Negros Oriental State University

Bayawan-Sta. Catalina Campus

Bayawan City

Subject: Ed 14 (Values Education)

Instructor: RONA FAITH ERAGA, MAEd-Gen.Science
Student’s Name: ________________________
Year Level and Major: ____________________
Time Schedule: _________________________
 Module 3

Religious Authority

INTRODUCTION
Religion has been defined as a system of beliefs and practices by means of
which a group of people struggles with these ultimate problems of human life – “the
refusal to capitulate death, to give up in the face of frustration, to allow hostility to tear
apart one’s human associations.” The religions to be discussed in this section will be
those that have affected the Filipino way of life.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the module, the students are expected to internalize how religion
helps shape an individuals’ personality.

CONTENTS OF THE MODULE

This module contains the following lessons:
Lesson 1: Religious Authority
Lesson 2: Value System
 Lesson 1 Religious Authority

Specific Learning Outcomes

1. Appreciate the beauty of the different Filipino religions
2. Differentiate how the three religions differ from one another
3. Explain how religion affects Filipinos in their daily lives.
Motivation/Prompting Questions

What are the people doing in the picture? Do they worship the same
God? Why?
Discussion
JUDAISM
Judaism originated in the first century as the religion of the Jewish people. It
has existed from the revelation of the law at Mt. Sinai. It is named after Jacob’s
fourth son, Judah. It is characterized by the belief in one transcendent God who has
revealed himself to Abraham, Moses and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious
life in accordance with the Scripture and rabbinic traditions. Its Holy book is the
“Torah” which means “Teaching.”In its broadest sense, the Torah includes both the
Oral and Written Laws and cumulative teachings of the Jewish people. In simple
terms, it refers to the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy. The basic principle of Judaism is monotheism which means that they
only believe in one God and that God is Yahweh.
The Israelites’ sojourn in Egypt as a result of Jacob’s family moving there
through Joseph, one of Jacob’s sons, lasted several generations, during which time
they were reduced to servitude. Finally the God of their fathers remembered his
promise to the patriarch Abraham and sent Moses to lead them out of bondage.
Exodus signalled the Israelites’ deliverance from oppression by foreign masters,
a pivotal miracle wrought. During the long trip across the dry wilderness leading to
the Promised Land came the formulation of the Ten Commandments, the rigid
code that created a permanent moral and ethical foundation for their religion.
After the Exodus, they settled in Canaan, fairly accurately at the beginning of
the Iron Age, around 1200 B.C. Within two centuries from that time, the
confederations of the Israelite tribes have given rise to a united monarchy, with
Jerusalem as its capital. The last ruler of the united Israelite Kingdom was King
Solomon, King David’s son, who is best remembered for his wisdom in awarding a
contested child to the woman who didn’t want the child to be cut into two.
The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament contains mainly the proverbs of
King Solomon, which have much to do with practical, everyday concerns. The book
begins with the reminder that “To have knowledge, you must first have reverence
for the Lord,” and then goes on to deal with matters not only of religious morality
but also of common sense and good manners. Its many short sayings reveal the
insights of ancient Israelite teachers about what a wise person will do in certain
situations like family relations, business dealings and social relationships. Much is
said about such qualities as self-discipline, humility, patience, respect for the poor
and loyalty to friends.
After King Solomon’s reign, the nation was divided into two kingdoms:
Israel (Samaria) in the North and Judah (Jerusalem) in the South. By the 6th century
B.C. both fell into hands of foreign invaders, Assyrians and Babylonians
respectively, bringing to a close the Israelite rule after 600 years with the exile of
many people of Judah. In spite of the disasters that befell the Kingdoms of Israel
and Judah, God kept his promise of returning the Jewish people from exile and
restoring their nation in Jerusalem. This was possible through the prophets, those
courageous spokesmen for God who warned the people not to worship idols and
not to disobey God, the tenet of monotheism, a belief that a single unifying divine
spirit stands behind the world’s creation – all – powerful, all-knowing, present,
everywhere, perfect. The primary concern of the prophets was with the people’s
present conduct and its moral consequences. Each Israelite was urged to accept
moral responsibility for his action. The prophets analyzed contemporary events
and interpreted them to show that wrongdoing and corruption would
understandably result in political downfall. The Ten Commandments introduced
the most famous prohibitions in all recorded history against murder, adultery and
theft, among other transgression.
The Commandments begin: “I am your God who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, out of the Land of slavery. You shall have no other god to set against me.”
