Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOS BAÑOS

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Humanities
Philosophy Division

ETHICS 1
Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Everyday Life
Second Semester, AY 2023-2024

COURSE GUIDE

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This General Education (GE) course will help develop your understanding of ethics and moral
reasoning through the study of various theoretical perspectives on ethics and informed and
systematic reflection on the moral experiences that form so much of the substance of everyday
life. The course locates the sources of moral experiences within our culture, society, religion,
individual experiences and our relationship with nature. At the end of the course, you should
have an understanding of why and in what sense we are considered as moral beings situated
in a moral world, with an urgent responsibility to ourselves, to others, and to the world we live
in. It is hoped that the course will help provide UP students with the moral compass that every
human being needs in order to meet the difficult moral challenges of our time.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Explain basic ethical concepts, principles, and processes involved in ethical

reasoning;

2. Identify the cultural and indigenous knowledge that underpins ethical concepts
and frameworks in various contexts;

3. Demonstrate skills and competencies in critical and reflective thinking and

ethical reasoning, namely:
a) identify the values that one lives by,
b) describe the role that these values play in one’s life,
c) evaluate the soundness of arguments used in ethical discourse, and
d) generate decisions based on reasoned appraisal of moral argument;
and

4. Demonstrate openness to the views of others in settling moral disagreements.

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MODE OF DELIVERY

Guided by OC Memorandum No. 2023-009 and OVPAA Memorandum No. 2023-113

reiterating OVPAA Memorandum No. 2022-171, OVPAA Memorandum No. 2022-88 and
OVPAA Memorandum No. 2022-128, ETHICS 1 shall follow Model 3 of Blended learning
delivery for 1st Semester, AY 2023-2024. The face-to-face component shall be 50% of the total
number of class hours for the entire semester. The non-face-to-face component shall utilize
the Google Classroom as the distance platform. Details about the schedule for both the face-
to-face and non-face-to-face modes shall be announced at the start of the semester.

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Official means for regular communication for purposes of instruction as well as consultation,
other than the face-to-face meetings, shall be done thru UP Email and Google Classroom.

COURSE MATERIALS

Our course materials are composed of several short modules written by UP Philosophy Faculty.
They contain activities and guide questions to aid the student. Students are expected to go
through these modules, guided by their professor, following the study schedule. These course
materials can be accessed through the official course site.

COURSE OUTLINE

I. Introduction
Module 1 Introduction to Philosophy
Introduction to Ethics

II. Indigenous and Cultural Sources of Moral Valuation and Reasoning

(Philippines)
Module 2 Pantayong Pananaw, Sikolohiyang Pilipino,
Pilipinolohiya, Pilosopiyang Pilipino

III. Normative Theories (Asian Ethical Frameworks and Religious Conceptions)

Module 3 Ethics as a Way of Life (Daoism and Confucianism),
Ethics as Spiritual Liberation (Hinduism and Buddhism),
Ethics as Religious Conceptions (Islam and Christianity)

IV. Normative Theories (Western, Agent-Based)

Module 4 Egoism and Altruism
Module 5 Virtue Ethics

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V. Normative Theories (Western, Action-Based)
Module 6 Teleology/Consequentialism: Act and Rule Utilitarianism
Module 7 Deontology: Kantian Ethics
Module 8 Rights-Based Ethics
Module 9 Care Ethics and Feminist Ethics
Module 10 Supererogatory Ethics

HOUSE/CLASS RULES

Inquiries and consultation may be done only during class hours or within the consultation
hours specified (see consultation hours below). Kindly set an appointment by sending me an
email (see email address below) at least two (2) working days before your preferred schedule
of consultation. Indicate the following details in your email: name, subject & section, and date
& time of preferred consultation. If you think that your question(s) may be addressed without
setting a consultation, you may just send me an email. Indicate the following: name, subject &
section, and your question(s). I will reply within two (2) working days.

