`Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course BS Computer Engineering/ BS Civil Engineering
Sem/AY 1st Semester/2024-2025
Module No. 3
Lesson Title The Act
Week
6-9
Duration
Date
Ethics examines the rational justification of our moral judgments. Find out what is morally right or
Description wrong, right or wrong. In its broader sense, ethics reflects the way people relate to nature, other
people, freedom, responsibility and justice.
of the
Lesson

Learning Outcomes
Intended
Learning Assess the necessity of will and Moral Courage.
Outcomes
Targets/ Discuss the different situations based on reason or feelings and emotion.
Objectives

Student Learning Strategies

Face to Face A. Face to face Discussion

Activities You will be directed to attend in a Three-Hour class discussion on the science,
technology and society.
(Synchronou
s/ The f2f discussion will happen on January 30-, from 7:30am to 5:00pm
Asynchronou
s) You will be directed to attend in f2f class discussion on the topic.
Historical antecedents in which social considerations

Intellectual revolutions that defined society

Note: The insight that you will post on online discussion forum using Learning Management System
(LMS) will receive additional scores in class participation.

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LECTURE GUIDE

Module 3.
The Act

Feelings and Moral Decision-making

I. Feelings as Instinctive Response to Moral Dilemmas.

Some ethicists believe that ethics is also a matter of emotion. They hold that
moral judgments at their best should also be emotional. Feelings are seen as
also necessary in ethical judgment as they are even deemed by some as
instinctive a trained response to moral dilemmas.
Offline
Activities Some hold that reason and emotion are not really opposites. Both abstract
inference and emotional intuitions or instincts are seen as having relative
(e-Learning/
roles ethical thinking. For one thing, feelings or emotions are said to be
Self-Paced) judgments about the accomplishment of one's goals. Emotions, it is thus
concluded, can be rational being based at least sometimes on good judgments
about how well a circumstance or agent accomplishes appropriate objectives.
Feelings are also visceral or instinctual by providing motivations to act
morally.

Many times, ethical judgments are highly emotional as people emotionally

express their strong approval or disapproval of different acts. Moral sentiments
highlight the need for morality to be based also on sympathy for other people.
Many ethicists conclude that being good involves both thinking and feeling.

II. Feelings as Obstacles to Making the Right Decisions

• Ethical Subjectivism. This theory basically utterly runs contrary to the

principle that morality is objective. This theory is not about what things are
good and what things are bad. It also does not tell how we should live or what
moral norms we should practice. Instead, it is a theory about the nature of
moral judgments.

Although it admits that moral judgments are 'truth bearers,' Ethical

Subjectivism holds that the truth or falsity of ethical propositions is dependent
on the feelings, attitudes, or standards of a person or group. Contrary to the

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

belief that morality is about objective facts, this theory states that moral
judgments describe our personal feelings.

For every controversial ethical topic such as homosexuality or abortion, we

usually hear at least two (2) opposing views concerning the matter. One camp
which declares that the action as immoral may express its stand by saying that
God hates it, or that it is unethical, or that doers of the action must be punished
by the government. On the other hand, the rival group may claim that the action
is perfectly normal and practitioners must be tolerated, if not respected. But
there is a third stance-another group might say that people in the first two
groups are expressing their respective opinion, but where morality is
concerned, there are no objective facts and no position is objectively right. This
third stance represents Ethical Subjectivism. It submits that our moral opinions
are based on our feelings, and nothing more.

In Ethical Subjectivism, it is a fact that some people are homosexual and some
are heterosexual; but it is not a fact that one is good and the other is bad. So
when someone says that homosexuality is wrong, he is, according to the theory,
not stating a fact about homosexuality but merely saying something about his
feelings toward it. Subjectivists hold that there is no such thing as objective
right or real wrong.

The theory, therefore, proposes that when we say that something is morally
good, this means that we approve of that thing. Hence, the statement “X is
moral” and all its variants (X is 'good', 'right', 'ethically acceptable', 'ought to be
done') simply mean “I (the speaker) like X" or "approve of X." Similarly, when
we state that something is morally bad, this means, in the theory, that we
disapprove of or do not like that thing, nothing more.

• Emotivism. One way to look at Emotivism is to view it as an improved

version of Subjectivism. Considered by its proponents as far subtler and
sophisticated than Subjectivism, Emotivism is deemed invulnerable to many
objections. This theory that was developed chiefly by the American philosopher
Charles L. Stevenson (1909-1979) has been one of the most influential theories
of Ethics in the 20th century.

The theory states that moral judgments express positive or negative feelings. "X
is right" merely means "Hooray for X!" and "X is immoral" just means "Boo on
X!" Since ethical judgments are essentially commands and exclamations, they
are not true or false; so there cannot be moral truths and moral knowledge.

