Ethics Coverage of Examinations PDF

Topic 1: 1. Moral and Non-Moral Standards a. Ethics i. Moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term ethics derives from the...

Topic 1: 1. Moral and Non-Moral Standards a. Ethics i. Moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term ethics derives from the Ancient Greek word ἠθικός ethikos, which is derived from the word ἦθος ethos (habit, "custom"). b. Moral i. 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. c. Moral Standards i. Are norms that people have about the types of actions that are believed to be morally acceptable and unacceptable. ii. deals with matters that can either seriously harm or seriously benefit human beings. d. Non-Moral Standards i. Conventional Standards ii. rules that are not related to moral or ethical considerations. iii. includes good or bad manners, etiquette, house rules, technical standards in building structures, rules of behavior set by parents, teachers, other authorities, the law, and standards. 2. Moral Dilemmas a. Dilemma i. a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more conflicting options, neither of which is acceptable. The person has choices to make that will all have results she does not want. b. Moral Dilemmas i. Ethical dilemma ii. situation in which the decision-maker is forced to choose between two or more conflicting options, neither of which resolves the situation in a morally acceptable manner. c. False Dilemma i. False dichotomy ii. situation where the decision-maker has a moral duty to do one thing but is tempted or under pressure to do something else. 3. 3 Levels of Dilemmas a. Individual i. Conflict arises when a person is forced to decide between two of his or her most significant ideals, such as between one's obligations to one's family and one's love for another. b. Organizational i. The problems that the organizations confront typically affect more than one person who can be either a member of the internal group or a member of  an external stakeholder. Institutions, businesses, or organizations encounter these difficulties during their decision-making process. c. Structural i. impact a network of institutions and active theoretical frameworks including immigration, juvenile justice, and universal healthcare. This kind of conundrum might have an impact on a neighborhood or possibly the entire society. 4. Freedom as the Foundation for Moral Acts a. Freedom i. ability or right to do, say, or think anything one wishes without restriction or hesitation. Topic 2: 1. Culture: How It Defines Moral Behavior a. Culture i. the integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors (Taylor, 1997). ii. passed on to the next generation by learning not through the genes or heredity (Brinkerhoff, 1989) b. Assimilation i. involves acquiring the dominant culture to such an extent that the assimilating group becomes socially indistinguishable from other members of society. c. Acculturation i. process whereby the attitudes and behaviors of people from one culture change when they interact with the people of another culture, typically dominant or host culture. d. Enculturation i. process of teaching an individual the norms and values of a culture through unconscious repetition 2. Cultural Relativism a. shows that there is no universal standard to measure cultures. b. no culture is superior to the other. 3. The Filipino Character a. mañana habit i. postponing work due to other things b. ningas kugon i. gradually losing interest in something even if the person is very enthusiastic about it at first. c. resiliency i. being commended, sometimes to a faulty, for their ability to survive through difficulty times. d. extreme personalism i. taking things too personal instead of taking things objectively Topic 3: 1. Universal Values a. Do No Harm i. Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you. ii. Do not lie. iii. Do not steal. iv. Do not cheat. v. Do not falsely accuse others. vi. Do not commit adultery. vii. Do not commit incest. viii. Do not physically or verbally abuse others. ix. Do not murder. x. Do not destroy the natural environment. b. Do Good i. Do to others what like them to do to you. ii. Be honest. iii. Be faithful to your family and friends. iv. Take care of your children when they are young. v. Take care of your parents when they are old. vi. Take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. vii. Be kind to strangers. viii. Respect all life. ix. Protect the natural environment. 2. Man as a Moral Agent a. Moral Agent i. One who performs an act in accordance with moral standards. ii. Capable of human acts. iii. Should have the capacity to rise above feelings and passions and act for the sake of moral law. b. Purpose-Driven Moral Agent i. 3 Thomastic Principles Regarding the End of the Moral Agent 1. Every agent that performs an action act for the sake of the end or purpose to be attained. 