LESSON 2: THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE OF MORALITY AND

VALUES FORMATION

Lesson Proper/Course Methodology

What is morality?

- As defined by one textbook author, morality refers to “the quality of human

acts by which we call them right or wrong, good or evil.” (Panizo, 1964) Your
human action is right when it conforms with the norm, rule or law of morality.
Otherwise, it said to be wrong. For instance, when Juan gets the pencil of
Pedro without the latter’s permission, Juan’s action is wrong because it is
adherent to the norm, “stealing is wrong”. A man’s action, habit or character
is good when it is not lacking of what is natural to man, i.e. when it is in
accordance with man’s nature. For instance, it is not natural for man to
behave like a beast because he is not a beast. He is man, and unlike the
beast, he has intellect and free will. That intellect makes him capable of
thinking, judging and reasoning. His free will gives him the ability to choose.
Unlike the beast, he is not bound by instincts. It is a natural occurrence for
beasts when a male dog meets a female dog and mate right there and then,
as they are not free but bound by their instinct. But it is contrary to man’s
nature when a man and a woman do as dogs do. To do so is to go down
with the level of the beast.

Meaning of Foundational Moral Principle

- What is meant by foundational moral principle? The word principle comes

from the Latin word princeps which means a beginning, a source. A
principle is that on which something is based, founded, originated initiated.
It is likened to the foundation of a building upon which all other parts stand.
If we speak of light, the principle is the sun because the sun is the body from
which the light of this world originate. A foundational moral principle is,
therefore, the universal norm upon which all other principles on the rightness
or wrongness of an action are based. It is the source of morality.

- Where is this foundational moral principle? It is contained in the natural law.

Many authors, moralists and philosophers may have referred to this
foundational moral principle in different terms. But it may be acceptable to
all believers and non-believers alike to refer to it as natural law.

- What is natural law? It is a law “written in the hearts of men”. (Romans 2:15)
For theists, it is “man’s share in the Eternal Law of God..” (Panizo,

- 1964) St. Thomas defines it as “the light of natural reason, whereby we

discern what is good and what is evil.. an imprint on us of the divine light…”
(Panizo, 1964) It is the law that says: “Do good and avoid evil.” THIS IS THE
FUNDAMENTAL OR FOUNDATIONAL MORAL PRINCIPLE.
 All men and women, regardless of race and belief, have a sense of this
foundational moral principle. It is ingrained in man’s nature. “It is built in the
design of human nature and woven into the fabric of the human mind.” We are
inclined to do what we recognize as good and avoid that which we recognize
as evil.

Panizo says: “Writings, customs and monuments of past and present

generations point out to this conclusion: that all people on Earth, no matter how
savage and illiterate, have recognized a supreme law of divine origin
commanding good and forbidding evil” (Panizo, 1964) The same thing was said
by the Chinese Philosopher, Mencius, long ago:

All men have a mind which cannot bear [to see the suffering of] others…
If now men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they will without
exception experience a feeling of alarm and distress… From this case, we may
perceive that he who lacks the feeling of commiseration id not a man; that he
who lacks a feeling of shame and dislike is not a man; he who lacks of modesty
and yielding is not a man; and that he who lacks a sense of right and wrong is
not a man… Man has these four beginnings. (Fung Yulan, 1948, 69-70)

The natural law that says “do good and avoid evil” comes in different
versions. Kung-fu-tsu said the same thing when he taught: “Do not do to others
what you do not like others to do to you” This is also the Golden Rule of
Christianity only that it is written in the positive form: “Do to others what you like
others to do to you”. Immanuel Kant’s version is: “Act in such a way that your
maxim can be the maxim for all.” For Christians, this Golden Rule is made more
explicit through the Ten Commandments and the Eight Beatitudes. These are
summed up in the two great commandments, “love God with all your heart, with
all your mind, with all your strength” and “love your neighbor as you love
yourself”. The Buddhists state this through the eightfold path. For the Buddhists,
they do good when they “(1) strive to know the truth; (2) resolve to resist evil;
(3) say nothing to hurt others; (4) respect life, morality and property; (5) engage
in a job that does not injure others; (6) strive to free their mind of evil; (7) control
their feelings and thoughts, and (8) practice proper forms of concentration.”
(World Book Encyclopedia, 1988) Buddha taught that “hatred does not cease
by hatred; hatred ceases only by love.” The Islamic Koran “forbids lying,
stealing, adultery and murder” It also teaches “honor for parents, kindness to
slaves, protection for the orphaned and widowed, and charity to the poor. It
teaches the virtues of faith in God, patience, kindness, honesty, industry, honor,
courage and generosity. It condemns mistrust, impatience and cruelty.” (World
Encyclopedia, 1988). furthermore, the Muslims abide by The Five Pillars of
Islam: 1) prayer, 2) self-purification by fasting, 3) fasting, 4) almsgiving and 5)
pilgrimage to Mecca for all those who can afford.
(www.islam101.com/dawal/pillars.html)
Teacher as a Person of Good Moral Character

- As laid down in the preamble of our Code of Ethics of Professional

Teachers, “teachers are duly licensed professionals who possess dignity
and reputation with high moral values as well as technical and professional
competence. In the practice of their profession, they strictly adhere to,
observe and practice this set of ethical and moral principles, standard and
values.

