Republic of the Philippines
BICOL STATE COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
City of Naga
Module 1, Lesson 5 Freedom as Foundation for Moral Acts
Intended Learning Outcome:
• explain why only human beings can be ethical
Introduction:
Do the lower forms of animals have ethics? Like can we say that a dog is immoral or unethical if
it defecates right there at your doorsteps? Or is ethics only for human person? If so, why? This is the
concern of our lesson today.
Activity:
If you know Frank Sinatra’s song, “My Way”, sing with me or ask your parents to sing the song
for you.
And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain
My friend I'll make it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
I saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out…
Discussion:
Ethics Only Applies to Human Persons
The song, My Way, implies choice or freedom “I
did it my way”. Unlike the lower forms of animals, human
persons have a choice or freedom, hence morality applies
only to human persons.
Ethics, therefor, applies only to human persons.
We cannot say a cat is ‘unethical’ when it eats the food at table intended for you or when a dog urinates
on your favorite bag lying on the floor.
Dilemmas presuppose freedom. Freedom-loving societies have customary ways of training the
young to exercise their freedom. Parents regularly give their children opportunities to choose. “Guys,
what do you want for breakfast ~~ ham or egg or cheese?”. Later in life they come face-to-face with
hard choices. Then dilemmas come along. There is such a thing as dilemma because there is such a thing
as freedom. If there is no ability or power of choice, then any incident simply happens without any
interference. There would be no obligation to do any act in expectation of the responsibility following
the act.
Freedom and Moral Choice
Kant believed that the ability to make moral decisions lay within the existence of freedom; stating
that if we are not free to make our own decisions those decisions could not be moral as we were never
free to make that decision in the first place. Kant thought that a person could be blamed for an action if
they could have acted differently; for example, if a person’s family is held at gunpoint and they are forced
to open a safe they cannot be blamed as they did not have a choice. If we are to have free will we must
have the ability to make a decision that is unhindered; Kant believed that we must have free will if we are
to be help morally.
Saint Augustine was a religious determinist who believed that humanity required God’s help to
do good; this is granted by God to humans; therefore, God determines who will be saved and who will
not. This is known as predestination;
In other words, making moral choice is a necessary consequence for being free, a consequence of
being a human person.
To be Ethical: One Not Merely Abide by Moral Standards
Ethics are the standard of what is right and wrong, and they are based on our values. Being
ethical requires making a moral judgment, and that’s not always easy. Ethical behavior takes courage
and has to be practiced. Public officials feel added pressures. The ethical choices we make often occur in
the public arena, often under the media’s lens.
Most of us don’t think a lot about ethics as we go through our daily lives. We may display our
ethical core in many ways, but we usually don’t talk about it. Every once in a while, however, we face a
decision that has us stop and ask: What should I do? If there is a law to guide us, it’s easy—follow it. If
instincts tell you it’s a clear choice between right and wrong, follow your instincts. Although you may
occasionally be tempted, these right-versus-wrong dilemmas are usually solved quickly.
But the choice isn’t always so clear, and there aren’t always rules to follow. Do I vote to put
more money into education or health care? Do I remain loyal to a colleague, even if I think he’s wrong?
Do I keep my word to vote for a bill, even if I change my mind? In these examples, there may be no clear
distinction between right and wrong. Whatever decision we make is an ethical one, based on our core
values.
Key Concepts:
Choice or freedom is a prerequisite of ethics or morality
Every humas person has freedom or choice and so is expected to be ethical or moral.
Lower forms of animals have no choice. They are governed by instincts and so ethics or morality
does not apply to them
To be truly ethical or moral, we must internalize or possess not just adhere to moral standards. ‘I
did it my way” because I am convinced, have to do it MY WAY and not because others tell me so.
“… elevating though man's privilege is, of being capable
of such an idea as freedom of choice - [those who are
accustomed only to physiological explanations] are
stirred up by the proud claims of speculative reason,
which feels its power so strongly in other fields. They are
stirred up just as if they were allies, leagued in defense
of the omnipotence of theoretical reason and roused by
a general call to arms to resist the idea of freedom of
choice and thus at present, and perhaps for a long time
to come (though ultimately in vain), to attack the moral
concept of freedom and, if possible, render it suspect.
(TL 6: 378/34-35)ii - Immanuel Kant
Activity:
To supplement our learning, please watch this compelling video about the choices that are made in our
daily lives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPd8tD_G9ZU
Reflection:
What choice have you made in your life recently? Are you happy with that
choice? Are you grateful you have the capacity to choose freely?
Thank you, cmf
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References:
Corpuz, Ruben, Corpuz, Brenda. 2020. Ethics. Lorimar Publishing Inc.
Bulaong, Calano, Lagliva, Mariano, Principe. 2018. Ethics: Foundations of Moral Valuation
https://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/sorting-right-from-wrong.aspx
artleby.com/essay/Without-freedom-it-is-impossible-to-make-
FKQVUXS8C38Q#:~:text=Kant%20believed%20that%20the%20ability,decision%20in%20the%20first%20place.