Emotivism is the most popular form of non-cognitivism, the meta-ethical theory

that claims that ethical sentences do not convey authentic propositions. Moral
judgments, according to Emotivism, are not statements of fact but are mere
expressions of the emotions of the speaker, especially since they are usually
feelings-based.

According to Emotivism, utterances in ethics are not fact-stating sentences, that

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

is, they are not used to convey information. Emotivism claims that they have
two (2) entirely different purposes:

First, they are used as a means of influencing other's behavior. If someone says
"Stealing is immoral," Emotivism interprets it as an attempt to stop you from
doing the act. Thus the utterance is more like a command it is equivalent to
saying, "Don't do that!"

Second, moral sentences are used to express (not report) the speaker's attitude.
Accordingly, saying "Fair play is good" is not like saying "I approve of fair play,"
but it is like saying "Hurrah for fair play!".

III. Feelings Can Help in Making the Right Decisions

Ethics-without-feeling also appears to go against Christian philosophy’s

emphasis on love, for love is basically a strong liking, desire, or emotion. Applied
religiously, excluding feelings in moral living seems to go against the biblical
decree to worship and serve God with a joyful heart or feeling.

Experientially, our moral compasses are also strongly influenced by the fleeting
forces of disgust, fondness, or fear. Indeed, subjective feelings sometimes matter
when deciding between right and wrong. Emotions, like our love for our friends
and family, are a crucial part of what gives life meaning, and ought to play a
guiding role in morality. Sometimes, cold, impartial, rational thinking is not the
only proper way to make an ethical decision.

Nonetheless, the feelings or emotions involved in moral thinking should be

anchored on careful consideration of a full range of right goals, including
altruistic ones. This consideration ought to mesh with an instinctive emotional
reaction that provides a motivation to act ethically and correct injustices.

Reason and Impartiality as Minimum Requirement for Morality

I. Reason and Impartiality Defined

Humans have not only feelings but also reason, and reason plays a vital role in
Ethics. Moral truths are truths of reason; that is, a moral judgment is true if it is
espoused by better reasons than the alternatives.

If someone tells us that a certain action is immoral, we may ask why it is so, and
'if there is no reasonable answer, we may discard the proposition as absurd.
Also, if somebody utters that a particular act is wrong and explains that it is
because it does not happen to fit his taste, then we also do not count his claim as
a legitimate ethical judgment. Thus, reason is a requirement for morality.

At least in Philosophy, reason is the basis or motive for an action, decision, or

conviction. As a quality, it refers to the capacity for logical, rational, and analytic
thought; for consciously making sense of things, establishing and verifying facts,
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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

applying common sense and logic, and justifying, and if necessary, changing
practices, institutions, and beliefs based on existing or new existing information.

Moreover, reason spells the difference of moral judgments from mere

expressions of personal preference. If after eating, someone says, "I like a sweet
cake," he is not required to support it with good reasons for

that is a statement about his personal taste and nothing more. But in the case of
moral judgments, they require backing by reasons. In the absence of sensible
rationale, they are merely capricious and ignorable.

Moral deliberation is a matter of weighing reasons and being guided by them. In

understanding the nature of morality, considering reasons is indispensable.
Truth in Ethics entails being justified by good reasons. That is, the right moral
decision involves selecting the option that has the power of reason on its side.

Being defined by good reasons, moral truths are objective in the sense that they
are true no matter what we might want or think. We cannot make an act moral
or immoral just by wishing it to be so, because we cannot merely choose that
the weight reason be on its side or against it. And this also explains why
morality is not arbitrary. Reason commends what it commends, regardless of
our feelings, attitudes, opinions, and desires.

Since the connection between moral judgments and reasons is necessary and
important, then a proposed theory on the nature of moral judgment should be
able to give an account for the relation. In focusing on attitudes and feelings,
both Emotivism and Subjectivism fail to accomplish this important thing.

Impartiality, on the other hand, involves the idea that each individual’s interests
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.

Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate

consideration to the interests of all concerned parties. The principle of
impartiality assumes that every person is equally important; that is, no one is
seen as intrinsically more significant than anyone else.
Other ethicists, however, suggest that some clarification is required. From the
impartial standpoint, to say that no one is seen as intrinsically more significant
anyone else, is not to say that there is no reason whatsoever for which an
individual might demand more moral attention or better treatment than others.
Many ethicists suppose that from the impartial point of view, properly
conceived, some persons count as more significant, at least in certain ways. A
virtuous and respectable religious leader may be supposed to be more
significant than a mere maid; so in an emergency (say, a building on fire) the
decent religious leader ought to be rescued first. The reason, nonetheless, is not
that the religious leader is intrinsically more significant rather; it is that he
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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

makes greater contributions to society.