This established in all-powerful being, capable of directing the entire course of
human events. The nine commandments that followed linked the Israelites’ faithful
worship of Yahweh to the principle that their religion demanded justice in their
dealings with their fellowmen. Three thousand (3000) years later, the thrust of the
Commandments survives as the basic force of Western civilization.
The trends of Judaism are:
Orthodox – centered on the teachings of the Torah and maintains absolute
truth as a revelation of God. It is the historical religion of Israel and is the faith of
the majority of the Jewish people throughout the world. The life of the Orthodox
community is expressed in the traditional Sabbath, dietary laws, laws of purity,
Jewish education, and the ue of the Hebrew language for prayer.
Conservative – bases its teachings on the Torah and observes the traditional
dietary laws. Those in the U.S.A. have substituted English for both prayers and
pulpit discourses. It attempts to reconcile ancient customs with present-day
culture.
Reformed – bases its doctrine on the moral legislation of the Old Testament,
stresses monotheism and morality and declares that every religion is an attempt to
grasp the infinite. The group uses prayers in the vernacular and organ music with
mixed choir. Some congregations have worship service on Sunday as well as on
Saturday.
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is centered upon the person, life, work and teachings of
Jesus Christ. His ministry is marked by the gathering of his disciples, the
appointment of the apostles’ proselytizing missions, his crucifixion, and his disciple’
conviction that he had undergone bodily resurrection and had ascended into
heaven but was still with them in spirit and would return to power.
The moral conceptions of Christianity are best expressed in the Sermon in the
Mount (Holy Bible, Matthew 5-7) which concerns the character, duties, privileges,
destiny of the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. It attacks Jewish legalism and
proclaims the commandment of love.
For instance the “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” revenge of the Jewish
law has become turning the other cheek to be smitten, walking a second mile
instead of one, in the Christian context.
Christianity as a religion of faith, sacraments and worship believes in Divine
Providence and in life after death and the remuneration of our deeds done while
still on earth. Elaboration of its faith gave rise to Catholicism, Protestantism and a
host of minor religious groups like the Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia ni
Kristo, Jehova’s witness, Seventh-Day Adventists, born Again Christians, etc., each
with its own creed and a set of practices as offshoots of their interpretation of the
Bible. As an ethical religion, Christianity has its principles and ideals of conduct,
both personal and social, expected to be practiced by its adherents.
Christianity founded by Jesus Christ was unitary from its inception. He, himself
wanted that there be one shepherd and one sheephold. The original core of creed
and faith still persists in the Catholic Church which alone claims apostolicity; i.e.,
continuity with the apostles of Jesus Christ. From the middle of the 16 th century
onwards, Martin Luther broke away from this unity with his reform movement
affirming justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers and the primacy
of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth. Thus, Protestantism was born with
its several church denominations while the Catholic Church retained its unity of
faith, sacraments and worship.
The Bible is the sacred book of both the Jews and Christians. It is made up of
the Old Testament (39 books antedating the Christian era) and the New Testament
(27 books written during the first century of the Christian era). The bible has
survived from antiquity as a living tradition.
In the Old Testament, The Israelites recorded their own history, their laws and
articles of their faith. The New Testament was a product of the early Christian
Church. The earliest documents in the New Testament – the Letters of the Apostle
Paul, were written in the third decade of the life of the Church. The gospels were
produced later. The Gospel of Mark, for instance, was written 40 years after the
crucifixion of Jesus. The New Testament is not a contemporary biographical
account of the life of Jesus and the early Church but rather the recorded memory
of the Christian community as it entered its second generation.
The Bible is not simply great literature to be admired and revered; it is Good
News for all people everywhere – message both to be understood and to be
applied in daily life.
The most durable aspect of the Jeudo-Christian heritage/tradition has been its
ethical system. It continues to affect fundamentally our behavior toward ourselves
and others.
The Ten Commandments are exhortations regarding what to do and what not
to do.
The Golden Rule is at the center of our rules regarding ideal behavior among
men.
The Christian principle of love for the human individual as exemplified in the
life of Christ and as expressed in “to love thy neighbour as thyself” finds expression
in our culture.

