CHRISTIAN ETHICS

LESSON I: ETHICS
What is ethics?
Derived from the GREEK word “ETHOS”
which means characteristics way of
acting, habit or custom.
LATIN equivalent is “MOS”, “MORES”,
from which come the word moral and
morality.
Ethics studies the characteristic behavior
of man as endowed with REASON AND
FREE WILL.
The study of ethics started with the Greek
philosophers, notably Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle.

Socrates is regarded as the Father of

Moral Philosophy.
Aristotle – greatly influenced ethical
thinking.

Definition of Ethics
ETHICS is the science of the morality of
human acts.
Human acts are action done
intentionally and freely, like:
WALKING, PLAYING, SHOPPING,
JOINING A CONTEST, SIGNING A
CONTRACT.
ACTS of MAN –

ACTS that are instinctive: such as the

physiological and psychological
movements like breathing, feeling happy or
falling in love.
ETHICS does not study the acts of man in
themselves but as factors affecting man’s
judgment and volition.
ETHICS is the study of man as moral
being, one who is rationally able to
distinguish between right and wrong.
It examines how man is accountable for
his actions and its consequences. It
proposes how man ought to live his life
– meaningfully.

ART OF CORRECT LIVING

Ethics is an art, “the art of correct
living”

Morality is not only necessary to a

person but also to society.

Beltrand Russell states that: “Without civic

morality, communities perish; without
personal morality their survival has no
value.”

When people do not accept the rule of law,

society crumbles.
Ethics and Religion
• Ethics and religion are both concerned
with moral education, but they differ from
each other.

1. Ethics is a science and relies on

reasons for its conclusions. Religion is
a system of beliefs and practices
based on faith and revelation, or truths
revealed to man by other.
2. Ethics teaches the value of religion,
presenting it as duty of man towards
the Supreme Being. Religion, on the
other hand, as on organized church or
institution, contributes to the
development of ethical thought. Thus,
religion and ethics compliments each
 other.
Ethical Norms and Law
The laws of society sometimes legalize
immoral acts, like gambling and divorce.
Hence, what is legal is not necessary
moral.

Also, human laws regulate external

actions, but not thoughts and feelings.
Thinking of robbing a bank is not a crime
until it is attempted.
Ethical norms, however, cover thought
and feelings so that a person could sin
because of what he thinks or desires.
ETHICAL APPROACHES:
There are two approaches:

Atheistic and Theistic Ethics

1. Atheistic approach assumes that
only matter exists and man is
 responsible only to the State since
there is no God who rules the
universe.

Morality is an invention of man to suit

his requirement and to preserve
society.
Moral truths are temporary and
changeable depending on the
situation.

Accordingly, the concept of good and

evil is relative.

Some of its tenets are the following:

a. Matter is the only reality.
b. Man is matter and does not have
spiritual soul.
c. Man is free and must exercise his
freedom to promote the welfare of
society.
d. There is no life after death.
 e. Man is accountable only to the
State.

2. Theistic approach, to which we adhere,

assumes that God is the Supreme
Lawgiver.

Everything must conform to God’s eternal

plan of creation.

Man must exercise his freedom in

accordance with God’s will.

There are absolute principles of morality

which are not changeable.

Man is accountable for his actions and

deserves either a reward or punishment in
this life or in the next.

Its tenets are:

a. God is the Supreme Creator and
Lawgiver.
b. Man is free and must use his
freedom to promote his personal
interest along with that of others.
c. Man has an immortal soul.
d. Man is accountable for his actions,
both good and evil.

General and Special Ethics

General Ethics is about the principles

of morality. It explains the norms with
which the moral significance of a human
act is determined.

Special ethics is the application of the

principles of General Ethics to the
problems and issues confronting a
person on account of his
circumstances in life, for instance, as a
citizen, neighbor, worker, wife,
husband or child.
 Special ethics includes the sub-
branches of professional ethics, such
as medical ethics, business ethics,
legal ethics, biological and
environmental ethics.

LESSON II:

Man as a Person
Ethics is the study of man as a MORAL
BEING
What goals we assign to ourselves, what
action we choose to do, and how we treat
others –depend on how we understand
ourselves as a human being.
Socrates – is wise indeed for proposing that
the starting point of wisdom is “ to know
oneself.”
FILIPINO BELIEFS:
Filipinos believe that…
1. Man is a creature of God
2. Man has an immortal soul
3. Man has an assigned destiny in life
4. Man must do good or else be punished
by God.
5. Man by nature is good but is morally
weak.
Regarding morality, Filipinos believe that….
1. Morality is “batas ng Diyos.”
2. A person should respect his humanity.
“pagkatao”
3. A person should love and care for his
family.
4. A person should fear God and His
punishment.
Rational Animal:
Man is an organism composed of a
MATERIAL BODY and a SPIRITUAL SOUL.
HE is the whole of his materiality and
immateriality, union of body and soul,
matter and spirit. This essential wholeness
is what we call HUMAN NATURE.

