Ethics 5

DAVAO CENTRAL COLLEGE, INC.
Juan dela Cruz Street, Toril, Davao City

Landline No. (082) 291 1882
Accredited by ACSCU-ACI
GE ETH1
Week 5: Sources of Authority
Learning Outcomes:
1. Determine the sources of authority and the standards of
moral valuation.
Concept Digest
SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
The standards of valuation are imposed by a higher authority that

commands obedience.
LAW
It refers to the different rules and regulations that are put

forward by an authority figure that require compliance. It is
enforced by way of system of sanctions administered through
persons and institutions, which help in compelling us to obey the
laws of the land as sated in the country’s criminal and civil
codes.
RELIGION
“Love the Lord, Your God, therefore, and always heed his charge:
his statutes, decrees, and commandments”. -Deuteronomy 11:1
Divine command theory- a foundation for ethical values that the

vicinity called God, Allah, or Supreme Being commands and one is
obliged to obey her creator.
CULTURE
It is the sum of attitudes, values, goals, and practices shared

by individuals in a group, organization, or society. There are
aesthetic differences, religious differences, and etiquette
differences.
Cultural relativism- What is ethically acceptable or unacceptable

is relative to, or, dependent to one’s culture.
Arguments of cultural relativism:

a. The reality of difference- different cultures have different
moral codes, therefore we cannot say that any ice oral code is
the right one.
b. We are in no position to render any kind of judgment on the
practices of another culture.
c. We are in no position to render judgement on the practices
even our own culture.
Page 1 of 3
d. The presumption of culture as something fixed and already
determined.
SENSES OF THE SELF
The standards of moral valuation are base in oneself.
SUBJECTIVISM
The individual is the sole determinant of what is morally good or

bad, right or wrong.
Example (1): “No one can tell me what is wrong and right”.
Problem: This statement cannot be absolute, because later we
realize that we can be mistaken and that we can be corrected by
others.
Example (2): “No one knows my situation better than myself”.

Problem: Failure to recognize that many human experiences are
common and that others may have something useful to suggest.
Example (3): “I am entitled to my own opinion”.

Problem: This is stubbornly misconstrued as some kind of immunity
from criticism and correction. For instance, an employer who pays
his female employees less than the male employees, because the
employer’s opinion that women are inferior to men.
Example (4): “It is good if I say that it is good”

Problem: Your personal consideration that Juan is good that makes
Juan good.
Question: What is your basis for saying that Juan is good?
Answer: No basis.
This renders subjectivism an untenable vide for someone who is

interested in ethics because there is no basis that we can look
toward.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM
“Human beings are naturally self-centered, so all our actions are

always already motivated by self-interest”.
One’s action are ultimately always motivated by self-serving

desire.
Psychological egoism is a theory that describes the underlying

dynamic behind all human actions. As an descriptive theory, it
does not direct one to act in a particular way, instead it points
out that there is already an underlying basis for how one acts.
The ego or self has desires and interests, that all our actions
are geared toward satisfying this interest.
Page 2 of 3
Strong Points:
 Simplicity- a theory that conveniently identifies a single basis

(desire) that will somehow account for all actions.
 Plausibility (the quality of seeming reasonable or probable)- it

is plausible that self interest is behind a person’s action.
 Irrefutable (impossible to deny or disprove)- there is the self-

serving motive at the root of everything.
Psychological Egoism best explained
A woman who spends money on expensive clothes versus a woman who

donates to charity. Although this example would raise an issue of
the value of generosity and selfishness, in psychological egoism,
it does not matter. Both are simply fulfilling what would serve
them best.
ETHICAL EGOISM
Prescribes that we should make our own ends, our own

interests, as the single overriding concern. One should consider
herself as the priority and not allow any other concern, such as
the welfare of other people, to detract from this pursuit. You
may act in a way that is beneficial to other, but you should do
that if it ultimately benefits you. This theory acknowledges the
idea of a dog-eat-dog world meaning, people are willing to harm
each other in order to succeed.
Page 3 of 3

Ethics 5

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ethics 5

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ethics 5

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DAVAO CENTRAL COLLEGE, INC.

Juan dela Cruz Street, Toril, Davao City

The standards of valuation are imposed by a higher authority that

It refers to the different rules and regulations that are put

Divine command theory- a foundation for ethical values that the

It is the sum of attitudes, values, goals, and practices shared

Cultural relativism- What is ethically acceptable or unacceptable

Arguments of cultural relativism:

SENSES OF THE SELF

The standards of moral valuation are base in oneself.

The individual is the sole determinant of what is morally good or

Example (2): “No one knows my situation better than myself”.

Example (3): “I am entitled to my own opinion”.

Example (4): “It is good if I say that it is good”

This renders subjectivism an untenable vide for someone who is

“Human beings are naturally self-centered, so all our actions are

One’s action are ultimately always motivated by self-serving

Psychological egoism is a theory that describes the underlying

 Simplicity- a theory that conveniently identifies a single basis

 Plausibility (the quality of seeming reasonable or probable)- it

 Irrefutable (impossible to deny or disprove)- there is the self-

Psychological Egoism best explained

A woman who spends money on expensive clothes versus a woman who

Prescribes that we should make our own ends, our own

You might also like