COURSE SYLLABUS

1. Course Code: GEC09

2. Course Title: Ethics
3. Prerequisite: None
4. Co-requisite: None
5. Credit/Class Schedule: two hours per week
6. Course Description: Principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the
person, society and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources.
7. General Education Outcomes and Relationship to General Education Objectives: In
consonance with the CHED’s requirements for general education, the following outcomes
are conceptualized, which are categorized as intellectual competencies, personal and civic
competencies and practical responsibilities:
General Education Outcomes
A. understand basic concepts across the domains of knowledge;
B. apply different analytical modes (quantitative and qualitative, artistic and scientific,
textual and visual, experimental, observation, etc.) in tackling problems methodically;
C. view the contemporary world from both Philippine and global perspective; and
D. learn basic work-related skills and knowledge
Course Objectives and Relationship to General Education Outcomes:
A. Describe and explain the fundamental moral theories.
B. Learn how to apply a variety of decision making based on the fundamental moral
theories.
C. Develop the sense of being moral and recognize the role of morality.
Course Outline and Timeframe
Week Topics
1-2 Preliminary Notions
a. Ethics
b. Value
c. Source of Authority
3-5 Virtue Ethics

a. Happiness and Ultimate Purpose

b. Virtue as Excellence
c. Moral Virtue and Mesotes

6-8 Natural Law

a. Thomas Aquinas
b. The Greek Heritage
c. The Essence and Varieties of Law

9 Midterm Examination
10-12 Deontology

a. Duty and Agency

b. Autonomy
c. Universalizability

12-14 Utilitarianism

a. The Principle of Utility

b. Principle of the Greatest Number

ILOCOS SUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Quirino Stadium, Zone V, Bantay, Ilocos Sur,
Philippines 2727
e-mail address: isccbantay@yahoo.com

ISCC Barangay Demo Farm

Campus
Barangay Labnig, San
Juan, Ilocos Sur

2 | Page Daniel Gabriel C. Prades, LPT

For Educational Proposes ONLY
15-17 Synthesis: Making Informed Decisions
a. The Moral Agent and Contexts
b. Moral Deliberation
c. Self, Society and Environment

18 Final Examination
Suggested Readings and References:
Bulaong, O. et. al. (2018). Ethics: foundation of moral valuation. Manila: Rex Bookstore.
Gualdo, R., Placido, D., & Dagwasi, C. (2012). Ethics: basic concepts and contemporary
moral issues. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
Mac Kinnon, B. (2012). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. (7th ed.). United
States of America: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Shafer-Landau, R. (2013). Ethical theory:an athology. (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: John
Wiley&Sons, Inc.
Thiroux, J. (2012). Ethics: theory and practice.(11th ed.). Engelewood Cliffs:
Prentice Hall.
Course Requirements:
a. Quizzes/ Examinations
b. Group and individual case analysis/ Journal/ Reporting
c. Final Paper/ Performance Task
Grading System:
Course work is weighted as follows:
Class Standing 60%
Exam 40%
100% Grading Period Grade (Midterm/Final)

50% Midterm
50% Final
100% Final Grade
Classroom Policies:
1. Attendance is checked regularly.
2. Proper dress code should be observed during classes.
3. Requirements for the subject should be submitted on time, unless there are
circumstances that may delay the submission. Online and offline submissions will be
accepted. Courier may also be used in the submission of requirements.
5. Students who are cheating or plagiarizing materials in the course will not receive credit
for the assignments, projects or tests, which will likely lead to failure in the course.
6. Students are not allowed to do any other activities that may distract the teacher and other
students during classes. In case of emergency, kindly notify the teacher about the situation.

ILOCOS SUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Quirino Stadium, Zone V, Bantay, Ilocos Sur,
Philippines 2727
e-mail address: isccbantay@yahoo.com

ISCC Barangay Demo Farm

Campus
Barangay Labnig, San
Juan, Ilocos Sur

3 | Page Daniel Gabriel C. Prades, LPT

For Educational Proposes ONLY
Consultation Hours:
Consultations will be scheduled upon meeting the students to determine the availability of
online resources.
Course Outcomes and Relationship to Course Objectives/General Education
Outcomes:
Student Outcomes
At the end of the course the student must be able to:
1. Differentiate between moral and nonmoral problems
2 Describe what a moral experience is as it happens in different levels of human existence
3. Explain the influence of Filipino culture on the way students look at moral experiences
and solve moral dilemmas
4. Describe the elements of moral development and moral experience
5. Use ethical frameworks or principles to analyze moral experiences
6. Make sound ethical judgments based on principles, facts and stakeholders affected
7. Develop sensitivity to the common good
8. Understand and internalize the principles of ethical behavior in modern society at level of
the person, society, and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course will provide students an introduction to ethics. It will survey ethical theories that
some philosophers established as they tried to answer the questions: How do we decide
what is right action and what is not? How character affects decision making? How do we
measure the intrinsic rightness/wrongness of action? Can we determine
rightness/wrongness of action depending on the results of action? The course will examine
four of the major theories in ethics: Virtue Ethics, Natural Law Ethics, Deontology and
Utilitarianism.
MODULE 1:
PRELIMINARY NOTIONS
This module makes you feel what ethics is about. The discussion starts with the
etymological definition of ethics. Major parts of this module are dedicated to understanding
what ethics is and what is not. Ethics talks about good and bad. But you must remember
not all good and bad are part of ethics. This module will help you make the valuation of
actions based on reason not based on emotion, legal, cultural, and religious claims. In the
latter part of the module, there are cases that you will analyze. It will make you feel what
ethics is.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. explain what ethics is;
2. differentiate ethics from technical, societal, and aesthetic and recognize what are ethical
problems;
3. apply the concepts on actual life experience from news, events, and everyday
experience.
ETHICS
Ethics etymologically comes from the Greek word ethos. It means custom, usage,character. The
Latin equivalent of ethos is mores which in turn is the etymological word of “moral”, “morality”,
“morals”. Many people tried to make distinctions on the word’s ethics and morality. According to
Bulaong, et al. (2017), the word morals may be used to refer to specific beliefs or attitudes that
people have to describe acts that people perform. An
Individual’s conduct is referred to as his morals, and if he falls short behaving properly, it is
immoral. For example: When a man returned a lost wallet to the owner, his action is considered
moral. But when a man kept the lost wallet and has no intention to return it to the owner, his
action is considered as immoral. On the other hand, Ethics can be spoken of
as the discipline of studying and understanding the ideal of human behavior and ideal ways
of thinking. It could be acceptable or unacceptable behavior or describe as ethical or
unethical. This term is mostly used on ways of behaving in a given field, this is popularly
known as “professional ethics” (Bulaong, et al, 2017). For example, a policeman arresting a
man bribing him, the action is considered as ethical. But if the policeman accepts the bribe
and sets the man free, his action is considered as unethical.
The distinction between ethics and morals could clarify different dimensions of our lives. But
in our discussion, we will be using the terms ethical and moral interchangeably. According
to Reyes (2009), “ethics and morals are ordinarily used as equivalent terms in Western
language that refers to traditional manners, customs, habits, systems of values or character
of the community.”
Value
We can easily say that ethics is about what is good or bad actions, right or wrong,
acceptable or unacceptable. It is doing what is good and avoiding what is bad. In ethics, we
are putting a value on our actions. For example, an elected official helps the poor to battle
the pandemic that we are experiencing. We say that the value of his action is good. But an
elected official takes advantage of the situation by placing his relatives to be the first
recipient of the government’s social amelioration is valued to be as bad. Here we can see
that the primary concern of ethics is good and bad or right and wrong. But we must be able
to clarify that not all that is valued to be good and bad are part of ethics. For instance, Ben
and Ben's songs are good because of their vibe. The movie I watched is bad because of
the storyline. It is right to dip my fried chicken on the gravy. It is wrong to wear basketball
shorts during formal events. In the examples, we can see that there are valuations of what
is good and bad or right and wrong.
However, the valuation is not part of ethics rather it is part of aesthetics. The word aesthetic
comes from the Greek word aesthesis which means sense or feeling. The judgments are
based on what we see, hear, smell, or taste. It is leaning towards our taste. When we talk
about taste it is subjective. Take this as an example, Pedro sports a neon pink socks and
