MODULE 3: The Moral Agent PDF

## MODULE 3: The Moral Agent ### Introduction - Actions that are judged to be morally good or bad involve moral persons, both as sources and recipients of these actions - It is important to assess actions to achieve goals in life with less regret or blame - This lesson will teach different concep...

## MODULE 3: The Moral Agent ### Introduction - Actions that are judged to be morally good or bad involve moral persons, both as sources and recipients of these actions - It is important to assess actions to achieve goals in life with less regret or blame - This lesson will teach different concepts on moral personhood and responsibility - It will also guide you on the importance of reason and impartiality in looking at moral actions as good or evil ### Learning Objective: - Explain the notable aspects of a human person as a moral agent, and the notion of moral personhood and moral responsibility ### Activities: **Let's try this!**: - When would you say that your actions are morally accountable to you? Explain and give an example. ### LESSON 1: Moral Personhood and Moral Accountability **Note**: The main reference for this lesson is taken from the book, **"Ethics: Theories and Applications"** authored by **Evangelista** and **Mabaquiao Jr.** (2020) **Let's Read!**: - The lesson is divided into two parts: Moral Personhood and Moral Accountability. - **Moral Personhood**: - The nature of moral personhood - The significance of moral personhood in terms of possession of moral rights - The classification of moral persons into moral agents and moral patients - Different views on what constitutes the qualifying features of moral personhood - **Moral Accountability**: - The nature of moral accountability - The difference of moral accountability from related concepts - The conditions for attributing moral accountability - In **Lesson 2**, **Reason** and **Impartiality** will be discussed - **Moral Personhood** - In judging whether an action is morally good or bad, or morally right or wrong, we determine whether the action conforms to or violates our moral standards or principles - For an action to be either morally good or bad, the source and recipient must be moral persons - Moral personhood plays a critical role in making moral judgments - Moral judgments apply only to acts involving moral persons - **What is Moral Personhood?** - The defining qualities of moral personhood, such as sentience and rationality, are the basis of possessing moral rights - If being a person entails the possession of rights, being a moral person entails the possession of moral rights - An action is moral if it is done by a moral agent and received by a moral patient - **Moral Agents** are moral persons who perform morally evaluable actions - **Moral Patients** are the recipients of such actions. - **How can we be a moral person?** - **Moral Rights** are those rights acquired when one becomes a moral person. - These rights are defined by the possession of moral qualities - **Moral Agents** are those that perform morally evaluable actions, as they have a moral duty to do so - **Moral Responsibility**: - A concept related to moral personhood - Moral agents can be held accountable for their actions towards moral patients - **What is the difference between Moral and Legal Accountability?**: - **Moral accountability** uses moral standards - **Legal Accountability** uses legal standards or statute, which may not always embody moral rules. - The person who does not deserve moral blame can be legally punished - **Moral sanctions** are internal, such as guilt or remorse - **Legal sanctions** are external, in the form of physical punishments - **Two general sets of conditions for Moral Accountability**: - **Attribution Conditions** (assignment conditions) - Whether moral accountability can be attributed or assigned to a person for an action - **Agency Condition**: A person is only accountable for actions where they are the cause. - **Knowledge Condition**: A person must know or have the capacity to know the moral quality of their action. - **Intentionality Condition**: A person must intend or freely choose to perform the action - **Degree Conditions**: The degree of moral accountability that is attributed to a person for their actions. - **Two factors**: - **Mitigating Conditions**: Lessens the degree of moral accountability - **Aggravating Conditions**: Increases the degree of moral accountability - **Let's Think about this**: - Answer the questions below: - Are all human being moral persons? Explain your answer - Are all moral persons human beings? Explain your answer - When a person does not appear to feel shame or guilt or show remorse for a wrong doing that he/she has freely and knowingly done, would it still matter to say that he/she is morally accountable for his/her wrongdoing? Explain. ### LESSON 2: Reason and Impartiality **Note**: The main reference for the discussion of this lesson is taken from the book, "The Elements of Moral Philosophy," 7th Edition, authored by **James Rachels** (2013). **What can we learn about morality?**: - Moral judgments must be backed by good reasons - Morality requires the impartial consideration of each individual's interests **Moral Reasoning**: - Feelings can often get in the way of discovering the truth about an issue. - We need to be guided by reason and not rely only on feelings. - Moral judgments are based on facts and reasons **The Requirement of Impartiality**: - Impartiality requires equal treatment for all. - We must not treat members of particular groups as inferior - Moral judgments must be backed by good reasons - Discrimination is unacceptable when it is arbitrary **Let's Think about this**: - Some people are fond of telling stories, or shall I say **"tsismis"** that sometimes over-tell something to someone. This behavior causes misunderstanding, that sometimes leads to fighting. Have you become a victim of **"tsismis"** in your place? What can you say about its moral consequence? Relate you answer to the concepts of Reason and Impartiality. ### Learning Output no. 3 **Instructions**: 1. Discuss significant ideas from the module with your group. 2. Write an essay about the scenario given below: - Late one night, you are driving home from your office. You are tired and stressed, because of overtime work. Then, a drunk man suddenly appears in front of your car, and you try to stop, but because of his sudden appearance, you lost control and hit him. The guy looks and smells as if he is homeless. You go out of your car to see how badly the drunk man is hurt, yet, upon going out, the man shouts at you and blames you for reckless driving, and wants you to lend him money for the damages you caused him. Analyze and determine the moral patient and the moral agent, and explain the moral accountability. Between the two persons, who has the moral accountability? 3. Collaborate and brainstorm among your group members the questions, and compose a 400 to 1000-word essay. 4. Use Tahoma, Arial, or Times New Roman font style, and use font size 12 5. Write your reflection paper on a short bond paper with a margin of 1 inch on each side, single spacing. 6. Alphabetically list all group members who participated in the essay. 7. Turn-in your essay in the google classroom on or before the set deadline. #### References - Evangelista, F. J. & Mabacquiao, N., Jr. (2020). Ethics: Theories and Applications. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing, Inc. - Rachels, James. (2013). The Elements ofMoral Philosophy. 7th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.