Topic 1 Key Concepts in ETHICS

KEY CONCEPTS
IN ETHICS
by
PROF. RESTIE ALLAN A. PUNO, MAEd, LPT

Ethics Professor
LESSON OBJECTIVES
• At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
• 1. Define Ethics.
• 2. Distinguish the concept of moral standards from non-
moral and amoral standards.
• 3. Articulate the differences of ordinary rules from moral
rules/standards.
AN ATTEMPT FOR A DEFINITION
• There are various definitions of Ethics such that

anyone would be led to think a universal one is
impossible to formulate.
• Hence, many ethical discussions end in

controversies; some result to even more divergent
views about the subject matter.
• Some views relate ethics to other words like RIGHT,

VALUE, MORALS, GOOD, EVIL, HAPPINESS in
their attempt to define the term.
• Some provide practical and common questions that

relate to Acts, Desires and Needs from which
individuals find life’s meanings and purposes.
• There are different definitions of ethics

because there are numerous questions
entailed in our views regarding rightness and
wrongness; as well as the diverse responses
to these questions.
WHAT IS ETHICS???
• Etymologically, from the Greek word, “ETHOS”
which means character or manners.
• Popularly, ethics is the branch of philosophy that

studies morality of human action.
• Morality relates to a code or system of behavior with

regards to the standards of right or wrong behavior or
the rightness or wrongness of human actions
ETHICS
• Ethics stands to queries about what/there is a

reason to do – dealing with human actions and the
reasons for actions.
• Ethics and Morality necessarily carry the concept

of MORAL STANDARDS or MORAL RULES
with regard behavior.
MAJOR ETHICAL QUESTIONS
• What is GOOD?
• Who is a MORAL PERSON?
• What are VIRTUES of a human being?
• What makes an act RIGHT?
• What duties do we have to each other?
ETHICAL QUESTIONS AND
RESPONSES
• What is your idea of RIGHTNESS?
• Is it right to aspire for your dreams?
• Is it right to long for material things?
• What is HAPPINESS for you?

• Good Food? Fame? Comfort? Honor? Love? Winning?
Beauty? Friendship?
ETHICAL QUESTIONS AND
RESPONSES
• How would you like your life to be?

• Free Spirit? Knowledge-Seeker?
• What do you value?

• Faith? Friendship? Freedom? Existence?
• RIGHT?
• GOOD?
• HAPPINESS?
• VALUES?
• How am I supposed to live my life?

• Why do I need these things?
STUDY ON MORALITY
• Moral Standards as opposed to Non-Moral and

Amoral Standards
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
• Why are there rules?
• What rules do you find most constricting?
• How do moral standards differ from other rules in

our lives?
IMPORTANCE OF RULES
• Rules refer to explicit or understood regulations or

principles governing conduct within a specific activity
or sphere.
• Rules tell us what is or is not allowed in a particular
context or situation.
• Rules serve as foundation for any healthy society.
Without rules, society would fall into anarchy.
IMPORTANCE OF RULES
• Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior.
• Rules help guarantee each person certain rights and freedom.
• Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings.
• Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.

THE MORAL STANDARDS
• Not all rules are moral rules, not all standards are moral standards
• Morality may refer to the standards that a person or a group has about
what is right and wrong. Moral standards are those concerned with or
relating to human behavior, especially the distinction between good and
bad behavior.
THE NON-MORAL STANDARDS
• Non-moral standards refer to rules that are

unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. They
are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature
lack ethical sense. They are the usual rules in our
lives.
• Look at the following examples:

THE USUAL RULES IN OUR
LIVES…
• Etiquette: Standards by which manners are

judged to be good or bad normally dictated by a
socio-economic elite.
• Athletic: Standards by which we judge how good

or bad a game is played, usually formulated by its
governing bodies.
THE USUAL RULES IN OUR
LIVES…
• Legal: Standards by which legal right or wrong is judged in a
democracy; formulated by representatives of people.
• Language: Standards by which grammatically right or wrong

languages is judged, evolving through its usage.
• Aesthetics: Standards by which good or bad art is judged

dictated by a small circle of arts specialists.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL
STANDARDS
• 1. Moral Standards involve serious wrongs or significant benefits to
human beings.
• 2. Moral standards ought to be preferred to other values. It has
hegemonic authority – a person has the moral obligation to do
something, then he is supposed to do that even if it conflicts with other
non-moral standards, and even with self-interest.
• 3. Moral standards are not established by authority figures.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL
STANDARDS
• 4. Moral standards have the trait of universalizability.
• 5. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations
• 6. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and

vocabulary.
WHAT IS COMMON TO ALL
THESE CHARACTERISTICS?
• No other than society taken in broadest sense…

