GEd 107 - ETHICS

Ethics

The empirical and systematic study of moral decisions, human actions, and what is considered morally good, evil, right, and wrong; examines behavior, intent, circumstances, and character.

Ethos

The Greek word ethics is derived from, meaning tradition, habit, character, or attitude.

Importance of Ethics: Right vs. Wrong

Helps people determine the difference between right and wrong, good and bad.

Importance of Ethics: Eliminates Harm

Empowers individuals to eliminate actions that do not conform to what is right.

Importance of Ethics: Careful Decision Making

Makes individuals more cautious about the decisions and actions they make.

Importance of Ethics: Good Habits

Establishes good habits of character and moral discipline.

Importance of Ethics: Rational Dilemmas

Equips us to come up with rational decisions when facing ethical dilemmas.

Importance of Ethics: Social Responsibility

Makes a person responsible and sensitive to the needs of family, school, and society.

Importance of Ethics: Conscience Awareness

Reminds individuals to fully acknowledge conscience in daily decision making.

Moral Standards

Guidelines dealing with acts that have serious consequences (harm or benefit) and promote the common good, e.g., avoiding theft, murder, lying; promoting charity or fairness.

Non-Moral Standards

Rules unrelated to moral or ethical considerations, tied to social expectations, laws, or institutional practices, e.g., etiquette, statutes, traffic laws, professional codes.

Moral Standards: Involve Serious Harm or Benefit

Deal with actions that naturally produce or threaten major human well-being or injury.

Moral Standards: Not Established by Authority Figures

Their validity does not depend on a law or a teacher's command; cheating is wrong inherently.

Moral Standards: Preferred Over Other Values

Should be adopted and retained even when they conflict with personal self-interest.

Moral Standards: Based on Objective Considerations

Impartial and fair to all parties involved, regardless of personal status.

Moral Standards: Perceived as Universal

Applicable anywhere and anytime, e.g., the universal obligation not to lie.

Moral Standards: Correlated with Specific Emotions & Vocabulary

Violating them triggers guilt, remorse, or moral indignation in observers.

Moral Dilemma

A situation where a decision-maker must choose between two or more conflicting moral principles, values, or duties, and any choice made will violate an important moral value.

Moral Dilemma Characteristic: Choosing One Value Over Another

A moral dilemma involves choosing one moral value over another.

Moral Dilemma Characteristic: Equally Significant Values

Dealing with values that are equally significant, or where reasons for acting in conflicting ways are strong.

Moral Dilemma Characteristic: Mutually Contradictory Choices

Facing mutually contradictory choices where a person has difficulty deciding.

Self-Inflicted Dilemma

A moral dilemma that can occasionally arise as a result of a prior personal mistake.

Moral Dilemma Example (Doctor's Dilemma)

A doctor has one dose of life-saving medicine but two patients need it; giving it to Patient A means Patient B will die.

Individual Moral Dilemma

A situation where an individual confronts conflicting factors like peer pressure, financial position, or social status that influence their moral standards.

Organizational Ethical/Moral Dilemma

A situation causing an organization to respond to an ethical issue affecting staff, shareholders, society, corporate ethics, customers, or leadership integrity.

Organizational Issue: Unethical Leadership

Leaders abusing authority or accepting inappropriate gifts instead of acting with candor.

Organizational Issue: Toxic Workplace Culture

Failing to support employee work-life balance or productivity.

Organizational Issue: Discrimination and Harassment

Favoritism or unfair treatment among subordinates.

Organizational Issue: Unrealistic Goals

Conflicting goals that confuse employees.

Organizational Issue: Technology & Privacy Concerns

Misusing corporate technology or social media for personal matters during work hours.

Organizational Issue: Business Travel Ethics

Misusing per diems or travel funds.

Structural Moral Dilemma

A dilemma involving the selection of a proper system of responsibilities, relationships, and organizational structures.

Structural Tension: Differentiation vs. Integration

Balancing specialized job distributions with the need to keep a tightly coupled, coordinated organization.

Structural Tension: Gap vs. Overlap

Poorly defined tasks cause critical jobs to slip through gaps, or overlapping functions waste time and cause conflict.

Structural Tension: Lack of Clarity vs. Lack of Creativity

Employees adapt tasks to personal interests when expectations are unclear, or become overly bureaucratic when duties are over-defined.

Structural Tension: Excessive Autonomy vs. Excessive Interdependence

Individuals being too isolated versus being so closely connected they waste time on excessive coordination.

How to Avoid Structural Dilemmas

Maintain well-distributed jobs, clear-cut expectations, implicitly defined job descriptions, and a balanced level of team interdependence.

Freedom (Kant)

The right to control one's actions based on reason rather than desire; synonymous with autonomy.

Autonomy (Etymology)

Derived from a Greek term meaning "self-legislator."

