Lesson 5

VALUES FORMATION AND YOU

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you must be able to:
1. Define ―Values‖/Value System;
2. Reflect the Idealist and Relativist views on ―changing‖ and ―Unchanging Values‖;
3. Discuss that Values are taught and caught; and
4. Recite how values are formed in a person.
,
INTRODUCTION
Matthew 12:34 tells, ―Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.‖ This shortly
tells us that we should watch our feelings for it will become our thoughts; watch our thoughts for
it will become words in our mouth; watch our words for I will become our actions; and watch
our actions for it will become our habits; and finally watch our habit for It will mould our
personality. If values are both taught and caught and learning takes place informally in any
place and in any time, then the individual is responsible of the values learned that constitute
his/her personality. The Golden Rule, ―Do not do unto others what you do not want others do
unto you,‖ is a good starting point. Nobody does perfect, but it’s a good desire to do towards
less/zero evil.

Transcendent Values
Is there such a thing as right, unchanging and universal value? Is a right value for me
also a right value for you? Are the values that we Filipinos, consider as right also considered by
the Japanese, the Americans or the Spaniards as right values? Or are values dependent on time,
place and culture?
There are two varied answers to the questions, depending on the camp where you belong.
If you belong to the idealist group, there are unchanging and universal values. The values of
love, care and concern for our fellowmen are values for all people regardless of time and space.
They remain unchanged amidst changing times. These are called Transcendent values, because
they are beyond changing times, beyond space and people. They remain to be a value even if no
one values them. They are accepted as value everywhere. On the other hand, the relativists
claim that there no universal and unchanging values. They assert that values are dependent on
time and place. The values that our forefathers believed in are not necessarily the right values
for the present. What the British consider as values are not necessarily considered values by
Filipinos.
In this lesson, our discussion on values formation is based on the premise that there are
transcendent values. Most Filipinos, if not all, believe in a transcendental being whom we call
by different names Bathala, Dios, Kabunian, Allah, and the like.

Values are Taught and Caught

Another essential question we have to tackle is: ―Are values caught or taught? Our
position is that values are both taught and caught. If they are not taught because they are merely
caught, then there is even no point in proceeding to write and discuss your values formation as al
teacher here. Values are also caught. We may not be able to hear our father’s advice ―Do not
smoke: because what he does (he himself smokes) speaks louder than what he say. The living
examples of good men land women at home, school and society have far greater influence on our
value formation than those well-prepared lectures on values excellently delivered by experts who
may sound like ―empty gongs and clanging cymbals.‖

Values have cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions

Values have a cognitive dimension. We must understand the value that we want to
acquire. We need to know why we have to value such. This is the heart of conversion and
values formation. We need to know how to live by that value. These are the concepts that ought
to be taught.
Values are in the affective domain of objectives. In themselves they have an affective
dimension. For instance, ―it is not enough to know

Values formation includes formation in the cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects
Your value formation as teachers will necessarily include the three dimension. You have
to grow in knowledge and in wisdom and in your ―sensitivity and openness to the variety of
value experiences in life.‖ (Aquino, 1990) You have to be open to and attentive in your value
lesson in ethics and for those sectarian schools, Ethics and religious Education. Take active part
in value sessions like fellowships, recollection organized by your church group or association.
Since values are also caught, help yourself by reading the biographies of heroes, great teachers
and saints (for the Catholics) and other spiritual books. Your lesson in history, religion and
literature are replete with opportunities for inspiring ideals. Associate with model teachers. If
possible, avoid the ―yeast‖ of those who will not exert a very good influence. Take the sound
advice from Desiderata: ―Avoid laud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.‖
Join community immersions where you can be exposed to people from various walks of life.
These will broaden your horizon, increase your tolerance level, and sensitizer you to life values.
These will help; you fly high and ―see far‖ to borrow the words of Richard Bach in his book,
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.

