LESSON 4: THE THREE LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS

INDIVIDUAL -This refers to personal dilemmas. It is an individual's damn-if-you-do-and-damn-if-you-don't situation.

ORGANIZATIONAL -An organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social organization and
members self-interest.
STRUCTURAL -Pertain to cases involving network of institutions and operative theoretical paradigms. As they usually
encompass multi- sectoral institutions and organizations, they may be larger in scope and extent than organizational

dilemmas.

DIFFERENTIATION VERSUS INTEGRATION IN STRUCTURAL DILEMMA -Different divisions have their own different
culture and so coordination between divisions or bringing them together for becomes more difficult.
GAP VERSUS OVERLAP -There may be gaps and overlaps in roles and responsibilities. If key responsibilities are not
clearly assigned, there may be gaps or overlaps in important tasks.
LACK OF CLARITY VERSUS LACK OF CREATIVITY -
If employees are unclear about what they are supposed to do, they often tailor their roles around personal
preferences instead of system wide goals, frequently leading to trouble.
FLEXIBILITY VERSUS STRICT ADHERENCE TO RULES -You accommodate by bending rules to help someone or you
stick strictly to rules no matter what so unable to help someone who is thrown, into a helpless situation. Or you may
become being too accommodating that all rules are no more.
EXCESSIVE AUTONOMY VERSUS EXCESSIVE INTERDEPENDENCE -This refers to being too much isolated versus too
much coordination.
CENTRALIZED VERSUS DECENTRALIZED DECISION MAKING -In decentralized decision making, organizations can
respond to change more rapidly and effectively because the decision maker are the people closest to the situation.
However, top managers may lose some control. This is the dilemma of tight over centralization or diffusing which is
loose

ETHICS APPLIES ONLY TO HUMAN PERSON - Ethics, therefore, applies only to human persons, We cannot say a cat is
"unethical" when it eats the food to table intended for you or when a dog urinates on your favorite bag lying on the
floor.
Dilemmas presuppose freedom. Freedom-loving societies have customary ways of training the young to exercise
their freedom. Parents regularly give their children opportunities to choose. ''Guys, what do you want for breakfast -
ham and egg or pancake?" Later in life, they come face to face with hard choices.
FREEDOM AND MORAL CHOICE - Without Freedom it is impossible to make a moral choice.'' if we are to have free
will we must have the ability to make a decision that is unhindered. Kant believed that we must have free will if we
are to be held morally responsible for our actions. If God did not give us free will then our decisions cannot be
considered immoral or moral as we would have had to act in the way we did.
To be Ethical: Own Not Merely Abide by Moral Standards - The presupposition is that you have come to own the
moral standard after having been convinced of its wisdom, having chosen it among other principles or standards.
Any dilemma regarding the standard has been resolved. Merely abiding by them means once the enforcer is not
around, the moral standard is not followed. When you arrive at a personal conviction and self-affirmation, you begin
to own the moral standard. Owning moral standard means internalizing them, making them part of your conviction.
Internalized or embodied moral standards are being followed with or without anyone telling you.
FILIPINO CHARACTER
“ A Moral Recovery
Program: Building a People,
Building a Nation” - April 27 1988 by the Task Force to President Corazon Aquino
Leticia Ramos-Shahani - Former Senator of the Philippines
1. Pakikipagkapwa - Filipinos regard others with dignity
Basic sense of justice and fairness, and in concern for others.
Ability to emphasize with others, in helpfulness and generosity in times of Need (pakikiramay)
2. Family Orientation - Genuine and deep love for the family
Concern for family is manifested in the honor and respect given to parents and elders.
3. Joy and Humor - Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs.
Laughing at ourselves and our trouble is an important coping mechanism.
4. Flexibility Adaptability, and Creativity - Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust, and to adapt circumstances and
to the surrounding environment, both physical and social.
5. Hard work and Industry – Filipinos are known to be hardworking
6. Faith and Religiosity -
7. Ability to Survive -
1. Extreme Family Centeredness - Using one’s office and power to promote family interests and thus factionalism
patronage, political dynasties and the protection of erring family members.
2. Extreme Personalism - “Takes things personally”. cannot separate
objective task from emotional involvement.
Extreme Personalism leads to the graft and Corruption evident in Philippine society.
3. Lack of Discipline - A casual attitude toward time and space, manifested in lack of precision and compulsiveness,
in poor time management and procrastination.
4. Passivity and lack of initiative Waiting to be told what to do, reliance on others (leaders and government)’
complacence, lack of sense of urgency. There is high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service, and even violations of
one’s basic rights.
5. Colonial Mentality - Lack of patriotism, or of an active awareness, appreciation and love of the Philippines and an
actual preference for things foreign.
6. Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality - Done by tsismis, intriga, unconstructive criticism It is evident in the
personal ambition that is completely insensitive to the common good
7. Lack of self-analysis and self- reflection - The tendency to be superficial and somewhat flighty. Satisfaction with
superficial explanations and solutions.
8. Emphasis on porma rather than substance - This lack of analysis and emphasis on form is reinforced by an
educational system that is more form than substance.

