Moral courage is the ability to uphold ethical principles when confronted with dilemmas, requiring individuals to make decisions that may conflict with personal interests or societal pressures. It involves maintaining integrity and commitment to values despite potential adversity or backlash. Literature plays a significant role in exploring these ethical challenges, showcasing the importance of moral courage in navigating complex moral landscapes and advocating for justice.

1. Exploring
Reported by: Lance Y. Recaña
MORAL COURAGE
in Ethics

2. WHAT IS MORAL
COURAGE IN
TERMS OF ETHICS?

3. • Moral courage is the ability
to stand up for and practice
that which one considers
ethical, moral behavior
when faced with a
dilemma, even if it means
going against
countervailing pressure to
do otherwise.
MORAL COURAGE:

4. A moral dilemma occurs when an individual
faces a situation where they must choose
between two or more conflicting moral
principles or values, each of which has
significant ethical implications. In other
words, it's a situation where making a
decision involves choosing between options
that are morally difficult and where each
choice has both positive and negative
consequences.
WHAT IS MORAL
DILEMMA?

5. You find a wallet on the ground in a busy park. Inside, there’s a
significant amount of cash and an ID card with the owner's contact
information. You have two choices:
1.Choice 1: Take the wallet to the park's lost and found office. This
action could help return the wallet to its owner, but you’re
uncertain if the cash will be returned as well.
2.Choice 2: Keep the cash for yourself and leave the wallet where
you found it. This would benefit you financially, but the owner
of the wallet might be left without any way to retrieve their
belongings, which could be distressing and financially
damaging for them.
Moral Dilemma: Do you act with honesty and integrity by trying
to return the wallet in its entirety, potentially losing the cash but
ensuring it reaches its rightful owner, or do you take advantage
of the situation by keeping the cash, which benefits you but
harms the wallet's owner?
EXAMPLE:

6. Confronting and
addressing ethical
dilemmas or injustices
even when doing so
may lead to personal
loss, criticism, or
conflict.
Being willing to
uphold and act
upon one's ethical
principles even
when it is
challenging to do
so.
Maintaining
consistency
between one's
values and
actions, and being
honest about
one's beliefs and
choices.
THREE KEY ASPECTS:
Commitment to
Values
Facing Adversity
Integrity

7. So what role does literature play in exploring social, moral and ethical positions?
Literature holds a unique power to both reflect and challenge societal norms and values.
Moral courage is often
required to navigate moral
dilemmas. When faced with a
dilemma, a person might need
moral courage to make and act
upon a decision that aligns
with their ethical principles,
despite potential backlash or
personal loss.
In the context of a moral
dilemma, moral courage
involves the resolve to make
tough choices and act on
them. It’s about overcoming
fear and standing firm in one's
convictions, even when it is not
easy or popular.
CONNECTIONS:
Navigating
Dilemmas:
Making Tough
Choices:

8. Moral courage is crucial for navigating
complex ethical landscapes and making
principled decisions. It empowers individuals
to confront wrongdoing, advocate for justice,
and act in ways that align with their values,
fostering integrity and ethical behavior in both
personal and professional spheres. In essence,
moral courage is the driving force behind
principled action and the pursuit of moral
truth, enabling individuals to act with
conviction and stand up for what is right.
CONCLUSION: