Ethics First Unit

GENERAL EDUCATION - 8 ETHICS
UNIT I: BASIC CONCEPTS

Overview:
This unit gives you an idea about the Differences between Moral and Non-
Moral Standards, Moral Dilemmas, the four branches of ethics, the moral
agent together with the universal values. It will also help you to analyze the
Six Stages of Moral development by Lawrence Kohlberg.
Learning Objectives:_____________ _________________________________________________
At the end of the unit, I am able to:
1. determine what the difference between Moral and Non-moral
standards;
2. analyze what is moral dilemma and it’s three levels;
3. evaluate the six stages of Moral Development;
4. differentiate the four branches of Ethics; and 5. list down the
strength and weaknesses of Filipino Moral Character.
Setting Up:__________________________________________________________________________
Name: _____________________________ Score: ___________________
Course/Year/Section: ______________ Date: ____________________
Directions: Answer the given question base on your existing knowledge

about the lesson.
1. Recall a personal experience in dealing with problems and analyze how
they are rooted in Filipino qualities. In hindsight, recommend how you could
have done things differently.
My Aunt was hospitalized recently, they don’t have enough money to pay
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the bills at the hospital, so they were asking our help to lend some money.
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As a Filipino, we are known to be generous and helpful. When the
neighborhood is in trouble, we are always there to help them.
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Lesson Proper
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Differences Between Moral and Non-Moral Standards

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that deals with the
questions and standards of what is right and what is wrong. It discusses the
different systems of moral values and principles that determine what are
acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. It also involves ideals, moral
obligations and prohibitions that people have to observe, follow and respect.
Ethics came from the Latin word ethos which means character or moral
nature. When you say character or moral nature, the character or moral
nature of a person is greatly affected by his or her personal principles and
experiences by the belief and value system of his or her surroundings.
Non-Moral Standards refers to the rules that affect the choice of a person
but are not linked to moral or ethical considerations, similar with ethics
people use value judgment in dealing with these aspects. Consequently, they
can also affect the way a person develops her moral principles and
guidelines but they do not necessarily have moral implications. These are
the list of Non-Moral Standards, aesthetics, rules in games, laws, personal
experiences and principles, etiquette, recipe or formula, religion and lastly
traditions or norms,
Moral Standards refer to the rules or set of guidelines that affect the
choices of a person and his or her belief system and decision making process
in problems and situations that beg the question of what is morally right and
wrong. The characteristics of Moral Standards are the following, concern
with the welfare of beings, reliance on reasoning and not on authority,
overriding or hegemonic, impartial, fair and just and lastly special emotions
and vocabulary.
Now let us see and discuss the Characteristics of Moral Standards,
number one is concern with the welfare of beings, in moral standards it
deals with matters that can seriously injure or benefit the welfare of beings
such as in war, child abuse, rape, fraud, murder, and theft while in Non-
moral standards it talks about what is wrong but their concerns do not
necessarily affect one’s life or well-being, number two is reliance on
reasoning and not on authority in Moral standards it is rely on reasoning and
not on authoritative individuals to support and justify their cause while in
Non-Moral perspective it is in the context of law and religion they do not
need to be based on a valid and sound reasoning, number three is Overriding
or Hegemonic the take precedence over other standards and considerations
like non-moral standards and self-interest, number four is impartial, fair and
just it simply means that there is no exemption to the moral standards, if A is
morally right for a certain person P, then it is morally right for anybody
relevantly similar to P, and lastly number five is special emotions and
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vocabulary moral standards are associated with special emotions such as

guilt, remorse, and shame and vocabulary such as right, good, wrong, evil,
moral, amoral and immoral.
References:_________________________________________________________________________
Frontlearners, (2020) Retrieved from www.frontlearners.com
Feinsod, F. & Wagner. C. (n.d.). The ethical principle of justice: The purveyor
of equality. Managed Health Care Connect. Retrieved from
http://www.managedhealthcareconnect.com/article/8210
Philonotes.com. (n.d.) Moral Standards and non-moral ones. [blog post].
Retrieved from
http://philonotes.com/index.php/2018/06/08/moralstandards/
Manebog, J. (2013). Moral standards vs non-moral standards. Retrieved from
http://ourhappyschool.com/node/824
Assessing Learning:_______________________________________________________________
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Activity 1
Name: _____________________________ Score: ___________________
Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

