Ethics Module 1 PDF

Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Acc...

Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited LSPU Self-Paced Learning Module (SLM) Course Ethics Sem/AY First Semester/2024-2025 Module No. 1 Lesson Title Chapter I : Understanding Week 2-5 Duration Date August 26 – September 20, 2024 This lesson dwells on Ethics. This will discuss the importance of rules, its strength and Description weaknesses as well as the moral dilemma of a Filipino Character. This will also focus on the of the Lesson Moral and Non-Moral Standards we need to consider in ethics. Learning Outcomes Intended Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes: Learning 1. Distinguish between Moral and Non-Moral Standards Outcomes 2. Discuss moral dilemma as a moral dilemma 3. Articulate what culture, enculturation, inculturation and acculturation mean Targets/ At the end of the lesson, students should be able to: Objectives Explain the Importance of Rules Cite the strengths and weaknesses Analyze Crucial qualities of the Filipino moral identity Student Learning Strategies Online Activities A. Online Discussion via Google Meet (Synchronous/ You will be directed to attend in a 1-hour class discussion. To have Access to the Asynchronous) online discussion, refer to this link: _______________ B. Learning Guide Questions: 1. What is rule? 2. How importat rule is? 3. What are the the things we need to consider in moral dilemma? Note: The insight that you will post on online discussion forum using Learning Management System (LMS) will receive additional scores in class participation. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Lecture Guide I. Understanding Morality and Moral Standards I.I Course Orientation and The Importance of Rules Everywhere you go are rules at home, at school, in church, in the barangay. Do these rules make our life more difficult and so should be eliminated or do these rules make our life more peaceful and orderly? Imagine your life, your home, your school, your Church and community without rules. Rules are important to social beings. Just imagine the chaos that results from the absence of rules. What happens when students and professors alike come to school in any attire they want? Imagine what happens when in the classroom everyone wants to talk at the same time. Let's go out of the classroom for more examples. What if there were no traffic rules? Rules can be expanded to include the Philippine Constitution and other laws. What if there were no Constitution and other laws of the land? Offline Activities Rules are meant to set order. Rules (the Philippine Constitution and other laws (e-Learning/Self- included) are meant for man. The greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ, preached Paced) emphatically, "The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath". The law of the Sabbath, i.e. to keep it holy and observe rest, is meant to make man whole by resting and by giving him time to thank and spend time in prayer and worship for his own good. For the sake of order in society, everyone is subject to rules. In a democratic country like the Philippines, we often hear the statement "No one is above the law," including the highest official of the country. We are all subject to rules or else court chaos. Rules are not meant to restrict your freedom. They are meant to help you grow in freedom, to grow in your ability to choose and do what is good for you and for others. If there are rules or laws that restrict your ability or strength to do good, they are suffocating laws and they are not good laws. They ought to be abolished. Any rule or law that prevents human persons from doing and being good ought to be repealed. They have no reasons to exist. In fact, if you are a rule or a law-abiding citizen, you don't even feel the restricting presence of a rule or law because you do what the law or what the rule states everybody should do. Looking from a higher point of view, this is the state when one acts not because rules demand it but because one sees he has to act that way. It is like saying one no longer needs the rule or law because one has become mature and wise enough to discern what ought to be done. This is an ideal state which the ancient ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Chinese sages (Confucius, Lao Tzu) referred to as state of no-more rules, no-more laws, because people discern what is right or good and do what is right or good without thinking or a rule or law; people are no longer in need of a government because they can govern themselves. It is a state where one owns the moral standard not just abide by the moral standard. I.II Moral and Non Moral Standards We often hear the terms "moral standards" and "non-moral standards." What do these refer to? What about the word "immoral?" Is there such a thing as immoral standards? Is immoral synonymous with non-moral? Ethymology and Meaning of Ethics The term "ethics" comes from the Greek word "ethos" meaning "custom" used in the works of Aristotle, while the term "moral" is the Latin equivalent. Based on the Greek and Latin etymology of the word "ethics" ethics deals with morality. When the Roman orator Cicero exclaimed, "O tempora o mores" (Cicero, 1856) (Oh, what time and what morals), he may have been trying to express dismay of the morality of his time. Ethics or moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy which deals with moral standards, inquires about the rightness or wrongness of human behavior or the goodness or badness of personality, trait or character. It deals with ideas, with topics such as moral standards or norms of morality, conscience, moral values and virtues. Ethics is a study of the morality of human acts and moral agents, what makes an act obligatory and what makes a person accountable. "Moral" is the adjective describing a human act as either ethically right or wrong, or qualifying a person, personality, character, as either ethically good or bad. Moral Standards or Moral Frameworks and Non-Moral Standards Since ethics is a study of moral standards, then the first question for the course is, what are moral standards. The following are supposed to be examples of moral standards: "Stealing is wrong." "Killing is wrong." "Telling lies is wrong." "Adultery is wrong." "Environment preservation is the right thing to do". "Freedom with responsibility is the right way." "Giving what is due to others is justice". Hence, moral ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited standards are norms or prescriptions that serve as the frameworks for determining what ought to be done or what is right or wrong action, what is good or bad character. In the Activity phase of this Lesson the following can be classified as moral standards: Do not lie. Don't steal. Don't cheat others. Don't kill. Moral standards are either consequences standards (like Stuart Mill's utilitarianism) or non-consequence standards (like Aristole's virtue, St. Thomas' natural law, or Immanuel Kant' good will or sense of duty). The consequence standards depend on results, outcome. An act that results in the general welfare, in the greatest good of the greatest number, is moral. To take part in a project that results in the improvement of the majority of people is, therefore, moral. The non-consequence standards are based on the natural law. Natural law is the law of God revealed through human reason. It is the "law of God written in the hearts of men." To preserve human life is in accordance with the natural law, therefore it is moral. Likewise, the non-consequence standard may also be based on good will or intention, and on a sense of duty. Respect for humanity, treatment of the other as a human person, an act that is moral, springs from a sense of duty, a sense of duty that you wish will apply to all human persons. On the other hand, non-moral standards are social rules, demands of etiquette and good manners. They are guides of action which should be followed as expected by society. Sometimes they may not be followed or some people may follow them. From time to time, changes are made regarding good manners or etiquette. In sociology, non-moral standards or rules are called