Page 58 - The Ethics of ASEAN

The Ethics of ASEAN

Prof Antonette Palma-Angeles: Education
helps young people to become ethical
Dr Antonette Palma-Angeles is a Professor of Ethics and
Leadership at Ateneo de Manila University, with research
interests in Filipino leadership. She has occupied various
leadership positions at Ateneo, including Academic Vice
President and Vice President for the Professional Schools. She
is also a regular lecturer in Kyoto University’s Asian Business
Leadership programme.
During emergencies and crises like the COVID-19
pandemic, the focus of ethics is on practical measures for
dealing with the immediate situation. In Prof Antonette’s
view, however, the immediate practical ethics of a crisis can
divert attention away from longer-term ethics and change
ethical priorities in society. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for
example, she observes what she describes as “wicked” ethical
Figure 4: Prof Antonette issues.
Palma-Angeles teaches The first of these wicked issues is individualism and
Ethics and Leadership at
Ateneo de Manila University, familialism. The nature of the pandemic led to the shutdown of
Philippines public spaces and public life became “individualism-promoting”.
Measures and practices focused on the priority of individuals
and their families to take care of themselves. Prof Antonette
saw the impact in how this may gradually change the ethical
priorities of societies in ASEAN where the common good and
community code are the priority now coming into conflict with
increasing push for personal freedom and insular familialism.
A second wicked issue concerns “big government”
and nationalism. The COVID-19 pandemic brings with it
an increasing reliance on government initiatives since
civil initiatives such as community action do not have the
resources and system required to tackle such a big crisis. But
this can bring its own problems, as governments prioritise
health measures according to their own ethics which may
undermine other ethics. How to deal with old people in nursing
homes during the pandemic is an example. Another example
is the exclusion of foreigners in favour of local citizens for
vaccinations. Prof Antonette believes that an ethical society
relies on and must be able to collectively determine the
“common good” in a crisis beyond simple utilitarian measures.
The foundation for discussing the ethics of the common
good is education and the first thing that ASEAN higher
education needs to look at when it comes to ethics in education
is what should be taught. She also advocates for teaching

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