Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the person, society, and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources. (CMO 20 s 2013)
Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong that an individual originally picks up from the community and the shared moral-religious tradition. The course discusses the context and principles of ethical behavior at the level of individual, society, and in interaction with the environment and other resources. Moreover, the course teaches students to make ethical choices grounded on sound ethical principles, i.e. human dignity, truth-telling, among others, while developing in them discerning attitude.
The course is organized according to the three (3) main elements of the moral norm and practice: (1) agent, including context-cultural, communal, and environment; (2) the act; and (3) reason or framework (for the act). The course will use cases pertinent to students’ respective major.
After completing the course, the student must be able to:
Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems;
Appraise their current stage of moral development and learn to grow in moral decision-making;
Inculcate character education through the daily habits of honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility, etc.
Explain the influence of Filipino culture on the way students look at moral experiences and solve moral dilemmas;
Describe the elements of moral development and moral experience;
Use ethical frameworks or principles to analyze moral experiences;
Make sound ethical judgments based on principles, facts, and among others;
Develop sensitivity to social justice and common good;
Understand and internalize the principles of ethical behavior at the level of the person, society, and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources;
Recognize cultural diversity but understands the necessity of moral standards;
Demonstrate analytical, reflective, evaluative, and integrative skills in appropriating information important for problem-solution.
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Aristotle. Book I-II, Nicomachean Ethics trans. Martin Oswald. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Educational Publishing, 1983.
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Benedict XVI/Cardinal Ratzinger, "Conscience and Truth," Keynote Address of the 10th Bishops' Workshop of the National Catholic Bioethics Center on "Catholic Conscience: Foundation and Formation." Dallas, Texas, February 1991.
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Ryan, Kevin and Bohlin, Karen E., Building Character in Schools: Practical Ways to Bring Moral Instruction to Life. Jossey-Bass, 2003.
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General Orientation
Course description, outline and requirements
The value of ethics
Understanding the Moral Dimension
Difference between moral and non-moral standards
Moral dilemma
Understanding the Social Dimension of Morality
The sociological perspective on the construction of morality
Social structures, Resources, and Power
Freedom as the foundation for moral acts
Cultural Relativism and Moral Relativism
Culture and how it defines our moral behavior
Cultural relativism: its value and challenges
The Filipino Way
Evaluation of the Filipino moral character
Class and Morality
Social class as an object of moral concern
Social class, power relations and morality
Social class, feelings and moral judgments
Moral Objectivity: Universal values
Moral Development
How is moral character developed
Stages of Moral Development
Conscience and Character Education
The Creation and Establishment of Moral Vocabularies
Moral vocabularies, their composition and why do they matter
Meme Theory
Moral vocabularies, discourse formation and narratives: the role of Metaphor Theory
Moral vocabularies and moral entrepreneurship
Role of Reason and Feelings in Ethics
Reason and impartiality as requirements for ethics
Feelings and reason
Moral Action
Reason and Will
Moral theories and mental frames and why they are important
Normative Ethical Theories
Aristotelian Virtue Ethics
St. Thomas' Natural Law
Sin and the Moral Life
The Commandments and Moral Life
Kant and rights
Utilitarianism
Analyses of the ethical theories
Justice and Fairness
Rawls' concept of Justice
World Poverty
The (Im)Morality of War
The "morality" of war and the "paradigm of progress"
The immorality of war: guilt and civilians as moral restraints
The new (im)morality after Sept. 11
Historical Injustice
Ethical Challenge of Democracy
Historical Injustice in the BANGSAMORO