prefinal handout#2

Morality

Professional Ethics with Values Formation

* Property of STI of 14

Morality

c Morality is the quality of right and wrong of human acts.

c We consistently judge actions of people being right or wrong.

c There may be a difference in opinion regarding morality but the basic fact remains there is indeed a difference between right and wrong.

c However, there must exist a basis on which one would state that an act is right or wrong.

Morality



Norm of Morality

c Normq Standard

c Norm of Moralityq Standard of right and wrongq Reason why some actions are morally right and

some morally wrong

Morality



Human Acts

c Ethics deals with morality of human acts

q The rightness or wrongness of an action

c Human Acts

q Voluntary acts of menq Acts done with knowledge and consentq Acts that are proper to man as man; since man

alone has control of his mental faculties and has free will

q Acts which are consciously undertaken and are under our control

q Human acts are those of which man is the master; doing or not doing as he pleases

Morality



Human Acts

c Human acts must be done with consent and full knowledge.

c Only then would this have moral bearing.

c If a soldier is caught and is coerced to kill one of his troop member is he morally wrong?

c A gun used in a killing is not liable. The liability lies in the person who pulled the trigger. As far as natural law is concerned the gun provided the service it was created for.

Morality



Voluntariness and Responsibility

c Voluntariness is equated to freedom of will in man.

c Ethics accepts that man is able to control his own will and thus do actions as he pleases.

c Ethics, morality, liability, responsibility, rewards and punishments are all interrelated; and all of these have man as a free agent as a premise.

Morality



Voluntariness and Responsibility

c Voluntariness and ethics – ethics is the study of human acts and by definition human acts are voluntary.

c Morality and voluntariness – only acts that are done with consent have moral bearing. Can we hold dogs, stones, cars morally liable?

c Human act and voluntariness – these two concepts are inseparable.

c Voluntariness and responsibility – knowledge and consent equates to being responsible with all aspects of the action.

c Punishment – what do you think is the relationship of punishment and voluntariness?

Morality



Further Study on Voluntariness

c The difference between perfect and imperfect voluntariness must be established.

c Direct voluntariness versus indirect voluntarinessis also distinguished.

Morality



Perfect vs. Imperfect Voluntariness

c Perfect voluntariness implies full knowledge and consent q This is where an act is understood clearly by the

initiator q Performed with consent

c Imperfect voluntariness then implies the partial knowledge and/or partial consentq One must see that two areas are concerned

knowledge and consentq If one is lacking then imperfect voluntariness is

present

Morality



Direct vs. Indirect Voluntariness

c An act is directly voluntary when the act is intended for its own sakeq Example: A person who willingly goes to a bar for

drinking is a directly voluntary act.q When one cuts class with friends to watch a movie.

The cutting class, accompaniment of friends, and viewing of a film are all voluntary acts.

c An act is indirectly voluntary when the act is not intended for its own sakeq Example: A holdup occurs and the criminal asks for

your money.q When you go to a bar for drink and you end up in a

fight.q These events or actions may not be intended but

they occurred nevertheless.

Morality



Actions Having Dual Effects

c It is entirely possible that an act may be ethical or morally right even if it produces both good and evil effects.

c These however must satisfy some basic requirements. These are:q The act in itself should be good or at least amoral

(morally indifferent)q The evil effect is not intended but allowed to

happen as a regrettable side issueq The reason for doing such an act should be grave

and heavily rooted in reasonq Evil effect must never outweigh the good effect

Morality



Factors that Lessens Accountability

c Ignorance, Passions, Fear, and Violence are factors that could lessen accountability

c Would an Aeta living in the mountains be held accountable when he comes to Manila and violates traffic laws? How about a Manileño who does not know that there is a new law?

Morality



Ignorance

c Ignorance is the absence of knowledge.

c Ignorance is categorized into two: q Invincible – a type of ignorance that could not be

dispelled with any amount of effort because under the situation it is impossible

q Vincible – a type of ignorance that could be dispelled with diligence

c Our Aeta friend could not be held liable because at that instant his ignorance is invincible. He cannot comprehend what law he has violated because to him it is non existent. The Manila fellow on the other hand knows there are traffic laws and he should be updated. He is vincible therefore liable.

Morality



Passion and Fear

c Passion and fear are terms of emotion.

c When there is a presence of extreme emotions then the will of a person is not at free.

c When one acts out of fear the freedom is restricted and the responsibility diminishes as well.

Morality



Violence

c The impulse from something external that forces an agent to do something that is against his will.

c This occurs when one agent enforces his will on another.

c Is there a time when the use of violence is warranted?

c YES, when?

prefinal handout#2

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