 4.1. a.

Feeling and Moral Decision-Making

There is always a way to determine what is right from what is not right,
to distinguish what is just from what is unjust, what is ought to be done
Through this interactive and what is ought not to be done, and what is ethical from what is
lesson, we are to: a) unethical.
identify the role and
function of feelings and In the corporate world, the appropriateness of one’s action can
reason responding to be decided vis a vis the organization’s vision-mission together with its
moral dilemmas; b) core values. In religion, what is right is judged based on the members’
manifests the functions code, creed, and professed conduct. In legal matters, we can know the
of feelings and functions truth based on what the law and jurisprudence say. In culture, what is
in responding to the right is adjudged based on the good custom, beliefs, and practices that
demands of moral
members of the said culture claim as acceptable.
responsibility
These claims are debatable since everything in philosophy can
be questioned but our proximate nearness to what is right becomes closer.
We must remember, ethics is not just in words or just academic in nature. It also includes our thoughts
and how we translate into action what we think and say.
Feelings as Instinctive and Trained Response to Moral Dilemmas
Feelings are important. It is an evidence of our being human. We feel sad upon learning that there
are about 50-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal becoming extinct every day or for 350-1,400
in a week, or 1,500-6,000 in a month and 18,000-73,000 in a year. We feel happy when modern medicine
can separate conjoined twins and allow them to have separate lives to live. We are amazed to know that
the longest name of a city is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin MahintharaYuthaya
Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman and
we know this city through its shortened name as Bangkok, Thailand.
We wonder if humans have the capacity to create a machine that can convert all human garbage
to something useful. If we feel inconvenient upon knowing the number of animal species getting extinct
every day, if we have no reaction to the news of conjoined twins being separated, if we have no
amazement over the wonderful inventions and human creations, our humanity is questionable.
Emotion results in feeling and this human ability to feel is wonderful. Feeling gives color to our
life. It comes as a natural reaction to our encounter with ourselves, others, and anything around us. When
we receive high grades as a result of our hard work, we feel elated and we rejoice. When our grades are
low because we take for granted our academics, we feel down and regret our shortcoming.
When we see pictures of victims of crimes and violence such as the carnage of the 44 members of
the Special Action Force in Tukanalipao Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015, or the worst
media related violence in the whole word in what is called Maguindanao Massacre which caused the
death of 58 people comprising of Esmael Mangudadatu’s family members, civilians and Media people in
November 23, 2009, we feel sorry for the victims of these tragedies and feel a burning anger in our hearts.
In the same manner, we are moved to act when we see environmental destructions such as the
miners from Benguet and the nearby provinces letting go of their chemical wastes down to the lowlands
threatening lives and causing even deaths.
 When we learn that there were about 350,000 children getting paralyzed yearly in the 1980’s
because of polio, we are shocked. But when we learn that in 2017, there were only about 19 serious polio
cases were reported, we are elated with the development that we are becoming successful against this
human pestilence.
In the same manner, we became happy to know that the human race is gaining acceptance of
respecting the rights of women and minorities. Recently, Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive while
Egypt came up with laws giving equal rights about inheritance to men and women. In Jordan and
Lebanon, laws that set free rapists who marry their victims were repealed. Gender equality is now gaining
support worldwide and this is a good development that tells us to keep hoping for a brighter future.
Our emotions which lead to all kinds of feeling point to our humanity. We cannot imagine what
life is like if we do not have feelings at all. It is beyond question that emotion is an important aspect of
our humanity.
In previous discussions, we mentioned that reason is the basis of decision-making. This means
that there is a certain logic in analyzing situations of life; and, in logical interpretation, we avoid fallacies
or errors in thinking, wishful actions, invalid claims, and misjudgment in determining rightful actions. In
logical thinking, priority is right judgment and proper actions and not based on mere intuitive knowledge
and hypothetical or assumptive analysis. In short, conclusion is achieved by analyzing premises that are
logically coherent and valid.