From the above preamble, the words moral values are mentioned twice, to
accentuate on the good moral expected of you, the teacher. When are you
pof good moral character? One Christian Authors describes four ways of
describing good moral character: 1) being fully human – you have realized
substantially your potential as a human person, 2) being a loving person –
you are caring in an unselfish and caring manner with yourself, other people
and God, 3) being a virtuous person – you have acquired good habits and
attitude and you practice them consistently in your daily life, and 4) being a
morally mature person – you have reached a level of development
emotionally, socially, mentally, spiritually appropriate to your developmental
stage. (Cosgrave, William, rev. ed. 2004, 78-79) In short, you are on the
right track when you strive to develop your potential, your love and care for
yourself and make this love flow to others, you lead a virtuous life, and as
you advance in age you also advance in your emotional, social, mental and
spiritual life.

The foundation moral principle is “Do Good; Avoid evil” This is contained in
the natural law. The natural law is engraved in the heart of every man and
woman. We have in us the sense to do the good that we ought to do and to
avoid the evil that we ought to avoid. This foundational moral principle of
doing good and avoiding evil is expressed in many other ways by different
people. The famous Chinese philosopher, Kung-fu-tzu, taught the same
principle when he said: “ Do not do to others what you don’t want others to
do to you.” Immanuel Kant taught the same: “Act in such a way that your
rule can be a principle of all” The Buddhists abide by the same moral
principle in their Eightfold Path. The muslims have this foundational moral
principle laid down in their Koran and the Five Pillars. For the Christians, the
Bible shows the way to the good life – the Ten Commandments and the
Eight Beatitudes. The Ten Commandments and The Eight Beatitudes are
summarized in the two great commandments of love for God and love for
neighbor.

Our act is moral when it is accordance to our human nature. Our act is
immoral when it is in contrary to our human nature. Our intellect and free
will make us different and above the beast.

As a teacher, you are expected to be a person of good moral character. You

are a person of good moral character when you are 1) human, 2) loving, 3)
virtuous and 4) mature.
Values Formation and You

“Education in values means the cultivation of affectivity, leading the educator

and through exposure to an experience of the value and the valuable.” – R. Aquino

As mentioned in the earlier topic, to be moral is to be human. Living by the right

values humanizes. The question that you may raise at this point is: “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 question, 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, transcendent 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 are 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 as values by Filipinos.

In this Lesson, values formation is based on the premiere that there are
transcendent values. Most Filipinos, if not all, believe in a transcendental being whom
we call in different names Bathala, Apo Dios, Kabunian, Allah and the like.

Values are taught and caught

Another essential question that 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 no even point in proceeding to write
and discuss your values formation as a 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 says. The good examples of men and
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 need 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 effective domain of objectives. In themselves they have an
affective dimension. For instance, “It is not enough to know what honesty is or why
one should be honest. One has to feel something towards honesty, be moved towards
honesty as preferable to dishonesty.” (Aquino, 1990)

Values also have a behavioral dimension. In fact, living by the value is the true
acid test if we really value a value like honesty.

Value formation includes formation in the cognitive, affective and behavioral

aspects

Your value formations as teachers will necessarily include the three

dimensions. 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 and attentive to 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 associations. Since values are also
caught, help yourself by reading the biographies of heroes, great teachers and saints
(for the Catholics) and other inspirational books. (It is observed that less and less
teachers read printed materials other than their textbooks.) Your lessons in history,
religion and literature 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 loud 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 sensitize you to life values. These will help you to
“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 a sense is a training of your intellect and will, your
cognitive and rational appetitive powers, respectively. Your intellect discerns a value
and presents it to the will as a right or wrong value. Your will wills to act on the right
value and wills to avoid the 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
proposed to the will as desirable and good. Hence, the formal and adequate object of
the will is as good as apprehended by the intellect”. (William Kelly, 1965) These
statements underscore the importance of the training of your intellect. Your intellect
must clearly present a positive value to be a truly positive value to the will not as one
that is apparently positive but in the final analysis is a negative value. In short, your
intellect must be enlightened to what is true.
 It is, therefore, necessary that you develop your intellect in its three functions,
namely: “formation of ideas, judgment and reasoning” (William Kelly, 1965) It is also
equally necessary at 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:

The training of the will must essentially be 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 restraints impulse, checks inclination, persists 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.

versus vicious life and their 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 a vice! Instead develop worthwhile habits. Cultivate good
habits.

If you recall, it is said that a moral person is one who leads a virtuous life. Panizo
claims that “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, CONTINUE and START doing
and being good

Test your understanding!

Reflect on your readings. Do the following
activities.
(use an extra sheet for your answer)

1. What does the line mean? “To be moral is human.”

2. Do you believe that religion plays a big role in the moral formation of man?
Why?
3. How does conscience relate to morality?
4. Why is morality applied only to humans or persons?
5. In not less than 300 words write an essay about the teachings on being moral
and being human. What does the natural law says on moral principle?
 6. List down at least 5 good things and 5 bad things you did so far in your life for
the past years. What did you feel after doing all these good things/bad things?
7. Should values be taught? Why?
8. List down ten (10) transcendent values which until now are observed by
Filipinos.
9. Go to https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Max_Scheler and make an
analysis of Max Scheler’sHiearchy of Values. Make detailed analysis of the
different levels of values that a man passed in his lifetime. Write in an A4 bond
paper.

Activities

A. Read the following quotations and write their philosophical meaning.

1. A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops.- Henry
Brook Adams
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2. Do not do to others what you do not like others to do to you.-Kung Fu tsu

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3. Act in such a way that your rule can be the principle of all.- Immanuel Kant
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4. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.
– Albert Einstein
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 5. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?
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What do you think about this?

1. What realization have you come up with after doing the

activity?
2. Do these quotations really reflect your life’s foundational
principle of morality and personal values?
3. Do you agree that a person’s morality serves as his
compass to the sea of life and window to the world? Why?

B. Read the following topics excerpted from the book of Bilbao et.al, 2015 on
foundational principles of morality and values formation and do the subsequent
activity.