described in the statement and write your answers on the space provided
before the number.
_____________1. These are moral dilemmas that are experienced and resolved
on the individual level.
_____________2. It speaks of a code or system of behavior in regards to

standards of right or wrong behavior.
_____________3. These type of dilemmas involved situations in which a difficult

choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails
transgressing a moral principle.
_____________4.
Ethics The branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness
or wrong of human conduct.
_____________5. These tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular context or

situation.
_____________6. These are rules that are unrelated to mosyral or ethical
considerations.
_____________7. Only they can possess or practice values such as love, honor,
social relationships, forgiveness, compassion, and altruism.
_____________8. These refer to cases involving network or institutions and

operative theoretical paradigms.
_____________9. These refer to ethical cases encountered and resolved by social

organizations.
_____________10. This cannot be said to be moral for it has no freedom or

choice but to work according to what is commanded based on its built-in
program.
_____________11. Ethics is considered as a normative study of human actions

for it is concerned with norms of human conduct.
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_____________12. Rules generate a stable system that provides justice, in which

even the richest and most powerful have limitations on what they can do.
_____________13. Non-normal standards are not the only rules or principles in
society, but they take precedence over other considerations, including
aesthetic, prudential, and even legal ones.
_____________14. Morality requires and allows choice, which means the right to
choose even differently from our fellows.
_____________15. Most philosophers hold that unlike animals, human beings

possess some traits that make it possible for them to be moral.
_____________16. Dealing with human actions and reasons for action, ethics is
also concerned with character.
_____________17. The word ‘ethics’ is derived from Latin ethos, which means
‘character’, or, in plural, ‘manners’.
_____________18. Moral dilemmas arise even in professional work.
_____________19. Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual

property.
_____________20. Basic examples of moral standards include rules of etiquette,

fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules.
Activity 2
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Answer the given question base on your existing knowledge

about the lesson.
1. Pick four from the following topics and identify four arguments, two for in
favor and two for opposing. In two paragraphs, write down your own
opinion about the chosen topic.
1. universal health care