neon shorts. Many will say it is not good because it was not good for our taste. The
valuation of its goodness or badness is more on personal aesthetic preference and it is not
the case in ethics.
Besides aesthetics, there is another way we can value judgment on the goodness and
badness of actions and it is what we call etiquette. This is telling us what is proper to do in
specific situations. Take these examples: When a young boy talks to an elder, he say “po”
or “opo”. When we eat, we don’t talk when our mouth is full. These actions will receive our
approval. But if the bus is full and the young guy did not offer his seat to an old lady, it is
disgust. This will get our disapproval. Many people have a connotation that ethics and
etiquette are the same but they are not. Yes, etiquette is indeed concerned with what is
right and wrong actions but to a certain degree, it is not enough to be in parallel with ethics.
Let us clarify it, we may be displeased when somebody interrupts us when we are speaking
(etiquette), and it will be much of greater offense when this man starts to curse us and utter
libelous words towards us (ethics).
The technique is another thing that has the notion of good and bad or right and wrong but is
not part of ethics. Technique comes from the Greek word “techne” which means the proper
way of doing things. Take the example of cooking bacon, there is a technique when we
cook bacon. The proper way to cook it is by not putting oil in the pan. The bacon will
produce its oil and when we put oil the bacon will shrink. But it only makes sense in cooking
and it does not have any connection of whatever in ethics. Hence, it is not part of ethics.
Now it is clear that aesthetics, etiquette, and technique is not part of ethics. So, every
problem raised on aesthetics, etiquette, and technique cannot be considered as ethical
problems. When we see a person not dressing up properly for the occasion does not violate
any ethical norms because it is not an ethical problem. Same as when a person barges into
one’s room without knocking is not an ethical problem. Recognizing ethical problems will
greatly help us understand what ethics is all about. There seems to be a certain degree that
can qualify an event or action to be ethical problems. Many ethicists believe that matters
concern the life or matters concerns about man’s well-being are considered part of ethics.
Issues like the death penalty, corruption in the government, and the inequality are part of
ethics, thus they are considered to be ethical problems.
This discussion clarifies that not all kinds of valuation belong to ethics. You must be able to
remember that ethics is not dependent on taste to be able to classify what is good and bad
action. Ethics does not value good or bad actions based on its acceptability and
unacceptability in the community. Lastly, ethics does not classify good and bad actions
based on technique or the proper way of doing things.
Activity 1: Recognizing Ethical Problems
Name five events in past months, weeks, or days that can be qualified as ethical problems.
Give your reasons. You can use stories or events published in newspapers or aired on
televisions. Please give proper acknowledgment of the source. You don’t need to get the
whole story. This activity is meant to assess whether you can recognize ethical problems. It
will be graded and categorized as a performance outcome.
Source of Authority
It is clear to us that ethics is about good and bad actions. But how can we determine good
and bad action? Let us take the action lying. We can say that lying is bad or wrong. But
what is the basis? Why do we value lying as a bad action? What is the source that will tell
us why lying is bad? Many of us will certainly go on the obvious sets of standards that we
have, like law, religion, and culture. We will say that lying is bad because it is against the
law. Others will say that it is prohibited in our religion. Some would even declare that it is
not acceptable in their culture. Now, can law, religion, and culture be the source of authority
in ethics? Let us try to analyze them.
Can a law be a source of authority in ethics? On the surface, we can easily say that law can
be the source of authority in ethics. Law guides every country in this world. It prohibits
things that should not be done. It does not allow bad actions. Law can easily claim that
actions like stealing or murder are unethical because it is prohibited by law. An action is
considered good if it is not prohibited by law. Very simple. Law seems to be a good source
of authority in ethics. But let us analyze it further. In the Philippines, Family members who
steal from you may not be criminally liable. According to Article 332 of the Revised Penal
Code of the Philippines: states that persons exempt from criminal liability in the event of the
crimes of theft, swindling or malicious mischief includes spouses of relatives by affinity in
the same line, the widowed spouse with respect to the property that belonged to the
deceased spouse, and brother and sisters or brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. So, this
means that stealing is permitted only to your family members. You can steal from them.
Now imagine, if the law will be the source of authority in ethics. Will you agree with it?
Perhaps we should think that ethics does not simply identify it with obedience to the law.
Remember the cliché: “What is legal is not necessarily moral”.
Now, can religion be a source of authority in ethics? In religion, it talks about what is
