LESSON 1: Course Orientation and Importance of LESSON 3: MORAL DILEMMAS

Rules
Moral dilemma is a situation in which an individual must
Rules are an accepted principles or instructions that choose between two moral options. Each has significant
states the way things are or should be done, and tells consequences.
you what you are allowed or are not allowed to do
A moral dilemma is a problem in the decision-making
Rules are not meant to restrict your freedom. They are between two possible options, neither of which is
meant to help you grow in freedom, to grow in your absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is
ability to choose and do what is good for you and for also referred to as the Ethical Dilemma or Ethical
others. Paradox.

LESSON 2: Moral and Non-Moral Standards Moral Dilemmas have the following in common:

ETYMOLOGY AND MEANING OF ETHICS 1. The agent is required to do each of two (or more)
actions which are morally unacceptable;
Ethics (Ethos) - “custom” 2. The agent can do each the actions;
- branch of philosophy which deals with moral 3. But the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions
standards, inquires about the rightness or
wrongness of human behavior or the goodness or
badness of personality, trait or character. False dilemma is a situation where the decision-maker
has a moral duty to do one thing but is tempted or under
Moral (moralis)– Latin equivalent. pressure to do something else.
- The adjective describing a human acts as either
ethically right or wrong, or qualifying a person, Agent - The individual that must make the decision.
personality, character as either ethically good or
bad. Moral or Ethical Dilemma Features

MORAL vs NON-MORAL STANDARDS 1. The agent is required to do one of two moral

options
Moral Standards 2. The agent is capable of doing each one
- norms or prescriptions that serve as the 3. The agent cannot do both
frameworks for determining what ought to be
done or what is right or wrong action, what is Types Of Moral Dilemmas
good or bad character. Ex. don’t kill 1. Epistemic(ambiguous): when the person has no
idea which option is the most morally acceptable.
Non-moral standards In the epistemic moral dilemma, the matter is.
- are social rules, demands of etiquette and
good manners. They are guides of actions which 2. Ontological(genuine): when the options
should be followed as expected by society. available are equal in every respect.

THEORIES OF MORAL STANDARDS 3. Self-imposed: when the person has created a

dilemma themselves. They have engaged in
1. Consequence Standard – teleological, from tele wrongdoing of some kind and are then faced with
which means end result or consequence) resolving the matter.
- states that an act is right or wrong depending on
the consequences of the act, that is, the good 4. World-imposed(social dilemma): brought about
that is produced in the world. by others and the person must resolve the matter.
2.Not-Only-Consequence Standard – deontological 5. Obligation: when the person feels they must
- holds that the rightness or wrongness of an action enact each one. It is a sense of responsibility to
or rule depends on sense of duty, natural law, engage both options that creates the moral
virtue and the demand of the situation or dilemma. The tension arises because they can
circumstances. only choose one, but they are obligated to do
both.
WHAT MAKES STANDARDS MORAL? 6. Prohibition: when each option is reprehensible.
1. For theists, God is the ultimate source of what is Each option would normally not be considered
moral revealed to human persons due to its unethical nature. However, the person
2. For non-theists, God is not the source of must choose.
morality. Moral standards are based on the
wisdom of sages like Confucius or philosophers
like Immanuel Kant
3. The theistic line of thought states that moral
standards are of divine origin.
4. For the non-theistic line of thought, moral
standards must have evolved as the process of
evolution followed its course.
LESSON 4: 3 LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS Examples of Structural Dilemma