2. free education
3. lowering of age for juvenile law
4. animal rights
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5. the Facebook dilemma
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Lesson Proper:_____________________________________________________________________
Moral Dilemmas
A moral dilemma is a situation that begs an agent to choose between two
alternatives with equal weight wherein both alternatives are either good or
both are evil, but the agent cannot do both or all actions. In this situation, no
matter what the agent chooses you will be left with a moral failure but not
choosing anything impose greater harm or loss for the agent. For example,
Brian is on a crew ship when a fire broke and the ship must be abandoned.
The lifeboats are carrying more people than they were designed to carry.
The lifeboat he’s in is sitting dangerously low in the water and can
potentially sink if added with more weight.
There are still other people swimming around them begging to be
saved. They are asking him to throw the rope so that they can go up the
lifeboat; however, the boat will sink if more people will come abroad. Now,
should Brian throw the rope to the people or keep the rope so that lifeboat
will not sink. In this dilemma here are some of the conflicts that plagued
Brian throughout the decision making process, number one is if he will help
who are swimming their boat will sink and all of them die, number two is if
he did not throw the rope then those who are in the water will die and lastly
number three is if he can sacrifice himself and help one person but he is not
willing to sacrifice himself either.
The following are the basic concepts of Moral Dilemma; personal
advocates, society, culture religion, family and friends and lastly are
education and experiences. Now let us proceed to the three levels of moral
dilemma, first you have Individual Dilemma, second you have
Organizational Dilemma and third is Structural Dilemma.
1. The first level of Moral dilemma starts with the personal and individual
interaction of people with situations in their daily lives. In this level,
conflict arrives when a person is asked to choose between two important
values for him or her. For example, choosing between one’s duties to his
or her family one one’s love for another person.
2. Second level is Organizational Dilemma unlike individual dilemma this
dilemma is encountered by institutions, business, or organizations in
their decision making process, at this level the dilemmas that the
organizations experiences usually affect more than one person and they
can be part of the internal group or part of an external stakeholder.
For example, Zee has been in coma for 8 months she only lives
through support machines and she never showed any sign of improvement
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and he never responded to any stimulus given to her. In four other hospitals
there are four patients who are in need of healthy organs such as kidney,
heart, lungs and liver. They are in critical stage and in need of transplants
immediately. Patient XTZ is a match for all the patients but removing his
organs will cause him death. However, without his organs the four patients
will all die. Now, is it okay to kill someone to benefit more people? How do
you choose who to save and who to sacrifice? In the given example aside
from the family members, doctors, hospital, sometimes even judges usually
help family members decides for the unconscious patients who cannot
observe their autonomy over’s one body and life. However, decisions over
this kind of cases brings up more ethical questions like the following; When
do you consider someone to be dead or still alive? When do families and the
institution stop from waiting for a comatose patient to wake up? Who has
the authority to decide over the life of someone who is in comatose stage? If
the call of duty of the doctor is to save lives, will a recommendation from the
institution conflict with the principle? It is ethical to kill one person to
benefit the many? How do we choose who to save and who to sacrifice?
3. The last level of dilemmas deals with structural dilemmas that affect
network of institutions and operative theoretical paradigms like
universal care, juvenile laws, and immigration. Unlike organizational
dilemma, this type of dilemmas can affect a community and even a
society at large.
Hence, these are also the most complicated dilemmas that people
face. For example, the issue on undocumented immigration has been widely
discussed in different countries especially since President Donald Trump of
America, openly criticized it and created measures to stop it and even sent
back some immigration to their home countries. However, even if a lot of
American citizens have same sentiments as he does, a growing number of
oppositions claim that it is in humane to send back immigration from their
homes especially those who moved to America out of circumstances like
extreme poverty, persecution and war, at the same time many immigrants
have families, wives, husbands, and children who will be left once they leave
the country. What do you think of this problem?
References:_________________________________________________________________________
Jonsen, A. (2012) The ethics of organ transplantation. A brief history.
Retrieved from http://journalofethics.ama-
assn.org/article/ethica/ethicsorgan-transplantation-brieft-history/2012-03
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Johnson. Kit. (n.d.) Theories of immigration law

http://arizonasstatelawjournal.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/2015/08/Jo
hnson_Final.pdf
n.a., (2017). Ethics, undocumented immigrants, and the issue of integration:
Making a better life for everyone in New York city. Retrieved from
http://www.carnegeicouncil.org/publications/articles_articles_papers_repo
rts/975
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Assessing Learning:_______________________________________________________________
Activity 3
Name: _____________________________ Score: ___________________
Directions: Answer the following questions concisely.

1. Differentiate the three levels of Moral Dilemma. Site an example.
INDIVIDUAL DILEMMA
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ORGANIZATIONAL DILEMMA
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STRUCTURAL DILEMMA
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2. Think of personal dilemma that you’ve encountered before and write

down the details.
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3. What is moral dilemma? Cite an example.

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Activity 4
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

before the number.
_____________1. These are moral dilemmas that are experienced and resolved
on the individual level.
_____________2. It speaks of a code or system of behavior in regards to
standards of right or wrong behavior.
_____________3. These type of dilemmas involved situations in which a difficult

choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails
transgressing a moral principle.
_____________4. The branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness

or wrong of human conduct.
_____________5. These tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular context or

situation.
_____________6. These are rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical

considerations.
_____________7. Only they can possess or practice values such as love, honor,
social relationships, forgiveness, compassion, and altruism.
_____________8. These refer to cases involving network or institutions and

operative theoretical paradigms.
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_____________9. These refer to ethical cases encountered and resolved by social

organizations.
_____________10. This cannot be said to be moral for it has no freedom or

choice but to work according to what is commanded based on its built-in
program.
Lesson Proper:_____________________________________________________________________
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Freedom as a Foundation for Moral Acts

