COURSE SYLLABUS

ETHICS

INTRODUCTION: Key Concepts

A. Basic concepts
a. Moral vs non-moral standards
b. What are dilemmas
c. Three levels of moral dilemmas
i. Individual
ii. Organizational
iii. Systemic
d. Foundation of morality: Freedom-responsibility for one’s act and to others
e. Minimum requirement for morality: Reason and impartiality

Expectations and Guides

PART I: The Moral Agent
A. Culture in moral behavior
a. Culture and its role in moral behavior
b. What is cultural relativism? Why is it not
tenable in ethics?
c. Are there an Asian and a Filipino
understanding of moral behavior?
Strengths and weaknesses

B. The moral agent: Developing virtue as habit

a. How is a moral character developed? The
circular relation of acts that build
character and acts that emanate from
character
b. Moral development
i. The stages of moral development
ii. How do we get to the highest level,
conscience-based moral decisions?

PART II: The Act *Lecture – feelings, importance of

A. Feelings and moral decision-making
a. Feelings as instinctive and trained
response to moral dilemmas
- Why they can be obstacles
to making the right
decisions
- How they can help in
making the right decisions
feelings and disadvantages
*Lecture- Discuss different
principles/theories/ideas/studies
that may have been
developed/published.
*Sample at least 2 cases and class
to critique the behavior and
responses of agents. Cases to
highlight 1 for emotional response
and the other highlighting rational
response

*Answer given questions


B. Reason and impartiality as minimum requirement
for morality
a. Reason and impartiality defined
b. The 7-Step moral blessing model
C. Moral courage
a. Why the will is as important as reason
b. Developing the will
Reason & Impartiality
*Lecture: What is Reason, what is
Impartiality
*Lecture- Discuss different
principles/theories/ideas that may
have been developed.
*Sample at least 3situations and
class to critique the behavior and
responses of agents. Cases to
highlight emotional response and
the other highlighting rational
response
3 situations:
1. end of life involving a dying
parent
2. payment of facilitation fee to
a customs officer
3. use of an official car to bring
one’s son to school everyday
*source: James Rachels, Elements
of Moral Philosophy, 4th ed
*Answer the ff questions:
 How can we make reasoned
and impartial decisions?
 Why is reason not enough
in carrying out moral
decisions?
7-step moral blessing model
*Class discussion to solve a case
Reference:
Rae, Scott B. & Kenman L. Wong, A
Model for Moral Decision Making,
Chap 16, Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-
Christian Approach to Business
Ethics.
Que, Nemesio S. “Notes on Moral
Deliberation. Intro to Course Notes
for PH104: Foundations of Moral
Value. Ateneo de Manila
Moral courage
*Lecture: Reason and will
Reference: Werhane, Patricia.
Moral Imagination and
Management Decision Making,
1999
*Discussion highlighting that a
good rational moral decision is not

PART III: Frameworks and Principles Behind our Moral
Disposition Frameworks
A. Virtue Ethics
a. Aristotle
i. Telos
ii. Virtue as habit
iii. Happiness as virtue
b. St. Tomas: Natural Law
i. The natural and its tenets
ii. Happiness as constitutive of moral
and cardinal virtues
always executed, and then analyze
why
*Introduction: Discuss and explain
what are moral theories and
mental frames and why they are
important.
*Lecture and Discussion:
Virtue Ethics
a. Aristotle – telos, virtue as
habit, happiness as virtue
Reference: Books I-II in the
Nicomachean Ethics.
Translated by Martin
Oswald Indianapolis, 1983
b. St Tomas: Natural Law
Reference: Aquinas,
Thomas on Law, eternal law
and natural law. Summa
Theologiae vol 28 edited by
Thomas Gilby, 1996

*Provide case on virtue and discuss

*Class discussion using Aristotelian

(mean between two extremes) and
Thomistic perspectives on gay
marriage

*Critique virtue ethics

B. Kant and right theorists *Lecture and Discussion:
a. Kant a. Kant:
i. Good will i. good will
ii. Categorical imperative ii. “Categorical Imperative
b. Different kinds or rights Reference: Groundwork of the
i. Legal Metaphysic of Morals, translated
ii. Moral by H. J. Paton, 1964
C. Utilitarianism
a. Origins and nature of theory b. Different kinds of rights
b. Business’s fascination with utilitarianism c. What is legal is not always
moral
*Provide cases/examples on the
good will and Categorical
Imperative.

*Provide case and class to analysis

(Informed consent: Right of the
Dying and rights of the family)

*Provide other cases and

discuss/analyse the case using the
rights theory

PART III: Frameworks and Principles Behind our Moral
Disposition Frameworks
A. Justice and fairness: Promoting the common good
a. The nature of the theory
b. Distributive justice
i. Egalitarian
ii. Capitalist
iii. Socialist
1. The state and citizens:
responsibilities to each
other: The principles of
taxation and inclusive
growth
CONCLUSION: Ethnics through Thick and Thin, and Ethics *Lecture and Discussion
and Religion
A. The challenges of pluralism and fundamentalism:
The search for universal values
a. Globalization and pluralism: New
challenges to ethics
b. Challenges of filinnials
d. Utilitarianism
*Provide cases and class to
analyse
e.g. Ford’s problems with the
Pinto
*Lecture and Discussion
1. Justice and Fairness
a. Nature of the theory
b. Distributive justice
(Egalitarian, Capitalist,
Socialist)
*Provide cases for class to analyse
using the framework.
*Student discussion and debate
- Social housing – Who should pay
for the cost?
- Who should carry the burden of
taxation? Who should benefit from
taxes?
Reference: Rawls, John “A Theory
of Justice” in Reason at Work:
Introductory Readings in
Philosophy, edited by Steve M.
Cahn and George Sher, 1996
a. Globalization
b. Pluralism
c. Moral Challenges
References:
Knicker, Nicole. “McDonalds:
Winning at Global Marketing
Strategies”. Global E Brands, 2013
http://globalbrands.ccm/mcdonald
s-winning-at-global-marketing-
strategies.
Friedman, Thomas. The Lexus and
the Olive Tree: Understanding
Globalization, 2000
d. Millenials and filinials: Ethical
challenges and responses
-What are issues that cause
moral friction between
Millenials/Filinnials and their
parents? (e.g. pre-marital sex,
etc)
-How should we resolve the
friction? Who is right?

c. The religious response: The role of religion
in ethics
*Discussion/Analysis of
responses of Baby boomers
and Milennials/Filinnials on
moral dilemmas
Reference:
“Filipino American Millenials”.
MakilalaTV, October 4, 2014
https://youtube/H2RvFsl64k8
Note: Have more references to
have a rich discussion on said
topics.
*Lecture and discussion
1. Religion
2. difference of ethics from religion
3. role of religion in ethics
Reference:
Reyes, Ramon. :Relation between
Ethics and Religious Beliefs” in The
Moral Dimension : Essays in Honor
of Ramon Castillo Reyes, edited by
Nemesio, Que et al, 2003
Campbell, W. Keith “The Narcissism
Epidemic. Interview by Steve
Paikin. The Agenda with Steve
Paikin, 2013
https://youtube/lv2LkAWc7Tk
Group Reporting: