ETHICS

Course Description: Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern society at
the level of the person, society at the level of the person, society, and in
interaction with the environment and other shared outcomes. (CMO 20 s
2013). Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong that an individual
originally picks up from the community.

The course discusses the context and principles of ethical behavior in modern
society at the level of individual, society, and in interaction with the
environment and other shared resources. The course also teaches students
to make moral decisions by using dominant moral frameworks and by
applying a seven-step moral reasoning model to analyze and solve moral
dilemmas. The course is organized according to the three (3) main elements
of the moral experience: (a) agent, including context- cultural, communal, and
environmental; (b) the act; (c) reason or framework (for the act.

Prepared by:
Calantas, Mychel D.
Francisco, Kim Hannibal B.
Jamile, Juancho F.
Orca, Ferlan Jay E.
Perile, Christopher N.
Reysoma, Ina Joy S.
Vedra, Analie P.

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Introduction
Every human being undeniably has the intrinsic desire to the truth or to acquire knowledge
about anything that interests him. The Greek philosopher’s knowledge is not enough; one has to
live to what one knows. But human experiences taught them that many errors in the solution of
problems are due to loose of critical thinking and reason was over thrown by emotion and it leads
to ignorance of the principles of ethical thinking. Critical thinking is a method by that investigates
the ethical meaning, principles and theories “ To think right is to do right”.
Ethics is the philosophy of life, to live rightfully we must know what we are living for. This
is taught by ethics that investigates meaning and purpose of human life. Life is a “many-
splendored thing.” It is a unity of many aspects:the social, the economic, the moral, the physical,
the religious, etc. Since the rational and moral are the essential distinguishing charcteristics of
man (since this distinguish him from the other animals), it follows that morality is the basic element
of human life and connot be seperated from the other phases of human activity.

Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the person,
society at the level of the person, society, and in interaction with the environment and other shared
outcomes. (CMO 20 s 2013). Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong that an
individual originally picks up from the community. The course discusses the context and principles
of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of individual, society, and in interaction with the
environment and other shared resources. The course also teaches students to make moral
decisions by using philosophical thinking to evaluate dominant moral frameworks and by applying
a seven-step moral reasoningt model to analyze and solve moral dilemmas. The course is
organized according to the three (3) main elements of the moral experience: (a) agent, including
xcontext- cultural, communal, and environmental; (b) the act; (c) reason or framework for the act.

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 CHAPTER 1:
THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY

Starting Accurately:

This chapter examines ethical branches through the lens provided by these classic
thinkers. Because this will be the first introduction for many students to the world of Philosophy
and Ethics, the lessons will focus on learning how to appreciate the importance of Philosophy and
Ethics, its branches and its relationship with other sciences.

Learning outcomes:
Define philosophy Identify the different branches of ethics
Discuss the different branches of philosophy Explain the importance of ethics
Explain the importance of philosophy. Discuss the relationship of ethics and other
Define ethics sciences.

Stimulating Learning:

To motivate you about the importance of Ethics Education in our daily life, click the link
to the TEDx Talk by Dr. Michael Burroughs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8juebyo_Z4

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Inculcating Concepts:

LESSON 1: The Study of Philosophy

Origins/Meaning of Philosophy
The beginnings of Philosophy is attributed to a thinker called Thales of Miletus (624-
564 BC) from Greece. Scholars maintain that one’s starts to wonder as they encounter
reality it is also the beginning of philosophizing. The unquenchable thirst of the human mind
for a deeper knowledge of the secrets of the universe. Thales is said to be the originator of
philosophy. The term PHILOSOPHY was coined by Pythagoras (582-507 BC). Philosophy
comes from the Greek word (philein/philo) which means to love; and (Sophia) which means
wisdom. Therefore etymologically speaking, Philosophy means love of wisdom. Philosophy
is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as the nature
knowledge, truth, justice, beauty, mind and language.

According to Aristotle the natural desire for knowledge is innate to man. Aristotle
viewed philosophy as thinking aims at maximum connected truth about all available
experiences. It implies the interconnectedness of all the experiences. The Medieval period
considers philosophy as the science of the ultimate causes of things. It implies scientific
knowledge of causes of things. These causes are the objects of philosophical inquiry, and
the primary goal is to know these causes with certainties. In the modern period, philosophy
is understood as the study of the nature of being and thinking particularly the human
experiences. It is the science of all things, Things are concrete and real.
Gilles Deleuze a post-modern philosopher, philosophy is a theory which is
elaborately developed in a form of a question, and nothing else. He argues further that by
itself, philosophy cannot be considered as a resolution to a problem, but only the
elaboration, to the very end, of the necessary implications of a formulated question.
Deleuze holds that philosophy is nothing else but a science of crafting a sound question
that must start from a problem. (Eddie Babor, 2009)

Finally, Philosophy in its real definition begins with a question to search for meaning.
It is a scientific search for meaning and intellectual quest that transcends quest that
transcend the world of science going beyond boundaries of concrete knowledge towards

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 abstract knowledge to find its own meaning and essence of a thing. Philosophy is the critical
evaluation of the facts of experience. Philosophy helps to coordinate the various activities
of the individual and the society. It helps us to understand the significance of all human
experience. Philosophy critically evaluates and analyses the variety of human experiences.
It develops a comprehensive system of thoughts about the universe and the life as a whole.

