Did you ever wonder why people need to be good 

and avoid what is evil? 

Ethics is the science of human conduct.

The important terms that can be seen in them are: 

 
Science – systematic study or a system of scientific conclusions clearly demonstrated, derived
from clearly established principles.
Morality – the quality of human acts as right, wrong, or indifferent.
Human acts – acts done with knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.

Importance of studying Ethics

Ethics means right living and good moral character 
and it is in good moral character that man finds his true worth and
perfection. Di baleng bobo, basta mabuting tao. (pero syempre… pinaka-ok,
kung matalino na, mabuti pa)

Education is the harmonious development of the whole man-of all man’s

faculties: the moral, intellectual, and physical powers in man.

Now then highest of man’s power are his reason and will. Hence, the primary
objective of education is the moral development of the will.
Rules And Its Importance to Social Beings
You find rules everywhere. But did you ever ask yourself why you need to follow them?

1. Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior. Rules build boundaries that

place limits on behavior.  Rules are usually coupled with means to impose
consequences on those who violate them.  
Explain: Provisions vs. Prohibitions
2. Rules help to guarantee each person certain right and freedom. Rules form frameworks
for society. Nations are generally nations of laws, and the governing principles are
outlined in what is called constitution. 

Article III: BILL OF RIGHTS: 

1: Right to life, liberty, and property • you should not deprive of your life, liberty, and property 
2: Right against unreasonable searches and seizures 
3: Every person has the right to keep his communication or correspondence a secret. 
4: Freedom of Speech. Right to a Free Press; Freedom of Assembly; the Right of Petition 
5: Freedom of Religion 
6: The liberty of abode & the right to travel. 
7: The right to information. 
8: Right to form associations. 
9: The Right to Just Compensation. 

10: Non-Impairment Clause. 

11: Free Access to Court
12: Right of Person under Custodial Investigation 
13: The Right to Bail & against Excessive Bail 
14: Rights of the Accused • Right to Due Process of Law in Criminal Cases • Innocent until
Proven Guilty • The Right to Confront One’s Accuser
15: Writ of Habeas Corpus
16: Right to Speedy Disposition of Cases. 
17: Right against self- incrimination
18: The Right to political beliefs and aspirations. 
19: The prohibition against cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment
20: Non-Imprisonment for debts
21: Right against double jeopardy
22: Ex post facto law and bill of attainder 

3. Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings.  Rules are needed to keep the
strong from dominating the weak that is to prevent exploitation and domination. Without
rules, schemes in which those with the power control the system, would take over. In
effect, rules generate a stable system that provides justice, in which even the richest and
the most powerful have limitations on what they can do. 
4. Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.  Without rules regulating business,
power would centralize around monopolies and threaten the strength and competitiveness
of the system.  Rules are needed to ensure product safety, employee’s safety and product
quality.  Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual property.  Rules and
regulations also keep the banking system stable so as to avoid depression and the like.
5. Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings.  Rules are needed in order to keep
the strong from dominating the weak that is to prevent exploitation and domination.
Without rules, schemes in which those with the power control the system, would take
over. In effect, rules generate a stable system that provides justice, in which even the
richest and the most powerful have limitations on what they can do. 
6. Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.  Without rules regulating business,
power would centralize around monopolies and threaten the strength and competitiveness
of the system.  Rules are needed to ensure product safety, employee’s safety and product
quality.  Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual property.  Rules and
regulations also keep the banking system stable so as to avoid depression and the like.

Moral Standards

1. Moral standards deal with matters we think can seriously injure or benefit

humans, animals, and the environment, such as child abuse, rape, and murder; 
2. Moral standards are not established or changed by the decisions of
authoritative individuals or bodies. Moral standards rest on the adequacy of the reasons
that are taken to support and justify them.
 3. Moral standards are overriding, that is, they take precedence over other standards and
considerations, especially of self-interest;
4. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. Hence, moral standards are fair
and just; and 
5. Moral standards are associated with special emotions (such as guilt and shame) and
vocabulary (such as right, wrong, good, and bad).

Non-moral Standards
Non-moral standards refer to standards by which we judge what is good or bad and right or
wrong in a non-moral way. 
Examples of non-moral standards are:
standards of etiquette by which we judge manners as good or bad, 
standards of aesthetics by which we judge art as good or rubbish. 

Non-moral Standards
Hence, we should not confuse morality with etiquette, law, and aesthetics or even with religion.
A moral standard says “Do not harm innocent people” or “Don’t steal”…
A non-moral standard says “Don’t text while driving” or “Don’t talk while the mouth is full”.

Three Levels of Moral Dilemma

Personal Dilemmas. Personal Dilemmas are those experienced and resolved on the personal
level.  
When an individual has to choose between the life of a child who is about to be delivered and the
child’s mother, he faces an ethical dilemma.
 
Organizational Dilemma. Organizational moral dilemmas refer to ethical cases encountered
and resolves by social organization. 
This category includes moral dilemmas in business, medical fields and public sector.
Organizational Dilemma
A medical institution which believes that human life should not be deliberately encounters a
conflict in resolving whether to withdraw life support from a dying patient. 
 
Moral dilemmas in business involve issues about corporate practices, policies, business
behaviors, and the conducts and relationships of individuals in the organizations.

In a public sector, government leaders and employees have a moral duty to the public by putting
public interest first: accountability and transparency.  Public Sector dilemmas include whether or
not to favour family, friends, or campaign contributors over other constituents; favoring the
agenda of one’s political party over a policy one believes to be good for the community.

Only human beings can be Ethical

Man: highest form of animal.  As Aristotle say  “rational animals”. We are animals added with
rationality.
Only human beings are rational, autonomous, and self-conscious. 
The qualities of rationality, autonomy, and self-consciousness confer full moral status.