PREFINAL HANDOUT#1

Professional Ethics with Values Formation

Foundation of Ethics

c Ethics is the philosophy of life

c Ethics delves into the reasons and logic behind
human action

c Ethics investigates the meaning and purpose of
life

c According to Socrates “the unexamined life is not
worth living”

c Plato stated that “ethics is the supreme science”

c Ethics is concerned in attaining the greatest good
and goal – happiness

Foundations of Ethics * Property of STI
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c All throughout history men have been asking the
following questions:
q What sort of thing am I?
q Where do I come from?
q Where am I going?
q What is my future and destiny?
q What must I do to be happy?
q What is the cause and the remedy for to my present
problems?

c In elevating this questions we ask:
q “WHAT IS THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF HUMAN
LIFE?”

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c Imagine a home-builder. What is the primary
important factor to ensure that the house would
stand?
q The foundation, the basis, the premises that it has.

c Ethics has its own premises similar to other
science.

c Astronomy presupposes the existence of stars.
They do not seek to prove their existence but
accepts them.

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c Science is a structure of knowledge.
c It is a collection of facts.
c Science must rest on well founded facts as
opposed to theories and hypotheses.
c Science may contain theories but these are based
on facts that would be verified in the future.
c A science is not correctly called so if the majority
of its basis is on hypotheses.
c It is a body of knowledge.

How does it apply to Ethics?

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c Ethics has its postulates:
q Ethics accepts that there is a difference between
right and wrong.
q Ethics knows that there are some actions that must
be done and others that must not.
q Man is responsible for his actions.
q If a man does wrong, he deserves to be punished.

c The existence of law is a proof of our statements
earlier that there is a difference.

c We have a government that exists to enforce,
formulate, and interpret the law.

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c On the matter of opinion, there may be a
difference on what is right from wrong but the fact
remains that there is a DIFFERENCE.

c Freedom, responsibility, morality are just some
abstract concepts but that does not negate their
existence and reality.

c Can you think of other concepts that has
consumed ethicists or philosophers?

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c Ethics has its own set of principles.

c There are schools of thought as well that are not
in accord with ethics.

c The school of moral skepticism doubts everything
that come its way:
q Everything is to be doubted
q Nothing is held certain
q Moral standards are doubted in terms of existence
and validity

c The school of moral relativism has similar traits to
skepticism in that it makes all truths variable.

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c Morality in relativism assumes that it is ever
changing
q Morality is dependent on factors such as time, age,
economic status etc.

c Moral relativism permeates modern thought.

c Relativist cites examples from religion as a basis
of their stand (i.e. Muslims allowed to marry more
than once while Jewish and Catholics are not).

c It is important to note that there is always an
objective value of moral good and evil which is in
contradiction with relativism.

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Famous People Say About
Ethics

c “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon
this world” (Adams Camus, French Novelist)

c “Ethics and equity and principles of justice do not
change with the calendar” (D.H. Lawrence, British
Poet)

c “Let me give you a definition of ethics, it is good to
maintain and further life it is bad to damage and
destroy life” (Albert Scheweitzer)

c “Action is indeed the sole medium of expression
for Ethics” (Jane Addams, Nobel Prize Winner
1931)

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What is Ethics?

c The study of human act or human behavior

c The study of ethics is a focused study on the
MORALITY of human actions

c Basic Definitions of Ethics

q Practical science of morality of human actions

q Science of human acts with reference to right and
wrong

q Science which lays down the principles of right and
wrong

q Normative and practical sciences, based on reason,
which studies human conduct and provides norm
for its natural integrity and honesty

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Ethics and Other Sciences

c Ethics and Logic
q Logic is the science of right thinking.
q Ethics is the science of right living.
q The interrelationship is evident as thinking leads to
action.

c Ethics and Psychology
q Psychology is the science that deals with the study
of human behavior.
q Both ethics and psychology deal with the study of
man and their behavior. They both also study
human nature.
q The difference lies in the paradigm approaching
humanity.
q Psychology studies how human behave and what
are the reasons behind it while ethics study how
humans ought to behave.
q The MORALITY issue is the difference.

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Ethics and Other Sciences

c Ethics and Sociology
q Sociology studies society as a whole.
q Psychology studies the individual more.
q Ethics and sociology are closely linked since
implications to society are also implications to
ethics.

c Ethics and Economics
q Economics is the study of allocation of scarce
resources.
q Man is an economic being.
q Man requires fundamental needs that should be
met in order to survive.
q Economics deals with issues of wages, labor,
production and distribution of wealth.
q Business Ethics and Professional Ethics are of
particular interest in this area.

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Ethics and Human Activity

c Life is a unity of many facets: sociology,
economics, politics, religion, etc.

c Ethics permeates behavior in all these areas.

c Therefore, ethics can be seen in phases of human
life.

c We pay particular attention to Education, Morality
and Law, Art, Politics and Religion.

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Ethics and Education

c Education develops the whole man.

c The development of mental faculties is the
primary goal of education.

c But the development of moral character is also
crucial to education.

c The constitution states that “all schools should
develop good moral character, personal discipline,
civic consciousness, etc.”

c Ethics’ place in education is evident. We are
taught what are the proper ways of doing things.

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Morality and the Law

c Morality and Law are closely linked.

c The emphasis of what is right and wrong is stated
clearly in the law. Are the laws out of mere
opinion?

c The laws of the land are concretization of anterior
moral laws.

c There is however a difference between law and
morality:
q Laws are only placed to address external acts of
man.
q Morality deals with the intrinsic aspects particularly
the voluntariness and intent.

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Morality and the Law

When is one liable legally and morally?

c Murder is an act punishable by law but the person
is not liable unless the act is committed or
initiated.

c The person however is morally liable.

c This reinforces the internal concern of morality.

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Ethics and the Art

c Ethics stands for the moral goodness.

c Art stands for beauty.

c The main question is whether a piece of art could
be considered unethical.

c When art arouses and inspires the noble emotions
of man then art has fulfilled its purpose.

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Religion and Ethics

c Religion and ethics are said to be two phases of
human life that are closest in relations.

c The question on God and the source of morality is
still in debate.

Could morality and ethics stand without religion?

c Some argue that since God is the source of
morality separating it is impossible.

c Do you agree?

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Importance of Ethics

c Ethics mean right living and good moral character.

c The attainment of ethical behavior would result in
a better place to live.

c Better understanding between cultures and
people.

What is the importance of ethics to you?

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PREFINAL HANDOUT#1

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