pleasing and not pleasing in the eyes of God. It tells us that if it is pleasing in the eyes of
God then it is good and if it is not pleasing then it is bad. Religion greatly contributes to
molding their faithful to be good. We members of particular religions are guided by God’s
commandment, to be specific it is the Ten Commandments. This commandment gives us
the guiding principle on how to be a good person. It simply tells us that to become a good
person we must avoid the following do not kill, steal, lie, and commit adultery. When we
look closer, we will realize that most of our laws are patterned on the precepts of God’s Ten
Commandments. Now for us believers, we can see that religion has a strong case to be the
source of authority in ethics. Let us analyze it further. Let us assume that religion is the
source of authority in ethics. If this is true, it will just lead us to more confusion. Why?
Because of the multiplicity of religion. There are thousands of religions in the world. The
problem lays on which among these thousands of religions is the ultimate source of
authority on ethics. One religion may say that they are the ultimate source of authority but
definitely, other religions have the same claim. Here in the Philippines, you can already see
the conflicts of religions. This kind of problem could clarify that religion cannot become the
source of authority in ethics. Another problem it may bring is the reality that there are
people who are atheists, persons who do not believe in deities (God), who do good actions.
So how can we say that religion is the source of authority in ethics if there are persons who
do not have religion and yet do good actions? This is why we do not bring religion into the
arguments of ethics.
Lastly, can culture be the source of authority in ethics? Culture sets standards in our
community. It tells the community what we should do and not to do. Philippine culture for
example sees that it is moral for a man and woman to live together after they get married. It
seems that culture could be a source of authority in ethics. But with the great number of
different cultures in this world, there will be different standards. Take the example of the
Namibian tribes, the Ovahimba and Ovazimba tribes have a unique culture. When a man
visits the tribe and knocks on the door, the husband gives him the Okujepisa Omukazendu
treatment. This means that his wife is given to his guest to spend the night while the
husband goes out of the house. In other cultures, this kind of practice is unacceptable. But
we are not in the position to say that it is unacceptable. We cannot deny the fact that culture
is something relative to us. It means that we can say it is good or bad depending on one’s
culture. This brings us to the same criticism that religion face. Due to the multiplicity of
culture which culture is the standard in ethics. We must bear in mind that the standards of
ethics must be universal. It must be acceptable for you and me even we have a different
culture. That is why culture cannot be the source of authority in ethics.
So, what is the source of authority in ethics? Ethicists would confer that the source of
authority in ethics must be common to all. It must be something universal. So, let us try to
see what is common to all men that makes him unique from other creatures. All of us would
agree that what is common to all men is our ability to reason. There is no other creature
that can reason out. The reason is the source of authority in ethics. Let us see how reason
works in ethics. Have you ever asked yourself: Why I am not stealing goods? Our initial
answer would be: “I do not steal because I am afraid, I can get punish and I don’t like to be
punished”. But this reason is to shallow. So, man realizes that we must be able to give a
good reason that will be acceptable to all something that would make sense. A better
answer is that stealing is wrong because it violates the principle of fairness and the respect
of other’s property. This principle becomes the ground of our judgment that justifies our
decisions. This moral principle is established in moral theory. This theory is a system of
ideas which is used to evaluate our valuing of actions and concludes decision on a certain
action. The moral theory will be the center of this course. The succeeding modules will be
centering on moral theories.

Quiz 1: Keywords to remember and contrast.

1. Define ethics.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
______
2. What is the difference between ethics and morals?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
3. Differentiate ethics from aesthetics, etiquette, and technique.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
Activity 2: Analyzing Case
Last June 11, 2020, the Lucban Municipal Police Station (LMPS) posted on their Facebook
page: “Mahalin natin ang mga kababaihan at huwag nyo abusuhin ang kanilang kabaitan.
Kayo naman mga ghErlsz, wag kayo magsuot ng pagkaikli-ikling damit at pag naman
nabastos ay magsusumbong din sa amin. Isipin nyo rin!” This post became viral on the
worldwide-web. Comments on this post flooded the different social media platforms. This
particular post tells women to avoid wearing certain clothes. You need to analyze this case.
There are conflicting thoughts on the post of LMPS. Are clothes just a matter of aesthetic?
or Can clothes become an ethical problem? Explain your answers. Explain it in 7 to 10
sentences.

Reference:
Bulaong, O. et. al. (2018). Ethics: foundation of moral valuation. Manila: Rex Bookstore.
Reyes, R. (2000 Ground and norm of morality: ethics for college students. Quezon City: