Foundations of the Principles

of Business Ethics
Lesson Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, the students should be

able to:
1. define philosophy;
2. distinguish between ethics and philosophy; and
3. identify the various branches of philosophy
MOTIVATION

The unexamined
life is not worth
living.

— Socrates
MOTIVATION

He who has
never learned to
obey cannot be
a good
commander.

— Aristotle
MOTIVATION

Life is really
simple, but we
insist on making
it complicated.

— Confucius
 MOTIVATION
Better known in China
as "Master Kong".
Confucius laid emphasis on
family, kinship, loyalty,
righteousness, encouragement
of humanity and strengthening
social bonds.
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
ETHICS AND
PHILOSOPHY
ETHICS

- the principles of conduct governing an

individual or a group.
- refer primarily to the study of morality.
Philosophy

- comes etymologically from two

Greek words philia, which
means love;
and sophia, which means
wisdom.
Philosophy
- lt is the "study of the fundamental
nature of knowledge, reality, and
existence.
- It helps us better understand who we
are, why we are here, and where we
are going.
Three branches of philosophy
1. Metaphysics - which answers the
question "What is the nature of reality?"
2. Epistemology – which answers the
question "What is the nature of knowledge?"
3. Axiology - which answers the question
"What is the nature of values?"
Metaphysics -
It is concerned with reality and existence.
It is the philosophy of being.
1. Ontology, which deals with the nature of
existence; and
2. Cosmology, which inspects the origin and
organization of the universe.
Epistemology -
Raises questions about the nature of
knowledge. Logic is a key dimension to
epistemology.
1. deductive logic (moving from general to
specific), and
2. inductive logic (that is, from specific facts
to generalization).
Axiology -
Explores the nature of values.
1. ethics, which studies human conduct and
examines moral values, and
2. aesthetics, which values beauty, nature,
and aesthetic experience (often associated
with music, art, literature, dance, theater,
and other fine arts).
Strands of Philosophy

1. IDEALISM. This is considered the

oldest philosophy of Western culture. It
refers to the world of mind and ideas,
where reason is primary.
Leading proponents of idealism:

Believed that the

appropriate way for
individuals to live was
to point on self-
development instead
of material wealth.
- Socrates (Greek
philosopher)
Leading proponents of idealism:
Happiness or well-being (eudaimonia)
is the highest aim of moral thought
and conduct, and the virtues (aretê:
'excellence') are the requisite skills
and dispositions needed to attain it.

- PLATO (Greek philosopher, "father of

idealism")
Leading proponents of idealism:
He tries to reconcile his beliefs
about freewill, especially the belief
that humans are morally
responsible for their actions, with
his belief that one’s life is
predestined.
- St. Augustine (Theologian of the 4th
and 5th centuries)
Leading proponents of idealism:

The principal goal of

philosophy is to cultivate one’s
capacity for sound judgment,
“good sense” (le bons sens)
and “universal wisdom”.

- René Descartes
Leading proponents of idealism:

The sole feature that gives an

action moral worth is not the
outcome that is achieved by
the action, but the motive that
is behind the action.

- Immanuel Kant
Leading proponents of idealism:

The synthesis of ethical life

means that individuals not only
act in conformity with the
ethical good but that they
recognize the authority of
ethical laws.

- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Strands of Philosophy

2. REALISM. This can be considered

the antithesis of idealism, whereby "the
Universe exists whether mind perceives
it or not."
REALISM
Leading proponents of Realism:
Aristotle (Greek philosopher,
"father of Realism“)
Virtues, according to Aristotle, are
habits and that the good life is a
life of mindless routine.

Ethics emphasizes the role of

habit in conduct.
Leading proponents of Realism:
Francis Bacon -
Considered the will of man, which
directs and organizes his mind, it
triggers the emotions.
“Of all the virtues and goodness our
means is the biggest since its divine
nature; without people – only useless,
harmful and miserable creatures, not
better reptile.
Leading proponents of Realism:

John Locke Comenius Rousseau Pestalozzi

Strands of Philosophy

3. NEO-THEISM. This would date to

the time of Thomas Aquinas (1225-
1274), and is also known as theistic
realism, whereby "God exists and can
be known through faith and reason."
4. Contemporary Philosophies
a. Pragmatism — also known as
experimentalism (experience of things that
work).
Leading proponents were: (1) Auguste
Comte; (2) Charles Darwin; and (3) the
Americans: Charles Peirce, William James,
and John Dewey.
4. Contemporary Philosophies
a. Pragmatism —
a “pragmatist” is someone who always
thinks about the practical side of things
and doesn’t worry about theory or
ideology. In philosophy, the term has a
significantly different meaning.
4. Contemporary Philosophies
a. Pragmatism Example —
Nobody ever decided that “bear” would
mean a furry creature with teeth; over
time, people found this syllable was useful
for pointing out the dangerous creatures,
and this helped them survive and thrive.
4. Contemporary Philosophies
b. Existentialism — appeared as a revolt
against the mathematical, scientific
philosophies that preceded it. Leading
proponents were: (1) Soren Kierkegaard; (2)
Martin Buber; (3) Edmund Husserl; (4) Martin
Heidegger; and (5) Jean-Paul Sartre.
4. Contemporary Philosophies
b. Existentialism — existentialists focus on
individual experience and freedom.
That the universe has no inherent meaning,
because that leaves us free to create our own
meanings, which are more real, and may even turn
out to be more beautiful and inspiring than the old
universal certainties of religion and traditional
philosophy.
4. Contemporary Philosophies
b. Existentialism — if meaning in life is
entirely up to us, then what do we say to
people who make their meaning by
harming others?
4. Contemporary Philosophies
c. Analytic philosophy — it sought out to
clarify and define philosophies. This began in
post World War I era (the Vienna Circle) and
studied the alienation between philosophy
and science. It established the concept of
logical positivism, that is, there are logical
and empirical types of scientific expression.
SELF-ASSESSMENT (Individual Performance Task # 3)

Write your answers to any of the following questions:

• Have you ever known someone who was simply a good
person? What sets him or her apart from the others?
• Have you ever known someone to change his or her
ethical character over time? How so?
• Have your own ethical standards changed at different
times of your life? What happened?
• What molded your moral behavior and/or moral attitudes
the most?
CASE STUDY (Group Performance Task # 3)

Mang Eugenio Ventura

The story of Mang Eugenio Ventura, an extraordinary cab

driver, went viral in the social media when a passenger
spread the good word about him not rejecting passengers
(despite heavy traffic in Metro Manila) and declining tips.
Apart from being honest, he is the jolly type—he just
laughs off the congestion on the main roads of the city. He
got featured in an episode of the TV program "Mission
Possible."
CASE STUDY (Group Performance Task # 3)

Mang Eugenio Ventura

Guide Questions:

1. What do you think has molded the honest and cheerful

behavior of Mang Eugenio?
2. What lesson can you learn from the good example of
Mang Eugenio?
3. What can be done in our schools in order to teach and
train students in honest and ethical behavior?