Per the OVPAA Memo 2022-127 (Academic Policies for AY 2023-2024), the following are the
academic policies in force effective AY 2022-2023: academic delinquency rules, degree
program retention rules, maximum residency rules, prerequisites (Inc. waiver of prerequisites),
grading system (No Fail Policy is lifted), deadline for dropping and LOA, attendance.

Note Art. 346 of the Revised UP Code: “When the number of hours lost by absence of a student
reaches 20% of the hours of recitation, lecture, laboratory, or any other scheduled work in one
(1) subject, s/he shall be dropped from the subject; provided, a faculty member may prescribe
a longer attendance requirement to meet special needs. If majority of the absences is excused,
a student shall not be given a grade of 5.00 upon being thus dropped (often referred to as
“forced drop”); but if majority of the absences are not excused, the student shall be given a
grade of 5.00 upon being thus dropped. Time lost by late enrollment shall be considered as
time lost by absence.”

Be guided by the following provision in the UP Code: “ART. 377. No student of the University
shall solicit directly or indirectly any grade from his/her professor. Any student violating this
rule shall lose credit in the subject(s) regarding which such solicitation is made, without
prejudice to the filing of a case for disciplinary action.”

Be guided by the OC Memorandum No. 101 s.2022, Updated Health and Safety Protocols in
UPLB for the First Semester AY 2023-2024.

Keep yourselves updated by visiting the course site on a regular basis. (This also applies to
regularly checking our Google Classroom as well as your email’s inbox for instructions and
announcements Make sure to study the assigned materials/learning resources and participate
in class activities. Submit requirements (e.g., exercises) on time and observe academic honesty.
Submitting a plagiarized work will immediately lead to a grade of 5.0 in the course.

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STUDY SCHEDULE

Week Topic Learning Resources Learning Tasks

Activity questions and

1&2 Introduction to Philosophy Module 1 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

3&4 Introduction to Ethics Module 1 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Indigenous and Cultural Activity questions and

5 Sources of Moral Valuation and Module 2 Module Summative
Reasoning Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

6 Asian Ethical Frameworks Module 3 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

7 Egoism and Altruism Module 4 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

8 1st Exam

Activity questions and

9 Virtue Ethics Module 5 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

10 Consequentialism Module 6 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

11 Kantian Ethics Module 7 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

12&13 Rights-Based Ethics Module 8 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

Care Ethics and
14 Module 9 Module Summative
Feminist Ethics
Assessment Questions

Activity questions and

15 Supererogatory Ethics Module 10 Module Summative
Assessment Questions

16 2nd Exam

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Percentage Requirement Description

Modular Summative
Assessment are non-face-to-
face writing activities
30% Modular Summative Assessments (Non-FTF) wherein the student must
demonstrate a grasp of the
essential points of the
modules.
Face-to-face activities for
interactive learning which
20% Quizzes, Attendance, Recitation (FTF) may include, but not limited
to: recitation, board works,
quizzes, etc.
The first written exam given
st
20% 1 Long Exam at the middle part of the
semester
The second written exam
nd
20% 2 Long Exam given at the final part of the
semester
A short final paper is
submitted at the end of the
term. The professor provides
a topic or question that the
10% Course Paper
student must discuss using
the key concepts and
techniques of ethics and
moral reasoning.

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GRADING SYSTEM

The grading system below will be used in this course:

Grade in Percentage Numerical Grade Description

98-100 1.0 Excellent
95-97 1.25
90-94 1.5 Very Good
85-89 1.75
80-84 2.0 Good
75-79 2.25
70-74 2.5 Satisfactory
65-69 2.75
60-64 3.0 Pass
55-59 4.0 Conditional
0-55 5.0 Fail

COURSE MATERIALS

Mabaquiao, Napoleon Jr.. 2016. Making Life Worth Living: An Introduction

to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Quezon City: Phoenix
Publishing House Inc..
Ramos, Christine.. 2016. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human
Person. Manila: Rex Book Store Inc..
Russell, Bertrand. “The Value of Philosophy.” In The Problems of Philosophy.
Introduction to
2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1998. Pp. 89-94
Philosophy
van Inwagen, Peter and Sullivan, Meghan. 2014. “Metaphysics”, in The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2018 Edition),
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), accessed on 12 July 2018
from
https://plato.stanford.edu/cgibin/encyclopedia/archinfo.cgientry=m
etaphyics.

Aristotle. 1999. Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. T. Irwin. Indiana: Hackett

Publishing Co. 1111b5-1113a10 (pp. 33-36).
Audi, Robert. “Reasons, Practical Reason and Practical Reasoning.” Ratio
Ethics, Mores,
Volume XVII, no. 2. 2004: 119-149. Pp. 119-122.
Values, Nature
Blackburn, Simon. “Seven Threats to Ethics”. In Being Good: An Introduction
of Ethics and
to Ethics. Oxford: OUP: 2001. Pp. 37-43.
Moral Reasoning
Boyce, William and Larry Cyril Jensen. Moral Reasoning: A Psychological and
Philosophical Integration. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 1978.
Pp. 5-17.

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Cooper, John. “Plato and and the Dialogue Form” and “Reading Plato” in
Plato: Complete Works. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company,
Inc. 1997. Pp. xvii-xxv.
Dupre, Ben. 50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know. London:
Quercus Publishing Plc,2007. Pp. 64-75.
Grassian, Victor. Moral Reasoning: Ethical Theory and Some Contemporary
Moral Problems, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1992. Chapters 3-
5, pp. 11-47.
Harman, Gilbert, Kelby Mason & Walter Sinnott-Armstrong. “Moral
Reasoning.” In The Moral Psychology Handbook, edited. J. Doris, pp.
206-245. NY: OUP: 2010. Pp. 213-217, 238-241.
Korsgaard, Christine. “Excellence and obligation: a very concise history of
western metaphysics 387 BC to 1887 AD.” In The Sources of
Normativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1996. Pp. 1-5.
Mothershead, John L. Ethics: Modern Conception of the Principles of Right.
New York: Henry Holt and Co. 1955. Chapter 1, pp. 21-35..
Plato. “Ring of Gyges.” In The Republic . Translated by Allan Bloom. New
York: Harper Collins Publishers. 1968. Book II. Pp. 35-38.
Purtilo, Ruth. Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions, 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.1993. Chapters 1, pp. 15-34.
Rachels, James. “The Challenges of Cultural Relativism”, “Subjectivism in
Ethics”, “Does Morality Depend on Religion?” In The Elements of
Moral Philosophy, 4th edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Pp 16-32, 32-
47, 48-62.

Sartre, John Paul. “Existentialism is a Humanism,” in Alburey Castell and

Donald Borchert. An Introduction to Modern Philosophy: Examining
the Human Condition, 4th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.
1985. Pp. 80-102.
Sumner, William, “Folkways”, in Johnson, Oliver, ed. Ethics: Selections from
Classical and Contemporary Writers. New York: Holt Rinehart and
Winston. 1965. Pp. 289-310.
Sumner, William, “The Case for Ethical Relativism” in Klemke, Kline &
Hollinger, eds. Philosophy: The Basic Issues. New York: St. Martin’s
Press. 1982. Pp. 496-511.
Williams, Bernard. “Socrates’ Question.” In Ethics and the Limits of
Philosophy. London: Fontana Press/Collins. 1985. Pp. 1-2

Salazar, Zeus A. “Ang Pantayong Pananaw Bilang Diskursong

Pangkabihasnan” sa Pantayong Pananaw: Ugat at Kabuluhan:
Pantayong
Pambungad sa Pag-aaral ng Bagong Kasaysayan nina Atoy Navarro,
Pananaw
Mary Jane Rodriguez at Vicente Villan, mga patnugot, Mandaluyong
City: Palimbagang Kalawakan, 1997. Pp. 79-125.

