Lesson I.

Morality and the Foundational Moral Principle

Lesson II. Teacher as a Person of Good Moral Character

 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

A. Directions: Answer the following with a sentence or two.

1. To be moral is to be human. What does this mean?

 According to Cambridge Dictionary, moral has something to do with the
standards of good behavior that pertains to knowing what is right or wrong.
To be moral is to be human means, a person is being mindful about the
choices every person has to make despite the circumstances.
 It is saying that a being's humanity (in a philosophical sense) can be
measured by its propensity to consider the morality of its actions and act
accordingly.
 This means that our humanity is judged on the basis of our morality . Human
beings have got many characters that other animals lack for eg. Parental
care , max size of brain ,etc. We got these characteristics genetically. The
above sentence clearly tells that morality is a feature of human . We read
stories and at the end say , moral of the story is…This power of opinion to
decide what lesson we draw is our frame of reference to what is right or
wrong .. Likewise we also say your act isn't humane .This means the act isn't
in accordance to our ethics , beliefs or morality…
 it is saying that morality and humanity as ideological concepts are
inextricably linked. To act immorally is to act inhumanly, while to act morally
is human. It’s important to remember that this is referring to humanity in a
philosophical sense, not in a biological one - it isn’t saying that all biological
humans are moral creatures, or even that no other animals are capable of
acting morally. It is instead referring to what might better be described as
humaneness - behaviour which we should reasonably be able to expect from
any fair-minded and morally upstanding human being. It is therefore stating
that a moral being will act humanely.
In short, it is saying that a being’s humanity (in a philosophical sense) can be
measured by its propensity to consider the morality of its actions and act
accordingly.

Morality relies on self awareness and social awareness. It brings in your

knowledge of the past, your planning and the effect of your plans in many
possible consequences.

You might argue animals like dolphins plan their hunt and play their part that
so they exhibit these qualities, they probably have some kind of language, so
our position is bias and ignorant of what goes through their minds but our
language has developed into written expression: scriptures, constitutions,
 ethics, philosophical debate. Food gathering is a small part of that, even if
you include money and property rights.

So it’s a circular argument but morals as humans have developed them is a

specifically human feature.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, moral has something to do with the standards of
good behavior that pertains to knowing what is right or wrong. To be moral is to be
human means, a person is being mindful about the choices every person has to
make despite the circumstances. To make a decision, a person uses its rational
thinking in making a choice, and this decision is based on the set of moral values
that a person already knows.

Take the example of a teacher who is caught in-between about making a decision
whether to promote a student or not at the end of the school year. The premise is,
the student has failed to attend the classes regularly because he has to help his
parents work in the rice field. He wasn’t able to submit some of the school
requirements due to financial problems. However, when it comes to performing in
class, the student does well. For some teachers, they will pass the student out of
pity or because of their school head said so, but as a teacher of this kind student,
what should be done?

That’s when decision-making, where moral values are involved, comes in, which is
far different from animals. Humans decide based on what they morally know and
what the society accepts to be rational and fair. The animal’s instinct is to survive,
meaning, they don’t think of the what-is and the what-ifs. If an animal feels
threatened, they do whatever it takes to get away from it. When a human is
threatened, they think of the best way to deal with it without being hostile.

To be moral is to be human is like thinking something carefully and contemplating

decisions and actions from the moral values they believe and the experience they
have before acting upon it. And when a person thinks before they act, that’s what
makes a person morally rational. That’s what makes a person, human.

2. Why is morality only in persons?

 Morality is only for persons because only the human beings can act in
accordance of morality. Human beings are considered as the highest form of
living beings. Human can decide, move and think in their own.
 Only Human Beings Can Act Morally. Another reason for giving stronger
preference to the interests of human beings is that only human beings can
act morally. This is considered to be important because beings that can act
morally are required to sacrifice their interests for the sake of others.
 It is generally thought that only people are agents. And, it is further often
thought that only agents can be under moral obligations. It therefore follows
that only people can be under moral obligations. There is some debate as to
where exactly the cut-off is. Could higher primates be agents? I don’t know.
Certainly we can imagine an intelligent alien being an agent, and therefore
the link between moral obligations and the natural kind humans is a purely
contingent one.
 
 However, non-human animals can be the subject of moral obligations. Even
if dogs are not agents, it is still morally wrong to set your dog on fire.

Morality is only for persons because only the human beings can act in accordance
of morality.
Human beings are considered as the highest form of living beings. This is because:
 there are certain traits or characteristics of human beings which the other beings do not
possess.
 And one of these traits or characteristics is to act morally.
 Undeniably, other beings like animals and plants do not have the capacity to think,
hence, cannot discern which is morally good or not.
 If they do not have the capacity to think, then they cannot decide also to move in
accordance of morality.

3. What do the following tell you about the natural law?

Ancient philosophers and dramatists have already mentioned the natural law.
Sophocles, for instance, in the drama Antigone, spoke of the “unwritten statues of
heaven which are not of today or yesterday but from all time and no man knows
when they were first put forth.”

Cicero wrote: “True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal
application, unchanging and everlasting…”

“Lawless license or promiscuity is not common among primitive peoples.

According to Fr. Vanoverberg, a Belgian anthropologist of the CICM congregation,
the Negritos of Northern Luzon have excellent moral standards especially with
regards to honesty and sexual matters although their power of abstraction is so low
that they can hardly count beyond 5.” (Panizo, 1964).

 It means that as a learner, teacher, parent and superior we people need to

do good values so they will do good values to us. What we did to other, there
is always a consequence.

B. Journal Entry

1. “Do good: avoid evil” is the foundational moral principle. List at least 5 good things
that you have to do as a teacher and 5 evil things you have to avoid doing.
 2. The Golden Rule for Christians is: Do to others what you would like others do unto
you.” Give a concrete application of the Golden Rule as you relate to a learner, to a
fellow teacher, to a parent or any member of the community and to your superiors.

e.g., Speak well of your fellow teacher just as you want your fellow teacher to speak
well of you.

C. Research on the following:

1. What do the following statements imply about the role of religion in the moral
formation of man?

- “If God did not exist, then everything would be permitted.” Dostoyevsky


- There is no doubt that man can organize the world without God, but in the final
analysis he can only organize it against man.” Pope Paul VI


2. How does conscience relate to morality?



3. Are man-made laws part of the natural law? What about the Code of Ethics for
Professional Teachers?


4. Do laws limit our freedom?



5. What is meant by the statement “The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the
Sabbath.”


D. By means of a song, a poem or an acrostic (on the word MORALITY), show the
importance of morality.