ISLAM
Islam is the Muslim religion and means “complete submission to the
decrees of God.” There are scholars who claim that the very name of Islam is
related to Salam or peace. The peace referred to is to use Christian term, that
which “passeth understanding.”
Islam was established in the seventh century by the Arab prophet Mohammed
and is applied to the whole Muslim world. It began as a religious movement in the
torrid wastes of Arabia and quickly spread through the Middle East. Its adherents
constitute one-eight of the worlds population, and also concentrated mainly in the
Middle East, Muslim communities may be found all over the world.
The essentials of Islam are divided into 2 parts: faith and practice. The doctrine
of faith begins with a belief in the absolute unity of God; Allah, to use the Arab
term, is the sole creator and Lord of the Universe, possessing absolute power,
knowledge, glory and perfection. He must be the only one worshipped. This faith
the Muslim extends to his angels, the Holy Scriptures (the Koran), to all God’s
prophets and apostles, and to the Day of Judgement. These are direct tenent that
constitute the Muslim’s articles of faith.
The practical religious duties of the Muslims are contained in the Five Pillars:
repetition of the creed “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet,”
there are prayers offered at five different periods of the day, the duty of giving
alms to the poor, fasting during the month of Ramadan (abstinence from eating
and every indulgence of the senses from daybreak to sunset), and making at least
one pilgrimage to Mecca.
To this five pillars: faith, prayer, alms, fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca; there
would have been added a sixth, jihad (holy war). But the attempt failed. The Hadith
says “You have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad. The lesser refers
to the “outer self”; the greater, to “the inner self’; or the holy war against infidels
(non-believers) and one’s evil thoughts and desires, respectively. Islam strives to
create an equilibrium between man and the human society where he must
function in order to fulfil his earthly destiny. This equilibrium between man’s
corporeal and spiritual self is what brings peace. So all five pillars of Islam
corresponds to the inner jihad, that brings peace.
The Islamic customs are:
1. The muezzin – the crier who summons Muslims to prayer at the appointed
hour.
2. The Day of Atonement (Jewish) was replaced by an entire month of fasting
during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar.
3. Instead of praying towards Jerusalem, Muslims were ordered to prostrate
themselves towards the Kaaba in Mecca as the shrine of Allah. The kissing
of the black stone was authorized. This was a venerated meteorite
embedded in one of Kaaba’s walls.
Islam is a system of beliefs and practices revealed to Mohammed, enshrined in
the Koran and supplemented by traditional record, the Hadith, of the things said
(sayings) and done (ways of life) by Mohammed.
The Koran, a book about the same length as the New Testament, is one of the
most remarkable scriptures in history and has molded the lives of millions of
people. It is the heart of Islam. Unlike the Bible which is a collection of narratives,
laws, poems, proverbs, prophecies and prayers written by different men, the Koran
was delivered through the lips of a single man – the prophet Mohammed over a
22-year period. It is a compendium of received wisdom dealing with all human
relationships – with Allah, with the state, with society and its ethics, with law, with
property, with money, between men and women, with children, with the
environment and with the necessities of living a healthy and a sufficiently
prosperous worldy life.
What man does with his life in the hereafter is a continuation of his life on
earth. Death is not an end but the portal to another beginning so there I no
question of separating spiritual and material life. “Live your inner life as though you
were to live forever and your outer life as though you were to die tomorrow.” Life,
then, is the preparation for that transition.
So rooted, the notion of separateness of temporal and spiritual authority is
almost unthinkable I n Islamic societies. Its religious, political and cultural aspects
overlap. The physical embodiment of Islam is the Koran and not a person, such as
the pope, nor a church with hierarchy of priests to mediate between God and man.
Because of widespread illiteracy, there has been a later appearance on the scene of
ulemas and ayatollahs. But still the Koran and the Hadiths, the reports of
explanations and anecdotes attributed to the prophets are all that a believer
needs.
In the issue of the church and state, Mazrui (1982) differentiates between
Christianity and Islam. Christianity is partly based on the principle of downward
social mobility. The son of God decided to descend from being a heavenly prince to
birth in a stable to a humiliating crucifixion. The story of Mohammed was a case of
upward mobility: from a camel driver to the head of political community, from a
trader on his wife’s behalf to the role of lawmaker in behalf of God.
The Christian may say, “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is
God’s.” The Muslim considers Caesar as God’s Messenger. This fusion of church
and state goes as far back as Mohammed’s time. So Mohammed ran a political
community wherein he needed the force of sanctions for public order thus giving
birth to Islamic Law, the Shari’a. this system of sanctions which punished the guilty
in order to protect the innocent was not subject to reinterpretation. Hence, the
true Islamic state is ensnared to a body of structure that dates back to the seventh
century after Christ.
Upon Mohammed’s death, the issue of political succession arose leading to the
schism between Sunni Islam and Shiite Islam. Sunni Islam resolved political
succession through an electoral process while Shiite Islam based succession on
hereditary descent from the House of Mohammed. The former may be the Muslim
from (Indonesia) governed by non-Islamic laws; that is drinking is prohibited by the
religion of the people not by the government. The latter may be the Islamic from
(Saudi Arabia) governed by Islamic laws.
The Islamic state finds it particularly hard to separate church from state.
Christianity has a better record of separating church from state institutionally but
its record on separating religion from politics behaviourally is not any more
impressive than that of Islam.
In Arabic, Mohammed means “highly praised.” He was born in 570 A. D. in
Mecca. He claimed to have been visited by the angel, Gabriel. A holy man decided
that Mohammed had been visited by the same heavenly inspiration that had
descended to Moses and that he was to be the prophet of his people. He was the
last of the prophets after Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. He started
preaching in Mecca in 613 A.D. In his 63rd year, he died.
Mohammed’s teachings are:
1. Allah is the solitary and eternal Sovereign of the Universe and He must be
the only one worshipped.
2. All believers are equal before God.
3. The rich must share their wealth with the poor.
4. Man’s destiny is in God’s hands.
5. There will be a Day of Judgment for all men.
Mohammed gave new values to life:
1. Every man would be held accountable in an afterworld for his deeds on earth
(the opposite of the belief that wealth a man accumulated during his lifetime is
the criterion for success).
2. For those who accepted God and Mohammed as His Messenger, there would
be justice in this world and a glorious life after death. For those who did not,
there would be hellfire and terrible tortures.

