Emotions and Moral Courage

Feelings and Moral Decision Making

• Feelings as Instinctive Response to Moral Dilemmas
• Feelings as Obstacles to Making the Right Decisions
a. Ethical subjectivism. Truth and falsity of ethical propositions is dependent on feelings,
attitudes, or standards of a person or group of person.
b. Emotivism. (developed by Charles L. Stevenson) Moral judgements are not statements of
facts but mere expressions of the emotions of the speaker especially since they are usually
feeling-based with two purpose (a). To influence other’s behavior (b). To express speaker’s
attitude
Logical Positivism: any legitimate truth claim must be empirically verifiable.
• Feelings Can Help in Making the Right Decisions.
 Reason and Impartiality as Minimum
Requirement for Morality
• Reason is the basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction. As a
quality, it refers to the capacity for logical, rational, and analytical thoughts.
Moral deliberation is a matter of weighing reasons and being guided by
them. Truth in ethics entails being justified by good reasons.
• Impartiality. It involves the idea that each individual’s interest and point of
view are equally important. Impartiality in morality requires that we give
equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned parties.
 7-Steps Moral Reasoning Model (Scott B. Rae)

• Gather facts
• Determine the ethical issues
• Identify the Principles that have a bearing on the case
• List the alternatives
• Compare the alternatives with the principles
• Weigh the consequences
• Make a decision
 PLUS
• At key steps in the process, you should stop and work through these filters, ensuring that the ethics issues
imbedded in the decision are given consideration.
• We group the considerations into the mnemonic PLUS.
• P = Policies
Is it consistent with my organization's policies, procedures and guidelines?
• L= Legal
Is it acceptable under the applicable laws and regulations?
• U = Universal
Does it conform to the universal principles/values my organization has adopted?
• S= Self
Does it satisfy my personal definition of right, good and fair?
 STOP
• Search for facts
• Think for alternatives
• Others (consider)
• Pray
 Moral Courage: Importance of Will and Moral
Courage
• Reasons and impartiality are not enough in carrying out moral decisions. Moral
courage is also important for moral decision making.
• Oftentimes, what is lacking is the moral courage which involves the concept of will
in executing a good rational moral decision making.
• Moral Courage means doing the right thing even at the risk of inconvenience,
ridicule, punishment, loss of job security or social status, etc.
• Moral courage requires one to rise above the apathy, complacency, hatred, cynicism,
and fear-mongering in our political systems, socioeconomic divisions, and
cultural/religious differences.
 Will refers to the faculty of the mind which chooses, at the moment of making
decisions, the strongest desire among the various desires present. It is the capacity to act
decisively on one’s desire. It is considered important in Ethics because of its central ole
in enabling a person to act deliberately.

German Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer explain that when we become

conscious of ourselves, we recognize that our essential qualities are endless urging,
craving, wanting, and desiring. He said that these are features of that which we call
our will.

Will power refers to the inner strength to make a decision, take action, and handle
and execute any aim or task until it is accomplished, regardless of inner and outer
resistance, discomfort or difficulties.
 Developing Will and Moral Courage
1. Develop and practice self-discipline
a. It involves developing self-control
b. It includes nurturing the ability to stick to actions, thoughts, and behavior
which lead to moral improvement and success
c. It endows inner strength to focus all energy on a moral goal and preserve
until it is accomplished
 Moral Courage
• “I strongly believe in….”
• “let’s volunteer.”
• “I am going to campaign for….”
• “I broke this, Mom. I’m sorry.”
• “I’ll march with you.”
• “You can depend on me.”
 Lack of Moral Courage
• “It’s none of my business.”
• “That’s nothing to do with me.”
• “I might get into trouble.”
• “Nobody else is doing anything about it, why should I?”
• “There is no use trying to change the system. It is just to strong.”
 Developing Will and Moral Courage
2. Do mental strength training. One of the most simple and effective methods
under this mental strength training involves declining to satisfy unimportant
and unnecessary desires.
Example: Avoid chatting with your gossipy friend
Avoid open Facebook and online game during exam week
3. Draw inspiration from people of great courage
 Developing Will and Moral Courage
4. Repeatedly do acts that exhibit moral courage and will
Example: reposting a crime, picking up litter, doing homework or chore
without being reminded
5. Avoid deeds that show lack of moral courage and will. It involves evading acts that
show irresponsibility, cowardice, apathy, rashness, imprudence, ill will, and wickedness
Example: walk away from someone in need, laughing at someone’s misfortune,
grabbing the spotlight from someone who has earned