Importance of Philosophy

Four reasons why philosophy is as important now as ever before.

1. Philosophy is the foundation of critical thinking.

While society is very different today from when the founding figures of Western philosophy
were making their mark, the questions we face today are just as challenging. Enter modern
philosophy, which puts critical thinking and problem-solving at the forefront in order to
make sense of these weighty problems. Writer Alexander Leivesley explains in
the Huffington Post, “Philosophy is not obsolete. Philosophy brings the important
questions to the table and works towards an answer. It encourages us to think critically
about the world; it is the foundation of all knowledge and when utilized properly, can
provide us with huge benefits.”

2. Science can’t answer every question.

We lean very heavily on science today. And with good reason: Thanks to advancements
in science and technology, we live in a very different way to how we would without them.
From fridges for our food to airplanes for travel, there’s no denying that scientific
advancements are vital to our survival as a species. But just because science is important,
that does not negate the value of philosophy. In fact, the two go hand in hand. “Science, I
am sorry to say, does not have all the answers. Just like every other field, it has its limits.
We cannot derive everything from experience, and philosophy is not dead. For example,
science cannot determine human values. Empiricism cannot determine why we ought to
act morally, nor why we ought to value human happiness over human misery. We cannot

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 create an experiment that tests the nature of Truth or the obtainability of
knowledge,” contends Gabriel del Carmen for Odyssey.

Blogger David Calhoun adds, “At its core, philosophy is a striving towards figuring out what
is true and worthwhile, and what it means to live a meaningful and worthwhile life. That’s
something off-limits for science, because science can tell us how things are empirically,
but it can’t prescribe how we should then live. In short: science helps us live longer,
whereas philosophy helps us live better.”

3. Philosophy has particular meaning in the business world.

At first pass, a “soft” science like philosophy may not seem especially relevant to business.
However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management professor of philosophy Christine

Tiefensee explains that anyone who wants to succeed in a challenging, leading position
in business, public administration, politics, or the wider society needs a crucial set of skills.
She adds, "You will need to see quickly through complex issues, put together convincing
arguments for or against given proposals, filter relevant from irrelevant information, check
the consistency and soundness of policy papers, decide which problems are crucial and
identify the issues that are still badly understood. These skills of rigorous analysis, sound
argument and critical examination are the bread-and-butter of philosophy: no subject
trains our ability for consistent, systematic thought better than philosophy.” These skills
aren’t limited to the business world, however. They can be applied in virtually any context
-- both professional and personal.

4. Ancient philosophers continue to influence humanity.

While Plato and Aristotle are often credited with shaping future civilizations, and their
influence is still felt today, Publishers Weekly insists, “The ancient Greek philosophers
Plato and Aristotle may seem like the quintessential Dead White Males, but in fact they
are very much alive. Twenty four centuries ago they laid the foundations of Western
culture, and their ideas and insights still dictate essential features of our world right now,
from what we eat to what we see on the internet.” And while you may think of Confucius
purely in terms of sound bites, his work was extremely significant and remains so today.
This is very useful to know, especially for students in fields such as political science,

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 diplomacy and international politics. For example, according to National Geographic,
China’s modern government has modeled much of its ethos on Confucius' rhetoric, such
as “obedience to the emperor, hierarchy, and loyalty.” On the other hand, recent superhero
movies Man of Steel (about Superman) and The Dark Knight (Batman) feature major
moral dilemmas based on an age-old philosophical issue known as the 'trolley problem'.

So, while to some people philosophy may not be the sexiest of subjects on paper, it’s one
with extraordinary staying power and potential. It does not just stand to change the world;
it just might change your life. One student, describing being strong-armed by his father
into taking an intro to philosophy college course altered his life’s trajectory, wrote, “While
I once scorned philosophy, I am now majoring in it. I have come to realize that philosophy
provides the tools for us to become good thinkers, which is perhaps the most important
skill there is.”

Branches of Philosophy
1. Metaphysics- Comes the Greek word “metafuisca” means something that goes beyond.
It is the study of reality.
2. Theology/Theodicy- It is the philosophical study of God or BEING in its highest form.
3. Philosophy of Man- It is the philosophical study of the nature of man as person, origin
and destiny.
4. Cosmology- It is the philosophical study of the physical world in its final analysis.
5. Political Philosophy- It is the philosophical study of the state, the ideal form of
government and its basic power.
6. Aesthetics- A philosophical inquiry on beauty and of the beautiful.
7. Epistemology- It is the philosophical study on the principles of human knowledge with
regard to value of human thought.
8. Social Philosophy- It is philosophical study between man and society.
9. Philosophy of Education- It is a philosophical and methodological study of teaching and
procedural process.
10. Ethics/Moral Philosophy- It is philosophical study of the morality of human act that
distinguishes from what is good from evil and right and wrong.

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