MINDORO STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

College of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

ETHICS
Alternative Instructional Material
COURSE DETAIL
COURSE CODE HUM 111 COURSE TITLE ETHICS
CREDIT UNIT 3 SEMESTER OFFERED FIRST SEMESTER
INSTRUCTOR Ms. Dianne Hernandez Dudas

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“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do
something about its width and depth.”

-H.L. Mencken

Give your own definition of
reason.
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Why should you do what is
right?
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Explain why reason and
impartiality are minimum
requirements for morality.
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LESSON 2: REASON AND IMPARTIALITY AS MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS FOR MORALITY
You might be wondering, “Why should human beings be moral? Why should I do
what is right?”
Here are some compelling reasons:
1. It is enlightened self-interest – “I will be better off”
2. It is the traditional law – “Because some authority says so”
3. It is a responsibility – “It is expected of me”
4. It is what is fair and equitable” – It is about fairness and justice”
4. But most of all, people shared human needs, goals, desires and/or
objectives; and these are better met when people treat each other in a
manner that promotes what is right and good.
Is reason a requirement for morality?
Reason – the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a
process of logic”
Immanuel Kant – argued that reason alone is the basis for morality, and once the
person understood this basic requirements or morality, he or she would see that
acting morally is the same as acting rationally.
Example: As a student, you are constantly in turmoil on whether to study or not to
study. You know the importance of studying and the consequences of not studying.
However, you also know the importance of taking a break from the daily grind. So,
when exams are coming and you feel so stressed from fulfilling all school
requirements and you feel the need to take a break – in Kant’s argument that
morality is based on reason, what is the moral choice?
Is impartiality a requirement for morality?
Impartiality – a broad concept but it is also identified as a core value in
professional codes of ethics.
It is commonly understood as a principle of justice. It denotes that decisions
should be “based on objective criteria rather than on the basis of bias,
prejudice, or preferring to benefit one person over another for improper
reasons”. It stresses everyone ought to be given equal importance and not favor
one class (people, animals, or things) in a capricious way.
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Give your own definition of
impartiality.
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Do we really need to be
impartial at all times and in all
circumstances?
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Explain the importance of
reason and impartiality in
morality.
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How is impartiality a requirement for morality?
For you to easily grasp the idea of why impartiality is a requirement for morality, let
us take an example.
For instance, during an exam, you saw your friend (who is sitting next to you)
secretly open her notebook to look for an answer on one of the test questions. Your
teacher noticed that your classmate was doing something suspicious. He called
your classmate and asked if she was cheating. She surreptitiously closed her
notebook and answered, “No.” Your teacher did not trust your classmate’s answer
so he asked you. What will you say?
According to philosopher and professor, Dr. James Rachels, for your decision to
be moral, you should think how your answer will affect your friend, your teacher,
the rest of your classmates, and how all the persons in the situation will be
affected, and not to the advantage of a particular party that you favour.
Thus for the questions “Are reason and impartiality a requirement for morality?” Let
us go back to what Dr. Rachels said “Morality, at the very least is the effort to
guide one’s action based on the most logical choice (reason) while giving equal
importance to the interests of each person affected by your decisions (impartiality).
How do you make ethical decisions?
Ethical decision making – It is the process of evaluating and choosing among
alternatives in manner that is consistent with moral principles. Making ethical
choices requires the ability to make distinctions between competing options.
THE SEVEN STEP MODEL FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
1. Gather the facts
2. Identify the stakeholders
3. Articulate the dilemma
4. List the alternatives
5. Compare the alternatives with the principles
6. Weigh the consequences
7. Make a decision
THE SEVEN STEP MODEL FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
1. GATHER THE FACTS
- Do not jump to conclusions
- Ask questions (who, what where, when, how and why)
- Nevertheless, gather as many facts as you can.
- Clarify what assumptions you are making
2. IDENTIFY THE STAKEHOLDERS
- Identify all the persons involved and will be affected in an
ethical situation.
a) Who are the primary stakeholders?
b) Who are the secondary stakeholders?
c) Why are they stakeholders in the issue?
- Get the proper perspective.
- Try to see the situation through the eyes of the people affected.

How do you decide on matters at
hand?
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Does the seven step ethical
decision-making always have a
positive result?
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Share some tips on how we can
promote the sense of moral
courage.
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How does the seven step model
help individuals in making ethical
decision?
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3. ARTICULATE THE DILEMMA
- It is important that you express the ethical dilemma
a) What are the competing values?
- The purpose of articulating the dilemmas is to make sure that
you understand the situation and the moral conflict you are facing
- Awareness and comprehension are important in making the right
decision, especially when there are lives that will be affected.
4. LIST THE ALTERNATIVES
- Think creatively about potential actions, as there may be choices
you neglected.
- This will help ensure that you have not pushed back into a corner.
Example: You may already have solution A and B. Try to
brainstorm and come up with solution C that might satisfy
the interests of the primary parties involved.
5. COMPARE THE ALTERNATIVES WITH THE PRINCIPLES
- In decision-making, specify the relevant values that you want to
uphold in making your decision. Then compare whether your
alternatives are in line with your values.
- Identifying the values and comparing your action with these
values are important because it will help identify if your alternative
actions is illegal or unethical, thus making this action easy to
discard.
6. WEIGH THE CONSEQUENCES
- When considering the effects of your actions, filter your choices
to determine if your options will violate ethical values.
- Determine how all the stakeholders will be affected by your
decisions.
7. MAKE A DECISION
- Remember, deliberation cannot go on forever.
- You must avoid “paralysis by analysis” or the state of over-
analyzing (or overthinking) a situation so that a decision is never
taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome.
- There is not easy, painless decision to a moral dilemma.
-However, it is also important that the decision you make reflects
the value you want to uphold.
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REFERENCES
Textbooks
Gallinero, W. et al. Ethics. Mutya Publishing House Inc. Philippines, 2018
Hernandez, R.A. Ethics in Health Care. Mutya Publishing House Inc. Philippines, 2011
Nery MI. P. Ethics. Katha Publishing Inc. Philippines, 2003
Online References
https://ourhappyschool.com/node/825
https://www.icas.com/members/professional-development/what-is-moral-courage
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_55
https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Resources/Courage-and-
Distress/Moral-Courage-and-Risk.html