At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

• Create your own definition of a “good life”

• Define what ethics is
• Articulate the nature of ethics as philosophy and science
• Identify the different approaches to the study of ethics
• Appreciate the significance ethics as an academic endeavor

THE “GOOD LIFE” CHECKLIST

1) Check all items that define for you what good life is all about:

Complete Family Forgiveness

Peace of Mind God-centeredness
Beach Body Trusting Relationship
Mansion Academic Excellence
Luxury Car Travel and Leisure
High Intelligence Quotient (IQ) High Emotional Quotient (EQ)
Good Manners High-end Gadgets
Orderliness Blemish-free Skin
Honesty Stress-free Work
Stable Career Understanding Parents/Guardians
Handsome Boyfriend Liberty
Pretty Girlfriend Respect

2) You may add five (5) more other things that make you happy which are not found in the
list.

___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

___________________________
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To process the activity, please fulfill the following tasks:

1) Classify the items you checked or you added whether it is tangible (material) or
intangible (immaterial).
Ex.
Tangible Intangible
Toys Love

2) From your checklist, choose the top 5 things that makes life “good for you”. Rank them
from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). Explain your reasons for choosing them and ranking them
in that order.

3) Based on the above result, write a one-sentence summary of what makes good life for
you.

ETHICS is all about defining the ways to achieve and live a “good life”.

In the Ancient Times

For the primitive people, “good life” was never an

issue. They lived in a utopic world. When we say “utopia”,
we mean a “perfect place that has been designed so there
are no problems.” There was no Individualism; no Personal
Politics; no Selfishness.

They were living in harmony with nature.

There was an experience of universality, though the

concept did not exist. They have common beliefs; common
worldview; common practices; common way of life.
There were no issues on truth, goodness, and
beauty.

Civilization Period

When civilization sprang, people began to move beyond the confines of their
communities. They travelled across borders for trade, adventure, conquest, and
evangelization. They became scattered. They discovered that there is a bigger world beyond
their small communal spaces. They found out that there are other communities that exist
outside their borders.

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 Trade, which is done through barter, was not only on material goods but also on
intellectual goods (though priceless). The exchange of intellectual goods resulted to
comparison of one’s customs, beliefs, traditions, and many others. This prompted the idea
that “what for me is beautiful may not be beautiful anymore when compared with others” or
“what for me is good and true may not be the same case with others”.
People began to philosophize and think of the reason why there were lives more
beautiful than that of others. People began to compare their own life with others up to the
extent of discrimination.

Have you experienced being discriminated by someone because

your beliefs, customs, and practices aren’t the same?

Civilization has led man to think in a spatiotemporal dimension (time and space). The
people’s concept of time led them to interpret nothing into something. People began to fear
a non-existing entity. Inasmuch as the human mind is linear, there is always an issue on the
“connected to”. Human beings will always look for the cause and effect in all their actions.
They will always seek for the result in all their plans and activities.

Human beings now see the connection between his

present actions and the consequences thereof.

Goodness and beauty are considered always to be

connected with their daily activities – thus becomes
causal and material

This means that your present behavior will define your character in the future and
your eating habits today will surely have impact on your future appearance.

It is at this point that philosophy began to exist and started to flourish.

There is now a transition: from asking “What was the cause of the existence of all
things? Where did the world come from?” to “What makes a man a human person?”
Human beings now seek to understand the meaning of life and the importance of
good things.

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 We now ask several existential questions such as:

• WHAT SORT OF THING AM I?

• WHERE DO I COME FROM?
• TO WHERE SHALL I BE GOING?
• WHY AM I IN THIS WORLD?
• WHAT AM I LIVING FOR?
• WHAT IS MY FUTURE AND MY DESTINY?
• WHAT MUST I DO TO LIVE WELL AND BE HAPPY?

We are in constant search for the meaning of all our actions!