MAN, AS A MORAL AGENT

THE HUMAN PERSON AS A MORAL AGENT - "Moral" comes from the Latin "mores," referring to society's patterns,
standards, rules of doing things. "Agent" comes from Latin "agere," to do, act. A moral agent is one who performs an
act in accordance with moral standards. A moral agent is the moral actor, one who acts morally.
What is a sufficient condition for moral agency? - it will suffice if the agent has the capacity to conform to some of
the external requirements of morality. So, if certain agents can obey moral laws such as 'Murder is wrong' or
'Stealing is wrong,' then they are moral agents, even if they respond only to prudential reasons such as fear of
punishment and even if they are incapable of acting for the sake of moral considerations.
THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN MORAL AGENT - According to the principles laid down by St, Thomas Aquino that every
human act is directed toward an end. As Aristotle put it, that end which is sought for its own sake, that is, it is no
longer sought for the sake of another end, is the summum bonum the highest good. That highest good is happiness
for St, Thomas, the highest good or end is happiness but the absolute final end is GOD.
THE FUNDAMENTAL OPTION - A fundamental option is an act of human self-realization which is also a
transcendental human response to God’s offer of grace. This act is “expressed” and constituted by our categorial
actions. God, according to theory is the intrinsic end of human self-realization.
NO PRE-FIXED PLAN FOR MAN - According to some 20 Century thinkers there are no pre-existing directions. "There
are no signs in the heavens." There are no pre-designed, pre-fixed design, plan, purpose of man's being according to
some 20 century thinkers. For the existentialist, like Jean Paul Sartre, a human person is or becomes what he 'she
makes of himself/herself by choice.
"World to Come" Means "World to Come Out of this World" - What does it mean making the "world to come" out
of "this world"? It means, instead of avoiding "this world" as a sinful world of flesh, we involve ourselves in it,
improving it, refining it, constructing and developing it, perfecting it to bring out the world to come. As Buber was
saying, "if you hallow this world, you meet the living God." The modern saint is out there fighting for justice, building
schools and hospitals, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry, instead of spending most of his time in
contemplation.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL CHARACTER OF THE MORAL AGENT
MEANING OF DEFINING MOMENT - Defining moments are the moments in one’s life that refers to a significant life-
changing event or moment that reverberates throughout your career and personal life that can change everything.
And those moments can change us who we are and what we value in our personal lives.

THE DEFINING MOMENT OF THE SIANTS - The defining moments of saints refer to the events or experiences that
shaped their lives and contributed to their sainthood.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORAL ACTS AND CHARACTER - ALSO ARGUED THAT MORAL CHARACTER MATTERS IN A
SECOND, Much More FUNDAMENTAL WAY: THE PERSON Who HAS MORAL CHARACTER S ABLE TO RECOGNIZE
WHAT IS MORAL AND OCCASSIONS FOR MORAL BEHAVIOR IN A WAI THAT THOSE WHO LACK MORAL CHARACTER
CANNOT. THOSE WHO LACK MORAL CHARACTER OFTEN FAIL TO ACT MORALLY BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY FAIL, IN
MANY INSTANCES, TO RECOGNIZE THE MORALLY RELEVANT ASPECTS OF THE SITUATIONS THEY FIND THEMSELVES
IN.