Society is interpreted philosophically as the
“other”. Only human beings can have moral
standards.
• Non-compliance with moral standards would

seriously injure us as human beings.
ETHICS AND MORALS
• When do you say an experience calls for a Moral

Decision?
…..a choice made based on the person’s ethics, manners, characters…

TAKE THESE EXAMPLES…
• You went to SM Department Store to buy a pair of rubber shoes. Brand A

costs 2K; Brand B costs 5K…
• Your wife gave you 5K…
• You were jobless at the moment…
• Your son and daughter will enroll this coming August…
• Your mother was rushed to the hospital because of lingering illness…
• You owe your neighbor 1K and you promise to pay the moment you have
extra money.
ETHICS and MORALS
in FOCUS
WHAT ARE THEY?
• Ethics refers to the rules of conduct recognized in

respect to a particular class of human actions or a
particular group or culture.
• Morals are the principles or habits with respect to right

or wrong conduct. While morals are also prescribe do’s
and don’t’s, morality is ultimately a personal compass
of right and wrong.
WHAT IS THEIR ORIGIN?
• Ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos”

meaning character.
• Moral comes from the Latin word, “mores”

meaning custom.
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
• Ethics comes from social system (external source). We

do it because society says it is the right thing to do.
• Morality comes from individual themselves (internal

source). We do it (or we do not do it) because we
believe on something being right or wrong.
WHAT IS THE FLEXIBILITY OF
THE CONCEPTS?
• Ethics are dependent on others for definition. They

tend to be consistent within a certain context, but
can vary between contexts.
• Moral is usually consistent, although can change if

an individual’s beliefs change.
ACCEPTABILITY OF THE
TERMS…
• Ethics are governed by professional and legal

guidelines within a particular time and place.
• Moral norms transcends cultural norms.
Source:http://www.differen.com/difference/Ethics vs Morals
IN OTHER WORDS…
• Ethics is a code of conduct that pertain to a community, family,

company or a nation. On the other hand, morality refers to personal
sets of beliefs about what is right or wrong.
• Ethics is accepted by the entity of the community but morals are not.
• People have their morals that may or may not be in sync with
society’s ethics.
THUS, THE STUDY OF ETHICS…
• Ethics entails a reflective distance to critically examine

standards.
• Ethics looks at values beneath the moral standards (answers the

questions of WHAT and WHY we do the act)
• Ethics looks into the agent who makes the moral decision (level
of maturity and moral development)
THUS, THE STUDY OF ETHICS…
• It is about moral decision process (HOW we arrive

at the moral decision)
• Ethics is not solely about the theoretical knowledge

but the application of that knowledge… how to
transform such knowledge into action in our
everyday life.
ASSIGNMENT
• Write a brief case of personal ethical

problem you have experienced in the past.
THANK YOU!

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KEY CONCEPTS

PROF. RESTIE ALLAN A. PUNO, MAEd, LPT

• At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• There are various definitions of Ethics such that

• Hence, many ethical discussions end in

• Some views relate ethics to other words like RIGHT,

• Some provide practical and common questions that

• There are different definitions of ethics

• Popularly, ethics is the branch of philosophy that

• Morality relates to a code or system of behavior with

• Ethics stands to queries about what/there is a

• Ethics and Morality necessarily carry the concept

• What is HAPPINESS for you?

• How would you like your life to be?

• What do you value?

• How am I supposed to live my life?

• Moral Standards as opposed to Non-Moral and

• Why are there rules?

• What rules do you find most constricting?

• How do moral standards differ from other rules in

• Rules refer to explicit or understood regulations or

• Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior.

• Rules help guarantee each person certain rights and freedom.

• Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings.

• Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.

• Non-moral standards refer to rules that are

• Look at the following examples:

• Etiquette: Standards by which manners are

• Athletic: Standards by which we judge how good

• Language: Standards by which grammatically right or wrong

• Aesthetics: Standards by which good or bad art is judged

• 5. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations

• 6. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and

• No other than society taken in broadest sense…

• Non-compliance with moral standards would

• When do you say an experience calls for a Moral

…..a choice made based on the person’s ethics, manners, characters…

• You went to SM Department Store to buy a pair of rubber shoes. Brand A

• Ethics refers to the rules of conduct recognized in

• Morals are the principles or habits with respect to right

• Ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos”

• Moral comes from the Latin word, “mores”

• Ethics comes from social system (external source). We

• Morality comes from individual themselves (internal

• Ethics are dependent on others for definition. They

• Moral is usually consistent, although can change if

• Ethics are governed by professional and legal

• Moral norms transcends cultural norms.

• Ethics is a code of conduct that pertain to a community, family,

• Ethics entails a reflective distance to critically examine

• Ethics looks at values beneath the moral standards (answers the

• It is about moral decision process (HOW we arrive

• Ethics is not solely about the theoretical knowledge

• Write a brief case of personal ethical

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