In the 22 years of his prophethood, Mohammed had brought about synthesis

of Judeo-Christian tradition of a single God and a latent Arabian sense of
nationalism. He also outlawed : gambling, usury and drinking of wine.
The Koran allowed four wives but Mohammed was allowed nine as an
exception for political and human reasons. Some of his wives were widows of his
lieutenants killed for Islam while others were the daughters of important political
leaders. One of them was A’isha, a daughter of his closest friend. She was less than
10, still playing with dolls.
 Of all religions, Islam is the nearest kin to Judaism and Christianity. In fact, if
there is alienation, it is one politics and economics more than ideology. Of the
seven or eight religions that claims allegiance of mankind today, monotheism
forms the basis of three: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – the direct descendants
of the Israelites’ religion. All three honor Abraham as the first spokesman of
binding a covenant with the personal God they all worship. All three respect the
written law summed up in the Ten Commandments as stated by Moses. All three
venerate the moral and social ideals of righteousness, kindness, integrity and
faithfulness first expressed by the Israelites. All three have their faith that one day
all might live in a world ruled by the principles of peace, justice and love. These
three religions have provided a major source of values for both Western and
eastern Civilization,

Learning Activities/Exercises
Activity No. 1

In a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the three religions (Judaism,

Christianity and Islam)

Judaism

Christianity Islam
 Activity No. 2

Quote your favorite verses of the bible and explain what makes it your
favorite. Give at least three verses and explain how does this verses affects
your everyday life as Filipinos.
1.
2.
3.

Practice Task/Assessment
Identify what Religious Authority does the following belongs. Write C for Christianity,
J for Judaism and I for Islam.
_____ 1. Torah
_____ 2. Koran
_____ 3. Jesus Christ
_____ 4. Martin Luther King
_____ 5. The Golden Rule
_____ 6. Holy Bible
_____ 7. believed in one God who is Yahweh
_____ 8. Originated in the first century
_____ 9. The Ten Commandments
_____ 10. Mecca

Assignment
How does religion affects our daily lives a Filipinos?
Lesson 2 Value Systems

