GRADE 12

W3-W4 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Learning Area Grade Level
Quarter THIRD QUARTER Date
March 21 to April 4, 2022

I. LESSON TITLE Classical Ethical Philosophies:

II. MOST ESSENTIAL ➢ formulate a “code of ethics” that reflect core principles derived from
LEARNING COMPETENCIES analyses
(MELCs) ➢ illustrate how these philosophies are reflected into business practices

III. CONTENT/CORE CONTENT ➢ craft simple “Codes of Ethics” or “Codes of Right Conduct”
➢ identify the classical philosophies and their implication for business
principles and practices.

Suggested
IV. LEARNING PHASES Learning Activities
Timeframe
Ethics and Philosophy
INTRODUCTION
The term ethics has several meanings. One of the meaning given to it by the dictionary is: “ the principles of
conduct governing an individual or a group”(www.coursehero.com). We sometimes use the term personal
ethics, for example, when referring to the rules by which an individual lives his or her personal life. We use the
term accounting ethics when referring to the code that guides the professional conduct of accountants. a
second-and for us more important- meaning of ethics according to the dictional is the "study of morality." , it
is not quite the same as morality. Ethics is a kind of investigation, which includes both the activity of
investigating as well as the result of that investigation, whereas morality is the subject matter that ethics
investigates.

Philosophy comes etymologically from the two Greek words Philia, which means love, and Sophia, which means
DEVELOPMENT
wisdom. It is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence

We can speak in general of three branches of Philosophy

1. Methaphysics – which answers the question “What is the nature of reality?”
2. Epistemoloy- which answers the question “What is the nature of knowledge.”
3. Axiology – which answers the question “What is the nature of values.”

Strands of Philosophy
1. Idealism- This is considered the oldest philosophy of Western culture. It refers to the world of mind and
ideas where reason is primary. Leading proponents of idealism are:
a. Socrates (Greek Philosopher)
b. Plato (Greek Philosopher, “father of idealism)
c. Augustine (Theologian of the 4th and 5th centuries)
d. Rene Descartes
e. Immanuel Kant
f. Geong Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
2. Realism. This be considered the antithesis of idealism, whereby “ the Universe exists whether mind
perceives it or not.” Leading proponents of Realism are:
a. Aristotle (Greek philosopher. “Father of Realism”
b. Francis Bacon
c. John Locke
d. Comennius, Rousseau, and Pestalozzi
3. Neo-theism. This would date to the time of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), and is also known as theistic
realism, whereby “God exists and can be known through faith and reason.”
a. Pragmatism- also known as experimentalism (experience of things that work). Leading proponents
were (1.)Auguste Camte; 2. Charles Darwin; and 3 the Americans: Charles Peirce, William James,
and John Dewey.
b. Existentialism - appeared as a revolt against the mathematical scientific philosophies that preceded
it Leading proponents were; (1. Soren Kierkegaard; 2. Martin Buber: 3. Edmund Husserl 4. Martin

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 Heidegger 5. Jan-Paul Sartre.
c. Analytic philosophia - it sought out to clarify and define philosophies. This began in post World War
I era. (the Vienna Circle and studied the alienation between philosophy and scientist it is established
the concept of logical positivism.
MAJOR ETHICAL PHILOSOPHERS
The Classical Philosophers and their Philosophies
Plato
Plato ranks among the greatest philosophers of the world, and many scholars view him as the most important
philosopher of Western civilization .. we find in Plato a drive for absolute truth that goes beyond the merely
popular opinions of the multitudes. We also find in Plato a convision that the physical world around us is merely
a pale copy of the true reality of things that exist on a higher objective plane (Fieser, 2003)Having been inspired
by the field of mathematics, Plato held that moral values are objective in the sense that are exist in a spirit-like
realm beyond subjective human conventions. He held that they are absolute, or eternal, in that they never
change, and also they are universal insofar as they apply to all rational creatures around the world and
throughout time.
Aristotle
Aristotle was born in 384/3 BC at Stageira in Thrace, and was son of Nicomachus a physician of the Macedonian
king, Amyntas II. When he was about seventeen year old Aristotle went to Athens for purposes of study and
became a member of the Academy The ethics of Aristotle are teleological (from Greek telos, which means end)
he is concerned with action not as being right in itself irrespective of any other consideration but with action as
conducive to mans good. What conduces to the attainment of the good or end will be a right action on mans
part; the action that is opposed to the attainment of his true good will be a “wrong “action . Every art and every
inquiry, every action and choice seems to aim at some good; whence, the good has rightly been defined as that
which all things aim.

