SDSSU

Cagwait-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.

A. 1
Instruction: As a human being we have our concepts of Reason, Impartiality, and
Moral Courage using our personal experiences. Work individually, think of an idea
concerning your point of view about Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage
using their own experiences. Write your answers on table. Your answers will be
checked based on the criteria listed below the table.

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

Reason Impartiality Moral Courage

Reason is the basic Impartiality can be Moral courage is the
prospect that we are defined as the idea that courage to take action on
depending on not to become judgments should be based moral grounds, despite the
a bias of thoughts and on objective criteria rather possibility of adverse
emotions. In the other hand, than on bias, discrimination or consequences. Courage is
emotion helps one to behave choosing to favor one needed to take action when
on the basis of morality and to individual over another for one has doubts or worries
ensure that our ethical improper reasons. This about the consequences.
choices are not based on means how we see things Moral courage therefore
rational reasoning, but are still equal and fair in all terms. We needs some careful decisions
morally human. So, rationality should be fair in making or thoughts. Even though we
and emotion work together to decisions without hurting have some doubt in our
decide our morals. It is the someone or without favoring decisions we still have to
best way to know our ethical someone. One of the decide in order for us to see
decisions as an individual. It examples of impartiality is the the result if its right or wrong.
is important for us to reason nature of law, the judge will For example, even the
out our point or what we have a fair decision without simplest action you do, such
choose to do. We can do favoring another person. as picking up trash instead of
whatever we want to do as stepping over it or leaving it
long as it is our choice and it for someone else to deal with,
is our will. shows moral courage
Criteria
10 Points- if their output is perfectly crafted artistically and intellectually
8 Points- if their output has minimal artistic and intellectual problems
5Points- if their output is messy and the answers are not thoroughly discussed.

B. ANALYSIS:
Read and analyze the following questions.
1. As a college student of this institution, how would you demonstrate moral
courage? How important is moral courage in dealing with diverse individuals
every day?

As a college student in this institution, I would demonstrate the moral

courage by helping other students in their studies as long as I know the topic.
I would also like to tell the teachers to give all students an equal voice
regardless of race, socioeconomic status, religion, gender or sexual
orientation because there are some teachers who don’t consider that thing.

2. Explain your understanding on the passage of Mark twain, an American

author and humorist, “It is curious that physical courage should be a
common in the world and moral so rare.” What exactly is moral courage
that it is so rare?

Moral courage is doing the right thing just because it's right, mainly in
the face of disagreement. Moral courage holds on to one's beliefs and ideals

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Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage

while some want to let go. It is what characterizes those who face the pains
and dangers of rejection in carrying out what they consider to be their
responsibility. To have moral courage is to be able to speak out and act for
what is right even in the face of contrary, even higher powers. It has the
strength of character to do the right thing, even if it's not popular-especially if
it's not popular. It's shunning the "easy wrong" for the "hard right." Moral
courage may sound like a lofty concept, but it's actually a simple and feasible
quality, one that each of us can strive to and develop inside ourselves,
because without it, our brightest virtues risk being dim and eventually dying
out but with it we create, piece by piece, a more moral universe.

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?
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

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

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)

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

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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

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Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage

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
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

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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 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.

D. APPLICATION
Task 1: Create a decision on situational dilemmas using the context of
impartiality.

Instruction: Read, comprehend, and carefully analyze the following situational

dilemmas below. Provide your decisions considering yourself that you are the
primary person experiencing the dilemmas in different situations.
Moral Dilemma Number 1. A doctor refuses to give the terminal patient
morphine, but the nurse can see the patient is in agony.

Moral Dilemma: A doctor refuses to give the terminal patient morphine, but the nurse
can see the patient is in agony.
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Decision: I should not give the patient the morphine without the prescription
doctor.
Reason: The patient might die if I will give her/him the morphine without the
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GE-Ethics The Act:
Reason, Impartiality, and Moral Courage

Moral Dilemma Number 2. A husband learns he has a terminal illness and he

decides to ask his wife for assistance in ending the pain before it gets too bad. If
you are the wife what would you do?