Specific Learning Outcomes

1. Define what value system is
2. Give examples of value systems
3. Relate value systems to personal lives

Motivation/Prompting Questions

What do the pictures have in common? How do the parts/ members of the
system function?
Discussion
 A set of interconnected elements which have been identified as worthy of
isolation for consideration may be a system. The essential point is that each
element performs its specified function so that the system as a whole can
accomplish the prescribed purpose.
For serving a prescribed purpose, that of communication, we have a
telephone system. A group of body organs that together performs one vital
function, which is digestion of food, is the digestive system. An organized or
established procedure in typing is the touch system. A group of interacting
bodies under the influence of gravitation is the solar system. An organized
society or social situation regarded as ineffective is a system that usually goes by
the term establishment. Similarly, an organized set of related values mutually
reinforcing each other is a value system.
Systems appear in a hierarchy, that is, in a structure in which a large system
encompasses a smaller system. The human body is a system and the central
nervous system is a subsystem within it. In dealing with systems we are usually
more concerned with the overall behavior of the system than in the behavior of
its individual components. Then there are systems over which we have no
control, like the solar system. We are more interested in systems over which we
exercise control. The value system is of this kind.
Evolution of a Value System
Earlier we noted the evolution of values from perceptions to opinions then to
attitudes and finally to values. When we classified values and came out with
types we were in fact systematizing them, that is, bringing order out of
confusion. So now we can speak of an intellectual value system, a religious value
system, a professional value system, an other-oriented value system, etc. each
complex values integrated into an ordered relationship. But there is another way
of evaluating value systems and this is from the common sense viewpoint.
Common Sense Viewpoint
The accumulated views and convictions which are shared with one’s fellows
and endorsed by social convention and with which we understand practical
affairs are referred to as common sense. (Brubacher, 1969). People tend to take
it for granted and is largely relative. It varies in time and place, according to the
changes and diversities of the cultures involved.
When a person says, “It make sense” there is implied prudence and soundness.
He has come to the sense-that is, to experience in a way that is common to the
cultural society to which he belongs. What makes it common further is when
such ability is had to an average degree without sophistication or special
knowledge by an ordinary person.
Common sense views are everyday thinking resulting from experiential or
empirical data assessed and organized by reason. They appear obvious because
the individual born and raised in a given society takes as obvious what his society
considers as such. After all, society is alder and, being larger, it is also presumably
wiser than any of its members.
Common sense combines observation with theorization. For example, to
believe that a heavy object falls faster to the ground than a light one is common
sense. That wage increase is the root cause of inflation is common sense. Belief
in magic is common sense.
Common sense situations, however suffer from a superficial examination of data
and hasty conclusion. Sufficient examination of data would show that bodies,
heavy or light starting together, would fall to the earth at the same time. It would
also show that there are other factors like supply and demand that cause price
inflation and that magic is sleight of hand. Many of man’s fundamental
discoveries like the use of fire, the wheel and development of agriculture arose
through operation of something very much like what we now label common
sense.
Philosophy-Science Refinements
To arrive at conclusions which will be valid to more people in more times and
more places and in closer correspondence with the objective world, common
sense must be refined. There are two principal methods of achieving this
refinement, one philosophic and other scientific.
Philosophy is man’s quest for wisdom; i.e., the knowledge of the ultimate
reasons and causes of all things. Upon looking at reality, the philosopher seeks to
answer such questions as “What is it?” (the nature or essence of something =
formal cause), “What is it made of?” (the material cause), and “Who made it?”(
the efficient cause). The outlook of the philosopher differs from that of the
scientists, even though both seek after knowledge. The scientists primarily
investigate the material causes of things, since he studies nature in so far as it is
material and measurable. While the philosopher investigates all reality, material
and spiritual, and seeks all the ultimate causes. Thus, philosophy is broader in
scope and deeper outlook than science.
The difference in direction these refinements would take was best articulated by
John Barth (The Friday Book) when he said that philosophers “ want to
understand the universe; to get behind phenomena and operation and solve
logically prior riddles of being, knowledge and value,” while scientists “describe
the world, mathematically predict it and maybe control it.” A consequence of this
is that philosophy is willing to handle both uncontrolled and controlled variables
while science covers no more variables that can be rigidly controlled.
Philosophy
The philosophic method of extending and refining common sense thinks about
and seeks what is possible. It aims a solution which includes every factor or
variable which is either directly or remotely relevant to the problem. Thus, in
finding out whether limited homogenous grouping (upper half- lower half and
randomized within each sub-group) is better than heterogeneous grouping for a
selected group, the philosophic interest is beyond test scores. It is also interested
in the personal attitudes of superiority or inferiority that children develop, in the
out-of-school/in-school effects, the impact on elitism, etc.. Another instance is in
the field of values where personal values such as courage, loyalty, obedience and
