”
In man's struggle for virtue, "the vices, the brood of dispositions
opposing the law, are the monsters he has to fight" (DV:405).
o Not all inclinations are hostile to reason's moral
ends; thus, not all inclinations must be fought or
suppressed.
o Only those dispositions which are opposed to
our adoption of moral ends must be fought.
According to Kant we have a duty to cultivate emotions which
help shape a moral disposition.
: far from doing the job of morality single-handedly, reason enlists
certain emotions to help us cultivate a morally good disposition.
CULTIVATING MORALLY BENEFICIAL FEELINGS
a. Dignity feelings
: feelings which stem from a recognition of our
unconditional worth
: pride, courage, love of honor, and the workings of
conscience—serve primarily, though not exclusively, to
help us carry out our duties toward ourselves.
b. Helping feelings
: feelings which help us carry out our duties toward
others--notably sympathy, love and respect for others.
: central feeling here is the love of mankind -by doing
good to others, we will come to love them (DV:402, 457).
c. Duty feelings
: Moral feeling –based on good will
: Conscience –duty to correct what is not ought to be done
: Love of others (man) –duty towards others based on what is
ought to be done because it is good.
FEELINGS, VALUES, AND IMPARTIALITY
FEELINGS, VALUES & IMPARTIALITY IN
DECISION-MAKING
NOTE
Feelings are also seen as necessary in ethical judgment
- Posing a challenge to Philosophers in identifying the most
important feelings related to morality.
VALUES
Axiology: the study of values
✓ Values determine behavior. They influence decision-
making.
✓ Common sources of values are one’s personal
experiences and relationships with others.
✓ Major influences in values formation are one’s family,
peers, education, and media.
Generally, values are things considered important in life.
o Values are beliefs that influence people's behaviors and
decision-making.
E.g. -telling the truth; being honest
o Values can refer to objects, people, places, and
behaviors.
o
Values are a culture's standard for discerning what is
o good and bad,
o right and wrong,
o beautiful and ugly,
o desirable and undesirable, and
o what ought to perform and not to perform.
FILIPINO VALUES
: Filipinos strive to obtain fulfillment not only individually but also
collectively, particularly for their families.
Thomas Quintin Donato Andres (1980)
: he arranged Filipino values in a hierarchy, from the basic level at
the bottom to the higher level of values at the top:
a. Closeness in the Family
o the basic and most important unit in Philippine society is
the family.
o Filipinos emphasize the importance of close family ties
which remain even throughout adulthood.
o
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b. Debt of Gratitude
: utang-na-loob in Filipino reflects the value of reciprocity among
Filipinos.
: value in which one remembers the favor other people has given
to him or her and for him or her to return it in some form or another
in the future.
c. Social Acceptance
: among Filipinos, social approval, social acceptance, and the
sense of belongingness are essential to enable them to function in
society.
d. Social Mobility
: Filipinos work hard for the comfort of their families.
: some Filipinos even opt to work abroad even as domestic helpers
just so they can provide for their loved ones.
e. Self-esteem
: value of the highest level among Filipinos.
: the high regard for amorproprio (self-esteem) or the strong desire
to be respected.
AMOR PROPIO
Concerning this Filipino value, some observe that “Filipino learn to
withstand a ‘loss of face’ in some situations, particularly when they
perceived themselves to be at fault, but it is devastating to be
publicly criticized, insulted, belittled, or humiliated, or to lose one’s
self-respect.”
: comes from the person’s tendency to protect his or her dignity
and honor.
: for instance, a person may refuse offers even if he/she really
wants to accept them.
OTHER FILIPINO VALUES
: these Filipino social values are important to maintain harmony
in Filipino relationships in social institutions such as family,
school, and community.
: the ‘smooth interpersonal relationship,’ together with Filipino
‘pakikipagkapwa-tao,’ has been deemed as a central core of
essential cultural traits that form and define an almost stereotypic
Filipino character and moral behavior.
PAKIKISAMA
: having and maintaining ‘good public relations.’
: usually being practiced to avoid clash with other people or a
certain group. It characterizes both a value and a goal that involves
keeping good feelings in all personal interactions and getting along
with others, oftentimes, at all costs.
: Just like other Filipino values, however, ‘pakikisama’ can work
either positively or destructively.
FEELINGS, VALUES, AND IMPARTIALITY
: to elude open displays of conflicts, clashes, and confrontations,
Filipinos, because of ‘pakikisama,’ may submit to group opinion,
overgenerous praise on another, using metaphorical language
rather than candid terms, concealing negative feelings or unhappy
spirits.
: underneath a pleasant demeanor, smiling even when things go
wrong, avoiding to say ‘no,’ and refraining from venting anger or
losing temper.
: we Filipinos believe that attaining SIR is much important than we
may give clear but offending communications.
HIYA
: feeling of lowliness, shame or embarrassment, and inhibition or
shyness which is experienced as somewhat distressing. Integrally,
‘hiya’ is related to the concept of ‘face’ and a concern with how
one appears in the eyes of others.
: hiya’ or ‘fear of losing face’ encompasses being afraid to do bad
things as it may damage one’s reputation in the sight of other
people.
: a person’s capacity for proper behavior with authority figures is a
reflection of his or her family upbringing and this fear of losing face.
: too much ‘hiya,’ nonetheless, may lead to having inferiority
complex and losing self-confidence.
RESPECT TO ELDERS
Filipinos, are not only respectful to elders, but also have unique
ways of expressing this respect to elders.
: this include the use of ‘po’ and ‘opo’ when talking to elders and
‘pagmamano’ or putting of the elder’s hand to one’s forehead.
When excessive. Nonetheless, respect to elders make one
dependent or irrationally obedient to parents or elders.
REASON & IMPARTIALITY
Impartiality
: the principle of fairness or objectivity.
: one is free from any biases or favoritism.
: requires that one is not swayed by any circumstance or factor to
favor an individual.
: assures that everyone is treated fairly, according to what each
person deserves and needs.
Seven-Step Guide to Ethical Decision-Making
1. State the problem
- Ask yourself if there is something about this decision that makes
you uncomfortable.
- Do you feel that you have a conflict of interest?
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2. Check the facts:
Examine the situation carefully.

3. Identify relevant factors

Identify the people involved, policies, and other practical
constraints.

4. Develop a list of options

Explore all options. Be imaginative

5. Test options:

Use such tests as the following:

Harm test: Does this option do less harm compared to the others?
Defensibility test: Could you defend your choice?
Reversibility test: Would you still choose this option if you were
adversely affected by it?
Organization test: What does the policy say about this?

6. Make a choice based on steps 1—5

7. Review steps 1—6

FEELINGS, VALUES, AND IMPARTIALITY RENIVA | 2021