Etymologically, Ethics comes from the Greek word εθος (ethos) which means
“Customs, Usage, or Character”.
Ethics is a set of rules of human behavior, which has been influenced by the
standards set by the society or by himself in relation to his society (Reyes, 1989)
The field of ethics (or moral philosophy) involves systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.
Ethics is a practical and normative science, based on reason, which studies human
acts, and provides norms for their goodness and badness (Timbreza, 1993)
As practical science,
❖ Ethics deals with a systematized body of knowledge that is applicable to human
action.
❖ The primary consideration of Ethics is the application of human knowledge and
its practicality to human experience.
❖ Thus, ethics is an indispensable part of man’s daily existence.
As a normative science,
❖ Ethics sets a basis or norm for the direction and regulation of human actions.
❖ It sets rules and guidelines to maintain a sense of direction to human actions
❖ It aids man in distinguishing whether one’s action can be considered good or
bad.

ETHICS…
❖ Is based on REASON. All ethical theories and all moral decisions must have its
basis from the power of reason.
❖ Is Different from RELIGION or THEOLOGY. Philosophy accepts truth on the
basis of reason. Those who do not believe in God may still have moral life.
Sometimes, those who believe in God may even be more immoral than those
who don’t.
❖ Studies HUMAN ACTS. Ethics particularly deals with voluntary human conduct.

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The Three Approaches to Ethics
Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas:
metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.
Meta-ethics. It deals with the nature of moral judgment. It looks at the origins and
meaning of ethical principles.
❖ Are ethical principles merely social inventions? Do they involve more than
expressions of our individual emotions? Meta-ethical answers to these
questions focus on the issues of universal truths, the will of God, the role
of reason in ethical judgments, and the meaning of ethical terms
themselves.

Normative ethics. It is concerned with the content of moral judgments and the
criteria for what is right or wrong. It takes on a more practical task, which is to
arrive at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct.
❖ This may involve articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the
duties that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on
others.

Applied ethics. It involves examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion,

infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homosexuality, capital
punishment, or nuclear war.

Based on the given definition, what benefits can you get from
studying the ethics course?

There are several compelling reasons for you to study Ethics. These are:
Ethics is the very investigation of the meaning of life.
You will be guided in understanding what real happiness is
It will help you understand that man’s ultimate goal is not acquisition of material
goods rather his actual fulfilment lies in the development of the moral quality
It provides for you an idea of what right living is all about and the importance of
acquiring good moral character
It can give the necessary guidelines for the acquisition of his goal.
Character-building

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 Our concept of goodness has changed in the
course of time. Goodness before was gauged on the
basis moral norms, i.e, Maria is living a good life
because she is honest and kind. But when we began
to taste a more pleasurable life through
technological advances, our concept of goodness is
now becoming dependent to physical pleasures.
Hence, we begin to look at things as moral in their
capacity to provide pleasure and prevent pain. We
are now inclined to a hedonistic lifestyle.

The present era created a situation where Ethics has to be redefined and echoed to
every individual!

At this juncture, you are expected to do the following tasks!

1) Go back to your answers on the two pop-up questions.
❖ Have you experienced being discriminated by someone because your
beliefs, customs, and practices aren’t the same?
❖ Based on the given definition, what benefits can you get from studying the
ethics course?
Would you like to add some more to your answers? If yes, please do so.
2) Identify five things in your life that may drive you to redefine ethics. (It may be an
experience, a habit, a belief, etc.)
3) Comment on this statement:
“When man becomes civilized, the more he actually becomes uncivilized”

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 Good Life was not an issue among the primitive people in the ancient times. In the
civilization era, it became a point of inquiry when people began to compare their
ideas, beliefs, customs, and traditions with others.
Civilization has led man to think in a spatiotemporal dimension (time and space).
Human beings now see the connection between his present actions and the
consequences thereof. Goodness and beauty are considered always to be connected
with their daily activities – thus becomes causal and material.
Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and
wrong behavior. It is both a practical and normative science. It is based on reason,
different from religion or theology and it studies human acts. The three approaches
to ethics are meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.
The present era, influence by a hedonistic mentality, created a situation where Ethics
has to be redefined and echoed to every individual!

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

Carino, J.V. (2018). Ethics and Philosophy and Ethics and Critical Thinking. In
Fundamentals of Ethics. C&E Publishing, Inc. 1-12; 18-27.

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