People face different moral dilemmas and issues in your everyday lives.
When you listen to the news, you hear about unending debates about topics
like abortion, freedom of expression and war. Then you start asking who is
right and who is wrong. If you are experiencing this kind of dilemma you
might be one of two things; You have the freedom to engage in a discussion
about an issue, but like most people you resort to a subjective and
oftentimes biased understanding of an issue.
There are four parts of Ethics,
Descriptive Ethics, Normative Ethics, Meta Ethics and Applied Ethics. First
up you have
1.Descriptive Ethics
it is the thing that individuals really accepts to be correct or wrong and it
think about various moral standards utilized in the over a wide span of time.
Next is
2. Normative Ethics
it is the thing that individuals should do, a prescriptive morals and it talks
about how individuals can settle on what is ethically right you have three
segments of Normative morals this are Virtue Ethics which is centers around
one's character and kindness, second parts are Deontology it is obligation
morals or all out objective and good absolutism and in conclusion is,
Consequentialism it is centers around the outcomes of an activity.
Thomas Beauchamp and James Childress had Four Principles: in terms
of Normative Ethics, these are Respect to Autonomy, Beneficence,
Nonmaleficence and Justice.
 First you have Respect to Autonomy
it means the acknowledgement that every person has the right to
make choices to hold views and to act based on one’s value and
beliefs as long as the person is conscious and has proper
understanding of the matter on hand.
 Second is Beneficence it is the promotion of doing as much
goodness as possible refers to the acts of kindness, compassion and
generosity.
 Third is Non-maleficence it is the avoidance of any unjustifiable
and unnecessary harm and lastly is Justice which means the
distribution of resources equally and fairly.
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3. Meta Ethics
it doubts the significance of goodness, morals and profound quality
including how individuals can realize what is valid or bogus and ultimately
is,
4. Applied Ethics
it is the utilization of moral hypotheses in various open and private issues
like medication, business and so on.
References:_________________________________________________________________________
Assessment Learning:____________________________________________________________
Activity 5
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

before the number.
________________1. What people actually believes to be right or wrong.
________________2. It discusses how people can decide on what is morally
correct.
________________3. It questions the meaning of goodness, ethics and morality
including how people can know what is true or false.
________________4. It is the application of ethical theories in different public and
private matters.
________________5. It focuses on one’s character and benevolence
________________6. It focuses on the consequences of an action.
________________7. It is the acknowledgement that every person has the right to
make choices and to hold views.
________________8. It refers to the acts of kindness, compassion and generosity.
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________________9. It is the avoidance of any unjustifiable and unnecessary

