ISAY

ETH101- ETHICS Primary universal values by Aquinas:

 Goodness , Truth, Justice and Prudence.
WEEK 7
Universal Values Universal values are essential for humans for several
 A collection of fundamental ideas or ideals that reasons:
people from many countries, societies, and eras
of history have in common is known as Common Ground:
universal values. These values often serve as the Universal values provide a common ground for diverse
foundation for moral and ethical judgments, societies andcultures.
helping individuals differentiate between right Ethical Guidance: Universal values serve as ethical
and wrong, good and bad. guidelines that help individuals distinguish right from
wrong.
Value - means something the individual or community Human Rights: Universal values form the basis for
believes has a worth those merits human rights frameworks.
when pursued, promoted, or privileged. It can be a Resilience and Adaptability: Upholding universal
thing, a state of mind, or a behavior that results from values enables societies to navigate periods of change,
those things or states of mind. adversity, and uncertainty with resilience and
adaptability.
 Subject of ethical investigation.
Universal values are highly relevant to human survival
Desire - wanting a thing without much for several reasons:
reflection on it; that is, a desire might come from an
instinct, urge, or physical need. Social Cohesion and Cooperation: Universal values
____________________________________________ such as compassion, empathy, and cooperation are
essential for building strong social bonds and cohesive
PLATO communities.
Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping: Values such
Universal Values as tolerance, forgiveness, and justice play a crucial role
 Idea of virtues leads to understanding Ethics in preventing and resolving conflicts.
and values. Environmental Stewardship: Universal values like
 Values are the standards of excellence within stewardship, responsibility, and sustainability are
particular activities as our guide to how we crucial for the survival of the planet and all its
should act. inhabitants.
 Exist apart from the concrete world. Cultural Resilience and Identity: Universal values
contribute to the resilience and survival of cultural
identities and traditions.
ARISTOTLE

Universal values WEEK 8

 exist embodied in the concrete individual as Development of Moral Character
common or essential characteristics. Understanding one's values and beliefs is fundamental
 Only by using our rationality for thinking and to building moral character. It involves
creating a community in which thinking is encouraged, reflection to identify core principles that guide ethical
and in which education is valued, behavior.
can universal values flourish (Shields, 2016)
ARISTOTLE
JESUS CHRIST In Book II of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he
According to Jesus Christ, universal values center describes the two kinds of human excellence:
around: love, patience, kindness, goodwill,  Excellence of thought
compassion, and forgiveness.  Excellence of character.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS The concept of moral virtue or the excellence of
Universal values are grounded in the natural order character emphasizes not one’s mere uniqueness or
established by God and are discernible through human individuality, but the combination of qualities that
reason. make an individual ethically good.
  Moral character is an evaluation of an The morality of human acts serves as a guiding
individual’s stable moral qualities. principle for individuals and societies to promote
Excellence of Character or good moral character is ethical behavior, respect for human dignity, justice, and
a state concerned with choice that is determined by the common good.
reason.
Human acts
One does not have good moral character, they are in a  are the acts of a moral agent, human act
state that makes them vulnerable to vices. involves conscious decision-making, where the
____________________________________________ individual understands the nature and
consequences of their actions and freely chooses
LAWRENCE PERVIN to perform them.
Moral character as “a disposition to express Act of Human
behavior in consistent patterns of functions across a  actions committed by unconscious and insane
range of situations”. This means that moral character persons, infants, or by those who are physically
isn't just about internal values or beliefs. It is about how forced to do something.
those values translate into actions and conduct in the  actions which merely happen in the body or
real world. through the body without the awareness of the
 Individuals with strong moral character exhibit mind or the control of the will are not human
similar patterns of ethical behavior. acts but merely acts of man.
 done instinctively without reflection and free
 To be a moral person is to think morally and act will. Instinctive actsare those that are dictated
Accordingly by nature.

Understanding moral development in children involves The Determinants of the Morality of Human Acts
three aspects:
In his book earlier cited, Rev. Coppens, S.J. says
1. EMOTIONS: These are the feelings and values that that to know whether an individual human act is
shape and or develop the moral standards of an morally good, three things are considered. These
individual. are called the determinants of morality, namely:
2. KNOWLEDGE: It refers to learning the moral code
of one’s community and making judgments about  object of the act
whether something is good or bad, right or wrong.  the end, or purpose
3. ACTION: It is how one decides on the appropriate  circumstances.
actions to take in controlling negative impulses, 
responding based on rules and requests, obeying OBJECT
parents and other authorities, or behaving in a caring, object of an act is the thing done. In reality, it is not
helpful manner, depending on the situation . distinct from the act itself; for we cannot
____________________________________________ act without doing something, and that thing that is
done is the object of the act; say, of going,
TIPS TO DEVELOP MORAL CHARACTER eating, praising, etc. The object is usually regarded
If you believe developing your character is an endeavor as the primary factor for moral judgement
you want to pursue, here are some tips of a human act.
you may consider: END
1. Define your core values The end, or purpose intended by the agent is the
2. Practice the habits second determinant of an act's morality. It refers
3. Find people with character to the intention or purpose behind the action—the
4. Take some risks "why" of the action. It reflects the motive
5. Commit to self-improvement or goal that the actor seeks to achieve through their
____________________________________________. behavior. The morality of an action can be
influenced by the intentions behind it.
WEEK 10
The Meaning of Human Act No matter how good the object of an act may be, if
Feelings as a modifier of Moral Decision-Making the end intended is bad, the act is thereby
vitiated, spoiled or impaired.
CIRCUMSTANCES
The circumstances of time, place and persons have their
part in determining the morality of an individual act.
The moral character of an act may be so affected by
attendant circumstances that an act good in itself may
be evil when accompanied by certain circumstances.

WHAT ARE FEELINGS?

 emotional states or reactions, experiences of
physical sensations like feelings of joy, warmth,
love, affection, tenderness, and the like. In
addition, it is dynamic and can change in
response to different stimuli or situations. They
are not fixed states and can vary in intensity,
duration, and complexity.

Moral Statements as Expression of Feeling:

Emotivism suggests that when someone makes a moral
statement, they are not primarily
expressing a belief about the facts of a situation but are
instead expressing their feelings or
attitudes, or preferences, and they cannot be objectively
true or false.
 The emotivist says that ethical statements being
emotional expressions are not verifiable.
____________________________________________

WEEK 11
Reason and Impartiality as Minimum Requirements
for Morality

REASON:
It is the capacity for consciously making sense of
things, establishing and verifying facts, applying
logic, and changing or justifying practices, institutions,
and beliefs based on new or existing
information

 Reason, or an aspect of it, is sometimes referred

to as rationality. It is also associated with
thinking, cognition, and intellect. Reason is a
declaration to explain or justify an action,
decision, or conviction.

MORALITY:
It refers to personal or cultural values, beliefs, and
principles about right and wrong behavior. It
often involves an individual's internal compass for
making decisions based on their understanding
of what is morally acceptable or unacceptable.

Morality is often rooted in personal or cultural

values, religious beliefs, or individual conscience.