folkways. In short, non-moral actions are those where moral categories cannot be applied. Examples of non-moral standards are rules of good manners and right conduct, etiquette, rules of behavior set by parents, teachers, and standards of grammar or language, standards of art, standards of sports set by other authorities. Examples are "do not eat with your mouth open;" "observe rules of grammar," and "do not wear socks that don't match." Classification of the Theories of Moral Standards Garner and Rosen (1967) classified the various moral standards formulated by moral philosophers as follows: 1) Consequence (teleological, from tele which means end, result, or consequence) standard states that an act is right or wrong depending on the consequences of the act, that is, the good that is produced in the world. Will it do you good if you go to school? If the answer is right, because you learn how to read and write, then going to school is right. The consequence standard can also be a basis for determining whether or not a rule is a right ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited rule. So the consequence standard states that the rightness or wrongness of a rule depends on the consequences or the good that is produced in following the rule. For instance, if everyone follows the rule of a game, everyone will enjoy playing the game. This good consequence proves the rule must be a correct rule. 2) Not-only-consequence standard (deontological), holds that the rightness or wrongness of an action or rule depends on sense of duty, natural law, virtue and the demand of the situation or circumstances. The rightness or wrongness of an action does not only depend or rely on the consequence of that action or following that rule. What Makes Standards Moral? The question means what obliges us to follow a moral standard? For theists, believers in God's existence, moral standards are commandments of God revealed to man through prophets. According to the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments were revealed by God to Moses. One who believes in God vows to Him and obliges himself/herself to follow His Ten Commandments. For theists, God is the ultimate source of what is moral revealed to human persons. How about non-theists? For non-theists, God is not the source of morality. Moral standards are based on the wisdom of sages like Confucius or philosophers like Immanuel Kant. The Origin of Moral Standards: Theist and Non-Theist Related to the question on what makes moral standards moral is how do moral standards arise or come into existence? A lot of new attempts to explain the origins of morality or moral standards have been made. The theistic line of thought states moral standards are of divine origin while 20th century thinkers claim state that they simply evolved. The issue is: Are moral standards derived from God, communicated to man through signs or revelation, or did they arise in the course of man's evolution? With the Divine source concept, moral standards are derived from natural law, man's "participation" in the Divine law. The moral principle, "Do good and avoid evil" is an expression of natural law. Man's obliging himself to respect the life, liberty, and property of his fellowman arises from the God-given sacredness, spirituality, and dignity of his fellow man. It arises from his faith, hope, and love of God and man. With the evolutionary concept, the basics of moral standards do good, avoid evil - have been observed among primates and must have evolved as the process of evolution followed its course. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited I.III Moral Dilemmas After learning moral and non-moral standards, you must now have an idea of what a moral experience is. When you find yourself in a moral dilemma, you are in for a moral experience. What is a moral dilemma? Meaning of Moral Dilemma A moral dilemma is a problem in the decision-making between two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is also referred to as ethical dilemma. The Oxford Dictionary defines ethical dilemma as a "decision-making problem between two possible moral imperatives, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. It is sometimes called an ethical paradox in moral philosophy." (Oxford Dictionary) This means that moral dilemmas are situations where two or more moral values or duties make demands on the decision-maker, who can only honor one of them, and thus will violate at least one important moral concern, no matter what he or she decides to do. Moral dilemmas present situations where there is tension between moral values and duties that are more or less on equal footing. The decision-maker has to choose between a wrong and another wrong. The decision-maker is a deadlock. In the case of Pregnant Lady and the Dynamite, there were two options - use the dynamite and kill the pregnant woman but save the other 5 or don't use the dynamite and all the 5 will get drowned except the pregnant woman whose head is out. To have a genuine dilemma, one of the conflicting solutions should not override the other. For instance, "... the requirement to protect others from serious harm overrides the requirement to repay one's debts by returning a borrowed item when its owner so demands." Hence, "in addition to the features mentioned above, in order to have a genuine moral dilemma it must also be true that neither of the conflicting requirements is overridden" (McConnell, T. 2019). This means that none of the conflicting requirements is solved by the other. The persons involved in the dilemma are in a deadlock. They find themselves in a "damn-if-you-do and damn-if you-don't" situation. Another example of a moral dilemma is the story from the Bible about King Herod. On his birthday, his stepdaughter, Salome danced so well in front of him and the guests at his party that he promised to give her anything she wanted. Salome consulted her mother about what she should wish for, and decided to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The king now had a choice between honoring the promise to his stepdaughter, or honoring the life of John the Baptist. And Herod chose to have John the Baptist beheaded. The king had inadvertently designed a moral trap for himself, a dilemma where whatever he decided to do would be morally wrong. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Meaning of false Dilemma On the other hand, a false dilemma is a situation where the decision-maker has a moral duty to do one thing, but is tempted or under pressure to do something else. A false dilemma is a choice between a right and a wrong. For example, a lawyer or an accountant can face an opportunity to prioritize self- interest over client’s interest. What to Do When Faced with a Moral Dilemma Ultimately, dilemmas are conflicts in the application of moral standards. The question is which moral standards must be followed? In a state of emergency, necessity demands no moral law. You have to decide based on your best judgement or choose based on the principle of lesser evil on greater good or agency. I.IV The Three Levels of Dilemmas This Lesson reinforces your understanding of moral dilemmas. After understanding the meaning of moral dilemmas, let us now illustrate three levels of moral dilemma. In this Lesson, you are expected to give examples of the levels of moral dilemmas. A research on some significant events in history may help you arrive at a concrete understanding of structural dilemma most especially. A. Individual This refers to personal dilemmas. It is an individual's damn-if you-do-and-damn-if-you-don't situation. The case of Heinz as given the Activity phase of the lesson is one of the best known individual dilemma's of Kohlberg's (1958). Kohlberg's dilemma questions were as follows: "Should Heinz have stolen the drug." (Mackinnon, B., etal 2015) If he did not steal the drug that would mean his wife's death. He was torn between stealing the drug and saving his wife. The dilemma is faced by an individual who is torn between 2 obligations - to save the wife or obey the law. So this an example of an individual dilemma. B. Organizational An organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social organization and members' self-interest. It may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare or between group interests and organizational well-being... (Wagner, J. 2019) The example of the Catholic school in the Activity phase of the lesson shows the dilemma between the goal of the school to give quality education for the poor and so must charge the lowest tuition fee possible and yet to keep quality faculty the school must raise their salary and consequently, must raise tuition. Organizational dilemmas may likewise occur in business, medical, and public sector. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited The following hypothetical case highlights the story of Mr. Brown, a 74-year old man who is seriously ill of metastatic lung cancer. Mr. Brown completed a full course of radiation therapy as well as chemotherapy for treatment of his cancer, and he is now hospitalized with severe shortness of breath and pneumonia. His physician has managed the symptoms associated with the lung disease, including chest pain, fever, infection, and respiratory distress, but believes that there are no other options available to aggressively treat the underlying cancer.... Both Mr. Brown and his wife clearly state that they want everything done.... The dilemma here lies in the conflicting concerns: a) the financial problems of Mr. Brown and his wife, b) the hospital concern of focusing its attention on this hopeless patient when there are other cases which have still possible remedies, c) the other hospital patient's concern, particularly their need of the medicine used by Mr. Brown, c) the concern of the medical staff, et al. Organizational dilemmas arise due to different opposing concerns between various groupings in an organization. C. Structural The case of the principal whether to be participatory or non participatory in school affairs but due to her not so favorable experience of attempting to be participatory ended up to one- woman rule is an example of a structural dilemma. Below are more examples of structural dilemma. Differentiation Versus Integration in Structural Dilemma Different divisions have their own different culture and so coordination between divisions or bringing them together for becomes more difficult. With decentralization, local governments have become more empowered to direct their affairs just as schools have become empowered to address their problems or are given opportunity to localize the given curriculum. In effect, local governments and schools have likewise become more differentiated and so it becomes more difficult to integrate them for a unified structure. Local governance and schools curricula have become more complex. There is need for more costly coordination strategies. Any attempt to introduce reform in society or government creates structural dilemma. For instance, promoting or introducing universal health care, which is tantamount to socialized health care, gives rise to a structural dilemma, that is, a conflict of perspective of sectors, groups and institutions that may be affected by the decision. Why would those who contribute ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited less to the social fund enjoy the same benefits as those who contributed big amounts of premium? In a study on the prices of medicines in the Philippines, it was established that "patients are buying medicines from the private sector at many times their international reference price" (Ateneo de Manila University 2019). If the government intervenes by introducing price control, the drug stores may lose so much that they may close shop. If the government does not do anything at all, the patients will continue to suffer because they may not be able to afford the high prices of medicines. Gap Versus Overlap There may be gaps and overlaps in roles and responsibilities. If key responsibilities are not clearly assigned, there may be gaps or overlaps in important tasks. If there are gaps, organizations end up with no one doing the responsibility. If there are overlaps, things become unclear and may lead to more confusion and even conflict and worse wasted effort and perhaps even resources because of the unintended overlap. Here is an example. A patient in a teaching hospital called her husband to report how disturbed she is and how sleepless she was during the night. At night, she couldn't sleep because hospital staff kept waking her up, often to repeat what someone else had already done. This is an overlap of nurse duty. Conversely, when she wanted something, her call button rarely produced any response. This is a gap. There is a gap as to who according to rule is supposed to respond to the buzzer. (www.humancapitalreview.org/content/default.asp?Article ID528# To illustrate further the consequence of gap and overlap, here is a story to show what happens when there is a gap or overlap. A boy wa his pants shorter. So he went to his mother to ask him to shorten it. His mother was busy computing grades and told her son to ask his sister to do it. His sister was busy reviewing for the final exams and asked her brother to ask their elder brother to do it. But his older brother was also busy with his school project and so could not also attend to it. The boy highly frustrated went to sleep. His pants were beside him. After finishing her grades, Mother peeped into her son's room, saw the pants and remembered her son's request. So she took a pair of scissors and shortened them. Before she went to bed, the sister also remembered her brother's request. Full of remorse she went to her younger brother's room, saw the pants, got a pair of scissors and shortened them, too. The older brother finally completed his school project and suddenly remembered his brother's asking for help to shorten the pants. So he went to his younger brother's room, got a pair of scissors and cut them, too. When the younger brother woke up, he was surprised to see a pair of extremely short shorts. The pants which he wanted to make just a little bit shorter ended up too short to him! That is what happens when there are gaps or overlaps in an organization. The gaps leave an important thing in an organization undone. The overlap results in unnecessary and counterproductive, redundant procedures which ultimately lead to waste of resources. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Lack of Clarity Versus Lack of Creativity If employees are unclear about what they are supposed to do, they often tailor their roles around personal preferences instead of system wide goals, frequently leading to trouble. Most McDonald's customers are not seeking novelty and surprise in their burgers and fries. But when responsibilities are over defined, people conform to prescribed roles and protocols in "bureaucratic" ways. They rigidly follow job descriptions regardless of how much the service or product suffers and so end up uncreative. "You lost my bag!" an angry passenger shouted, confronting an airline manager. The manager's response was to inquire, "How was the flight?" "I asked about my bag," the passenger said. "That's not my job," the manager replied. "See someone in baggage claim." The passenger did not leave as a happy airline customer. www. humancapitalreview.org/content/default.asp?Article ID528# The job of the manager was overdefined and made the manager uncreative and inefficient. Her job in relation to the airline system wide goals was neither clear and so ended up giving the wrong answer that turned off the airline passenger. Flexibility versus Strict Adherence to Rules You accommodate by bending rules to help someone or you stick strictly to rules no matter what and so unable to help someone who is thrown into a helpless situation. Or you may become being too accommodating that all rules are no more. Your jobs are defined so clearly that you will stick to them even if circumstances are such that by sticking to your job description the service or product that your organization provides suffers. Excessive Autonomy Versus Excessive Interdependence This refers to being too isolated versus too much coordination. To illustrate: When individuals or groups are too autonomous, people often feel isolated and