harm. ________________10. It is the distribution of resources equally and fairly.
________________11. It is the capacity to see the interconnectedness of things
and the logic behind the processes involved.
________________12. It is the principle of detaching oneself from any form of
bias and prejudice in order to come up with an objective.
________________13. It is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions and
standards of what is right and what is wrong.
________________14. It determines what is acceptable and unacceptable
behaviors.
________________15. It is the absence of necessity, coercion or constraint in
choice or action.
Activity 6
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Elaborate the Thomas Beauchamp and James Childress “The Four
Principles”, site an example.
THE FOUR PRINCIPLES DEFINITION EXAMPLE
1.Respect for Autonomy
2.Beneficence
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3.Non-maleficence
4.Justice
Activity 7
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________
Directions: Differentiate the Four Branches of Ethics and site an example.
1. Descriptive Ethics
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2. Normative Ethics
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3. Meta Ethics
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4. Applied Ethics
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Lesson
Proper:_____________________________________________________________________
The Moral Agent
Culture is the shared and learned patterns of behaviors, interactions,
symbolisms, and values of a group of people that manifest in your religion,
food, clothing, language, marriage, social habits, music, arts and customs. It
reflects the identity of a particular group of people. There are many cultures
in the world and they can be different from each other.
These differences in cultural patterns create a widely diverse belief and
value systems across the world which makes it harder to develop an
absolute moral guideline for anyone. A principle can be seen critical in the
survival of the people in one culture while it can also be seen negatively and
unacceptable by another culture. Hence, the rise of the concept of cultural
relativism.
Cultural Relativism is the disposition that sees a general public's way of
life inside the setting of the general public's issues and openings. It
expresses that there are nothing of the sort as general realities in light of the
fact that various perspectives and esteeming. Coming up next are the case
regarding Cultural relativism, first is various social orders have distinctive
good codes, there is no target standard that can be utilized to pass judgment
on one cultural code superior to another, the ethical code of our own general
public has no extraordinary status, it is only one among many, there is no
wellknown fact in morals that is there is no ethical certainties that hold for
all individuals consistently, the ethical code of a general public figures out
what is directly inside that society, that is if the method of a general public
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says that a specific activity is correct, at that point that activity is directly in
any event inside that society, and ultimately is it is simple pomposity for you
to attempt to pass judgment on the lead of different people groups. We ought
to receive a disposition of resistance toward the acts of other culture. For
instance, The Callatian accepted that it was the privilege eat their dead while
the Greeks consider the thought shocking and wrong. Presently which good
code is correct and which isn't right? Which is the ethical method of
rewarding the dead? Would it be a good idea for us to acknowledge the
reason this is only a matter of sentiment?
There are Advantages and Dangers in Cultural Relativism, cultural
relativism
 teaches everyone to be more open-minded and respectful of other
cultures. It calls out of discrimination against race, nationality, and
culture and opens more opportunities for everyone. However, the
danger with this arises when we are called to a position to judge a
practice that is repressive and sometimes even harmful towards a
group of people. People are more reluctant to interfere in the
customs of other people. For example, in middle east woman are
regarded as second class to men. Laws governing them are stricter
and they have less rights and privileges compared to men. Now, it is
part of their culture to be overly repressive with women that there
are even apps allowing husband and father to monitor their wives
and daughter’s actions and where about.
Cultural reformation like what happened during the time of the
crusades when Western cultures destroyed native cultures under the name
of religion and politics are considered wrong because it is wrong to see one
culture as inferior to another, hence, promoting cultural preservation at the
same time. Cultural relativism always uses the context of the culture as a
premise. An action is considered right if its right under the context of the
person’s culture even if it is wrong in another’s culture.
Cultural relativism pushes people to look beyond their own cultures
and be less xenocentric and ethnocentric as they can see the similarities and
differences of the culture. As James Rachel (2004) said, this points out that it
is a mistake to overestimate the amount of differences between cultures not
every moral rule can vary from society to society. However, it makes it
harder to define exactly a culture because cultures can overlap with each
other and have similarities. Although it is possible to find a unique practice
but cultural relativism makes identification of cultures more fluid than
before.
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In summary, adopting the attitude of cultural relativism teaches a

person how to be tolerant and respectful of different cultures. It teaches a
person to be more understanding and to always look for the context of the
moral code or principle being held. However, cultural relativism is not
immune to criticism. It is difficult to use as argument in ethics because it’s
premises root from the matter of opinion of a culture. Thus, it is purely
dependent on the cultural standards that the problem or issue belongs to.
According to the article, The Filipino Moral Character has strengths
and weaknesses just like any other culture. It also emphasized the need to
preserve some aspects of the Filipino culture but at the same time highlights
the parts that needs improvement. The following are the
Strengths of Filipino Moral Character
1. pakikipag-kapwa tao,
2. family orientation,
3. joy and humor,
4. flexibility,
5. adaptability, and
6. creativity,
7. hard work and
8. industry,
9. faith and
10. religiosity,
11. ability to survive.
The following are the

weaknesses of the Filipino Moral Character
1.extreme personalism,
2.extreme family-centeredness,
3, lack of discipline,
4.passivity and lack of initiative,
5. colonial mentality
6.kanya-kanya syndrome.
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References:_________________________________________________________________________
www.frontlearners.com
Elemia, C. (2012, Oct. 9) Political Dynasties in ph. 9 news Philippines.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXYK4fKlklM
Rachels, J. (2004). The challenges of cultural relativism. The elements of
moral philosophy 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill College. Retrieved from
https://rintintin.colorado.edu/-vancecd/phil1100/Rachels1.pdf
n.a. (2018, February19). What is culture. University of Minnesota. Retrieved
from https://carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html
Licuanan, P. (1994). Amoral recovery program. Building a people nation.
Retrieved from https://ourhappyschool.com/esp-values-
education/moralrecovery-program-building-people-building-nation-
patricia-licuanan Assessment
Learning:_____________________________________________________________
Activity 8
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

