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LECTURE 1
Ethics and
Moral Philosophy INTRODUCTION:
MAN AS A MORAL AGENT
Jove Jim S. Aguas

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Man: Rational and Free Agent

• As human beings we are endowed with • Since we are rational and free agents, we are
rationality. Because of our reason, we can responsible for our actions and our
deliberate and make conscious decisions. responsibility is not only for our actions but
• We are also endowed with free will, through also for their consequences and the quality of
which we determine our own action, its course the choice we make.
and objectives.

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• The extent of our knowledge and freedom • The end of all these is our desire to live a well-
determine the extent of our responsibility,
lived life. As human beings we do not just
hence the greater the freedom and
want to live our lives, we wanted to live it well,
knowledge, the greater the responsibility.
as the saying goes:
• Because of human freedom and responsibility, “A well-lived life is a happy life.”
people are always concerned with what is
right and what is wrong. We contemplate on • Happiness and living well is related to the
what is the right thing to do and what is the good and those that we value in life.
bad thing to avoid.
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• The good, could either be a real and objective

Good and Value good or just an apparent good. What we
consider to be good could be real or genuine
• Good is objectively the goal or fulfillment of good, like health, or knowledge, which are
being man. It is the end or the object of the objectively good.
will – faculty of volition.
• Some things or objects which we consider to
• The good as the object of the will is be good are only apparent good, which means
considered to be the driving force of human that they may appear to be good, but in
action and human endeavors. The will when it reality are not. Vices for example may appear
recognizes the good drives or motivates us to to be good to some people but in reality they
act. are evil.
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• Objective value is independent of the

• Value is an assessment of worth. It is what an assessment of men, such value does not
individual or group deems to be useful, depend on the valuation or estimation of
significant or desirable; individuals or group of individuals. Whether
such value is recognized or not it remains to
• It constitutes a large part of who we are and be a value.
how we live. People, objects, places, events,
situations or occasions have values. • The value of objective good is independent of
the recognition or appreciation of man; good
• Values could either be objective or subjective. health and proper knowledge have objective
values.
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• Subjective values are those that are • Values have certain ranking or hierarchy, one
conferred by individuals on certain objects or value may be higher or more significant than
situation. others; some values have higher worth than
others.
• The subjective value is dependent on the
estimation or valuation of individuals, so that • There is an objective ranking of values, this
something may be valuable to one but not ranking is not dependent on the preference of
valuable to others. individuals.
• Material values are necessarily lower in rank
compared to spiritual values.
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• The value of persons is higher than the value • Only man can formulate and express values
which are generally shaped and formed by
of money, the value of education and
his experiences.
knowledge is higher than the value of
physical properties. • Values are inseparable from the endlessly
changing experiences of man’s life. A value
• The more spiritual the value is the higher it is may be material value, societal, aesthetic,
in the ranking of values and the more
religious or moral.
material the value is, the lower it is in the
ranking of values. • What we value in the realm of human
conduct is called moral values, like justice,
honesty, love etc.
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The Role of Human Experience

• Lived experience is the awareness on the part • Since one experiences himself and his own
of the individual that when he performs or person as the agent or cause of the act, then
does a certain action, he is aware that he is he also experiences himself as the efficient
the author of the act; that he is the agent of cause of the moral good or evil associated
action. This awareness or experience brings with the action.
with it a sense of responsibility for the moral
value of the action.

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Discussion Questions

1. Today most people value their freedom but

hardly take responsibility for their actions. Is
this a fair or correct statement or not? Why?
2. With great power comes great responsibility.
Do you agree? Why?
3. How do the things that we value influence our
sense of right and wrong?

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