Ethics and Morality

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF ETHICS

 Objectives

At the end of the module, the students should be able

to:

Define ethics and morality;

Explain why they have to follow rules;
Distinguish the concept of moral standards from
non-moral standards and amoral standards;
Articulate the differences of ordinary rules from
moral rules/standards.
 Ethics Defined

 Ethics comes from the Greek word "ethos“

meaning ”character”.

 Ethics refers to the rules of conduct recognized

in respect to a particular class of human actions
or a particular group or culture.

 Ethics comes from social system (external

source). We do it because society says it is the
right thing to do.
 Ethics Defined

 Ethics are dependent on others for definition.

They tend to be consistent within a certain
context, but can vary between contexts.

 Ethics are governed by professional and legal

guidelines within a particular time and place.
 Moral Defined

 Moral comes from the Latin word "mores“

meaning “custom".

 Morals are the Principles or habits with respect

to right or wrong conduct. While morals also
prescribe dos and don'ts, morality is ultimately a
personal compass of right and wrong.
 Moral Defined

 Morality comes from individual themselves

(internal source). We do it (or we do not do it)
because we believe on something being right or
wrong.

 Moral is usually consistent, although can change

if an individual’s beliefs change.

 Moral transcends cultural norms.

 To summarize:

Ethics are codes of conduct that pertain to a

community, family, company or a nation. On the
other hand, morality refers to personal sets of
beliefs about what is right and wrong.

Ethics is accepted by the entity of the community

but morals are not.

People have their morals that may or may not be

in sync with society’s ethics.
 Thus, the study of ethics…

It is about the moral decision process (HOW we

arrive at the moral decision).

Ethics is not solely about theoretical knowledge

but the application of that knowledge…how to
transform such knowledge into action in our
everyday life.
 Types of Ethics

Meta-Ethics – descriptive in nature. Describe or Explains why an

‘Act’ is good or bad/ right or wrong.
Ex. Abortion is wrong because it kills a person.

Normative Ethics – prescriptive in nature. Sets norms, standards

or guidelines on how to ‘Act’.
Ex. Do not abort an innocent baby.

Applied Ethics (Casuists/Professional Ethics) – application of

moral theories in a particular situation or group.
Ex. Doctors should only perform abortion as a last resort for
ailing pregnant women.
 Moral vs. Non-Moral Standards

Moral concerned with the principles of right and wrong

behavior and the goodness or badness of human
character;
Immoral describes people who can differentiate
between right and wrong but intentionally do wrong
anyway;
Non-moral is used when morality is clearly not an
issue, and;
Amoral implies acknowledgment of what is right and
what is wrong but an unconcern for morality when
carrying out an act.
 Basic Ethical Principles

 Respect for Person and Environment (Both

Living/Non-Living Things)
 Truthfulness and Confidentiality
 Autonomy and Informed Consent
 Beneficence
 Non-Maleficence
 Justice
 The Moral Standards…

Moral standards deal with matters that can

seriously injure or benefit human beings.
The validity of moral standards rests on
the adequacy of reasons to support and
justify them, not on the decision of majority
or authoritative bodies.
Moral standards are to be preferred to other
values, including self-interest.
 The Moral Standards…

Moral standards are based on impartial

considerations.
Moral standards are expressed in
universalized view point from an ideal
observer.
Moral standards are associated with
special emotions such as ‘guilt’, ‘shame’,
‘remorse’, ‘praise’, ‘pity’, ‘indignation’.
 THREE LEVELS OF MORAL
DILEMMAS

1. Individual Dilemmas – personal in nature

Examples:
a. deciding which parent to live with
b. deciding whether to let their family starve
or steal bread from someone else
 THREE LEVELS OF MORAL
DILEMMAS

2. Organizational Dilemmas – a dilemma that

exist within an organization or a particular sector.
It refers to a problem of reconciling
inconsistencies between individual needs and
aspirations on the one hand, and the collective
purpose of the organization on the other.
Example:
a. A manager deciding which employee to
promote
 THREE LEVELS OF MORAL
DILEMMAS

3. Systematic/Structural Dilemma – This

dilemma refers to ongoing search for satisfactory
system. Managers rarely face well defined
problems with clear cut solutions, instead, they
confront enduring dilemmas like trade offs,
without easy answers.
Example:
a. The President deciding which
economic system to follow.