II. The 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model
• Gather the facts. Some moral dilemmas can be resolved just by clarifying facts
of the case in question. But in more complex cases, gathering the facts is the
indispensable first step before any ethical analysis and reflection on the case. In
examining a case, we want to know the available facts at hand, as well as any
facts presently not known but that need to be determined. We must ask not only
"what do we know?" but also "what do we need to know?” in order to generate
an intelligent, ethical decision.

• Determine the ethical issues. The moral issues should be correctly stated in
terms of competing interests. It is these conflicting interests that practically
make for a moral dilemma. The issues must be presented in a P vs. Q format to
reflect the interests that are colliding in a specific moral dilemma. For instance,
many ethical decisions, especially at the end of a patient's life, can be stated in
terms of patient autonomy (or the right of the individual to make his/her own
decisions about medical care) vs. the sanctity of life (or the duty to preserve
life).

• Identify the principles that have a bearing on the case. What principles have
a bearing on the case? In any moral dilemma, there are sure moral values or
principles that are vital to the rival positions being taken. It is very significant to
recognize these principles, and in some cases, to decide whether some
principles are to be weighted more heavily than others.

• List the alternatives. This step involves coming up with various alternative
courses of action as part of the creative thinking included in resolving a moral
dilemma. Though there will be some alternatives which you will rule out
without much thought, in general, the more alternatives that are listed, the
better the chance that your list will include some high-quality ones. Also, you
may come up with some very creative alternatives that you had not considered
before.
• Compare the alternatives with the principles. This step involves eliminating
alternatives according to the moral principles that have a bearing on the case. In
many cases, the case will be resolved at this point, since the principles will
remove all alternatives except one. The purpose of this comparison is to
determine whether there is a clear decision that can be made without further
deliberation. If a clear decision is not forthcoming, then the next step in the
model should be considered. Some of the alternatives, at the least, may be
rejected by this step of comparison.
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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

• Weigh the consequences. If the principles do not produce a clear decision,

then a consideration of the consequences of the remaining available alternatives
is in order. Both positive and negative consequences are to be considered. They
should be informally weighted since some positive consequences are more
beneficial than others, and some negative consequences are more detrimental
than others.

• Make a decision. Since deliberation ought not to go on forever, a decision must

be made at some point. It must be realized that one common element to moral
dilemmas is that there are no easy and painless solutions to them. Normally, the
decision that is made is one that possesses the least number of problems or
negative consequences, not one that is devoid of them.

Moral Courage

I. The Importance of Will and Moral Courage

A good rational moral decision is not always executed. It is one thing to know a
good moral act, and it is another to actually execute it. Often, what is lacking is
the moral courage, which necessarily involves the concept of will. In morality,
therefore, will is essential just as reason is significant.

Moral courage means doing the right thing even at the risk of inconvenience,
ridicule, punishment, loss of job or security or social status, etc. Moral courage
requires that we rise above the apathy, complacency, hatred, cynicism, and fear-
mongering in our political systems, socioeconomic divisions, and
cultural/religious differences.

One sense of the concept 'will' refers to that faculty of the mind which chooses,
at the moment of making decision, the strongest desire from among the various
desires present. Will does not refer to any particular desire, but rather to the
capacity to act decisively on one's desires. Within philosophy, the will is
important as one of the distinct parts of the mind, along with reason and
understanding. It is considered important in ethics because of its central role in
enabling a person to act deliberately. Commonly, we think of will in the active
sense, of self-control, of working toward and attaining goals.

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer explained that when we become

conscious of ourselves, we recognize that our essential qualities are endless
urging, craving, striving, wanting, and desiring. He said that these are features of
that which we call our will. According to him, will is the innermost essence, the
kernel, of every particular thing and also of the whole. It appears in every
blindly acting force of nature, and also in the deliberate conduct of man. He
believed that the will is primary and uses knowledge to find an object that will
satisfy its craving.

A pertinent concept is that of willpower. It refers to the inner strength to make

a decision, take action, and handle and execute any aim or task until it is
accomplished, regardless of inner and outer resistance, discomfort, or
difficulties. It bestows the ability to overcome laziness, temptations, and
negative habits to carry out actions even if they require effort and are
unpleasant and tedious or contrary to one's habits.

Having moral courage and will means doing the right thing, which may include
listening to our conscience. Disregarding our conscience may lead to feelings of
inadequacy, guilt, and diminished personal integrity. For parents, using
willpower usually demands to put aside compelling but momentary pleasures
or comforts to set a good example for their children.

Moral courage demands us to make judgments about what behaviorial acts are
supportive of our ethical ideologies or highest ideals, and which ones are
destructive. Moral courage and will require us to recognize our responsibilities
be accountable to the consequences of our own actions.

Moral courage sounds like:

• "I believe strongly in _ _ "
• "Let's volunteer."
• "Dad, I'm in trouble."
• "I am going to campaign for "
• "It's not fair that _”
• "I broke this, Mom. I'm sorry."
• "I'll march with you."

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

• "No, thanks, I don't want to hear a secret!"

• "You shouldn't talk behind his/her back."
• "You can depend on me."

On the other hand, lack of moral courage sounds like:

• "That's got nothing to do with me."
• "How could you do this to me?"
• "It's not for me to judge." (as a way to avoid personal responsibility)
• "I only did it once."
• "This is all your fault!"
• "Just let it slide."
• "There's no use trying to change the system; it's just too strong."
• “Nobody else is doing anything about it. So, why should I?”
• “I might get into trouble.”
• "She got what she deserved."

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

II. Developing Will and Moral Courage

The following are the tips or suggestions on how to develop will and moral courage:

• Develop and practice self-discipline.

The concept self-discipline involves the rejection of instant gratification in favor
of something better. Ethically applied, it may refer to the giving up of instant
pleasure and satisfaction for a higher and better goal such as executing a good
rational moral decision.

Developing will and moral courage involves developing self-control. It includes

nurturing the ability to stick to actions, thoughts, and behavior, which lead to
moral improvement and success. It encompasses endowing the inner strength
to focus all the energy on a moral goal and persevere until it is accomplished.

• Do mental strength training.

This method is never reserved for a few special people. One of the simplest and
effective methods under this mental strength training involves declining to
satisfy unimportant and unnecessary desires.

Everybody is normally confronted and tempted by an endless stream of

cravings and temptations; many of which are not actually important desirable.
By practicing to refuse to gratify every one of them, a person becomes
courageous and stronger.

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

The following are some examples mental strength training:

o Don’t open your social media account/s for a day or two (2).
o Drink water or juice, in spite of your desire to have a beer or liquor.
o Avoid chatting with your gossipy friend.
o Go to sleep an hour before earlier than usual for a week.
o Resist the desire to gamble.
Trainings like these add to the storehouse of one's inner strength. By following a
methodical method of training, a person can reach far, have control over oneself
and one's life, realize ethical goals, improve his/her life, and achieve satisfaction
and peace of mind.

• Draw inspiration from people of great courage. People usually admire and
respect courageous persons who have won great success by manifesting
discipline and will power. These include people in all walks of life, who sheer
will power and moral courage, overcame difficulties and hardships, improved
their moral life, advanced on the spiritual or moral path, and be worthy of
imitation.

• Repeatedly do acts that exhibit moral courage and will. Practice makes
perfect. If one wishes to nurture the moral courage and will in him, he must
strive to do the acts that manifest them whenever opportunity allows it. Here
are some examples of acts that exhibit moral courage and will:
a. helping someone push a car, even if it means being late
b. standing up to a bully on the playground
c. picking up litter
d. doing homework or chores without being reminded
e. refusing to listen to or repeat gossip
f. practicing what you preach, even when no one is looking or knows
g. turning in a toy or a wallet to the Lost and Found
h. giving all students an equal voice regardless of race, socioeconomic status,
religion, gender, or sexual orientation
i. becoming a company’s whistleblower risking job loss, financial cost, and or

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

legal repercussion
j. reporting a crime
k. participating in a peaceful protest

• Avoid deeds that show lack of moral courage and will. This involves evading
acts that show irresponsibility, cowardice, apathy, rashness, imprudence, ill will,
and wickedness. Here are some examples of deeds that show lack of moral
courage and will:
a. walking away from someone in need
b. taking more than your fair share
c. laughing at someone's misfortune
d. grabbing the spotlight from someone who has earned it
e. placing too much reliance on the letter rather than the spirit of the law
f. remaining silent in the face of wrong-doing or injustice
g. rationalizations or justifications for action/lack of action
h. being inconsistent or capricious with children
i. choosing sides after seeing which way the wind is blowing
j. breaking a promise
k. lying or cheating

Performance Tasks

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Learning Resources

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
Prepared by: ANANIAS R. TIMAJO, MAED
 `Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

References
Bulaong, O., Calano. M., & Lagliva, A. (2018). Ethics: Foundations of moral valuation. Sampaloc,
Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.
Cariño, J. (2018). Fundamentals of ethics. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
De Guzman, J. (2017). Ethics: Principles of ethical behavior in modern society. Malabon City:
Mutya Publishing Houze, Inc.
Leaña, R. & Gubia A. (2018). Ethics for college students: CHED curriculum compliant.
Intramuros, Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Ocampo, M. (2018). Ethics primer: A young person’s guide to moral reasoning. Quezon City:
Abiva Publishing House, Inc.

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC ELEC 108
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