NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY,INC

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

UNIT 2
Ethics and
Ways of Studying It

Before starting our subject matter per se, it is but proper to have a prelude on
what you will learn, understand and apply by simply having definitions on important
terms that you shall often encounter in the discussions on the different parts of the
module.

WHAT IS ETHICS?

1. Etymology- from the Greek words “ethos” or “ethikos” which

means “morals” or “expressing character”

2. Real definitions:
- science of morals
- it is about matters such as good things that we should pursue
and the bad things that we should avoid
- it is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human
behavior

MORALS
- came from the Latin word “moralis” which pertains to “manners”
- refers to specific beliefs or attitudes that people have or to
describe acts that people perform

MORALITY
- came from the Latin word “mos” or “moris” which means custom
- it is the practice of ethics
- it actualizes the theories of ethics

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 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY,INC
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Ethics is considered to be a practical social science since theories embodied in

this branch of Philosophy can and are actually used in your judgment as you go on with
your daily lives. In studying the different principles, there are ways on how you shall
deal with Ethics.

WAYS OF STUDYING ETHICS

I. N O R M A T I V E E T H I C S
- branch of ethics that studies how man ought to act
- it examines ethical norms
- it evaluates the standards for the rightness and wrongness of
action

Categories of Normative Ethics

1. D e o n t o l o g y
- came from the Greek word “deon” which means “duties” or
“obligations”
- an ethical system that bases morality on independent moral
rules or duties

2. T e l e o l o g y
- came from the Greek word “telos” wich means “end”
- refers to the moral system that determines the moral value and
actions by their outcomes or results

3. Virtue Ethics

- moral system that places emphasis on development of habits or character

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 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY,INC
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

The next area of Ethics is called applied Ethics. From the

term alone, you can discern that it concerns application or the
practical use of ethics in the various sectors of our lives as
w e l l a s o f t h e s o c i e t y.

II. Applied Ethics

- it examines specific, controversial moral issues

* Subfields

1. Bioethics
- concerns ethical issues pertaining to life, biomedical
researches, medicines, health care, and medical
profession. It also deals with controversies like those
about surrogate mothering, genetic manipulation of
fetuses, stem cell research, using human embryos in
research, IVF, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, patients’
rights, confidentiality of patients’ records, physicians’
responsibilities and mandatory medical screening.

2. Environmental Ethics
- deals with moral issues concerning nature, ecosystem and
its nonhuman contents. This includes issues such as animal
rights, animal experimentation, endangered species
preservation, pollution control and sustainable
development.

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 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY,INC
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

3. Business Ethics
- examines moral principles concerning business environment which involves
issues about corporate practices, policies, business behaviors, and the
conducts and relationships of individuals in the organization. It investigates
ethical controversies such as those about social responsibility of businesses,
employee rights, harassment, labor unions, misleading advertising, job
discrimination, and whistle blowing.

4. Sexual ethics
- studies moral issues about sexuality and human sexual
behavior. It examines topics like homosexuality,
lesbianism, polygamy, pre-marital sex, marital fidelity,
extra marital sex, non-marital procreation, loveless sexual
relations, safe sex, and contraceptive use.

5. Social ethics
- deals with what is right for a society to do and how it should act as a whole.
Its focus is on what may be deemed as proper behavior for people as a
whole. Some issues under this are those about racial discrimination, death
penalty, nuclear weapon production, gun control, drug use for fun, and
welfare rights.

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