Meaning of Moral Act
According to Guy Thwaites (2017) there are
three (3) ethical theories.
1. According to the Divine Command
Theory, a moral act is one which God
says is moral- Give said:” Give unto
Caesar what is Caesar’ s, sol should pay
my tax bills”
2. According to the Categorial
Imperative, a moral act is one which
would be universally beneficial if everyone
did it – If everyone told the truth, the
world would be a better place. Therefore, I
should tell the truth.”
3. According to Act
Utilitarianism( kumbaga pili ang
pagiging mabuti)
a moral act is one which does the most
good for the most people” If I throw the
switch on the railway tracks, the runaway
train will run down only one person rather
than three.”
Three (3) Integral Parts of a Moral Act
The goodness of a moral act is determined by
three elements:
object, intention, and Circumstances. At
least one of these must be good; others may
be indifferent; and none may be evil. A defect
in any these renders the act morally evil.
Examples of Moral Act
Saving someone from Death
By doing so, you set a heroic example to
other people. They in turn will feel it is right to
save a life. Imagine if everyone had the will to
save someone, not only would this be a great
convenience for humanity, but it also helps to
ensure survival.
Having sex with mutual consent
Although a bit disgusting in the eyes of
different people, sex is key for our survival.
Cooperating with People
Through cooperation, humans are able to do
almost nearly impossible things. Again,
imagine if everyone worked together, that
would be heaven!
Helping a person in need
Have you ever felt sad or even a bit suicidal?
Well, if you have, talk with a friend or
someone you trust. Simply conversing with
another human helps so much. Cooperation
results with a higher chance of success.
Six Moral Rights
1. The right of free consent
2. The right to privacy
3. The right of freedom of conscience
4. The right of free speech
5. The right to due process
6. The right to life & safety
Ethical Decision Making Approaches
• Utilitarian Approach
Moral behavior produces the greatest good for the greatest number
Critics fear a “Big Brother” approach and ask if the common good is
squeezing the life out of the individual
Example – Oregon’s decision to extend Medicaid to 400,000 previously
ineligible recipients by refusing to pay for high-cost, high-risk
procedures
• Individualism Approach
• Acts are moral when they promote the individual’s best long-term
interests, which ultimately leads to the greater good
• Individual self-direction paramount
• Individualism is believed to lead to honesty & integrity since that
works best in the long run
Examples: Top executives from WorldCom, Enron, Tyco demonstrate
flaws of approach
• Moral-Rights Approach
• Moral decisions are those that best maintain the rights of those
people affected by them.
• An ethical decision is one that avoids interfering with the
fundamental rights of others
• Justice Approach
• Moral Decisions must be based on standards of equity, fairness,
impartiality
Three types of Justice Approaches:
[Link] Justice
• Different treatment of people should not be based on arbitrary
characteristics
• In case of substantive differences, people should be treated
differently in proportion to the differences among them
2. Procedural Justice
• Rules should be clearly stated
• Rules should be consistently and impartially enforced
[Link] Justice
Individuals should be compensated for the cost of their injuries by
the party responsible
Individuals should not be held responsible for matters they have no
control over
Ethical Dilemma
• A situation that arises when all alternative choices or behaviors have
been deemed undesirable because…
• potentially of negative ethical consequences, making it difficult to
distinguish right from wrong
What is Globalization?
A process (or set of processes)
■ which embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social
relations and transactions, expressed in transcontinental or
interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction and power.
WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?
⚫ Globalization
can be defined as a process of rapid economic, cultural, and
institutional integration among countries.
• This unification is driven by the liberalization of trade, investment
and capital flow, technological advances, and pressures for
assimilation towards international standards.
⚫ Globalization makes the world more accessible to everyone.
IMPARTIALITY
The idea that each individual’s interest and point of view are equally
important. Also called evenhandedness or fair-mindedness,
impartiality is a principle of justice holding that decisions ought to be
based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice,
or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper
reasons.
Rules for Ethical Decision
[Link] Rule
An ethical decision should produce the greatest good for the greatest
number of people
[Link] Rights Rule
An ethical decision should maintain and protect the mental rights
and privileges of people
[Link] Rule
An ethical decision should be one that a manager has no hesitation.
About communicating to people outside the company because the
typical person in a society would think the decision is acceptable.
[Link] Rule
An ethical decision should distribute benefits and harm among people
in a fair, equitable