before the number.
________________1. It is shared and learned patterned of behaviors, interactions
and values of a group of people.
________________2. It is the attitude that views a society’s culture within the
context of the society’s problems and opportunities.
________________3. Filipino people regard others with dignity and respect.
________________4. Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for family.
________________5. Filipinos have fun and cheerful approach to the ups and
downs of life.
________________6. It is the tendency that every Filipino has to be superficial
and even somewhat flighty.
________________7. It is the acknowledgement that every person has the right to
make choices and to hold views.
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________________8. Filipinos lacks of patriotism and active awareness.

________________9. This manifest in the tendency to give personal
interpretations to actions.
________________10. Filipinos will take two or three jobs in order to feed their
families.
Activity 9
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________
Directions: State the Filipino Moral Character Strengths and Weaknesses.
STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
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Activity 10
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Answer the questions concisely.

1. Elaborate Cultural Relativism Advantages and Dangers by siting more
examples.
a. Cultural Relativism Advantages
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b. Cultural Relativism Dangers

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Lesson Proper:_____________________________________________________________________
The Moral Agent
In order to understand how you can develop virtue as a habit, you need to
understand these three topics; Universal Values, Moral Character and Moral
Development.
Universal Values you often hear about character building but do you really
understand the meaning of it? How can you say that a trait is virtuous? And
most importantly, how can we really make sure that as you develop your
character you are also developing your moral compass? Character building
often talks about universal values. Universal values are values that have the
same worth or level of importance across cultures and ethical principles. In
principle these universal values are conducts that every rational person
wants to follow. The following are the common universal values;
1. Integrity,
2. Peace,
3. Freedom,
4. Human Dignity,
5. Social Progress,
6. Equal rights,
7. Responsibility,
8. Compassion,
9. Loyalty,
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10. Innovativeness and

11. Intuitiveness.
Have you ever wondered why you have to apply these common universal
values in our lives? Imagine a world without a concept of respect for
human life. What kind of world do you have? How do you feel about it?
Would you like to live in this kind of world? Now imagine a world where
people respect and love each other. What can you observe in this world?
Imagine being in relationship with a partner who always lie to you, how
do you feel about this kind of relationship? Would you prefer if both of
you are honest with each other? Do you think you can be honest all the
time?
The thought experiments showed us how an application of a particular
value system can affect the sense of security of the people involved. A world
without respect for human life can result to a chaotic environment where
people are always afraid for their own lives or possessions. On the other
hand, a relationship that is not based on honesty does not really differentiate
it from a relationship with a stranger where we cannot fully trust the person.
So why do you need to have universal values?
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle wrote that virtue is both intellectual and
moral for it requires time and experience to be developed and can only
come as a result of habit.
Excellence of character is defining by the combination of qualities that make
an individual the sort of ethically admirable person (Howiak. 2005). In the
article “A Short List of Universal Values”, Richard Kinnier, Jerry Kernes and
Therese Dautheribes (2000) said that the call for a list of universal values is
becoming more urgent because the future of human survival may defend on
it.
According to Kinnier, 2000, a standard of agreed upon rules might
serve to recover worldwide communication and cooperation. “Ringer
contended that without some all-inclusive principles you are left with
no real way to denounce savagery, physical torment, mutilation, spouse
beating, kid misuse, subjection, murder or annihilation, on the off
chance that they are a piece of ongoing practice and social customs of a
gathering.” (Kinnier et al,2000). In lecture by UN secretary- General Kofi-
Annan (2003) in Germany he saidSo why do you need to have universal
values? Now you can conclude that universal values are important for
the survival of human species because it pushes people to protect
themselves by protecting and not inflicting harm to other people.
Respect, care, and compassion to other people create a more peaceful
and cooperative environment. On the other hand, greed, gluttony, anger
24
and selfishness push people to create disagreement and conflict among

people.
Moral Character, look back at your childhood which parts and element of
your lives do you think have the most impact to your current belief system
and moral character? The relationship of a person’s individual acts and
moral character is circular which means that one affects the other. Your
individual acts become your habits which molds your moral character.
Meanwhile, your moral character is manifested in your decisions, attitudes
and acts.
Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg developed the
Six Stages of Moral Development
that hopes to understand how moral reasoning changes as a person grows
old and matures. The following are the Six Stages of Moral Development by
Lawrence Kohlberg;
Level 1 is Pre-Conventional Morality
under this level is the
 Stage 1 which is Obedience and Punishment Orientation and

 Stage 2 is Individualism and Exchange, next level is
Level 2 Conventional Morality and under this level is the
 Stage 3 which is Good Interpersonal Relationship and

 Stage 4 which is Maintaining the Social Order. Last level is
Level 3 Post-Conventional Morality and under this level is the
 Stage 5 Social Contract and Individual Rights and

 Stage 6 the Universal Principles.
Level 1 Pre-Conventional Morality
age 9 years old and below in this level the primary focus of an individual is
the self, people don’t have a personal code of Morality yet, they follow the
standards and rules that adults teach to them, the Moral codes are mostly
dependent on the avoidance of punishment.
 Stage 1 of this level is Obedience and Punishment Orientation

in this stage right and wrong is determined by punishment and
authority, the physical and mental consequences of an action
25
indicates the goodness or badness of a behavior, and Moral rightness

is equivalent to obedience.
 Stage 2 is Individualism and Exchange
start to learn about individuality and satisfaction of one’s desire,
moral rightness is equivalent to the idea of give and take, principle of
equality and resolution of conflicts.
Level 2 Conventional Morality
under adolescence to middle age, people start to internalize the moral
standards of the groups they belong to and reasoning are usually based on
the norms of their groups.
 Stage 3 is Good Interpersonal Relationship the right and wrong is

determined by approval of others and conformity to norms, good
behavior is determined by praise, peer pressure is also prominent at
this stage and deviance and indifference are treated as sins and
Moral rightness is equivalent to “conformity and acceptance”.
 Stage 4 Maintaining the Social Order a person becomes more aware
of laws and societal norms, and wants to be a good citizen.
Last level is
Level 3 Post-Conventional Morality
under adults and not everyone reaches this level, individual judgment is
based on self-chosen principles and moral reasoning is based on individual
rights and justice.
 Stage 5 Social Contract and Individual Rights you understand that

even if norms and laws exist they might not be always morally right,
you learn how to use logics, abstract thinking and moral principles to
determine what is right and wrong.
 Stage 6 the Universal Principles you develop your own ethical
guidelines and its willing to defend it even if it means going against
the majority of the people, you believe that a person is not mean but
an end and a very few number of people have reached this level.
References:_________________________________________________________________________
Frontlearners, (2020) Retrieved from www. frontlearners.com
Annan, Kofi. (2003). Do we Still have Universal Values? Retrieved from
https://www.un.org/press/en/2003/sgsm9076.doc.htm
26
Homiak, M. (2005). Moral Character. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Retrieved from https://plato.standard.edu/entries/moral-charcater/
Kinnier, R., Kernes, J., & Dautheribes, T. (2000). A short list of universal
values.
Counseling of Values, volume 45. Pp. 4-16
https://personal.tcu.edu/pwitt/umiversal%20values.pdf
“Hitler Documentary – Biography of the life of Adolf Hitler” The people
profiles. March 16,2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdgdHis6i4
Rachels, J. (2004). The challenges of cultural relativism. The elements of
moral philosophy. 4th ed. New York.
“Mandela: Son of Africa. Father of a nation | Official full documentary”PALM,
April 15, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_eYnCrh6Gu
McGraw-Hill College. Retrieved from
https://rintintin.colorado.edu/vancecd/phil1100/Rachels1.pdf
McLeod, S. (2013), Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Retrieved from
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3d78/73858d76dbd4237d0b5647046d2
701703214.pdf
“Nelson Mandela’s Remarkable Life” Sky News,
Dec. 5, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_yA2zkS-PA
27
Assessing Learning:______________________________________________________________
Activity 11
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