disconnected. School teachers working in self-contained classrooms and rarely working with other teachers may feel lonely and unsupported. Yet, efforts to create closer teamwork have repeatedly failed because of teachers' difficulties in working together. In contrast, if units and roles are too tightly linked, people are distracted from work and waste time on unnecessary or too much coordination. IBM lost an early lead in the personal computer business in part because new initiatives required so many approvals - from levels and divisions alike that new products were over designed and late to market. Hewlett-Packard's ability to innovate in the late 1990's was hindered by the same problem. (www.humancapitalreview.org/content/default.asp? Article_ID528#) Structural dilemma is the dilemma arising from conflicting concerns among various sectors of society. In the first instance of differentiation versus integration, the dilemma is how to ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited enforce a decision, policy, or rule intended for everybody among many different or unique groups or individuals. In the second, the dilemma arises because of either gaps or overlaps in the procedure of implementation of certain projects or policies among involved agencies like the FBI and CIA in the U.S.A. or like the NBI and the INP in the Philippines. GAPS creates serious consequences. Read about the unforgettable Mamasapano massacre in Mindanao, Philippines. Contextualized versus Decentralised Decision Making In decentralized decision making, organizations can respond to change more rapidly and effectively because the decision makers are the people closest to the situation. However, top managers may lose some control. This is the dilemma of tight overcentralization or diffusing authority which is loose. Structural Dilemma in a World Organisation like the UN Succinctly put, a structural dilemma in a world organization like the UN is the problem of the balance between world order and national sovereignty re-stated as the balance between the measure of international authority essential to the establishment of an organized common peace and the continued freedom of action of the separate members of the world community or the balance between interdependence and independence. (Jenks, 1971) Source: digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article-2186&context-gic Some Structural Dilemmas of World Organization* C. Wilfred Jenks** Georgia Journal of International & International & Comparative Law Volume 3 1973 Issue 1 Resolving Moral Dilemmas The following offer some techniques in resolving moral dilemma: One way is to think of available alternative options revealing that the dilemma does not really exist. This happens where there are available alternative options. For instance one is experiencing a dilemma between stealing or not stealing otherwise his family will either die of hunger or survive. The creative moral agent will try to think of other alternatives, like "alternative means of income or support such as social safety net, charity, etc." Another way is "choosing the greater good and lesser evil" or...," Or one may apply the situation ethics approach, following the rule, one must do only what he can where he is. Do not resort to extraordinary or supernatural means. Joseph Fletcher offers some principles in resolving moral dilemma. He uses Kant's "ought implies I can" rule. If I ought to do something, then I can do it. By contraposition, if I cannot do something, then I cannot be obliged to do it. Or by implication, either I cannot be obliged to do something or I can do it. In other words, one is only obliged to do something if and only if he can do it. So Fletcher says, "do what you can where you are." Or quoting St. Augustine's, "Dilige, et quod vis fae" (love and do what you will). The extent of one's obligation and ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited responsibility is the extent of one's ability and the measure of the "extent" is one's capacity for love. Here is a situation: You are a father of seven children. On your support, seven children plus your wife depend. You work in the mines and receive only a minimum wage. After working like a "carabao" in the mines, you need to ease your pains with a bottle of gin before you lie down to rest and sleep. You also need to eat food sufficient enough to replace your wasted energy. Hence, you spend for wine, food, and cigarette. Minus these expenses, the balance of your wage is just enough for the food of your children. Nothing is left for their education, and other expenses. Question: Should you be faulted for not being able to sacrifice enough by giving up your needs, so that your dependents can have something left for their education? You love your family, but you have a need you cannot give up. Is your case what Fletcher wants to picture? Your obligation ends where your capacity for love ends. Love is supposed to be unconditional, no limits of sacrifice or boundaries. But your love is human, you are only human. "You can only do what you can where you are." Others can sacrifice more by giving up their gin and cigarette and eat less expensive food. Yes others can, but can one be faulted for not being like the others, not having the strength to overcome a vice? Can one not argue that the extent of his ability is the limit of his responsibility? On the other hand, can it not be said that resorting to human frailty is just a convenient or comfortable way of justifying one's lack of moral will? That may be easier said than done, although it is possible for one who has virtue as his moral strength. But what can be said of one who has no moral virtue or strength to sacrifice with the discomfort of self-giving? Endless condemnation? That would be un- Christian. I.V Freedom as Foundation for Moral Acts Do the lower forms of animals have ethics? Like can we say that a dog is immoral or unethical if it defecates right there at you doorstep? Or is ethics only for human persons? If so, why? Ethics Applies only to Human Persons The song, My Way/Born This Way, implies choice or freedom "I did it my way". Unlike the lower forms of animals, human persons have a choice or freedom, hence morality applies only to human persons. Ethics, therefore, applies only to human persons. We cannot say a cat is "unethical" when it eats the food at table intended for you or when a dog urinates on your favorite bag lying on the floor. Dilemmas presuppose freedom. Freedom-loving societies have customary ways of training the young to exercise their freedom. Parents regularly give their children opportunities to choose. "Guys, what do you want for breakfast - ham and egg or pancake?" Later in life, they come face to face with hard choices. Then dilemmas come along. There is such a thing as a dilemma because there is such a thing as freedom. If there is no ability or power of choice, ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited then any incident simply happens without any interference. There would also be no obligation to do any act in expectation of the responsibility following the act. Freedom and Moral Choice Without freedom it is impossible to make a moral choice." If we are to have free will we must have the ability to make a decision that is unhindered. Kant believed that we must have free will if we are to be held morally responsible for our actions. If God did not give us free will then our decisions cannot be considered immoral or moral as we would have had to act in the way we did. Thus we cannot be held responsible; a good moral action cannot be praised as you had no other option, whilst an immoral action cannot be punished as once again there was no free choice. In other words, making moral choice is a necessary consequence for being free, a consequence of being a human person. Because a human person has freedom, he/she has a choice and so is responsible for the consequences of his/her choice. The lower forms of animals have no choice since they are bound by instinct and so cannot be held responsible for their behavior. To be Ethical: Own Not Merely Abide by Moral Standards Having free will or freedom to choose among alternatives, which implies