Immanuel Kant.
Kant was born at Konigsberg on April 22, 1724, and a son of a saddler. Both as a child at home and at the
Collegium. Frrideniccianum, where he studied from 1732 until 1740, he was brought up in the spirit of the pietist
movement. He continued to appreciate the good qualities of sincere pietists throught his life, but it its evident
that he reacted rather sharply against the religious observances to which her had to conform at the college
Utilitarianism as an Example of Consequentialist Theory
Consequentialist theories became popular in the 18th century by philosophers who wanted a quick way to morally
assess an action by appealing to experience rather than by appealing to gut intuitions or long list of questionable
duties. According to act-utilitarianism, it would be morally wrong to waste time on leisure activities such as
watching television, since out time could be spent in ways that produce a greater social benefit, such as charity
work. But prohibiting leisure activities does not seem reasonable.

Augustine
Born at Tagaste Province of Numidia (today’s Algeria), North Africa on November 13 th 354 AD Augustine came
from a pagan father Patricius and a Christian mother St Monica. His mother brought up her child as a Christian,
But Agustines baptism was deferred in accordance with a common, if undesirable custom at that time. The child
learnt the rudiments of Latin and arithmetic from a schoolmaster of Tagaste, but play at which he wished always
to be the winner.
St. Augustines ethic has this in common with what one might call the typical Greek ethic, that is eudaemonistic
in character, which proposes an end of human conduct namely happiness, but this happiness is to be found only
in God. The ethic of Augustine is primarily an ethic of love it is by the will that man reaches out toward God and
finally takes possession of and enjoys Him. Augustine was an extreme intentionalist ethics In de Sermone Domini
in Monte (Commentary on the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount I.12.340, he identifies three necessary and sufficient
conditions for committing a sin; receiving an evil suggestion taking pleasure in the thought of performing the act
suggested, and consenting to perform the act. Thus, Augustines view, whether one commits a sin is no way
dependent on whether the contemplated action actually carried out. Even when the action is carried out, it is
the intention (understood as suggestion, pleasure, and consent). Rather that action itself, or its consequences,
that is sinful (Coplestron, 1993: Matthew,1998)Augustine view, whether one commits a sin is in no way
dependent on whether the contemplated action is actually carried out. Even when the action is carried out, it is
the intention
Tomas Aquinas
Aquinas (1225-1274), an Italian philosopher, theologian, and priest, is sometimes called the Prince of Scholastics.
He wrote Summa Theologiae and Summa /contra Gentiles, among many other works, and developed a
systematic Christian theology response to the problem of dichotomy of faith and reason during the medieval
period. The moral philosophy of St Tomas Aquianas involves a merger of at least two apparently disparate
traditions; Aristotelian Eudaimonism and Christian theology. On the other hand, Aquinas follows Aristotle in
thinking that an act is good or bad depending on whether it contributes or deters us from our proper human end-
the telos or final goal at which all human actions aim. That telos is eudaimonia, or happiness, where “happiness
however, requires a range of intellectual and moral virtues that enable us to understand the nature of happiness
and motivate us to seek in a reliable and consistent way.

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 Different Philosophies Implications for Business Principles and Practices
Ethics is a philosophical term derived from the Greek work ethos meaning character or custom. Ethics are
principles that will tell us the right thing to do, or what things are worth doing . ethics refers to a set of standards
governing behavior; it refers to broader based, value driven rules.
Since ethics is universal and the same for all, companies should obey the same ethical rules wherever they
operate. For instance, they should respect the rights of workers, should not engage in bribery, should protect
the environment and not undermine the logical culture, and so forth. There are generally three levels of
analysis appropriate to business ethics. 1. That of the system of free enterprise as such 2. That of the
corporation; and 3 that of the individual within the corporation. In any case, the starting point is usually those
basic ethical norms on which all of the overwhelming majority of people agree. For instance, there are basic
norms necessary for the conduct of business such as keeping promises, honoring contracts, telling the truth,
and respecting the lives and integrity of those with whom one engages in business. Even on issues of extortion
and gross bribery there is general consensus that these are wrong, even though prevalent and tolerate din some
countries (De George, 1994)
To illustrate more specifically how the various ethical doctrines may affect business practices let us take the
example of Aristotle. The Aristotelian approach will help us to talk and think about management in a way that
permits integrating “good” ethical habits, into management practice. Put differently, as expressed in the
familiar maxim. A way of seeing is also a way of not seeing.
Comparing Classical Philosophies in relation to the Business Setting
A concrete example can be given for how the various moral philosophers views get applied in day to day
business situation. One’s ethical viewpoint will definitely “color” one’s opinion on whether the actions
described above can be considered ethical or not.
Examples of How Belief Systems Affect Business Practices
In the first decade of the second millennium, especially in the wake of the great financial and economic crises,
Christian Ethics scholars have fruitfully debated whether capitalism and the market economy deserve grateful
praise because of its virtues or calls for abolition for being diametrically opposed to Christianity. In this context,
Christian businessmen have been praiseworthy in taking up the call to make businesses more socially
responsible. This section will discuss “faith-based social enterprises” highlighting two Philippine Business
models that stand out in fulfilling their social function.
Implications of Ethical Traditions for Business
Virtue Ethics
The virtue approach to ethics emphasizes people’s character an ethic of virtues (and vices) focuses on the
process of personal moral character development. It stresses how the good habits or virtues inherent in a
person’s character give them the propensity to act in ways that promote the human race to flourish. Thus it
has been proposed that managers consider virtues and vices of human character in order to analyze ethical
behavior in their organization (Dawson & Bartholomew, 2003, Whetstone, 2001).
Virtue ethics – which takes the concept of character to be central to the idea of being a good person in business-
keeps at bay the threat of situational (external) determinism; it fills the void between institutional behaviorism
and an overblown emphasis on free will and personal autonomy. While this proposition does not dispense
with the reality that persons do sometimes act “out of character” on the basis, perhaps, of external
environmental pressures this position simultaneously calls for sound ethical policies and rigorous ethical
enforcement in corporations and in the guidance community. In other words, virtues are real because they
figure in causal explanations of behavior. For instance, seeing employees in a firm acting morally most of the
time is not a very unusual situation, since many people do have an inclination to be responsible individuals.
Furthermore, virtues, like other moral states or properties, typically play a causal role in creating human well-
being and not only that of the one who is virtuous (Solomon, 2003; Hartman, 1998).
Why Virtues Should Matter in Management and Finance
Managing in ethical ways is not merely about avoiding bad outcomes. There are many arguments for bringing
ethics to bear on business decision-making. Recently finance ethicists have begun emphasizing that the focus
should be on virtues and the qualities of the practitioner. The attention to consequences or duty is
fundamentally focused on compliance. Rather, one should consider whether an action is consistent with being
a virtuous person. This view argues that personal happinessss flowed from being virtuous and not merely from
comfort (utility) or observance (duty). It acknowledges that vices are corrupting, whereas virtue leads to leads
to audaimonia or human flourishing (, Eades, and Schill, 2009).

For your performance task, you are chosen as a beneficiary of social enterprise giving a capital of
ENGAGEMENT
P100,000 but before you can collect the price you are tasked to develop a social enterprise plan by
following the outline below;
I. Product
II. Target Beneficiaries
III. Customers
IV. Social Issue
V. Social impact

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 Rubric:
CRITERIA EXCELLEN SATISFACT Developing Needs Score
T (5) ORY (4) (3) Improvement
( 2)
Content
Symbolism
Presentation

1. Three years later, you will be having your own business, what virtue can you apply in
ASSIMILATION
managing your finances as a business owner and why it is important to manage finances?

2. Stephen R Civet;s the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People asserts that the individual value
system rises out of inside-out approach. Inside out means to start with self even more fundamentally
to start with the most inside part of self-with one’s paradigms. One’s character and one’s motives.
For example, if one wants ot be trusted by others then he has to be first trustworthy. There is no other
technique, fact or strategy to get others to trust you if you are not trustworthy. Covey says in his
inside-out papproach that private victories precede public vitories. That keeping and making
promises to ourselves precede keeping promises to others.

Do you agree with the statement of Stephen Covey? Which virtues make up the solid character of a
good businessman? Express your thougts on this matter. Write your and swer in a separate sheet of
paper.

RUBRICS
Content 15
Symbolism 10
Presentation 5

V. ASSESSMENT Matching Type: The lesson mentioned that the theory of the virtues is important
for business ethics because if a person possesses virtue(ie., moral excellence, the
disposition to perform effectively his or her proper function), the exercise of the
virtues can help lead to ethical business performance. Below is a listing of 11
virtues and their corresponding definitions or related quotations. Match each
virtue with its corresponding correct definition by writing in the blank
____1. Ability to choose for oneself between right and wrong; the abilitiy to anser for ones conduct
and obliggations.
____2. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; firm adherence to a
code.
____3. An act of giving a particularattention, to hold in high or special regard, to honor or hold in
high steem.
____4. Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.
____5. Avoide extremes. Forebear resenting inguries so much as you think they deserve.
____6. Be not distrube at trifles, or at accidents common unavoidable.
____7. Let allyour things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time .
____8. Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
____9. The quality of being impartial or fair; the administration of equitable law.
____10. Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful.. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
____11. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself (I,e, wast nothing).
a. Tempe b. c. Order d. Respo e. frugalit
rance Industr nsibilit y
y y
f. Justice g. Respec h. Courag i. Moder J.
t e ation Tranqu
ility
K. Integrity

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VI. REFLECTION For your reflection think of any philosophies that you want and how did you apply from your
day to day living such as studies, and work preference.

References: Business FinancePrinted in the Philippines by the Department of Education – Schools Division Office of Bataan

Prepared by: Checked by: Validated by: Approved:

Melody M. Cuevas Richard G. Del Mundo Claire G. Tabaong Nelia B. Espiritu

Subject Teacher SHS COORDINATOR MASTER TEACHER I SHOOL PRINCIPAL 1

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