Falculan, Delsie F.

Chapter 2 Questions for Discussion

III-AC1

1. What is philosophy? Do you have a personal philosophy in life? If so, what is your personal philosophy? Philosophy as a science is interested with the meaning of reality including our human experience. It is a science that seeks to explain the ultimate cause of everything by the use of human reason alone. It gives us the opportunity to analyse the contents of thoughts. Philosophy has a lot of meanings; it can also pertain to a principle in life. My personal philosophy is when in doubt, do not. However, it does not mean that I should not take risks in making decisions. Its about choosing what I really want to do, who I want to be and to whom I want to be with. Having doubts help me to distinguish if what I really do is right. Whenever I doubt about something, I know I dont what to be in that situation. 2. Differentiate ethics from morality. Ethics refers to the study of those standards and judgements which people create while Morality refers to the quality of goodness or badness in a human act. Ethics gives out the theories of what is right and wrong while Morality translates these theories into action. 3. Why is ethics called a normative science? Differentiate philosophy, art and science. Cite their similarities and striking differences? Ethics is considered a normative science because it is concerned with the systematic study of the norms of human conduct. It involves a systematic search for moral principles and norms that are used to justify our judgements. Philosophy deals with questions that cannot be answered by observation or experiment. Science is the systematic method of acquiring knowledge based on observation and experiment. Art is about creative communication of ideas and emotions. They are all interrelated since all of them seek to find answers and explanations about phenomenon in life. However, they differ in the way and manner they find answers. Their essential difference lies in their nature, as art and philosophy is subjective, while science is objective. Science is progressive in a way that Art is not.

4. Is ethics a one-sized shoe that fits all or a customized outfit? For me, ethics is a customized outfit, in which it varies from one person to another. This is because ethics is relative. Two cultures or any people can hold different moral values of an action and still, both can be right. An action may be right for one person or society and the same action can also be wrong for another reason. Thus, there are moral differences based on personal beliefs and convictions; the ethical conduct of a certain culture varies to others. 5. Explain why the Kantian ethics is considered a Non-Consequentialist Ethics. Kantian duty-based ethics says that some things should never be done, no matter what good consequences they produce. This seems to reflect the way some human beings think. Under this form of ethics you can't justify an action by showing that it produced good consequences, which is why it's sometimes called 'non-Consequentialist'. 6. What is the difference between Theistic and Atheistic e Ethics? Theistic means believing in a god or gods, in a divine existence. Atheistic is denying, not accepting the existence of Gods. Theistic Ethics assume that God is the Supreme Lawgiver while Atheistic Ethics assumes that only matter is exist and man is responsible only to himself since there is no God. 7. Do you believe that morality is relative, e,g., the goodness or badness of ones action depends on the culture, laws and beliefs of a society or community? Why or why not? Yes, I believe that morality is relative. It varies from one person to another. Since each one of us has different perspectives in life, each has different opinions and perceptions on things. Some actions might be good to one person, but wrong to another person. Every culture has its own morals. For example, in the Philippines, we, as a family, take good care of our grandparents; while in other countries, they are being taken cared in the custody of caregivers. Religion also places a significant role in varying moral perspectives of people, such as the contradicting belief of Christian and Muslims regarding marriage. 8. Why is it difficult for people to reach Level 3 Stages 5 and 6 according to Kohlberg? The third level of moral thinking is one that Kohlberg felt is not reached by the majority of adults because this level can only be reached by going through all the stages. One can not possibly skip a stage or reverse the order. Thus, one

must understand and see the reasonableness and importance of having a higher stage morality. People could not, for example, move from an orientation of selfishness to the law and order stage without passing through the good boy/girl stage. They could only come to a comprehension of a moral rationale one stage above their own.

Cases for Analysis Case 1: Expired Gravy 1. What is the moral issue in the case? The manager chooses not to disclose about the expired gravy in spite of Emongs honesty to approach him about the matter. Instead of finding a solution, he chooses not to it to anyone because maybe he thinks that it will degrade the companys reputation. However, this can cause a lot of potential threats and consequences to their company. For example, the health of their customers might be put into risk; thus, ruining their companys image and costing them a lot of money for such negligence.

2. If you were Bartolome, what are you going to do? I will order not to serve the gravy and if there are some gravy that have already been served, I am willing to inform the consumers affected and act for the welfare of their health, though it can affect the companys reputation. At least, I have done something to stop further consequences of this negligence.

Case 2: Shared IT Secrets 1. Is keeping trade secrets still an ethical issue in the age of globalization and advanced communications technology? A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers. In some jurisdictions, such secrets are referred to as "confidential information" or "classified information". Thus, it is still an ethical issue since it is an intellectual property of a company. This is the primary force that makes the company profitable and advantageous over their competitors. 2. Is Pantaleons action unethical, e.g., using the customer list of his previous company for his new company? Why or why not? Discuss your answer.

For me, it is unethical. Though he is no longer an employee of the IT Systems, he is still governed by the ethical code of confidentiality even after his employment. The customer list is an assent of his previous company; it shouldnt be used to degrade the company through passing it over to his competitors. 3. If you were Pantaleon, would you also do the same thing as he did? Why or why not? Justify your answer. No, though I have changed my employment, I am still governed by the ethical conduct of my profession, particularly the concept of confidentiality. Even after my previous employment, I have no right to use the customer list of my previous company. I wont use my previous companys customer list just to climb up fast in the corporate ladder. I would rather choose to use my own skills and competence to prove that I am a worthy employee of the new company and to gain the trust from my colleagues and employer, without putting my integrity into risk.