GenEd Ethics — LET Practice Questions

Utilitarianism is the moral theory that judges actions by their outcomes — specifically, by how much happiness (utility) they produce. Jeremy Bentham (and later John Stuart Mill) argued the right action is the one that maximizes total happiness for the greatest number of people. The classic test: imagine two policies and ask which produces more overall wellbeing. Utilitarianism doesn't care about your motives or character — only about real-world consequences. Critics argue it can justify uncomfortable trade-offs (sacrificing one person to save many).

When a teacher accepts a gift from a parent in exchange for a higher grade, two ethical principles are violated: INTEGRITY (honesty and trustworthiness — grading should reflect actual student work) and OBJECTIVITY (decisions free from personal bias or favoritism). The gift creates a conflict of interest — the teacher's judgment about the student's grade is now influenced by something other than the student's performance. Professional ethics for teachers (and any profession) require grading or evaluating only on legitimate, work-related criteria. The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers in the Philippines explicitly forbids this kind of arrangement.

Existentialism, especially as developed by Jean-Paul Sartre in the 20th century, claims that 'existence precedes essence.' Other things — a knife, a chair — are designed first (their essence is set by their purpose) and then made. Humans, Sartre argues, are different: we exist first, without any predetermined essence, and then we create who we are through our choices. This puts radical freedom — and radical responsibility — on each person. Nobody can tell you who to be; you're making yourself with every decision. The flip side: you can't blame your nature, your god, or fate; the choices are yours.