Moral Dilemma: A husband learns he has a terminal illness and he decides to ask his
wife for assistance in ending the pain before it gets too bad. If you are the wife what
would you do?
Decision: If I am the wife, I will assist my husband to end the pain.
Reason: As a wife, seeing your partner in pain is like a sword putting in your heart. It
doesn’t mean I don’t love my husband by ending his life but because I don’t want to
suffer him more from pain.

Moral Dilemma Number 3. A friend discovers her best friend’s boyfriend is

cheating. She must decide whether to tell her friend or keep it a secret.

Moral Dilemma: A friend discovers her best friend’s boyfriend is cheating. She must
decide whether to tell her friend or keep it a secret.
Decision: I should tell my best friend that her boyfriend is cheating on her.
Reason: To ease the pain it is right to say the truth than to tell lies. For my best friend
to know the truth and for her to not hurt even more. Even though my best friend won’t
listen on me at first for telling her what I saw but at least I did tell her.

Task 2: Explain the following question briefly, you may give or state your own
experience to give more emphasis on your answer. Write your answers on the
space provided.
1. How impartiality does affect your moral judgments?

Impartiality affects my moral judgement by an impartial choice involves basing my

decision on how all the persons in the situation will be affected, and not to the advantage
of a particular party that I favor. It affects my moral judgment in the sense that, if I use
impartiality to make a decision, I cannot use my moral feelings that can impair my moral

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judgment. It also affects me by judging someone because I should be equal in making

some judgements.

2. What is the meaning of the Will?

In Ethics, “will” is an important topic along with reason because of its role in
enabling a person to act deliberately. “Will” is the mental capacity to act
conclusively on one’s desire. It is the faculty of the mind to initiate action after
coming to a resolution following careful deliberation (Joachim, 1952).

3. How can the 7-steps model for ethical decision making helps you to judge ethically?

The 7-steps model for the ethical decisions help me to judge ethically in the
sense that it will guide me if I am in the difficult situation in making decisions. It well
serves as a guide for me to judge equally according on what I see and heard. It is by
basis for judging and not to jump in conclusions without having some evidence and
fact.

4. When can you say that a person is impartial with his judgments?

A person is impartial to his/her judgement by listening to the both side or act

as an unbiased section. It is important to know what happen first for the person so
that he/she can decide what is the best thing to do. It is important to be equal and not
favor anyone to have some fair result.

5. Why is Moral Courage important for a person to possess?

Moral courage is the courage to take action for moral reasons despite the risk
of adverse consequences. Moral courage is important for a person to possess
because it enables us to live with integrity, act to uphold the loyalty of the people, and
execute our individual duties with confidence. Therefore, a person’s moral courage
provides the force of will to do what is right regardless of the situation and the costs
the person must incur. This is critical because a person’s moral courage and integrity
define the moral and ethical boundaries that subordinates must operate within.

Task 2: write a short essay of your thoughts about the passage.

“Impartiality is not neutrality. It is partiality for justice.
-Stanislaw Jerzy Lech

Impartiality is based on objective criteria rather than based on bias, prejudice,

or preferring to benefit one person over another for improper reason. Impartiality
stress everyone ought to be given equal importance and not favor one class
impulsively. Impartiality is not neutrality. It is partiality for justice. Why?
Being impartial means that we only understand the humanitarian needs of an
individual, not who they are. We do not discriminate on the basis of nationality,
ethnicity, gender, identity, religious views, class or political opinions. On the other
hand, neutrality means not taking sides. Impartiality is equality but not neutrality. We

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do impartiality for justice by judging something or someone with the basis of what we
saw. We can’t just judge someone without knowing what happen to the both sides.
That is why we should be fair in making decisions and not to take actions without
knowing the opinion of the other side.
As the time goes by, we use impartiality for justice and equality but it
somehow has the same meaning with neutrality because we don’t take sides. We
just decide whether their actions are good or bad.

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

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