Value formation is a training of the intellect and will

Your value formation in essence is training of your intellect and will, your cognitive and
rational appetitive powers, respectively. Your intellect discern a value and present it to the will
as a right or wrong value. Your will wills to act on the right value and wills to avoid a wrong
value presented by your intellect. As described by St. Thomas Aquinas ― the intellect proposes
and the will disposes.
It is clear that nothing is willed unless it is first known. Thought must precede the
deliberation of the will. An object is willed as it is known by the intellect and proposes to the
will as desirable and good. Hence, the formal and adequate object of the will is good as
apprehended by the intellect. (William Kelly, 1965) This statement underscores the importance
of the training of your intellect. Your intellect must clearly present a positive value to be truly
positive but in the final analysis is a negative value. In short, your intellect must be enlightened
by what is true.
It is therefore, necessary that you develop you’re your intellect in its three functions,
namely: ―formation of ideas, judgment and reasoning‖ (William Kelly, 1965). It is also equally
necessary that you develop your will so you will be strong enough to act on the good and avoid
the bad that your intellect presents.
 How can your will be trained to desire strongly the desirable and act on it? William Kelly
explains it very simply:
Training of will must be essentially self-training. The habit of yielding to impulse results
in the enfeeblement of self-control. The power of inhibiting urgent desires, of concentrating
attention on more remote good, of reinforcing the higher but less urgent motives undergoes a
kind of atrophy through disuse. Habitually yielding to any vice, while it does not lessen man’s
responsibility, does diminish his ability to resist temptation. Likewise, the more frequently man
restrains impulse, chicks inclination, persist against temptation, and steadily aims at virtuous
living, the more does he increase his self-control, and therefore, his freedom. To have a strong
will means to have control of the will, to be able to direct it despite all contrary impulses.

Virtuous versus vicious life and the effect on the will

In short, a virtuous life strengthens you to live by the right values and live a life of
abundance and joy while a vicious life leads you to perdition and misery. WARNING: Then
NEVER to give way to vice instead develop worthwhile hobbies. Cultivate good habits.
If you recall, in the fourth Chapter, we said a moral person is one who leads a virtuous
life. Panizao claims ―virtue involves a habit, a constant effort to do things well in spite of
obstacles and difficulties.‖A virtue is no other than a good habit. You get so used to doing good
that you will be stronger to resist evil. So start and continue doing and being good!

Max Scheler’s hierarchy of values

Max Scheler outlined a hierarchy of values. Our hierarchy of values is shown in our
preferences and decisions. For instance, you may prefer to absent from class because you want
to attend the annual barrio fiesta where you are the ―star‖ because of your ability to sing and
dance. Another one may prefer just the opposite by missing the fiesta and attend class. Aquino
(Aquino, 1990) presents Scheler’s hierarchy of values arranged from the lowest to the highest:

Pleasant values – pleasant against unpleasant; the agreeable against disagreeable.

Example: sensual feelings, pleasure and pain
Vital Values – values pertaining to the well being either of the individual or of the
community.
Example: health, vitality, capability, and excellence
Spiritual Vales – values independent of the whole sphere of the body and of the
environment; grasped in spiritual acts of preferring loving and hating.
Example: Aesthetic –beauty against ugliness; right or wrong, pure
knowledge
Values of the Holy – appear only in regard to objects intentionally given as ―absolute
objects‖
Example: beliefs, adoration, bliss

