Ethics

FEELINGS AND
MORAL DECISION-
MAKING
Chapter 4

Presentation by
Group 3
 GROUP 3

REPORTERS

Kristel Polines Princess Yata Alvin Gogo Rhea Renegado Paul Salinas

Chester Imbong Anika Eligan Jan Aldon Munar Cherry Muega Marielle Suelan
POLINES

Feelings as Instinctive and Trained

Response to Moral Dilemmas

When feelings are involved in the decision-making, the process may be

considered as subjective:

Ethical subjectivism - as a theory emerged. A theory which holds

that our moral opinions are based on our feelings and nothing
more.
POLINES

Feelings as Instinctive and Trained

Response to Moral Dilemmas

Simple subjectivism - states that the idea that something is good or

bad means approval or disapproval of that something.
The implications of Simple Subjectivism
It cannot account for disagreement.
It implies that we are always right.
POLINES

Feelings as Instinctive and Trained

Response to Moral Dilemmas

They hold that moral judgments at their best should also be emotional.
Feelings are seen necessary in ethical judgment as they are even deemed
by some as instinctive and trained responses to moral dilemmas.

Instinctual by providing motivations to act morally. Many times, ethical

judgments are highly emotional as people emotionally express. their
strong approval or disapproval of different acts.
YATA

Why they can be obstacles to making the

right decisions?

-Your feelings are often the most important factor in making decisions. But
these feelings can sometimes lead to a bad decision. If the feeling is strong
enough and you act impulsively, you may not consider all the other factors
that play into making a decision.
YATA

7 key points that can help the right

decision

1. Investigate the situation in detail. 4. Explore your options.

2. Create a constructive environment. 5. Select the best solution.

3. Generate good alternatives. 6. Evaluate your plan.

7. Communicate your decision, and take action.

GOGO

How they can help in making the right decisions?

Feelings and moral decision-making are intertwined in varios ways. Here's

are some ways to help in making the right decision:
Emotional awareness
Empathy
Intuition
Reflective
Ethical sensitivity
RENEGADO

Is Feeling Helpful in Making Right Decisions?

We are persuaded by reason, but we are moved by emotion:
Several studies conclude that up to 90% of the decisions we make are based on
emotion.
We use logic to justify our actions to ourselves and to others.
Significant factors include past experiences, a variety of cognitive biases, an
escalation of commitment and include outcomes, individual differences, including
age and socioeconomic status, and a belief in personal relevance but the question
of the help of feeling in decision making is significant.
RENEGADO

Connecting With Emotions in Decision

Making

Yes, feeling is helpful. Most of us are groping in the dark, swimming in a

mixture of emotions – from the misery that may trigger the thought of escape
from a bad situation, to the excitement that comes with the spark of an idea,
to the feeling of quasi-terror when we imagine all the things that could go
wrong if we leave the comfort of what we know and venture forth onto a new
path.
SALINAS

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 analytic thought; involves
justification/ justifying. Reason is a necessary requirement for morality. In the
case of moral judgments, they require backing by reasons. Truth in Ethics
entails being justified by good reasons.

Moral truths - are objective in the sense that they are true no matter what we
might want or think.
 IMBONG

Reason and Impartiality as Minimum

Requirement for Morality

Impartiality - involves the idea that each individual's interests and point of view are
equally important. It is a principle of justice. Impartiality in morality requires that we
give equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned parties.
ELIGAN

Scott Rae’s 7 Steps to Moral Reasoning Model

-A model for making moral decisions, Rae (1996) suggests the following
procedure for making moral decisions – within this, his work is not to get you to
the “right” answer but to help you ask the right questions in your ethical
deliberation.

-Rae says his model is free from cultural, ethnic and religious background biases –
though it is consistent with the Bible and uses biblical principles, it is not a
distinctively “Christian model”.
ELIGAN

7 Step Model is as follows:

1. Gather the Facts

-The simplest way of clarifying an ethical dilemma is to make sure the facts are clear.

Ask: Do you have the facts that are necessary to make a good decision? What do we
know? What do we need to know? In this light might become clear that the dilemma is
not ethical but about communication or strategy.
ELIGAN

7 Step Model

2. Determine the Ethical Issues

-Ethical interest are stated in terms of legitimate competing interest or goods. The
competing interests are what creates the dilemma. Moral values and virtues must
support the competing interests in order for an ethical dilemma to exist.

3. Determine What Virtues/Principles Have a Bearing On the Case

-in an ethical dilemma, certain values and principles are central to the competing
positions.
MUNAR

7 Step Model

4. List the alternatives

-Creatively determine possible courses of action for your dilemma. Some will almost
immediately be discarded but generally the more you list the greater potential for
coming up with a really good one. It will also help you come up with a boarder selection
of ideas.
MUNAR

7 Step Model

5. Compare the alternatives with the virtues/principles

-This step eliminates alternatives as they are weighted by the moral principles
which have a bearing on the case. Potentially the issue will be resolved here as
all alternatives except one are eliminated.
MUNAR

7 Step Model
6. Consider the consequences
-If principles have not yielded a clear decision consider the consequences of your
alternatives. Take the alternatives and work out the positive and negative consequences
of each. Estimate how beneficial each positive and negative consequence is – some might
have greater weight than others.

7. Make a decision
-Ethical decisions rarely have pain-free solutions – it might be you have to choose the
solution with the least number of problems/painful consequences.
MUEGA

Moral Courage: The Difference between

Reason and Will

Moral Courage

-Ethics and integrity involve doing the right thing, especially when faced with
shame, opposition, or disapproval. It involves matching words and actions with
values and ideals, focusing on who we reveal ourselves through our actions.
SUELAN

Developing the Will

Will - refers to the mental ability that selects the strongest desire among
the variety of desires present at the time of decision-making. The will
does not need reason or any determination.

-Developing the will is an ongoing process—one that empowers you to

act ethically, face challenges, and persevere toward noble ends.
SUELAN

Why the will is as important as reason ?

-The will determines that a certain judgment be made while the reason determines
the nature of the judgment actually made.

As we look into the discipline of human activity, we can see

two great dynamos: The Intellect and The Will of Man

The work of the first is to know; and of the second is to desire, to move, to enjoy.
The will of itself is blind; like every other appetite in every other creature, it
trails along, following and limited by knowledge.
SUELAN

As we look into the discipline of human activity, we can see

two great dynamos: The Intellect and The Will of Man

The intellect, of itself, is powerless to move itself or anything else.

Yet from the combination of these two, we have that distinctive human product
– movement with knowledge, controlled or deliberate movement, that is
the means by which happiness is obtained. Not movement alone, but
controlled movement make a success of life.
GROUP 3

END OF LESSON
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