The

Ethical
Dimension
of Human
Existence
Ethics (ETHN01G)
Preliminary Period
THE ORIGIN OF MORALITY

• Humans have always needed food, warmth,

shelter, and sex and things that satisfies our
needs had value for us. We are NOT
DIFFERENT from other animals.
THE ORIGIN OF MORALITY

• BUT, when humans started to think and

conceptualization took place- the idea of
goodness was born. We are DIFFERENT
from other animals
VALUE • The act of evaluating
JUDGEMENTS • Can be non-verbal
VALUE

• Ethics, generally speaking, is about matters such as the good

thing that we should pursue and the bad thing that we should
avoid; the right ways in which we could or should act and the
wrong ways of acting.

• Ethics as a subject for us to study is about determining the

grounds for the values with particular and special significance
to human life.
KINDS OF • AESTHETICS – from the Greek word
“aisthesis” which means “sense” or “feeling”
VALUATION and refers to the judgments of personal
approval or disapproval that we make about
what we see, hear, smell, or taste
 • ETIQUETTE – concerned with
KINDS OF right or wrong actions, but
VALUATION those which might be
considered not quite grave
enough to belong to a
discussion on ethics
KINDS OF
• TECHNICAL – from the Greek
VALUATION word “techne” and refers to a
proper way—(or right way) of
doing things
STUDIES OF ETHICS

• A descriptive study of ethics reports how people, particularly

groups, make their moral valuations without making any
judgment either for or against these valuations.
• A normative study of ethics, as is often done in philosophy or
moral theology, engages the question: What could or should be
considered as the right way of acting? In other words, a
normative discussion prescribes what we ought to maintain as
our standards or bases for moral valuation.
EXAMPLE
DESCRIPTIVE NORMATIVE
• She spoke fluently of pure • Always be weary of your
sarcasm. actions, as it may judge
you as proper or
improper.
• The boy is wearing pink.

• Can a priest have a date

with a girl alone?
ISSUE, DECISION, JUDGEMENT, DILEMMA

• A situation that calls for moral valuation can be called a moral

issue.
• When one is placed in a situation and confronted by the choice
of what act to perform, s/he is called to make a moral decision.
• When a person is an observer making an assessment on the
actions or behavior of someone, s/he is making a moral
judgment.
• When one is torn between choosing one of two goods or
choosing between the lesser of two evils, this is referred to as a
moral dilemma.
MORAL ISSUE
MORAL
DECISION
MORAL JUDGEMENT
MORAL
DILEMMA
GUIDING AND DIRECTING CONDUCT

• The development of one’s conduct depends on how they

cope up and adapt with their surroundings (i.e. Parents/
families, clusters, clans, and the society as a whole)
• People often depend on ethical standards, but it depends on
how a person perceive conducts
• People has INNATE UNDERSTANDING on REASONING, but
can be affected and influenced by other’s guidance and direction
TOPICS FOR NEXT MEETING
• REASONING
• 4 Moral Determinants of actions
(Intention, Nature of Act,
Circumstances, consequences)
• A question of Standard choice
• Sources of Authority (Law, Religion,
Culture)
• Senses of Self (Subjectivism, Ethical
Egoism)