before the number.
________________1. It hopes to understand how moral reasoning changes as a
person grows old and matures.
________________2. Moral codes are mostly dependent on the Avoidance of
Punishment.
________________3. The physical and mental consequences of an action indicate
the goodness or badness of a behavior.
________________4. Start to learn about individuality and satisfaction of one’s
desires.
________________5. Peoples start to internalize the moral standards of the
groups they belong to.
________________6. Right and wrong is determined by approval of others and
conformity to norms.
________________7. A person becomes more aware of laws and societal norms.
________________8. Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and
moral reasoning is based on individual rights and justice.
________________9. Person understand that even if norms and laws exist, they
might not be always morally right.
_______________10. Person develop his or her ethical guidelines and is willing to
defend it even if it means going against the majority of the people.
Activity 12
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________
28
Directions: Differentiate the Stages of Moral Development by Kohlberg’s.
1. STAGE 1: Pre-Conventional Morality

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_ _______
2. STAGE 2: Conventional Morality

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________
3. STAGE 3: Post-Conventional Morality

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. The importance of Universal Values?

___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
29
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________
5. Why do you need to have universal values?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
__________________________________________________________________________________
_
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________
Activity 13
Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Answer the following questions concisely.
1. Plot the stages of your life according to the six stages of moral
development of Lawrence Kohlberg’. Include personal illustrations
and identify where you are now in your moral development
30
2. Summarize the Three (3) levels of Moral Development including the

six (6) stages of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Moral Development.
31

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GENERAL EDUCATION - 8 ETHICS

UNIT I: BASIC CONCEPTS

Directions: Answer the given question base on your existing knowledge

Differences Between Moral and Non-Moral Standards

vocabulary moral standards are associated with special emotions such as

Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

_____________2. It speaks of a code or system of behavior in regards to

_____________3. These type of dilemmas involved situations in which a difficult

_____________5. These tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular context or

_____________8. These refer to cases involving network or institutions and

_____________9. These refer to ethical cases encountered and resolved by social

_____________10. This cannot be said to be moral for it has no freedom or

_____________11. Ethics is considered as a normative study of human actions

_____________12. Rules generate a stable system that provides justice, in which

_____________15. Most philosophers hold that unlike animals, human beings

_____________18. Moral dilemmas arise even in professional work.

_____________19. Copyright and patents help protect people’s intellectual

_____________20. Basic examples of moral standards include rules of etiquette,

Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Answer the given question base on your existing knowledge

1. universal health care

5. the Facebook dilemma

Johnson. Kit. (n.d.) Theories of immigration law

Directions: Answer the following questions concisely.

2. Think of personal dilemma that you’ve encountered before and write

3. What is moral dilemma? Cite an example.

Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

_____________3. These type of dilemmas involved situations in which a difficult

_____________4. The branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness

_____________5. These tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular context or

_____________6. These are rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical

_____________8. These refer to cases involving network or institutions and

_____________9. These refer to ethical cases encountered and resolved by social

_____________10. This cannot be said to be moral for it has no freedom or

Freedom as a Foundation for Moral Acts

Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

________________9. It is the avoidance of any unjustifiable and unnecessary

Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

THE FOUR PRINCIPLES DEFINITION EXAMPLE

1.Respect for Autonomy

Directions: Differentiate the Four Branches of Ethics and site an example.

In summary, adopting the attitude of cultural relativism teaches a

The following are the

Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

________________8. Filipinos lacks of patriotism and active awareness.

Directions: State the Filipino Moral Character Strengths and Weaknesses.

Name: _____________________________ Score: __________________

Directions: Answer the questions concisely.

b. Cultural Relativism Dangers

10. Innovativeness and

and selfishness push people to create disagreement and conflict among

 Stage 1 which is Obedience and Punishment Orientation and

 Stage 3 which is Good Interpersonal Relationship and

 Stage 5 Social Contract and Individual Rights and

 Stage 1 of this level is Obedience and Punishment Orientation

indicates the goodness or badness of a behavior, and Moral rightness

 Stage 3 is Good Interpersonal Relationship the right and wrong is

 Stage 5 Social Contract and Individual Rights you understand that

Homiak, M. (2005). Moral Character. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Identify what is being

Name: ___________ Score:

Name: ___________ Score:

Name: ___________ Score:

Course/Year/Section: Date: ______

Name: ___________ Score: