GEC 4

ASSESSMENT 2

1. In what way does a rational will distinguished a human being from an

animal in so far as the animal is only sentient?

In contrast to animals that are sentient or depend on their senses,

rationality endows human beings with a superior intellectual capability and
awareness in every deed and choice they will make in any circumstance. This
enables critical thinking, assessment, and analysis, since the human mind is
loaded with ideas and qualities that evolve through time. Rational will let us
determine how to go about things and situation, discern between positive and
negative aspects, and most significantly, elevate and change the human
condition.

2. What is the difference between autonomy and heteronomy? What does

autonomy have to do with free will in contrast to animal impulse?

The ability to exercise free will and choose actions or courses of action is
fundamental to the distinction between autonomy and heteronomy. The ability to
make one's own choices independently is a benefit of having autonomy. One
may speak of a person or group as having autonomy if they are doing on their
own will and can be said to be acting on their own accord. On the other hand,
heteronomy restricts the ability of an individual or group to exercise its autonomy
and choose its own course of action or make choices. Autonomy enables a
person to exercise free will, which include viewpoint, logical thought, taking acts
based on a comprehensive mind, and deciding or choosing what they feel to be
right or bad.

3. How does the method call universalizability work? What are the steps to
test if an action is rationally permissible?

Universalizability functions as agreed and practiced standards of judgment

or beliefs. It is the categorical imperative upon which all other ethical judgments
 are based. Absolute morality should not rely on an individual's choices, skills, or
opportunities; hence, the imperative should be categorical rather than
conditional. To be clearer, for a law to be regarded as moral, we must be capable
of acting upon it independently, as if it were our own conception. Standards on
which it is often said that everyone should pass judgment or behave similarly are
universalizable judgements or standards; they lack a particular viewpoint. At that
point, widespread choices or administrators are also impartial. They are
reasonable in light of the fact that the one who makes them will be required to
pass judgment on oneself in accordance with the same standard by which they
judge others. To assess if a conduct is logically permissible or authorized by
universal law in Kantian Deontology, consider whether that maxim will be
achievable for anyone under this maxim. If everybody can abide with that maxim,
it is rationally acceptable. Maxims fail this criterion if, when universalized, they
cause either a conflict in idea or a conflict in it will.

4. What is meant by enlightenment morality as opposed to paternalism? Why

is deontology a kind of enlightenment morality?

Paternalism is the behavior or actions of a person, organization, or other entity

that secures people and provides them with what they need while denying them
any obligation or chance to choose. Enlightened morality, in contrast hand, was a
defining moment in how individuals saw their individual rights. Enlightenment
morality is a regulated worldview. It maintains a system of regulations. This is
related to discipline. Improving one's intellect and character is uncommon.
According to Immanuel Kant, all persons are naturally deserving of respect,
integrity, and morals stemming from responsibilities established on deontological
ethics. It is contrary to paternalism since paternalism restricts people's freedoms
or independence and implies acts or conduct against their choice. Deontology,
which focuses on the connection between obligation and the morality of acts,
may be seen of as a kind of enlightened morality. It demonstrates that, while
having the freedom to make our own decisions, we need to be cautioned against
doing so in ways that run counter to the rules and norms that govern society.

5. Reconcile these two topics: our discussion of autonomy and the duty to
“speaking truth to power.” Suppose you are already working for a company
and your boss tells you that you should offer a bribe to a government agent
to obtain permit to build and operate a factory in a province. What would
 you do? What are your alternatives if you believe that it is wrong to bribe
government agencies?

If I were an employee at a corporation and my employer told me to do

anything unethical, I would refuse even if it cost me my job. My employer may
rethink scheduling another meeting to discuss the permissible choices that are to
be employed in order to secure a permission to establish and run a plant in a
province because of the fact that bribery is unlawful. Bribing a government official
to get a permit is unethical and potentially dangerous since doing so requires the
corporation to pass an evaluation to prove that they are adhering to regulations
designed to protect the public. So, presuming my employer has decided to look
into alternatives to bribing the government, I'd want to make a recommendation
in which I ask that, rather of using bribe money to buy off the government permit,
it could be used to get all of the paperwork and approvals we need to legally
operate. I will just explain to him that there are alternative methods to get a
permit without resorting to bribery.

6. What is moral virtue? What is intellectual virtue?

Moral virtue is the means to behave in the proper manner and as a mean
between limits of lack and plenty. This means that moral virtue acts as a mean
between indiscretions of need and excess. An ethical person exemplifies the
totality of the virtues; these qualities do not correctly reside as separate traits but
rather as numerous components of a life lived with discretion. In addition to this,
it is demonstrated by cognitive strength, temperance, and generosity. The most
important intellectual virtue is vision, which controls moral behavior, and
understanding, which is transmitted in rational effort and contemplation.

Intellectual virtue refers to the deep individual attributes or character

qualities that are necessary for sound reasoning and the acquisition of
knowledge. The majority of the time, really brilliant academics will also be astute
or have an intellect level that is noticeably above average. Characteristics such
as intellectual curiosity, intellectual rigor, intellectual integrity, and open-
mindedness are all part of the field of intellectual virtues.

7. Who do you think possesses a moral character in your community?

Explain your answer.
 In my view, every member of the society is capable of or has some kind of
moral character, and that character may be either virtuous or terrible. It all boils
down to how various individuals will utilize it in their own unique ways, given that
everyone falls on a different side of the moral scale. But of course, it depends on
how people will utilize it, either in a beneficial/good way or disregard it and do
things that are immoral. As humans, we all possess these moral characters
somewhere inside us that serve as a constant heads up or guide like our
conscience.

8. Discuss the possible implications (positive or negative) of the patronage of

pornography to the development of one’s character.

Any material (video, photographs, text, etc.) that is sexually explicit is

referred to as pornography, and it is common knowledge that exposure to such
content has a detrimental influence on a person's personality. Due to advances in
technology, particularly the internet, getting accessibility has become more
simpler and is now something that any single person can do for themselves.
Also, with regard to the aspect of sexual entertainment, it has become more
obtainable in comparison to how it was in the past. When thinking about the
topic of pornography, the first thing that likely springs to mind are its bad
repercussions, most of which center on sexual abuse, such as assault, which is
both a prevalent problem and an urgent one in the Philippines, where people and
sex of any age are indeed being exploited. If a person continues to patronize it,
his thinking will be perverted, and he may acquire features like as
being manic and overwhelming sexual desire, which may lead to repercussions
such as sexual abuse or rape, which is a current problem in our nation, and the
victims are typically minors or children. Child porn is a multibillion-dollar
business, and children are the ones who are exchanged and abused on the
internet. Young individuals who are forced to do sex activities in front of a
webcam will never regain their youth. Another contrarian aspect of sexual
entertainment is that it becomes similar to addictive pharmaceuticals and other
addictive substances such as cigarettes, which have substantially the same
effects on the brain. An individual's conduct will undoubtedly be influenced at this
point. However, what people can be sure of is that sexual entertainment may
also be used in a decent manner. Additionally, it is causing individuals to be more
open-minded about sex.
9. Discuss a different topic within the scope of sexual ethics and explain how
this might affect the development of one’s virtuous character.