HUMAN NATURE is made up of:

• Man’s BIOLOGICAL
• PSYCHOLOGICAL
• And Rational powers
Biological powers are nutrition,
locomotion, growth, and reproduction.
Psychological powers include those of
the sense, such as smelling, tasting,
seeing, hearing, perceiving, imagining,
remembering, and those acts of
emotions such as hatred, desire,
disgust, joy, sorrow, fear, despair, and
courage.
Rational powers are those of the
intellect and the will –comprehension
and volition, respectively
NATURAL LAW:
All human powers or faculties are
operational tendencies towards what is
good to man as a rational animal. In this
sense, HUMAN NATURE is the NATURAL
LAW, because like the laws of society, it
directs man in all his activities.
Natural law differs from laws of nature
which are the forces governing the material
universe, including man.
Natural law applies ONLY to man as a
rational animal.
When we speak of an act as “contrary to
natural law”, we mean the act to be against
human nature or humanity.
A MORAL BEING:
Three characteristics reveal man’s moral
nature:
1. Man by natural insight is able to
distinguish between good and evil, right and
wrong, moral and immoral.
a. All people, including those we regard as
primitive, have an understanding of what is
right or wrong, of what is permitted and
prohibited behavior.
2. Man feels himself obliged to do what is
good and to avoid what is evil.
a. He is moved by the inner force of his
being demanding that what is good OUGHT
to be done, and what is evil OUGHT to be
avoided.
3. Man feels himself accountable for his
actions so that his good deeds merit
reward, while his evil deeds deserve
punishment.
a. Man feels content with himself by doing a
good deed, or he feels remorseful for doing
an evil deed. All cultures have a system of
reward and punishment based on the
concept of justice.
These characteristics show man’s innate
perception of truth, duty and law.
Contrary to this view is the theory
suggesting that human nature as a blank
sheet ( tabula raza) on which culture writes
its text, so that man is merely the product of
social interaction and his behavior is
nothing more than “ a reflex of social
conditioning.

MAN as PERSON
Man is born as an individual, or PERSON.
Person is human nature actualized and
manifested in the history of place and
time.
ETYMOLOGICALLY, the word PERSON
comes from the GREEK word
PROSOPHON which is the mask worn by
stage actors.
The LATIN PERSONARE, alludes to the
mask which is constructed so as to project
forcefully the voice of the actor. Underneath
the person is human nature which is the
principle of human activity.
Person is defined as “individual, existing
separately and independently from
others, capable of knowing and loving in
an intellectual way, and of deciding for
himself the purpose or end of his
actions.

Personality and Character

Personality – the sum of those physical
attributes and tendencies which define a
person’s distinctive behavior.
Personality is the sum of a person’s
physical constitution, talents, abilities
and habits which define characteristic
behavior.
In layman’s terms, personality consists of
the physical qualities and mannerisms of
an aesthetically refined person.
As persons, all men are equal regardless of
race. However, one person may have more
personality than another.

Brenman observes:
“ the person does not grow in stature,
but personality develops and enlarges
itself according to the pattern of his
actions, the mature use of his powers,
and the scheme of his habits. There is
no such thing as cultivating a person,
but we speak of cultivation of
personality. Hence, personality is the
result of one’s achievement.
Character- is often taken synonymously
with personality. This is correct if personality
is taken as the sum-total of the
psychological systems in an individual
which enable him to adjust to his
environment.
Character, however, refers to the
person’s choice of values and his
intelligent exercise of his freedom.
While personality is an aspect of the body,
character is an aspect of the human soul.

We describe personality as pleasant or

unpleasant, but we speak of character as
good or bad in the moral sense.

Personality, says Brennan, “the principle of

rational action, character is the principle of
moral action.”

Moral Character
Character is the will of the person
directing him towards a recognized
ideal.

This is how human actions are significant

because they actualize man’s potential to
be what he try is as a rational being.
When a person falls short of the
expectation, he is said to have bad
character.
On the other hand, a person who lives up to
the ideals of his humanity is said to have
good character, or moral integrity.
Character is not the product of a moment’s
inspiration, but is disciplined tendency to
choose the right thing in any given
circumstance. It is adherence to what is
true, beautiful, and good in us. History
counts men of great character who acted
against the prevailing beliefs and practices
of their day, like Jesus Christ, Sakya Muni
or Buddha, Confucius, Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, Jose Rizal, Ninoy Aquino,
Pope John Paul II.
Social Dimension of the Person
Society is but an extension of the
person. Ethics is particularly relevant
because of man’s social nature. The
golden rule, for that matter, is concerned
about the other person.
Among modern thinkers:
George Hegel teaches that man is fully
developed in his participation in family
life, civic community, and in the state.
Thomas Hill Green, expresses the
conviction that a person’s morality must
identify itself with public welfare.
Paul Tillich says that natural law is the
demand for us, “to be a person in the
community of other persons.”