Basic Principles
Pre-lim A.Y. 2011-2012
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• Moral philosophy, is a branch of
philosophy that addresses questions
about morality—that is, concepts such
as good and evil, right and wrong,
virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.
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•As an academic
discipline ethics is
simply the STUDY OF
MORALITY
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1. Knowing the
difference between
good and evil
2. Choosing good over
evil
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Morality entails
Knowledge
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And
CHOICE
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• Natural law, or the law of
nature (Latin: lex naturalis), is
any system of law which is
purportedly determined by
nature, and thus universal.
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• Classically, natural law refers to
the use of reason to analyze
human nature and deduce binding
rules of moral behavior
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• . Natural law is
contrasted with the
positive law, meaning
"man-made” laws.
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• Moreover natural law states that
nature is good and orderly and can
thereby serve as a foundation for
determining what is good.
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• Because God is good his creation
must also be good.
• By creation we refer to both man
and his natural environment.
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• Because nature is good then it can
serve to become a model for
goodness.
• What is natural is also good.
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• There is diversity and balance
within nature.
• Everything has a niche or a place
within its eco-system
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• Everything has a role to play within
that system.
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• Applied to ethics we can say that
we all have a place and a role to
play in the universe.
• This gives us a meaning and
purpose for living.
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• Our meaning and purpose follows
the way we are designed, our
function.
• The function of human kind is to be
rational.
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• It is therefore natural and moral
for us to think.
• Socrates and Aristotle do not
discriminate between reason and
virtue.
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• Hence, to be good is to be
reasonable.
• As a corollary to this evil (which is
the opposite of good) is ignorance. –
St. Thomas Aquinas
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• The Indians and the Buddhists
agree that the cause of suffering,
(maya) is ignorance.
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• 7 out of ten people in the world grow hungry
everyday
• 6 out of ten Filipinos eat only once a day
and experience daily hunger
• Why because 80% of the world’s resources
are accessed by only 20% of the world’s
population and vice - versa
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• Green House effect
• Garbage and Pollution
• Specie extinction
• Cultural Extinction
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• Origin of Family
• Origins of classes
• Origin of private property
• Slavery
• Elitism
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• Object
• Agent
• Circumstances
• Motive
• End
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• A woman suspected that her husband is having an affair with his
secretary because he is no longer having sex with her and stays
away from the house during week days till late in the evening.
Whenever she tries to call her husband at his office even after
10 pm his secretary would be the one to answer her calls.
• The woman left their house one evening with their one and only
7 year old son never to be seen or heard from again.
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• The woman
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•Abandonment
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•Left the house with their
child without notice on a
night her husband was
working overtime at the
office.
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•To punish the husband
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• Broken marriage
• Poor child
• Poor husband
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• Immoral, the wife’s suspicion is not
supported by hard evidences and could
be resolved through dialogue.
• The wife should not have walked out of
that marriage on mere suspicion, her
husband deserved a chance to be heard.
• The wife should have been more patient
for the sake of her child.
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The story of the coconut tree
Affair.
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• Pedro and Maria were classmates since first year. They secretly
loved each other but did not tell each other for fear that the
friendship may suffer if their love was not reciprocated. During
their graduation party they went for a walk at the beach while
the
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Passion
Fear
Habit
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• Principle of Double Effect
• Special Ethics Clause
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