1. INDIVIDUAL “Personal dilemmas” 1. Differentiation vs. Integration - two distinct

- Individual’s damn-if-you-do-and-damn-if-you don’t approaches to ethical decision-making and moral
situation philosophy
- a situation in which a person is faced with a
difficult choice between two or more actions, each Differentiation involves recognizing and emphasizing
of which has moral implications or ethical the difference between various ethical theories, principles
consequences. or perspectives.
- These arise when there is a conflict between - acknowledges that there are multiple moral frameworks,
personal values, ethical principles, or moral each with its own set of principles and values.
obligations, making it challenging to determine - This approach encourages individuals to consider and
the right course of action. compare different ethical viewpoints to make informed
- Resolving this can be challenging, and people decisions.
may use various ethical frameworks, personal
values, or guidance from moral philosophy to While Integration, focuses on finding common ground
make their decisions. and harmonizing various ethical theories or principles.
Examples - It seeks to create a unified ethical framework by
- Honesty vs Loyalty identifying shared values and principles from different
- Self-interest vs. Altruism ethical perspectives.
- aims to develop a more comprehensive and inclusive
2. ORGANIZATIONAL approach to moral decision-making.
- a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social
organization and members’ self- interest. Differentiation involves the distinction and analysis of
- exists between personal and individual groups’ ethical perspectives, while integration seeks to combine
interests, organizational welfare, and and harmonize different ethical viewpoints to form a more
organizational well-being. cohesive moral framework
- encountered and resolved by social
organizations. This includes moral dilemmas in 2. Gap vs. Overlap
business, medical field and public sector.
- This dilemma affects more than one person and Gap are the situations where there is a significant
they can be part of the internal group or an difference or disconnect between two ethical theories or
external stakeholder. principles.
- Resolving this requires careful consideration of - occurs when one ethical theory or principle provides
the organization’s values, ethical framework, and guidance or a decision that is fundamentally incompatible
long-term consequences. or contradictory to another.
Examples - individuals must choose which ethical theory or
- Profit vs. Ethics principle to prioritize.
- Employee Welfare vs. Cost Reduction
Overlap occurs when two or more ethical theories or
3. STRUCTURAL principles share common ground or agree on certain
- a conflict of perspective of sectors, groups and aspects of an ethical issue.
institutions that may be affected by the decision - This means that different ethical perspectives converge
- A challenging problem that arises from the on certain moral principles or values, making it easier to
inherent design or structure or organization of a find consensus or build a comprehensive ethical
system of society. framework.
- may have ethical, social or operational - can be useful for resolving ethical dilemmas or
implications and require legislative changes, promoting ethical decision-making that considers multiple
policy reforms, grassroots movements, and viewpoints
collective efforts to create meaningful and lasting
solutions. 3. Lack of clarity vs. Lack of creativity
- Resolving this is difficult because they stem from
systemic issues rather than individual actions or Lack of clarity are situations where ethical principles,
decisions. rules, or guidelines are unclear, ambiguous, or
- Resolving this often involves recognizing and inadequately defined.
addressing the root causes within the system or - This can lead to confusion and difficulty in determining
structure itself. the right courses of action, as individuals may struggle to
Examples apply ethical principles due to the absence of clear
- Healthcare Access and Racial Inequity guidance.
- Differentiation vs. Integration - often requires the clarification of ethical principles or the
- Gap vs. Overlap development of specific guidelines to address the issue.
- Lack of clarity vs. Lack of creativity
- Flexibility vs. Strict Adherence to Rules Lack of creativity are situations where individuals fail to
- Excessive Autonomy vs. Excessive explore innovative or imaginative ethical solutions to
Interdependence complex problems.
- Centralized vs. Decentralized Decision - can happen when people rely too heavily on
making established norms or conventional approaches, even
when these may not fully address the nuances of a - Good moral actions make us freer; Bad moral
particular situation. actions make us a slave to our sin.
- Encouraging creativity can lead to novel solutions that
better accommodate unique circumstances. Why does freedom become the foundation of moral acts?
- Because we people have our own freedom, and
4. Flexibility vs. Strict Adherence to Rules there are no limits on it, the main reason why
freedom is based on the moral act is to just give a
Flexibility involves the willingness to adapt ethical limit to the people, to know what would be the
principles / guidelines based on specific circumstances right or wrong decision to be made.
and context.
B. FREEDOM AND FREE WILL
- This allows for a more nuanced and context-sensitive
decision-making process, where ethical considerations FREEDOM
can be adjusted to accommodate unique situations. “Freedom is the power or right to act, speak or think
as one wants without hindrance or restraint.”
Strict adherence to rules involves following established
ethical principles, codes, or guidelines without significant Restraint - a measure or condition that keeps someone
deviation, regardless of the specific circumstances. or something under control or within limits.
- This approach prioritizes consistency and predictability
in ethical decision-making, aiming to avoid subjectivity C. FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION OF MORAL ACTS
and bias.
Free will
5. Excessive Autonomy vs. Excessive “Free will is the idea that we are able to have some
Interdependence choice on how we act and assumes that we are free to
choose our behavior.”
Excessive autonomy occurs when individuals or groups
prioritize their personal freedoms and independence to Human Act vs Acts of Human
such an extent that they disregard the well-being of
others or the common good Human Acts - are actions done intentionally, free and
deliberate of a person.
Excessive Interdependence happens when individuals - These are actions that a man properly masters for he
or groups become overly reliant on other or a centralized does them with full knowledge of his own will.
authority, often at the expense of personal responsibility - All human acts are subjected to morality and the free
and moral agency will.

6. Centralized vs. Decentralized Decision making - Acts of Human - Natural involuntary actions.
are two modes of working in any organization. - Acts of a person without the proper use of reason.
- Actions which are performed without the intervention of
In centralization, there is a hierarchy of formal authority the intellect.
for making all the important decisions for the
organization.
- The concentration of authority at the top level.
LESSON 6: CULTURE: HOW IT DEFINES MORAL
In decentralization, decision making is left for the lower BEHAVIOR
level of organization.
- The evenly and systematic distribution of authority at all CULTURE - describes a collective way of life, or way of
levels doing things.
- There is no delegation of authority as all the authority - the sum of attitudes, values, goals, and practices
for taking decisions is vested in the hands of top-level shared by individuals in a group, organization, or society.
management. - it varies over time periods, between countries and
geographic regions, and among groups and
organizations.
LESSON 5: FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION OF MORAL - It reflects the moral and ethical beliefs and standards
ACTS that speak to how people should behave and interact
with others
a. The Foundation of Moral Act
b. Freedom and Free will NORMS - the shared, sanctioned, and integrated
c. Human Act vs. Acts of Human systems of beliefs and practices that are passed down
through generations and characterize a cultural group.
- It cultivates reliable guidelines for daily living and
A. FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION OF MORAL ACTS contributes to the health and well-being of a culture.
- They act as prescriptions for correct and moral
Freedom as the foundation of Moral Act behavior, lend meaning and coherence to life, and
provide a means of achieving a sense of integrity,
“We can make sense of moral appraisal and safety, and belonging.
responsibility only by thinking about human freedom.”
(Immanuel Kant)
These normative beliefs, together with related cultural
values and rituals, impose a sense of order and control
on aspects of life that might otherwise appear chaotic or
unpredictable