Understanding Morality and Moral Standards - Page 1 of 6

CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING MORALITY AND MORAL STANDARDS

Course Orientation and the Importance of Rules
MODULE 1

OVERVIEW
Everywhere you go are rules – at home, at school, in church, in the barangay. Do these rules make our life
more difficult and so should be eliminated or do these rules make our life more peaceful and orderly?
Imagine your life, your home, your school, your Church and community without rules. In this Lesson,
we’ll study about the importance of rules.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• to state what are expected of me in this course;

• to explain the importance of rules

LEARNING EXPERIENCES & SELF-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (SAA)

ACTIVITY
Recall and share a rule that you have to follow a t school and the reason behind such rule. Write it below
on the SAA sheets.

ANALYSIS
1. What if there were no rules? What are possible consequences?
2. Are rules important why or why not?
3. Do you find them constricting? Why or why or not?

ABSTRACTION
Rules are important to social being. Just imagine the chaos that results from the absence of rules.
What happens when students and professors alike come to school in any attire the want? Imagine what
happens when in the classroom everyone wants to talk at the same time. Let’s go out of the classroom for
more examples. What if there were no traffic rules? Rules can be expanded to include the Philippine
Constitution and other laws. What f there were no Constitution and other laws of the land?
Rules are meant to set order. Rules (the Philippine Constitution and other laws included) are
meant for man. The greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ, preached empathically, the Sabbath is made for man
the not for man for the Sabbath. The law of the Sabbath, i.e. to keep it holy and observe rest, is meant to
make man while by resting and by giving him time to thanks and spend time in prayer and worship for his
own good.

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For the sake of order in society everyone is subject to rules, in a democratic country like the
Philippines, we often hear the statement “No one is above the law,” including the highest official of the
country. We are all subject to rules or else chaos.
Rules are not meant to restrict your freedom. They are meant to you grow in freedom, to grow in
your ability to choose and do what is good for you and to others. If there are rules or laws that restrict
your ability or strength to do good, they are suffocating laws and they are not good laws. They ought to
be abolished. Any rule or law that prevents human persons from doing and being good ought to be
repealed, they have no reasons to exist.
In fact, if you are a rule or a law-abiding citizen, you don’t even feel the restricting presence of a
rule or law because you do what the law or what the rule states everybody should do. Looking from a
higher point of view, this is the state when one acts not because rules demand it but because one sees he
has to act that way. It is like saying one no longer needs the rule or law because one has become mature
and wise enough to discern what ought to be done. This is an ideal state which the ancient Chinese sages
(Confucius, Lao Tzu,) referred to as state of no-more rules, no-more laws, because people discern what is
good and do what is right or good without thinking a ule or law; people are no longer in need of a
government because they can govern themselves. It is a state where one owns the moral standard not just
abide by the moral standard.

APPLICATION
1. The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath, what does this mean? Illustrate
with an example.
2. Rules/laws are made for the good of man. State the good that is derive from the following
school rules:
a. No ID, No Entry
b. Student/Teacher Tardiness beyond 15 minutes means absence.
c. Any form of cheating is punishable with suspension.
d. Use of illegal drug is punishable with dismissal.
3. Give an example of a constricting rule or law. What should be done with it?
4. The ancient Chinese sage named Lao Tsu taught: “Leave the people to themselves, no laws
and inner goodness will flourish.” “The more laws and commands there are, the more thieves
and robbers will be.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

SELF-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (SAA) SHEET

ACTIVITY
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

ANALYSIS
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

APPLICATION
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. a._____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

b._____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

c._____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

d._____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

KEY POINTS

✓ Rules are meant to set order in society.

✓ Rules are intended for human persons. They are not meant to limit a person’s freedom which is
the ability to choose and do what is good, rather rules are meant to help persons choose and do
what is good.
✓ Those who do what is good don’t even feel the presence of a rule that prevents them from doing
what is not good that feel the suffocating and limiting presence of a rule.
✓ When society is ideal, i.e. when all persons are food and do only what is ideal then there will be
no more need for rules and laws according to Lao tzu.

END OF MODULE ASSESSMENT

Now that you have finished the review of the various concepts outlined above, it is now time for an
assessment to see how far you have improved. On every module’s “End of Module Assessment”, write
your answers on separate sheet/s provided. (See separate sheets for the questions.)

LOOKING AHEAD
Congratulations for making it till the end of this module! If you aced the assessments, I am happy for you.
If you have not reached your desired level of competence, just keep going! Remember that an expert was
once a beginner. The next topic will deal on Moral and Non-Moral Standards! Happy learning!

SELF AND MODULE EVALUATION

This part requires you to rate the quality of the module to help you continuously improve the development
of this learning module. This also asks you to rate your learning experience for each of the modules.
Rate the module using the following:
1- Strongly disagree
2- Disagree
3- Agree
4- Strongly agree

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The learning module: 1 2 3 4

Please check appropriate column

was engaging
allowed for self-checking (SAAs)
developed in gradual, manageable steps
provided independent, self-paced learning
contained relevant information I needed

SELF-EVALUATION
Rate the extent of your learning in this module using the scale below. Check the column corresponding to
your rating in the space provided. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need further assistance.
4- I’m an expert. I understand and can teach a friend about it.
3-I’m a Practioner. I understand and can cite examples on the topics given.
2- I’m an apprentice. I understand if I get help or look at more examples.
1- I’m a novice. I do not understand the topic.

My learning: 1 2 3 4
I can now

Please check appropriate column

state what are expected of me in this course

explain the importance of rules

REFERENCES
Corpuz, Ruben A, Corpuz Brenda, (2020). Ethics. Lorimar Publishing Inc.

END OF MODULE ASSESSMENT (Answer Sheet)

sheeeSHeShShe
(Please do not forget to provide information on this part)
Name: _____________________________________________ Course& Year:_____________
Module Number and Title: ______________________________________________________
Contact number & email (if any):_______________________________
Date accomplished: ________________________
Now that you have finished the review of the various concepts outlined above, it is now time for an
assessment to see how far you have improved. Input your answers on the link provided online. You can
check the link on our class’ fb group / google classroom.
1. Why are rules important?

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2. Reflect on your attitude toward rules. Do you welcome rules? Or are you allergic to rules? What
if there no rules?

OSMEÑA COLLEGES College of Teacher Education

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