Philosophers through the years debate on issues and concerns relative to emotion and reason.
Traditional understanding emphasized that emotion is inferior to reason. Emotion is said to be fleeting
and can be dangerous while reason is superior and reliable. Conventional thinking states that emotion
must be controlled and tamed while reason must be improved and perfected. But in spite of their
academic discussions, no consensus yet is arrived at on the connection between the two.
The debates between and among the philosophers seem legitimate but we might as well leave
them with their mental skirmishes. More practical thinkers would see their effort as an exercise in futility
since it will never end. To capture the connection between emotion and reason in a box may not be
possible but to approach the problem on the level of our day to day experiences can make sense.
We should focus instead on what emotion and reason can do to us in our everyday living. We
might as well see how emotion and reason work together in real life. We might as well focus on the
impacts of emotion and reason in our everyday encounter with our fellow human beings together with the
ethical decisions we make when confronted with true to life concerns.
Again, experience tells us that feeling leads to thinking and thinking will further push us to reflect
deeper on what to do and what not to do. Thinking will also trigger what we feel and this feeling can push
us further to think. Even without deep philosophical insights and debates, it is clear that emotion and
thinking are interconnected.
Experience shows that emotion is connected with thinking. Those who insist that the two are
entirely different and independent may be correct and we do not contradict them. We simply maintain that
there is a connection between the two. Our day to day experiences tell us that our feeling will usually
trigger us to think and what we think will usually have an impact to what we feel.
Our emotion that comes in terms of what we feel serve as a triggering device to make us think.
When we learn for example that our sickly brother is bullied in school, we react and feel bad about it. We
may experience anger and shed tears as we pity our brother. This natural reaction will push us to think. It
will trigger our mind to think on what must be done. We may think of confront the bullies themselves.
We may also think of reporting it to the school authorities or we may simply think of letting it go since
we do not want further trouble.
Here is another example to illustrate the point that feeling can trigger us to think. When a
gentleman sees someone attractive, there comes in him the natural feeling of admiration. This feeling of
admiration and eventually attraction will ignite him to think on what to do. His feelings will push him to
come up with a plan and eventually to do his first move. He might start asking, “How can I know her
name? Is giving her a flower a good move? Will I talk to her personally or through someone else?”
What we think can also result in what we feel. When we think of going to college and pursue
medicine, we may feel depressed upon realizing that the tuition fees and other fees in medical schools are
too high. But this depression will turn into hope and happiness if we found that there are people willing to
help determined students to pursue their goals.

Reason and Impartiality as Minimum Requirements of Ethics

Plato told a story about Socrates who encounters a young man

named Euthyphro outside the court of Athens. Socrates was amazed
upon learning that Euthyprho is there in court because he will prosecute
Through this interactive his own father for murder. Everybody during those times thought that
lesson, we are to: a) blood relationship will override any conflict that involves a family
define what reason and member. But the contrast is true in the case of Euthyprho. For this
impartiality are in
young man, a crime is a crime and so with murder. Anyone who
relation to ethics; b)
commits murder must be prosecuted even if the perpetrator is one’s own
recall immediate positive
responses to moral father.
dilemmas; and, c) The narrative tells that impartial ethical stand never takes
manifest well rounded personal stand since it only pursues what is true and just. Impartiality
responses to moral
neither plays favorites nor caters to some people’s needs by giving in to
dilemmas through
their demands while denying others from enjoying the same because of
healthy interplay
between reason and personal preferences. Impartiality tells us never to manipulate rules,
feelings power, and favor to achieve unjust advantage for ourselves and those
whom we favor.
The concern about impartiality arises because of our human
nature of self-preservation. Human beings want to protect their own life,
liberty, and property together with the interest of those who are dear to them. With this premise, judges,
elders, and leaders acting as decision makers must remain impartial at all times. Impartiality is often
understood as fair-mindedness or being objective. It rules against rendering decisions based on bias,
prejudice, and self-serving interest.
Ethical decisions must be just and any decision is just if it is impartial. Impartiality is often
equated with fair-mindedness. One who is impartial is not biased, free from prejudice, and allows
objectivity to rule at all times. Impartiality is a necessary element in any judicial system. Judges made a
sworn statement prior to their assumption to office to observe impartiality in the performance of their
duty. This however, is easier said than done based on what we observe every day.
 Our day to day experiences tell us that impartiality is not a simple concept to observe. In the
celebrated quo warranto case filed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the eight (8) justices who
voted for her removal claim impartiality in their decision. In fact, they invoked the Philippine
Constitution as their objective basis in arriving at their decision. On the other hand, those who question
the removal of the Chief Justice claim that the 8 justices are biased and were never impartial. They also
invoked the Constitution as their basis to point out the error and partiality of the 8 Supreme Court
Justices.
Aside from the difficulties encountered in the actual application of impartiality, several
philosophers have both complementary and conflicting ideas on what impartiality is. We need then to
clarify the same for purposes of relating it with sound ethical decision making.
Mohism, an influential philosophical, social, and religious movement flourished in the Warring States in
ancient China within 479–221 B.C.E. promoted “impartial care.” Mohists emphasize that every person
should equally care for everyone. It is only when a person does not discriminate on anyone that he/she
becomes truly righteous. A benevolent person must promote what is universally good for all and refrain
from committing any societal evil action.
Adam Smith (1723-1790)
He was a Scottish philosopher in the 18 th century who came up with a moral point of view popularly
known as the “Impartial Spectator.” He arrived at this point of view to highlight how a person can
objectively make a judgment on person’s behavior and actions. To be an “impartial spectator” is to
empathize with the person whose behaviors and actions are subject to our judgment. We must imagine
ourselves in the circumstance of the person whom we should judge. Our approval or non-approval of a
person’s behavior depends on the decision we make if we were the one’s involved in his/her situation. If
we were in the person’s situation and we performed the same action just like what the person did, the
same is acceptable. If we did otherwise because we claim that this behavior or action is wrong then, the
behavior or action is not acceptable.
We have the tendency to sustain and defend our ideas when they conflict with other people’s
ideas. Adam’s Smith proposes a solution by saying that “we need to move beyond “literal impartial
spectator” to reach some ideal by which we can judge both our actions and that of others. His work is an
honest attempt to lead people to become impartial and objective in dealing with ethical concerns.