Alexis L. Mendoza Jalaine Joyce V.

Malabanan
BBTLEDIA 1-1 Ethics

Lecture 1

1. What is Ethics and the different types of ethical inquiry?

Ethics as we all commonly know it is the study of morality or what is right and what is
wrong. It somehow directs humans on what one ought to do when it comes to deciding
what is right, when to bestow impartiality and if one’s actions are beneficial to the
society. Ethics as a branch of philosophical study can be classified into three inquiries:
normative, meta-ethics and descriptive ethics. Normative ethics are inquiries the society’s
set for human beings, it is the common morality known to all. Meta-ethics on the other
hand is in charge of the understanding of humans of what is good, happiness and virtuous
character. Lastly, descriptive ethics is rather considered scientific than philosophical. It
tells how humans perceive morality and their behavior towards it.

2. Explain how one’s judgement can be influenced?

Judgment may be influenced by an individual’s perception of how the world should or

should not work. One’s formulation of judgments may be influenced by a variety meta-
ethical views of whether the actions of another person falls on his or her category of
morality. A person’s judgment can also be influenced by other factor such as: peer
pressure. Peer pressure, in a sense where one’s judgment can be affected by what their
peers or what the people that surrounds them believes in. There may be instances where
their moral beliefs will be pushed to an individual thus resulting in affecting his/her
judgment. An common happening in our society, if I may say.

3. What do you think is the most common bias in our judgement? Why?

I think the most common bias in our judgment is overconfidence. Overconfidence on how
correct we can make our judgments and the reliability of it as it includes one’s certainty
on his or her own ability. We oftentimes perkily trust in our judgment because we think
nothing can be more correct than we are. Denying that our judgment might be wrong is a
hard thing to do especially if it comprises our ego. So we tend to stick on what we believe
in despite facts and evidences laid in front of us. I think it is also because we fear to feel
inferior towards other particularly if it incorporates our social status.