Libertarian Freedom

Not absolute freedom, but the subjugation of oneself to one's own wish and reason, living by self-enforced laws rather than animalistic rules.

Freedom Principle: Reason Over Desire

Individuals have the right to choose their conduct based on reason, not desire.

Freedom Principle: Self-Imposed Rules

Individuals must abide by the rules they follow.

Freedom Principle: Coexistence

People are independent from being limited by others to the extent that it coexists with everyone else's freedom under a universal rule.

Three Core Concepts of Freedom

(1) As a member of a state, (2) the dignity of each person as a subject, (3) the freedom of any member as a resident.

Freedom Principle: Autonomous Pursuit of Happiness

Individuals have an autonomous right to pursue happiness in their own way; forcing happiness onto others means coercing their freedom.

Example of Autonomy

Choosing to study for an exam instead of partying because your reason dictates long-term goals.

Good Will (Kant)

The only unconditional good, because other virtues like loyalty can be used for evil ends.

Duty (Kant)

A dutiful will overcomes barriers to preserve moral law under unfavorable conditions; e.g., returning a lost wallet because it's the right thing to do, even unseen.

Perfect Duties

Always true and must never be violated (e.g., never lie); in a conflict of duties, perfect duty takes priority.

Imperfect Duties

Require flexibility and choice of time/place (e.g., beneficence), since a person cannot help everyone all the time.

Categorical Imperative

Commands that are unconditional; rules of behavior absolute for all rational agents regardless of desires or ends, e.g., "Do not lie."

Hypothetical Imperative

Conditional commands based on what you want or desire, e.g., "If you want to pass the exam, you must study."

Universalizability

An act is only permissible if its underlying maxim can be universalized into a law for everyone without logical contradiction, e.g., stealing destroys the concept of private property if universalized.

Humanity as an End in Itself

Treat humanity, in yourself or another, always as an end and never simply as a means, e.g., exploiting a worker solely as cheap labor treats them as a mere tool.

Justice Principle: External Acts

Justice involves external acts through which an individual directly or indirectly influences others.

Justice Principle: Nature of Relationships

Justice is primarily concerned with the nature of interpersonal relationships and their voluntariness, not substance or material benefits.

Justice Principle: No Manipulation of Desires

Justice does not dictate or manipulate the personal desires, wishes, or needs of others.

Example of Justice

In a commercial transaction, justice is served when the exchange is completely voluntary, regardless of the store's profit.

Culture

At the root of human alienation from the environment.

Cultus

The Latin word culture is derived from, meaning giving respect to the sacredness of all.

Filipino Trait: Resilience (Katatagan/Pagiging Matatag)

The Filipino people are very resilient.

Filipino Trait: Family Pride (Pagpapahalaga sa Pamilya)

Filipinos take pride in their families.

Filipino Trait: Religiosity (Pagkamaka-Diyos)

Filipinos are very religious.

Filipino Trait: Respectfulness (Paggalang)

Filipinos are very respectful.

Filipino Trait: Bayanihan

Filipinos help one another.

Filipino Trait: Traditions and Culture

Filipinos value traditions and culture.

Filipino Trait: Longest Christmas Celebration

Filipinos have the longest Christmas celebration.

Filipino Trait: Love for Art and Architecture

Filipinos love art and architecture.

Filipino Trait: Hospitality

The Filipinos are hospitable people.

Extreme Personalism

Filipinos give a personal interpretation to actions and take things personally, often using a "compliment-criticism-compliment" approach.

Extreme Family Centeredness (Consentidor)

A weakness of Filipino character marked by overly indulgent, family-centered attitudes.

Lack of Discipline

A relaxed attitude causing bad time management ("Filipino time"), impatience, shortcuts via "palusot," and carelessness.

Passivity and Lack of Initiative

A weakness of Filipino character marked by a passive attitude and reluctance to take initiative.

Colonial Mentality

A preference for foreign nationalities, cultures, and imported products over native ones, lacking appreciation for what is locally available.

Kanya-kanya Syndrome

Crab mentality, or the "Hilahan at Inggitan" system.

Lack of Self Analysis and Reflection

Making a major life decision without thinking about the long-term consequences.

Utang na Loob

A debt of gratitude, e.g., agreeing to lend money to a relative who once helped you, even if you need it for your own bills.

Hiya

A sense of shame, e.g., refusing to ask a question in class for fear of looking foolish.

Pakikisama

Camaraderie/group loyalty, e.g., joining friends for a night out when exhausted just to avoid being called a killjoy.

Amor Propio

Wounded pride, e.g., taking a colleague's gentle correction as a personal attack and refusing to speak to them afterward.

Cultural Relativism

The view that we do not judge a society by our own criteria of right or wrong, but make an effort to understand other cultures in their own context.

Goal of Cultural Relativism

To strengthen our knowledge and interpretation of practices and traditions not part of our own culture but common to others.