2. Every agent acts for an ultimate end. 3. Every agent has the power of moving for an end which is suitable or good for him. 3. The Development of Moral Character of the Moral Agent a. Defining Moment i. Refers to a significant life-changing event or moment that reverberates throughout your career and personal life and so changes everything. ii. Can change who we are and what we value, with reverberations throughout our careers and personal lives. Topic 4: 1. The Stages of Moral Development a. Moral Development i. Refers to the process through which a human person gains his/her beliefs, skills, and disappointments that make him/her a morally mature person. b. Stages of Moral Development i. The Amoral Stage 1. Egocentric 2. Hedonist 3. Prudential considerations ii. The Pre-Moral Stage 1. Authoritarian 2. Ego-idealist 3. Social and reciprocal consideration iii. The Moral Stage Personal 1. Autonomous 2. Altruistic 3. Rational 4. Independent 5. Responsible consideration 2. The Meaning of Human Act a. Act of Man i. Actions committed unconsciously. b. Human Act i. Acts from a man as a rational being. ii. Acts of a moral agent c. Determinants of the Morality of Human Act i. Object of the Act 1. Thing done. 2. Not distinct from the act itself ii. The End 1. Intention of the acting subject. 2. Purpose intended by the agent. 3. Not the end of an act but the end of the agent. iii. Circumstances 1. Refer to the time, place, person, and conditions surrounding the moral act. d. Morally Good Act i. Requires goodness of the object, the end, and of the circumstances together. 3. Accountability of Moral Act a. Bases of Moral Accountability i. Violation of Government and Laws ii. Violation of Moral Standards  b. 3 Bases for Moral Accountability i. Knowledge 1. A human act must be done knowingly. ii. Freedom 1. must be done freely and iii. Voluntariness 1. must be done voluntarily. 2. intentional and negligent c. Modifiers of Human Act i. Ignorance 1. absence of knowledge ii. Passion 1. refers to positive emotions like love, desire, delight, hope, and brave and negative emotions like hatred, horror, sadness, despair, fear, and anger. iii. Fear 1. disturbance of the mind of a person due to an impending danger or harm to himself or loved ones. Acts done with fear are voluntary, buts ats done because of intense or uncontrollable fear or panic are involuntary. iv. Violence 1. Refers to any physical force exerted on a person by another free agent for the purpose of compelling said person to act against his will. 2. Actions performed by a person subjected to violence or irresistible force are involuntary and not accountable. Topic 5: 1. Feeling as a Modifier of Moral Decision-Making a. Feeling i. An emotional state of reaction, experience of physical sensation, like feeling of joy, feeling of warmth, love, affection, and tenderness, etc. b. Feeling in Decision Making i. Feelings are instinctive and trained response to moral dilemma. ii. Can be obstacles to making right decisions. iii. Can also help in making the right decisions. c. Feelings Based Theories in Ethics i. Ethical Subjective 1. The idea that our moral opinions are based on our feelings and nothing more. 2. There is no such thing as “objective right or wrong.” ii. Emotivism 1. View that moral judgments do not function as statements of fact but rather as expression of the speaker’s or writer’s feelings. 2. Reason and Impartiality as Minimum Requirements for Morality a. Logical Fallacies i. Ad Hominem 1. Attacking the Person 2. directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining. 3. occurs when, instead of addressing someone's argument or position, you irrelevantly attack the person or some aspect of the person who is making the argument. ii. Argumentum ad Misericordiam 1. Appeal to Pity 2. appealing to a person's unfortunate circumstance as a way of getting someone to accept a conclusion. 3. appealing to a person's unfortunate circumstances or sharing a sad story iii. Argumentum Ad Verecundiam 1. Argument from Authority 2. Relies on the fact that someone else already agrees with the conclusion. 3. The Difference Between Reason and Will a. Will i. faculty of the mind that is associated with decision making. It's the one that says yes or no. This author says this, that author says that all others are saying the same thing. Now, decide with your will what you yourself should say or think. b. Free Will i. Capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives. ii. Ability to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded, the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants. iii. It is the power of self-determination. iv. When the will is free, there is freedom. c. Courage i. affirmation of being despite non-being. ii. implies affirming, accepting oneself in spite of one's defects, lack, or imperfections, affirming the world we live in spite all that it lacks.