TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION (Pre-U)

CONTENT 1 Definitions of Moral

The word morals comes from the Latin mores, which has the same meaning as
ethos.
Morality deals basically with human relationship, how human treat other beings to
promote mutual welfare, growth, creativity, and meaning in striving for good over bad
and right over wrong.
Morality/Morals is a social instrument that guides individuals and groups in their daily
lives. It requires individuals and groups to follow it. It helps the people to behave
rationally as members of society. Morality is an external element (defined by culture and
regulations) that is imposed on the individual and cultivated until it becomes a
habit/virtue, i.e. being internalized as an individuals behaviour or character. (Eow, 2002)
Traits of moral principles
- Prescriptivity: Action-guiding (e.g. Do not kill, Love your neighbour)
- Universality: Applied to all (e.g. Do unto others what you would have them do
unto you)
- Overridingness (Moral principles have hegemonic authority)
- Publicity: Be made public
- Practicability: Be workable
Moral rules: A specific guidelines for action that justifies our moral judgments and
actions in our everyday life. Moral rules tell us what we ought to do and are often
established by tradition, religion, laws, etc.
Mores
- moral values of behaving that most members of a society believed are essential
for maintaining standards of decency.
- fixed morally binding customs of a particular group, moral attitudes, habits and
manners.
Norms is defined as a shared expectation of behaviour that means what is culturally
desirable and appropriate.
Ethics
- derived from the Greek word ethos, which means custom or usage.
- the study of choices people make regarding right and wrong. (Ruggiero, 2001)
- a philosophical study of morals/morality i.e. of good behaviour, moral obligation,
moral attitude, moral responsibility, social justice and good living qualities. (V.
Grassian, 1981)
- standards of conduct that distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad,
virtue and vice. (David B. Resnik, 1997)

Some moral choices:

1. Will we go to work or call in sick?
2. Follow the research protocol or violate it?
3. Put quotes around borrowed phrasing or pretend the words are our own?
4. Answer a colleagues question truthfully or lie?
5. Obey the speed laws or drive as fast as our vehicles will go?
6. Pay our bills or spend our money on entertainment?
7. Keep our marriage vows or break them?
8. Meet our childrens emotional needs or ignore them?
9. Pet the cat or kick it?
Types of Ethics
Meta-ethics is a careful analysis of the language and concepts of ethics. It is not
concerned with what particular actions are morally correct or immoral.
Example: It is good to keep ones promises.
Question: What is the meaning of the word good?
Normative ethics is the branch of ethics concerned with the norms of human behaviour,
concerned with exploring what sorts of behaviour are right and what are wrong. It may
involve articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the duties that we should
follow or the consequences of our behaviour on others. E.g. Are people ever justified in
disobeying the laws of the land (civil disobedience)?
Applied ethics is the study examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion,
infanticide, animal rights environment concerns, homosexuality, capital punishment or
nuclear war.

Content 2 The importance of studying Moral Education

Benefit of Moral Education
- Development of a holistic individual who is balanced, matured and
knowledgeable in making rational action and decision towards the establishment
of an ethically fair and caring society.
The purposes of morality (Pojman, 2001)
1. To keep society from falling apart
2. To reduce human suffering
3. To promote human well-being
4. To resolve conflicts of interest in just and orderly ways
5. To assign praise and blame, reward and punishment, and guilt.
Principles of Personal Ethics (Morality)
- Concern for the well-being of others

Respect for the autonomy of others

Trustworthiness and honesty
Willing compliance with the law (with the exception of civil disobedience)
Basic justice : being fair
Refusing to take unfair advantage
Benevolence : doing good
Preventing harm

Rukun Negara (National Ideology) (Nazaruddin, 2003)

- Belief in God
- Loyalty to the King and Country
- Upholding the Constitution
- Rule of Law
- Courtesy and Politeness
Vision 2020 (Mahdi Shuid, 2001)
Challenge 1: Create a Malaysian nation that is united.
Challenge 2: Create a society that is free, strong and self-confident.
Challenge 3: Build a mature democratic society.
Challenge 4: Form a society that is morally strong, ethical and religiously sound.
Challenge 5: Create a society that is mature and tolerant.
Challenge 6: Form a scientific-oriented and progressive society.
Challenge 7: Create a society that is caring and kind.
Challenge 8: Ensure that the society is fair economically.
Challenge 9: Create a society that is prosperous.
Moral Agent
- A being who is capable of acting with reference to right and wrong.
- A being whose actions are capable of moral evaluation.
Questions (Pojman, 2001)
1. What is the nature of morality and why do we need it?
2. Are moral principles absolute, or are they simply relative to social groups or
individual decision?
3. Is it always in my interest to be moral?
4. What is the relationship between morality and religion?
5. What is the relationship between morality and etiquette?
6. What is the relationship between morality and law?