prior analysis and study, is coming to terms with what you finally affirm or deny. When you arrive at a personal conviction and self affirmation, you begin to own the moral standard. The moral standard begins to be integrated, internalized. You follow the norm not because it is imposed by others, not because others say so or authoritatively impose it on you. On the other hand, merely abiding by moral standards means applying them as basis to resolve a moral problem without necessarily having internalized them. Merely abiding by them means once the enforcer is not around, the moral standard is not followed. Or if you do not own or internalize the standard, you will tend to use it for convenience, to evade responsibility, to put the blame on the standard itself when things do not end well. You simply become legalistic, and adopt the maxims, "follow the rule or law, even if the sky falls down"; "the law says so"; the law is hard, but it is the law (dura lex sed lex). You follow the law because others, authorities, regulators say so; not because you say so. Owning moral standards means internalizing them, making them part of your conviction. Internalized or embodied moral standards are being followed with or without anyone telling you. You internalize a rule after using reason to understand. When you are persuaded of its wisdom, it becomes your basis of resolving an ethical problem. You decide to do something not because the law says so but because you yourself say so. This may be termed as the embodiment of the moral standard in you. The moral standard becomes one with the moral agent. As the moral agent, this moral standard becomes your natural and immediate basis in your ethical decision making. The presupposition is that you have come to own the moral standard after having been convinced of its wisdom, having chosen it among other principles or standards. Any dilemma regarding ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited the standard has been resolved. Under the Chinese Taoist concept of harmony, this is where the thought, the word, and the action become one. This author once visited a Taoist temple and had a chance to ask what a Taoist live by as a principle of life. He replied, "what I think must be the same as what I say, and what I say must be the same as what I do." The result is oneness of thought, word and action, and its effect is an integrated personality, personality made whole. Making your mind, word, and action, a unity is not easy. You have in mind the maxim, "honesty is the best policy." As a teacher you always tell that to students. But deep in your heart you know it has been difficult to be honest all the time. There was the joke, of which no one knew the source regarding the motto of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Integrity, Courage, Loyalty." This is a signage at the gate of PMA in Baguio City. At that time, some military officials, alumni of PMA, were being investigated for corruption, the word "Integrity" disappeared. I.VI Culture : How it defines moral behaviour The "absolute freedom" that the existentialist and phenomenologist are talking about does not of course exist in vacuum. It exists in a world. with all its spatio-temporal conditions, its "facticity." Facticity refers to the "givens" of our situation such as our language, our environment. Our previous choices and our very selves in their function as in-itself constitute our facticity. (Sartte, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) That includes. culture. In this Lesson, we shall discuss culture and how it affects our definition of moral behavior. What is Culture? Culture "is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. This consists of language, ideas, customs, morals, laws, taboos, institutions, tools, techniques, and works of art, rituals and other capacities and habits acquired by a person as a member of society." (Taylor as quoted by Palispis, 1997). These include the list of items you made in the Activity phase of this Lesson. Culture is the one word expected of Question # 2 of Activity # 1. The Magisterium of the Church explains culture as "the set of means used by mankind to become more virtuous and reasonable in order to become fully human. In its fullest sense, culture means opening up to the divine, and ultimately, to a religious dimension." Based on this Church definition, it is clear that culture is meant to serve human persons. Sociologists categorize culture into material and non-material culture. "Nonmaterial culture consists of language, values, rules, knowledge, and meanings shared by members of society. Material culture is the physical object that a society produces-tools, streets, homes and toys, to name a few." (Brinkerhoff, 1989). If you review your lists again in the Activity phase, you will be able to categorize those that belong to material culture and to the non-material culture. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Culture is passed on to the next generation by learning not through the genes or heredity. "Culture" includes all human phenomena which are not purely results of human genetics. (Kroeber et al, 1952) The Human Person and Culture As a moral agent you are born into a culture, a factual reality you have not chosen. You are not born nothing. It may be said that the Aristotelico-Thomistic tradition is one dominant, if not the most dominant culture. This Aristotelico-Thomistic culture is a Greco-Roman culture, which has influenced and shaped the moral life of those who have been exposed to it. Those who were born into this culture, educated under this culture, are persuaded that there is God, that a divine order and law keep and govern the world, which includes you. But what happens when there are different cultures with their own different views of man's direction and destiny? For instance, the Greek culture introduced the idea of perfection. In terms of numbers, a perfect thing is 100%; in terms of figures, it is a whole circle. A perfect thing has no privation, no lack, no absence of being. What if a new culture redefines perfection as any created and present model, which may be recreated, remolded like clay? Any change in the model may be perceived as the creation of a new model of perfection, not the actualization of what was lacking. Every created model is a perfection in its own right. Enculturation, Inculturation and Acculturation Cultures change or evolve. There are various ways by which cultures change - by enculturation, inculturation and by acculturation. Enculturation, an anthropological term, was coined by J.M. Herskovits Margaret Mead has, however, was the one who defined the term as "the process of learning a culture in all its uniqueness and particularity". Enculturation is a process of learning from infancy till death, the components of life in one's culture. The contents of this learning include both the material and non-material culture. The latter refers to values while the former refers to tools such as a hoe or mask. In the said process of learning, a person grows into a culture, acquires competence in that culture and that culture takes root in that person and becomes the cognitive map, the term of reference for acting. For instance, African girls (South of the Sahara) grow up learning that as a woman she has less rights privileges as the African man. For instance, a man can marry more than one woman while she cannot. While the African wife cannot share her love with other men, the man can share his with other women in the system. It turns women into an appendage, a property of the man - one of the man's laborers. Umoren, U.E. (1992) Another marriage practice that shows that the African woman is the property of the husband and his family is levirate marriage. Levirate marriage is the marriage between the widow and the brother of her deceased husband. Therefore at the husband's death the woman is ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited generally expected to stay on (as property of the family) without any choice in the matter. She raises children to immortalise the deceased husband's name. Umoren, U.E. 1992. This is enculturation in concrete terms. The African girl grows up and becomes a woman through the said process of enculturation. This enculturation process has both cognitive and emotional elements. The girl child who later becomes a woman learns and internalizes the idea that she, because she is a woman, has less privileges than the African man. This learning takes place through example, direct teaching and in patterns of behavior. What is learned becomes her cognitive map, her term of reference that directs her behavior. Another term is inculturation. Inculturation refers to the "missiological process in which the Gospel is rooted in a particular culture and the latter is transformed by its introduction to Christianity." Umoren, U.E. (1992) In the Special Assembly of the Synod in 1985, Pope John Paul II defined inculturation in Redemptoris Mission, n. 52, as... the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration in Christianity and the insertion of Christianity in the various human cultures." This means that inculturation is characterized by a dual movement, i.e. a dialogic movement towards cultures via the incarnation of the Gospel and the transmission of its values, and a movement towards the Church that involves the incorporation of values that come from the cultures the latter encounters. Therefore, a fruitful cross-fertilisation can follow. (Umoren, U.E., 1992) In other words, inculturation raises two related problems, that of the evangelisation of cultures (rooting the Gospel in cultures) and that of the cultural understanding of the Gospel. It was this movement that led Pope John Paul II to say in 1982, "The synthesis between culture and faith is not only a requirement of culture, but also of faith..... Faith that does not become culture is not fully accepted, nor entirely reflected upon, or faithfully experienced" This means that inculturation is not an action but a process that unfolds over time, one that is active and based on mutual recognition and dialogue, a critical mind and insight, faithfulness and conversion. transformation and growth, renewal and innovation. Inculturation is a two way process: it roots the Gospel in a culture and introduces that transformed culture to Christianity. For example, to root the Gospel in the African culture is to initiate two events. The first event is to transform the African culture of oppressing women into a culture where men and women are treated as human persons equal in dignity, rights and privileges. The second event is to develop the African culture's latent potential towards the human development of the woman, created like her male counterpart in the image and likeness of God. The other aspect is to introduce the woman and her transformed culture to Christianity, for example, by allowing the woman a meaningful place among the agents of inculturation. (cf. Umoren, U.E. 1992) Acculturation is another big term. It is the "cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture". It is also explained as the merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact". Immigrants to the United States of ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited America become acculturated to American life. Refugees and indigenous peoples (IP) likewise adapt to the culture of the dominant majority. There are cultural practices that should be stopped because of the painful harm they do. The practice of human sacrifice has somehow been stopped. But the circumcision of women still goes on in some parts of the world, like Africa. Some approaches have been successful, like what one NGO tried to introduce in Africa. It is called a buying in. To gradually stop the circumcision of women, the approach was to buy in, like introducing into the place good health facilities and other forms of assistance to alleviate their economic hardships in return to their stopping the practice. I.VII Cultural Relativism After studying the meaning of culture, how it is learned and how it shapes moral behavior, let us focus on cultural relativism, its meaning and its strengths and weaknesses. What is cultural relativism? First, relativism says "what is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me is true for me." Analogously, cultural relativism would say, "what you believe, value or practice depends on your culture while what I believe, value and practice, depends on my culture." In other words, cultural relativism is "the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person's own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another." Stated in another way: Cultural relativism is the view that moral or ethical systems, which vary from culture to culture, are all equally valid and no one system is really "better" than any other. This is based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil, so every judgment about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system can be considered the "best," or "worst," and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be considered "right" or "wrong." (https://www.allaboutphilosophy. org/cultural-relativism.htm) In the context of cultural relativism, the manner by which the African. woman is treated in comparison to that of the African man should not be judged against other culture's standards. This should be judged in the context of African culture, not in the context of Christian culture. Cultural Relativism vs Cultural Perspective However, what the cultural relativist fails to see is the difference between cultural perspective and cultural relativism. A perspective is a standpoint or viewpoint of something. For instance, there are as many perspectives of a building, a house, as there are standpoints. You try to appreciate the design of a house considering its various perspective, but you never judge the design based on only one perspective. Trying to understand one's ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited culture, having a perspective of one's culture, is needed to understand people. But it does not follow that morality must be based only on said culture:.... the problem with moving from cultural perspective to cultural relativism is the erosion of reason that it causes. Rather than simply www.allaboutphilosophy saying, "we need to understand the morals of other cultures," it says, "we cannot judge the morals of other cultures," regardless of the reasons for their actions. There is no longer any perspective, and it becomes literally impossible to argue that anything a culture does is right or wrong. If we hold on to strict cultural relativism, it is not possible to say that human sacrifice is "wrong," or that respect for the elderly is "right." After all, those are products of the culture. This takes any talk of morality right over the cliff, and into meaningless gibberish. (Mckinnon, et al., 2015) Likewise, logical analysis of cultural relativism yields contradictory implications: Relativism in general breaks down when examined from a purely logical perspective. The basic premise is that "truth is relative." If every truth statement is valid, then the statement "some truths are absolute" must be valid. The statement "there are no absolute truths" is accurate, according to relativism -- but it is an absolute truth itself. These contradict the very concept of relativism, meaning that absolute relativism is self-contradictory and impossible. Stated in another way: Tolerance is certainly a virtue... If morality is simply relative to each culture then if the culture does not have a principle of tolerance, its members have no obligation to be tolerant... from a relativistic point of view, there is no more reason to be tolerant than to be intolerant and neither stance is objectively morally better than the other. If... valid criticism supposes an objective or impartial standard, relativists cannot morally criticize anyone outside their own culture. Adolf Hitler's genocidal actions, so long as they are culturally accepted, are as morally legitimate as Mother Teresa's works of mercy. If Conventional Relativism is accepted, racism, genocide of unpopular minorities, oppression of the poor, slavery and even the advocacy of war for its own sake are as equally moral as their opposites. And if a subculture decided that starting a nuclear war was somehow morally acceptable, we could not morally cricize these people. (MacKinnon, et al., 2015) I.VIII : The Filipino Character After having learned that culture influences the human person as a moral agent of and after having understood the meaning of culture relativism let us now examine the Filipino character to determine which one does not help him/her grow in moral character. You sent The weaknesses of the Filipino character as cited in the Report follows: ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited 1. Extreme family centeredness Excessive concern for family means using one's office and power to promote family interests and thus factionalism patronage, political dynasties and the protection of erring family members. It results in lack of concern for the common good, and acts as a block to national consciousness. 2. Extreme personalism "Takes things personally," cannot separate objective task from emotional involvement. Because of this the Filipino is uncomfortable with bureaucracy, with rules and regulations and with standard procedures. He uses personal contacts and gives preference to family and friends in hiring, services and even voting. Extreme personalism leads to the graft and corruption evident in Philippine society. 3. Lack of discipline - A casual attitude toward time and space, manifested in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time management and procrastination. Aversion to following procedures strictly results in lack of standardization and quality control. Impatience results in short cuts, palusot, ningas cogon. Lack of discipline often results in inefficient work systems, the violation of rules and a casual work ethic lacking follow through. 4. Passivity and lack of initiative - Waiting to be told what to do, reliance on others (leaders and government), complacence, lack of a sense of urgency. There is high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service, and even violations of one's basic rights. Too patient and matiisin, too easily resigned to his fate, the Filipino is easily oppressed and exploited. 5. Colonial mentality - Lack of patriotism, or of an active awareness, appreciation and love of the Philippines and an actual preference for things foreign 6. Talangka mentality - Done by tsismis, intriga, unconstructive criticism... It is evident in the personal ambition that is complete insensitive to the common good, e.g., the lack of a sense of service among people in the government bureaucracy. This results in the dampening of cooperative and community spirit and in the trampling upon other's rights. 7. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection – The lack of analysis and emphasis form or reinforcedThe tendency to be perficial and somewhat flighty. In the face of serious personal and social problems, there is lack of analysis or reflection and instead satisfaction with superficial explanations and solutions. 8. Emphasis on porma rather than substance... This lack of analysis and emphasis form is reinforced by educational system that is more form than substance... These weaknesses are rooted in many factors: home, social and economic environment; culture and language; history; religion; educational system; mass media; leadership and role models. Change is possible, however, and the following goals are proposed to develop in the Filipino: (1) a sense of patriotism and national pride: (2) a sense of the common good; (3) a sense of integrity and accountability, (4) the values and habits of discipline and hard work; (5) the value and habits of self-reflection and analysis; the internalization of spiritual values and the emphasis on essence rather than on form. (Shahani, Leticia. (1988). A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People, Building a Nation.) ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited In the same report in 1988, Senator Leticia Shahani said, The strengths of the Filipino character are: 1) pakikipagkapwa-tao, 2) family orientation, 3) joy and humor, 4) flexibility, adaptability and creativity, 5) hard work and industry, 6) faith and religiosity and 7) ability to survive. There is so much good in the Filipino but so much needs to be changed, too. Many of our strengths as a people are also sources of our weaknesses. Shahani's report explains that "family orientation becomes in-group orientation that prevents us from reaching out beyond the family to the large community and the nation." For the Filipino, charity begins at home and at the same time ends there. Values Education in Schools Senator Shahani's Report was given in 1988. But its findings as reported may still be true today. If the Department of Education has to be true to its vision to help develop... "Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation" and to its core values - maka-Diyos, maka-tao, makakalikasan and makabansa - it is an uphill battle for Philippine schools to realize these considering the weaknesses of the Filipino character: 1) extreme family centeredness, 2) extreme personalism, 3) lack of discipline, 4) passivity and lack of initiative, 5) colonial mentality, 6) kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality, 7) lack of self-analysis and self-reflection and 8 emphasis on porma rather than substance. I.VIII The Filipino Character So that it will not be "more form than substance" as described in Senator Shahani's Report, Philippine schools have to intensify values education in the curriculum which in essence is moral education. In fact, in response to this Report, Values Education now Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao in the K to 12 Curriculum was introduced as a separate subject in the basic education curriculum under the Values Education Framework program of Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing, then Department of Education, Culture and Sports Secretary in 1988-1990. The Values Education Framework was conceptualized in 1987. Education Curriculum (Grade 1- 6, and First-Fourth Year High School) 2002, the Basic integrated values in the major learning areas or subjects. Beginning with the K to 12 Curriculum in 2013, Values Education was renamed Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) for Grades 1-10. In the Senior High Curriculum (Grades 11-12), there is no course with the title, Values Education or Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao but core courses such as Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person and Personal Development, are in essence Values Education subjects and Moral Education subjects themselves. To help every Filipino child grow morally and ethically, he/she must be helped acquire the strengths of the Filipino character at the same time, he/she must be made to realize that his/her strengths also become his/her source of weaknesses. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Other studies on Filipino Moral Character There had been studies of the Filipino moral life, the more popular of which were those Fr. Jaime Bulatao, Fr. Leonardo Mercado, Fr. Francis Senden, and Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe. Fr. Bulatao's research identified the "kami" mentality of Filipinos. In "kami" (a Filipino term which means "us") he says, "I identify with my family and relatives... We are opposed to all who are not kami." Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, SJ referred to this way of thinking as "group- centeredness" or "group thinking" characterized as follows: One norm of morality in the Philippines is based on "group centeredness" or "group- thinking." One's in-group determines for the individual what is right or wrong. The individual who has not yet attained moral independence and maturity will ask: "What will my family, or my relatives and friends, or my barkada think or say?" "What will others say" usually determines Filipino moral behavior; it is "conscience from the outside. "For instance, parents tell their daughter who is being courted: "Iha, please entertain your boyfriend at home. Do not go outside. What will the neighbors say? Nakakahiya naman. "Shame or hiya makes the parents and the girl conform to the social expectations of the neighbors lest they become the object of tsismis or gossip. Here again there is a conflict between the individual and social morality, between internal and external morality. The norm of morality should be internalized so that the mature individual should form his own moral "conscience from the inside." (Gorospe, 1977) The "group thinking" cited by Fr. Gorospe is called "sakop mentality by others like Fr. Leonardo Mercado. (1977) The sakop may refer to "person's relatives, peers, classmates, townmates, officemates, etc." This thinking or mentality explains the "pakikisama" in both positive and negative sense; it explains the barkada attitude, euphemism, the laughter of affirmation of gutter language; it explains subservience to an illegal or immoral order. Hence, Dr. Brenda B. Corpuz (1986) observed in her article published in the St. Louis University Research Journal: One can estimate the consequences of this sakop mentality by imagining how it works in decision making. Since sakop welfare is the ultimate value, then a lot of principles may be sacrificed for the sake of it. One can kill and hide the body of the crime by reason of being part of the sakop. One can tell a lot of lies for the sake of the sakop. One can pick some vegetable from his neighbor's backyard and is... not bothered by a sense of guilt because one does not steal from a member of the sakop. The sakop determines for the individual what is right or wrong. Impact of Culture on Morality Speaking of the significant impact of culture on the morality of people, let us think of the Japanese "shame culture." "Guilt cultures emphasize punishment and forgiveness as ways of restoring the moral order; shame cultures stress self-denial and humility as ways of restoring ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited the social order." What keeps Japanese from acting contrary to moral standards is the fear of being put to shame. At most they would do when put to shame is hara-kiri, (suicide). Contrast this to the "guilt culture" in the Philippines. When a Filipino commits an immoral act, he would of course feel guilty, but after confessing his sin, he may feel as if he is back to the normal thing and can sin again. Can it be said that a society that easily resorts to mob rule, mob mentality, where only a few have the guts to stand up and insist on what conscience dictates, is in need of moral development? Filipino homes and schools have to do something, to teach the moral development they want or hope to see. I.IX : Universal Values After a lesson on cultural relativism and after a discussion on the Filipino Strengths and weaknesses, let us find out if there are universal values and wisdom. Despite the claims of Cultural relativism, the concept on the reality of universal values, persist Are theses Universal value? Plato talked about the values or virtues of temperance, courage and wisdom. Jesus Christ preached the value of love from which springs patience, kindness, goodwill, forgiveness, and compassion. Confucius taught righteousness, human-heartedness, filial piety. Are not these universal values, that is, they remain values at all times and in all places? Yes, Plato would say, they exist apart form the concrete world. On the other hand, Aristotle would say that they exist embodied in the concrete individual as common or essential characteristic. St. Thomas agreed with them, but the universals do not exist apart from the individual; they exist as universal features individuated, instantiated in the individuals. In other words, the universals are abstracted common features from individuals. For example, the universal characteristics of man are that he is a "rational, sentient, living, body" are abstracted as characteristics common to all persons. A human person differs from a stone because he/she is alive. He/she differs from living things like plants because he/she is sentient, and differs from sentient things like animals because he/she is rational. This universal character of a human person exists in the mind as idea. Universals are immaterial and immutable, beyond (transcendent) space and time, or spatio-temporal conditions. In the words of Van Peursen, they are termed as "logical structures" underlying the material world and making the world possible. The same thing is true with moral standards and values. The values of honesty and respect for human life are characteristics individuated in all people who respect, do not harm, injure or kill, human beings. All the standards and values implied in the Ten Commandments can be reduced to the value or rule of love. This is because no one can wish or will the opposite, hatred, killing, stealing, to be universal. Values are universalized because they can only be wished to be the values of all. For instance, one cannot wish that killing be obligatory because it is like wishing anyone to come and kill you. Using Kant's criteria, can these identified "universal values" be willed as universal. Can one will these values be the values of all? Certainly, the answer is in the affirmative. ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Related to the empirical findings on the universal values, Dr. Kent M. Keith (2003) came up with a list of fundamental, or universal moral principles that can be found throughout the world. These are grouped into negative and positive statements as follows: DO NO HARM. Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you. Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not cheat. Do not falsely accuse others. Do not commit adultery. Do not commit incest. Do not physically or verbally abuse others. Do not murder. Do not destroy the natural environment upon which all life depends. DO GOOD. Do to others what you would like them to do to you. Be honest and fair. Be generous. Be faithful to your family and friends. Take care of your children when they are young. Take care of your parents when they are old. Take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Be kind to strangers. Respect all life. Protect the natural environment upon which all life depends. Engaging Activity 1 1. Using a graphic organizer, distinguish between moral standards and non- moral standards. 2. Does belief in God strengthen a person to be moral? Explain your answer. Engaging Activity 2 Listen to the song “My Way” by Frank Sinatra and answer the following questions. 1. What’s your favorite line from the song? Why is it your favorite? 2. Does the song suggest choice or freedom? Why? 3. If a beast like a dog could sing the same song, could the dog be honestly singing what the song express? Why? ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Performance Tasks Performance Task A. Compose a cinquain about Filipino character, his/her strengths and weaknesses. A cinquain has 5 lines. The first line is one word, the title of the poem. The second line contains two adjectives. The third line has three words ending in “ing.” The fourth line has four or more words that make a complete sentence. The fifth line is one word, a synonym of the first line. Here is an example. Pinoy Warm, Friendly Chatting, laughing, drinking He is a faithful friend Buddy. B. Strengths sometimes also become weaknesses. Do you agree? Explain your answer and illustrate with an example. Understanding Directed Assess ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Learning Resources Part 5. References a. Ruben A. Corpuz, Brenda b. Corpuz (2020), ETHICS, Lorimar Publishing Inc. b. Bulaong, Oscar. B., M.J. T. Calano, A.M. Lagliva, M. N.E. Mariano, J.D. Z. Principe (2018). Ethics: Foundations of Moral Valuation. REX Book Store, Quezon City, Philippines c. Mackinnon, Barabara & Andrew Fiala. (2015). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, Concise. Eight Edition, Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning d. Reyes, Ramon C. (2003). The Relation between Ethics and Religious Belief: The Moral Dimension: Essays in Honor Ramon Castillo Reyes: Office of Research & Publications, Ateneo De Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines e. Singer, Peter. (2016). One World Now: The Ethics of Globalization. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press ETHICS – M. MONREAL/J.PINPIN