Ethics through thick and thin

and Ethics and Religion

 Contents:
1. Globalization History, meaning and it's ethical
challenges
2. Globalization and Pluralism: New
Challenges to ethics
3. Ethics and Universal Values
4. Who are Millennials and Filinnials: Ethical
challenges and Responses
5. Ethics and Religion
6. The Religious response: The role of religion
in ethics
7. Coping with the challenges of globalization
Globalization History, meaning, and
it's ethical challenges

GROUP 1
Globalization in History

In perspective, globalization commenced during the

colonization era. Nault and England (2000) narrates
how the voyages of Christopher Columbus, and the
Spanish conquest brought the world into an entirely
new system of commercial, cultural and technological
exchanges.
Globalization
•process of interaction and
integration among the people,
companies, and governments
of different nations, a process
driven by international trade
and investment and aided by
information technology.
TYPES OF GLOBALIZATION

1. Economic globalization. Here, the focus is on the integration

of international financial markets and the coordination of
financial exchange.
2. Political globalization. This type covers the national
policies that bring countries together politically, economically
and culturally.
3. Cultural globalization. This aspect of globalization focuses
in a large part on the technological and societal factors that are
causing cultures to converge.
 GLOBALIZATION IN ETHICAL CHALLENGES

It is noteworthy that globalization in general did

not only change human lifestyle, but more
importantly, our value system. As international
trade and cultural exchanges became swifter,
ethical and moral norms were modified and
reshaped to fit the needs of the time.
GLOBALIZATION
- is like a prism in which major disputes over the
collective human condition are now refracted:
question of capitalism, inequality, power,
development, culture, ecology, gender,
population, identity, all comes back in landscape
where "globalization did it."
- Jann Nederveen Pieterse
Group 2
GLOBALIZATION AND PLURALISM:
NEW CHALLENGES TO ETHICS
 What is Globalization?
- Globalization may be defined as the world-wide
integration of government policies, cultures, social
movements and financial markets through trade and the
exchange of ideas.
- Globalization has renovated the globe from collection of
separate communities interacting infrequently into a
virtually one multi-faceted community.
MORAL CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION

The moral challenges of globalization demand a

fundamental change in values, focusing on human
security, democracy and economic justice. By thinking
globally and acting collectively, each of us must
contribute to building a more compassionate, humane
and peaceful world.
MORAL CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION

One criticism against the presently unfolding

neoliberal globalization is that it concentrates wealth
in the hands of a few, leaving the majority in the
condition of poverty.

Another problem with globalization is that states are

in effect increasingly losing their sovereignty.
WHAT IS PLURALISM?
- The political philosophy of pluralism indicates that we
absolutely can and should “all simply get along”.
- It suggests the coexistence of many things such as nations,
groups, opinions, principles, beliefs and ways of life.
- Pluralism is an ethics for thriving in a diverse society; it is more
than just tolerance or relativism; it is a genuine union of
commitments.
- Pluralism is a fundamental principle of democracy, in which
 members of different groups with different viewpoints can
voice their opinions and ideas.
- The principle of pluralism can be applied in wide range or
disciplines and context:
• In society
• Ethics
• Education
• Politics
• Ethnic relations; and
• Legal reform
 WHAT IS ETHICAL PLURALISM?
Ethical pluralism
-connotes theidea that there are diverse theories about what is
morally "right" and "wrong", and that which may be incompatible
and/or incommensurable with our own personal and cultural
moral norms (Sher, 2011). This concept considers actions that mirror a
pluralistic approach to contextualdifferences.

Therefore, a moral pluralist tends to be open-minded when

faced with competing ethical and moral principles.
 GLOBALIZATION ANDPLURALISM
- Globalization revolve around on the ideas how to improve or to be
more developed country while pluralism their holding a theory that
there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality.
- Globalization affect pluralism because the world is changing faster
than it ever has.
 THE PROBLEM OF PLURALISM

Since pluralism sees ethical principle as non-normative, in a way,

questions moral truths. This then becomes problematic since moral
absolutes are being invoked by religion itself. The church, which is
the mouthpiece of these moral truths, affirms the moral
absoluteness of an act which are assumed to reflect the communal
dealings of man.
 THE PROBLEM OF PLURALISM

Another problem of pluralism, as a product of multiculturalism,

is the idea that it downplays a continual dialogue between
subcultures and larger cultures and the ways that this dialogue
inescapably defines us (Fowers and Richardson, 1996)

The pluralism aims to have a diversity but resulted to more

conflicts.
 The Problem of Religion Pluralism
- Pluralist are starting a new religion, not affirming existing
religions.
The Problem of Social Pluralism
- Pluralist having different views and values. Without some
shared basis, things fall apart, and there is no center to hold
groups together. Anarchy and conflict are indeed loosed upon
the world.
 THE PROBLEM OF PLURALISM

As we look at the increasingly pluralist society in which we live

on both a national and global level, in addition to noticing and
appreciating the differences between groups, we also need to think
about what binds us together.
 MULTICULTURALISM AS PLURALISM
Multiculturalism, as an example of pluralism, equally represents
competing interest in the society and champions co-existence of cultural
beliefs, practices and traditions. Hence, pluralism in this sense values
acceptance and rejects discrimination. It champions equality, and fosters
tolerance and diversity.

Multiculturalism give way to ethical pluralism.

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICAL MONISM, RELATIVISM AND PLURALISM

ETHICAL MONISM
- There is only one moral standard; there is an absolute truth and that ethics is
normative.

ETHICAL RELATIVISM
- There can be no right answer since truth is relative from culture to culture; all
ethical frameworks have some validity.

ETHICAL PLURALISM
- Plurality of moral truths; acceptance that there may be more than one correct
moral framework that we can use.
Group 3

ETHICS AND
UNIVERSAL VALUES
 UNIVERSAL VALUES
- are values that a great many human beings in the vast
majority of places and situations, at almost all times,
do in fact hold in common, whether consciously and
explicitly or as expressed in their behavior.
- Also known as GLOBAL GOALS, they carry much significance
since they embody a "set of moral principles on which
people can at least agree".
 A value is a universal value if it has the same value or
worth for all.

Universal values apply across the world (across

country and religion).

Ex. Universal language: English

The result of a study conducted by Kinnier, et.al. (2000), provided us with a list of the FOUR
MAJOR CATEGORIES OF UNIVERSAL MORAL VALUES, summarized in the chart below
Group 4
WHO ARE MILLENNIALS AND
FILINNIALS: ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND
RESPONSES
Ethical Challenges and Response
Globalization furthered the gap between
generations. The moral conviction and ways
of dealing with moral dilemmas were faced
differently by different generation.
Difference between Millennials and Filinnials
 Millennials
• According to Iconoclast, a consumer research firm, the first
Millennials were born in 1978.
• In separate articles, the New York Times pegged the Millennials at
1976-1990 and 1978-1998.
• A Time magazine article placed the Millennials at 1980-2000.
• Millennials are also called Gen Y or Generation Y, "Millennials" refers
to individuals who were born between the 1980's and early 2000's.
 HOW ARE MILLENNIAL CHARACTERIZED?
- Upbeat, lazy, narcissistic, materialistic, self-expressive, fun-loving
and liberal.
- According to millennialmarketing.com 56% of millennials are
usually the ones to try new technology.
- They’re also known to be career-shifters, jumping from one field
to another, seeing making career as “self-discovery”.
- It must be noted that there are also good attitudes which Millennials
possess, among them are their politically and social astuteness.
- Compared to other generations, Millennials have their say about issues
and are more involved with politics and are not squeamish about
revealing their opinions.
 According to Jos Ortega of Havas Media Ortega, millennials are
characterized in different identities. Diversity is what makes a
millennial and they have different versions of themselves
depending on what they want to show the world.
MILLENNIALS AT WORK:
•Millennials are proactive and confident at work
• They work well with others
• Millennials look for structure and leadership fromoldercolleagues
According To Pew Research
50 percent of Millennials consider themselves politically unaffiliated.
29 percent consider themselves religiously unaffiliated.
They have the highest average number of Facebook friends, with an average of 250
friends vs. Generations X's 200.
55 percent have posted a selfie or more to social media sites versus 20 percent of
GenerationX.
8 percent of Millennials claim to have sexted, whereas 30 percent claim to have received
sexts.
They send a median of 50 texts a day.
Asof2012,only19percent ofMillennialssaidthat,generally,otherscanbe trusted.
There are about 76 million Millennials in the United States (based on research using the
years 1978-2000).
Millennials are the last generation born in the 20th century. Twenty percent
Have at least one immigrant parent.
 Filinnials (Filipino Millennials)
• Another spelling variation: Filennials
• They are described as the “selfie” generation and followers of social
media.
• The social media opened their eyes that traditional media such as TV,
movies, radio, and print are no longer the source of information.
• Filinnials are usually spendthrifts.