Covar, Prospero R. “Kaalamang Bayang Dalumat ng Pagkataong Pilipino” sa

Pilipinolohiya Diliman Review, v. 41, no. 1, p. 5-11. 1993. Retrieved on 30 June 2018.

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Enriquez, Virgilio. “Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Perspektibo at Direksyon” sa Pe-
Pua, R., ed.1989. Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Teorya, Metodo at Gamit.
Sikolohiyang Quezon City: UP Press. 1976. Pp. 5-21.
Pilipino Enriquez, Virgilio. 1992. “The Filipinization of Personality Theory” sa From
Colonial to Liberation Psychology The Philippine Experience. Quezon
City: UP Press, pp. 69-95.

Bonifacio, Armando. n.d. Three Concepts of Philosophy in

http://docshare.tips/three-concepts-of-
philosophy_58bab092b6d87f616d8b4836.html.
Pilosopiyang
Mabaquiao, N. “Pilosopiyang Pilipino: Isang Pagsusuri”. Philippine Social
Pilipino
Science Review. Vol 55 (1-4). 1998. Pp. 203-215.
https://www.academia.edu/3420141/Pilosopiyang_Pilipino_Isang_Pa
gsusuri.

Pariñas, N. "Filipino Philosophy?". Syncretic: Journal of Indo-Pacific

Philosophy. No. 1. Brisbane: Irukandji Press, February 2022, pp. 127-
130.
Pariñas, N. "Filipino Philosophy?". Academia Letters, Article 442, May 2021,
pp. 1-7.
Daoism
(Trans.) Lynn, Richard John. “1 - 81”. The Classic of the Way and Virtue: A
New Translation of the Tao Te Ching of Lao Zi as Interpreted by Wang
Bi. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
https://terebess.hu/english/tao/Lynn.html.

Ted-Ed. Who was Confucius? - Bryan W. Van Norden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFt_VGG0kJU&t=2s. 2013.
(Trans.) Edward Slingerland. “Books 1-2; 4; 12; 14”. Confucius: Analects (with
Confucianism selections from traditional commentaries). Indianapolis / Cambridge:
Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.,
2003.http://library1.org/_ads/B5974BA04AFC49FD5E95010317CE783
B.

Ted-Ed. The five major world religions – John Bellaimey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6dCxo7t_aE. 2013.
Hinduism (Trans.) Eknath Eastwaran. “Chapter 1: The War Within; Chapter 2: Self-
Realization”. The Bhagavad Gita. Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2007.
http://library1.org/_ads/8B7A20960F8B81D3BAF6A2E64E24FF37.

Thich Nhat Hanh. “Chapter 22: Turning the Wheel of Dharma”. Old Path
White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha. Translated by
Buddhism Mobi Ho.Berkeley, California: Parallax Press. 1991.
https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Thich%20Nhat%20Hanh%20-
%20Old%20Path%20White%20Clouds.pdf.

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Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-. “Book 2: Belief”. Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī: The
Translation of the Meanings of Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī (Arabic and English).
9 Vols. Translated by M. M. Khan. 3d rev. ed. Chicago. 1979.
https://www.sahih-bukhari.com/Pages/Bukhari_1_02.php
Islam
Rahim, Adibah Binti Abdul. “Understanding Islamic Ethics and Its
Significance on the Character Building.” International Journal of Social
Science and Humanity, Vol. 3, No. 6. November 2013.
http://ijssh.org/papers/293-B00007.pdf.

(Ed) Zaine Ridling. Luke 6: 27-42 “The love of enemies” and “On Judging
Others” and Luke 10: 25-37 “A Lawyer’s Question” and “The Parable
of the Good Samaritan”. The Bible. New Revised Standard Version.
Christianity
USA: Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ. 1989.
http://www.allsaintstupelo.com/Bible_NRSV.pdf

Singer, Peter. The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress.
Princeton University Press. 1981.
Altruism
Levinas, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity. Translated by Alphonso Lingis.
Martinus Nijhoff Publishing. 1979.

Albert, Ethel M., Denise, Theodore C., and Peterfreund, Sheldon P. “Self
Interest.” In Great Traditions in Ethics. 4th Edition. California:
Egoism Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1980. Pp 133-156.
Rand, Ayn. The Virtue of Selfishness: A new Concept of Egoism in Chaffee,
John. 2013. The Philosopher’s Way. USA: Pearson 1946. Pp. 457-459.

Albert, Ethel M., Denise, Theodore C., and Peterfreund, Sheldon P. “Moral
Character.” In Great Traditions in Ethics. 4th Edition. California:
Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1980. Pp. 36-59.
Virtue Ethics
Aristotle. 2009. Nicomachean Ethics Edited by Lesley Brown. Translated by
David Ross. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Books I, II, and X.
Plato. The Republic. Books 1-4.

Bentham, Jeremy. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and

Legislation. Batoche Books. 1781.
Act Utilitarianism Graham, Gordon. 2011. “Utilitarianism” In Theories of Ethics. An
Introduction to Moral Philoso-phy with a Selection of Classical
Readings. Routledge. New York. pp. 97-103

Albert, Ethel M., Denise, Theodore C., and Peterfreund, Sheldon P. “The
Greatest Happiness Principle.” In Great Traditions in Ethics. 4th Edition.
Rule
California: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1980. Pp. 249-274.
Utilitarianism
Mill, John Stuart. 1861. Utilitarianism. Pp.4-17 (available at
http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mill1863.pdf)

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Albert, Ethel M., Denise, Theodore C., and Peterfreund, Sheldon P. “Duty
and Reason.” In Great Traditions in Ethics. 4th Edition. California:
Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1980. Pp. 224-248.
Kantian Ethics
Ellington, James Wesley. Immanuel Kant: Grounding for the Metaphysics of
Morals, 3rd Ed. Hackett Publishing House, Inc. Cambridge. 1993.
Sections 1 and 2.

The Story of Human Rights: The United Nations Universal Declaration of

Rights-Based Human Rights retrieved from www.YouthforHumanRights.org.
Ethics

Jaggar, Alison. Feminist Ethics. pp. 528-539.

Tong, Rosemarie. “The Roots of Care-Focused Feminism: Carol Gilligan and
Nel Noddings” in Feminist Thought. Westview Press. USA. 1998. Pp.
152-163.
Gilligan, Carol. “Woman’s Place in Man’s Life Cycle” In a Different Voice:
Care Ethics
Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press. 1982. Pp 5-23
Noddings, Nel. “Why Care About Caring?” In Caring: A Feminine Approach
to Ethics and Moral Education. University of California Press. 1984.
Pp 7-29.

Urmson J. O. “Saints and Heroes”. In A. I. Melden (ed.). Essays in Moral

Supererogatory Philosophy. University of Washington Press. 1958.
Ethics

COURSE FACILITATOR’S CONSULTATION HOURS (On-site/Online)

DAYS TIME
Wednesdays 8:00 AM – 12:00 NN & 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 NN

ABOUT THE COURSE FACILITATOR

NOEL S. PARIÑAS, LPT (Sir Neo) holds a rank of Assistant Professor IV under the Philosophy
Division, Department of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines
Los Baños. He holds PhB, MAPh, PhD, and JD. He authored the following books: Essentials of
Logic, Ethics: The Philosophy of Human Acts, Dialectics of Pedagogy, Random Philosophical
Reflections, Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person, Philippine Politics and
Governance, Pedagogy of Inclusion. He is a reviewer of Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied
Philosophy, Makiling Review and International Journal of Philosophy Science Publishing
Group. Prior to UPLB teaching appointment, he held administrative positions in other
government institutions as Department Chair, Graduate School Dean, Quality Assurance
Director, and Senior Education Program Specialist. He is Peace-Tech Ambassador and an
Accreditor of Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines.

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