GE 7 ETHICS ( 7:30 am- 10:30 am )
MIDTERM EXAM
MARK A. EGUIA
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I. Define the following terms:
1. ETHICS
Ethics is a system or branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles. It is a persons’
actions or behavior in doing any activity. This tells us if what we are doing is right or wrong. This
also serve as guidance in our daily lives. Every acts and choices we makes affects the quality of our
lives and ethics will serve as guide to where we wanted to be. This also helps us make such decisions
where we can be proud of. Without ethics, all people in any society will lead to an animal behavior
and will makes us forgot what humanity really means. Ethics will also serve as our moral philosophy
that concerned of what is good for any individual in the society.
2. META-ETHICS
Meta-Ethics is one of the branches of ethics that tells the nature and, meaning and scope of
moral judgement. This helps us with what we mean when we are using good or bad, or right and
wrong. Meta-ethics is where our ethical principles came from. It is important to us because it helps
us to know the connections between values, reasons and human motivation. It focuses on the
morality itself. This helps us to explore the status, meaning and scope of moral values, properties and
words.
3. NORMATIVE ETHICS
It is a type of ethics that deals with the ethical behavior or action of a person. It focuses on the
content of morality. It is a moral theory of a principle that tells whether the actions or behavior is
right or wrong. Normative ethics identifies of how people ought to behave and involves
systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. It involves
moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct.
4. APPLIED ETHICS
It is one of type of ethics that refers to the application of moral considerations. This gives
importance to reflect actions or behaviors of a person or a group. It serves as treatment of moral
problems, practices and policies of anything in the society. It is the ethics that have respect for
peoples actions and their moral considerations in any aspect in the society. This is the discipline that
attempts to apply ethical theory to real-life situations. This also refers to our everyday life and how
we all live the good life and what our obligations in any situations.
II. Explain the following stages:
1. The Good Child Orientation Stage
This is the stage where child’s moral judgment is motivated to avoid rejection or disapproval
from other people around him/her. This is the stage where a child is attempt to live up to the social
roles and expectations of the family and community. They follow rules or do what other would want
so that they may win their approval. Having good motives and interpersonal feelings such as love
empathy, trust and concern for others.
2. The Maintaining and Social Order Stage
This is the stage where a person becomes more concerned about society as a whole. People are
more involve with the laws of society and following them and performing their duties and respecting
the authorities so that social order will be maintained. People can conceptualize the laws of the
society and understand the situation in a more greater deal. People understand that when someone
breaks the law, society would be in total chaos.
3. The Universal Principle Stage
This is the stage where universal and abstract values like dignity, respect, justice and equality are
guiding the force behind the development of a personally meaningful set of ethical principles. The
stage where people have developed their own set of moral guidelines which may or may not fit the
law. Peoples commitment to justice carries an obligation to obey the unjust law. Also, individuals
acts because it is instrumental, expected and legal. This principle applies to everyone and prepared to
act to defend principles even if it means going against the rest of the society.
* How does the culture shape moral behavior?
Culture plays a big role in shaping moral behavior. It influences and changes the our definitions
of what ought to be deemed. Culture shapes attitudes, values, goals, and practices of a person, group
or organization in the society. It interprets the moral influenced by cultural norms even culture have
different beliefs of what is wrong or right. It affects all aspects of our behavior, cognition and
emotion on both differences and similarities of all people.
* Why should culture not be the ultimate determinant of values?
It is because no such thing is perfect, only God is perfect. Cultures can be wrong in many
different way. It have different values and may change over time. Culture is just one of the many
factors that affects and influence a persons values. Though culture have differences, we just need to
respect all cultural differences, beliefs and values which may help in a persons’ personal growth. But
still, culture plays a significant role in shaping a persons’ moral behavior and values.
* Differentiate Moral from Non-moral.
Moral standard concerns related to human behavior especially in the distinction of good and bad
or right from wrong. It involves the rules of people in all their actions that they believe can be right
or wrong. This deals with matters which can harm or benefit a person. Samples are always telling the
truth, having courage, keeping promises etc. While Non-moral standard are the rules that are
unrelated to moral or ethical values. This is having a lack of moral sense. A person is not considering
ethics and moral values.