Differences of Filinnials from Millennials:

- Closeness to family
- Activeness on social media
- Perception on social responsibilities
FILINNIALS: THE FILIPINO MILLENNIALS
As for Filipino American
millennials, they are not into
traditional institutions like
politics and religion, and are not
obsessed with traditional
customs like getting married or
owning a house ( Makilala TV,
2014), perhaps due to the fact
that they are culturally distinct
from the common Filipino
millennials.
 When facing ethical challenges:

Baby Boomers
• Strong adheres to their own beliefs Millennials
and values • Open-minded and accepting
• “When I was your age…” • Thinking out of the box
statement • Multi-view
• Follow through on what their • Takes on the Internet to express
religion stands or the tradition. their sentiments
• Obey the authority • Loves freedom
• Interested in and care what is
happening in their community.
ISSUE #1
SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Baby Boomers
• Take an opposing view on this issue.
• They don’t support this because for them, marriage is between a man and a woman.
• Supporting it will destroy the sanctity of marriage and a break of tradition.

Millennials
• Take an agreeable approach on this issue
• They support it as to that everyone, regardless of gender, must have the right of marriage.

Filinnials
• Tradition and upbringing may cause a different stance on this issue.
ISSUE #2
PRE-MARITAL SEX
• Baby boomers and Millennials have engaged in pre-marital sex, but it’s the Millennial who are
more accepting of it than Baby Boomers.
• According to a 2015 survey on Sexual Behaviors in America. In 1970’s, 29% said “nothing is
wrong with it at all”. It increased to 42% by 1980’s, 49% by 2000’s, and 58% between 2010 and
2012.
• On the Philippine setting, again, tradition, upbringing and religious views may differ stance of
Filinnials. However, POPCOM said that 30% of youngsters ranging from 15-19years old, have
engaged in pre-marital sex by 2017. Mostly, of this is unprotected, thus, leading to higher
teenage pregnancies.
 Commentaries on the Filinnials

1. Jayeel Serrano Cornelio

- Sociologist, Director and Associate Professor of the Development Studies Program at
Ateneo de Manila University
• The overall millennials impression: “want it all” and “want it now” attitude explains
their insatiable drive for new gadgets, clubbing, travel, rewarding jobs, and even
designer drugs.
Two mistakes in such categorization
• These categories are directly imported from Western societies with their own historical conditions that shaped the
consciousness of their young people as they were growing up.
• Commentators run the risk of essentializing young people by using such general categories. Underscoring the
dominant youth culture.
 THE PHILIPPINE SCENARIO

1. The unemployment statistics: as of April 2016, 50% of the unemployed are 15 to

24years old; 28% come from the 25-34 age group.
- Implication: unemployment is rampant among Filipino youth.

2. Under-employment and mismatch: students typically enroll in such courses as

engineering, information technology and business administration. But 80% of jobs
generated in the past 6years are in the service sector, which includes BPO, tourism,
and retail.
Implication: “Career shifting” is not a millennial trend/character but this is
determined/caused by the current socio-economic situation.
3. 70.2% reported that their household income on average is less than P10,000. 18.8% of
households are recipients of 4P’s, which means they are indigents. 42.5% of surveyed
youth are hoping for a job within the next five years.
Implication: Many of our youth are not as upwardly mobile as we thought they were.
They have a very limited lifestyle.
 GROUP 5:

E. Ethics and
Religion
 Ethics and religion

Our colonizers force their colonies to accept their culture, inclusive of their faith. As religion is a big part of our
culture, our values are very much influence by our belief in the supernatural and everything that is related
to it.