Based on Scheler’s hierarchy of values, the highest values are those that directly pertain
to the Supreme Being while the lowest values are those that pertain to the sensual pleasures. We
act and live well if we stick to Scheler’s hierarchy of values, i.e., give greater preference to the
higher values. We will live miserably if we distort Scheler’s hierarchy of values, like for
instance, when we subordinate the spiritual values to pleasure values. We act well when we give
up the pleasure of drinking excessive alcohol for the sake of our health. But while we take care
of our health, Christians will say, we bear in mind that we do not live by bread alone but also by
the words that comes from the mouth of God (Luke 4:4)…life is more than food and the body
more than clothing (Luke 12:23). Our concerns must go beyond the caring of our bodily health.
As we learned in Lesson 1, man is an embodied spirit and so we also need to be concerned with
matters of the spirit like appreciation of what is right and what is beautiful. The saints have been
raised to the pedestal and are worthy of the veneration of the faithful because they gave up their
life for their faith in the Holy one. San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, spurned offers of
liberty and life for his faith in God. Having done so, he affirmed the absolute superiority of the
Holy. We also know of Albert Schweitzer, the much honored physician, missionary and
musician who because of his deep reverence for life spent many years extending humanitarian
assistance by treating thousands and thousands of sick people during his medical mission in
Africa. He also built his hospital and leper colony for the less unfortunate in Africa. We cannot
ignore Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India who chose to leave a more comfortable life in
the convent n order to devote her life bathing, consoling, and picking up the dying outcasts in the
streets of Calcutta out of genuine love and compassion.
Outside the Catholic Church, we too, can cite several chose lives were focused on matters
of the spirit more than the body. At this point we cite Mahatma Ghandi, the great political and
spiritual leader of India, who passionately fought discrimination with his principles of truth, non-
violence, and courage. His non-violent resistance to the British rule in India lead to the
independence of India in 1947. We do not forget Helen Keller, who despite her being blind,
traveled to developing and war-ravaged countries to improve the conditions of the blind like her
for them to live meaningful life. Of course, we do not forget Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero,
Benigno Aquino Jr. and all other heroes of our nation who gave up their lives for the freedom
that we now enjoy. And many more for you to talk about at the end of this chapter.

Lesson 5: Enabling Activities

Activity No. 7:
Concept Organization/Integration.
Given three situations, the students are as to select one to answer and present
to the class.
a) Present Scheler’s hierarchy of values by means of an appropriate graphic
presentation. Each level of values must be explained and must given
example.
b) In the modern parable ―The Little Prince‖ written by Antoine Exupery, the
Little Prince in his visit to one planet, met an alcoholic. The following was their
conversation:
Little Prince: ―What are you doing?‖
The Alcoholic:―I am dinking‖
Little Prince: ―Why are you drinking?‖
Alcoholic: ―To forget‖
Little Prince: ―To forget what?‖
Alcoholic: ―That I am drunkard‖
Based on the above conversation, is the alcoholic (or any alcoholic for that
matter) happy for being one? What lesson can you learn from the life of an
alcoholic or of a gambler?
 c) In his book ―Morality and You‖, James Finley wrote: …‖look at modern
advertisements. Commercials for , mouthwashes, skin blemish removers and
other cosmetics have a basic assumption that man is a creature who must be
attractive to have much worth in the eyes of his fellowmen. They try to sell…the
following concepts of a person: to have a good breath and white teeth is to be a
good person; to have bad breath is to be socially undesirable.‖ Reflect is this
thought on man as sold by media in a very subtle manner has in a way influenced
your value orientation.

Activity No. 8
Journal Entry:
Read the following and in the context of value formation write down your
response/action plan to each as a proof that you accept continuing personal value
formation.
1) Take care of your thoughts, they become your actions; take care of your
actions, they become your habits; take care of your habits, they
become your character; take care of your character, it become your
destiny!
2) ―What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his
soul‖?
3) …store up treasures in heaven neither moth nor decay destroys, nor
thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your
heart be‖. (Matthew 7:20).
4) ―Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of
value.‖—Albert Einstein
5) ―It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is
invisible to the eyes.‖

Abstraction/Generalization
If values are both taught and caught and learning takes place informally in any place and
in any time, apparently, each individual is responsible in the formation of their respective value
systems which eventually constitute ones personality. Reflect on your own personality and
answer the question ―How did I formed My Value System?
This will be your individual Output No. 5. How did I Formed my Value Systems?

Lesson 5: Assessment
Test your understanding.
1) Do we have such things as unchanging values in these changing times?
2) What do we mean when we say transcendent values are independent with time, space
and people?
3) Should values be taught? Why?
4) What are the three dimensions of value and value formation? Explain each.
5) Value formation is training of the intellect and the will. What does this training
consists of?
 6) What is the effect of good habit (virtue) and bad habits (vice) on the will?
7) Which is the lowest value in Scheler’s value hierarchy? Which is the highest?
8) Based on Scheler’s hierarchy of values, what is a life well lived?

Reference:
1) Bilbao, Purita P. Ed. D., et. al. The Teaching Profession, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing Co.,
Inc., 2012.
2) Bilbao, Purita P. Ed. D., et. al. The Teaching Profession, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing Co.,
Inc., 2006.
3) Internet