Group 5
Ethics and religion
 Ethics and religion

Religion has been scrutinized, if not vilified, in a globalized world. Religious traditions
seem to fade into the background of globalization, as its relevance is tested and
questioned.
Group 5
Ethics and religion
Group 5
Ethics and religion
Ethics and religion
DOES RELIGION DIVIDE MORE THAN IT
UNITES HUMANITY? EXPLAIN.
Religion is a set of beliefs that people hold regarding God
and the wider world. In today’s society, religion occurs
most frequently in the form of organized religion, in which
a large group of people subscribe to the same belief or
believe in the same God.
Ethics and religion
DOES RELIGION DIVIDE MORE THAN IT
UNITES HUMANITY? EXPLAIN.
Religions, such as Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, have often been
proclaimed by their believers as a unifying force, one that transcends gender,
race and physical borders. However, these religions have also been seen to be
the case of conflict and divisions around the world. With religion being able to
simultaneously create consensus and conflict, I still argue that religion
divides more than it unites.
Ethics and Religion
Thomas (2005) argues, however,
that the power of religion was being
missed by the relentless secular theory
of international relations. He further
explains that the modern world has
not entirely dismissed the idea of
religion.
Ethics and religion
Kant claimed that both humans and God must
obey the same rational principles. Being
moral is our duty to God. We ought to be
moral and therefore, we are able to reach
moral perfection, but being imperfect
beings, it will not occurin this life time.
Group 6

THE RELIGIOUS RESPONSE: THE

ROLEOFRELIGIONIN
ETHICS

•S
y
s
y
s
t
e
m

w
h
i
THE FOUR DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF RELIGION
As the religious domain remain multidimensional, encompassing
attitudes, beliefs, emotions, experiences, rituals, the ties that bind the
community of believers, and a deep sense of belonging, it is by no means,
that the power of religion can be deprecated.
 1. Associational

The state of being associated and having a

common interest

In this, we are trying to associate with the people of

our same faith
 2. Communal

• Belonging to or used by all members of a group

• It is communal in a way that we go to church to

commune with the higher power, with the
supreme being with the other people who
believe in the supreme being.
 3. Doctrinal

A generic term for the theoretical component of religious

experience

It much doctrinal in that we learn a lot of Dogmas

traditions and beliefs, that we try to apply to our life.

Dogmas - a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or

morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a
church.
 4. Devotional

a religious exercise or practice other than the regular

worship of a congregation. : the act of devoting or the
quality of being devoted.

We try to devote ourself to that particular

religious belief
ETHICS AND RELIGION

Religious responses in global moral issues are

necessarily normative. While we must acknowledge the
modern-day desire for a neutral and universal standard of
norms, absolute neutrality is an impossibility.

(Theirstein, Kamalipour 2000)

Group 7

COPING WITH THE

CHALLENGES OF
GLOBALIZATION
 Globalization brought forth a
liberalization of our ethical and moral
standards. This also challenged our way
of confronting ethical and moral
dilemmas.
The Best way to survive this time is
to understand our own culture self-
awareness(FEI,2015)
Coping with the challenges of globalization
-People should comprehend their history, it's
evolution, distinctive feature, and future trends

-Millennials and Generation Z should also

thoughtfully and cautiously consider how they
live their lives in the virtual world.

-People living with a specific culture should come to

"know themselves".
Ethics and globalization
Livinginapluralisticworld undeniably poses challenges,
threats, and opportunities to our moral consciousness.
Understanding who we are, and the diverse human culture in this
ever-changing small world devoid of walls, will consent us to co-
exist in peace, and work together for development towards a much
progressive society for all of humanity (Fei, 2015)
Thankyou!