the like are picked up not only by the good people like closely knit families but
also by bad people like gangs to commit hold-ups, robbery, etc. The philosopher
would only consider those values worthy to be achieved when related to the
good of the bigger society. So, for the bad people the above-mentioned personal
values have become disvalues. The philosophic method does not offer
answers/solutions so much as it defines and suggests methods for dealing with
them or clarifying them.
Traditionally, philosophy means dealing with aims, ideas and processes in a
certain totality, generality or ultimateness; it attempts to comprehend varied
details of life and the world and to organize them into an inclusive whole; it
endeavours to achieve unified, consistent and comprehensive outlooks on
human experiences. All these are in continual search, never a finality. Totality
and ultimateness as cited earlier refer to a consistency of attitude, to thinking
about seeking what is possible, and not arriving at a certain and accomplished
knowledge. (Dewey, 1916).
Part of the study of philosophy is man. In studying man, philosophy uncovers
who man is: his nature, his origins, his end, his relations with with other men, the
environment, and the world. This body of knowledge, which is part of wisdom, is
indeed a source of answers and solutions to real problems that confront man,
because it gives a correct understanding of him. Take case in point: ever since the
advent of the communist totalitarian state, many philosophers have thought that
such a state cannot last simply because it does not respect the legitimate
demands of human nature – it suppresses human freedom. Many years later, the
events in Eastern Europe in1989 proved that these philosophers were right.
Men are intelligent beings, and so, they are governed by the mind and by
ideas. History is replete with examples of how ideas have shaped cultures and
civilizations. Therefore, philosophy is a powerful motor in the dynamics of human
development.
Science
The way in which the scientist improves on commonsense is well-known. He
makes common sense more adequate by supplying more knowledge and data to
the familiar outlook and organizing them to be able to come up with valid
conclusions. He finds solutions to a problem in which the number of factors of
variables involved may be limited but can be easily isolated from the context in
which they occur. If he is experimenting with limited homogeneous grouping as
against random grouping, he must be sure that such factors as the teacher, the
socio-economic background and the sex of the student, the size of the class, etc.
must be equated in both control and experimental classes. One cannot make a
dependable conclusion that the better scores on one list as compared to those
on the other list are due to the nature of the sectioning even with just one factor
eluding control. Other departures from common sense in favor of science are the
formulation of hypothesis, which predicts how the experiment will go on the
possibility of repetition by the investigator himself and others to make the
conclusion respectively reliable and objective, both prime characteristics of
dependability. (Brubacher, 1969).
Science is human endeavour characterized by a particular aim and method. Its
aim is to discover the intelligible structure of nature. Its method consists of
systematic observation, theoretical elaboration of observed data, and
experimental testing of hypothesis.
Examples of Value Systems
We like to exemplify a value system from man’s most common and most
important preoccupations: education and politics. The idealist definition of
education is “the organized development and equipment of all powers of a
human being, moral, intellectual and physical, by and for their individual and
social use, directed towards the union of these activities with their creator as
their final end.” The definition makes the person the central figure in education.
Politics is a process which enduces action, performance and response to need.
It is concerned with the principles or the use of the power for the common good.
The politicians move around the people in order to be conscious and aware of
their problems and it is they whom people seek to respond to their needs.
Politics as synonymous with statesmanship is that phase of ethics which treats of
the duties of states. For whom? The citizen.
Since the school develops the citizen, education is far too strategic an
instrument to fall into the hands of any save the state. Going back to central
figures, the person and the citizen should be the central figures in any values
education program.
Learning Activities/Exercises

Activity No. 1

Site five examples of specific value systems and explain its functions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Activity No. 2

1. How does philosophy and science differ in refining common sense

viewpoint?
2. In what way do scientists and philosophers differ in their outlook even
though both seek knowledge?
Practice Task/Assessment
Identify what is being referred to. Write your answers on the space before the
number.
__________ 1. A set of interconnected elements which have been identified as
worthy of isolation for consideration.
__________ 2. The accumulated views and convictions which are shared with
one’s fellows and endorsed by social convention and with which
understand practical affairs are referred to as __________.
__________ 3. It is man’s quest for wisdom.
__________ 4. It is a human endeavour characterized by a particular aim and
method.
__________ 5. It is a powerful motor in the dynamics of human development.

Assignment
How important is common sense viewpoint to an individual? Site an example
or situation.
Continuation of Module 2

The United Nations (U.N.) Heritage

The U.N. Charter has the following provisions:

We the People of the United Nations, determined.

To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our
lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of
men and women and the nations large and small, and to establish conditions under
which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources
of international law can be maintained, and

To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

And For these Ends

To practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good
neighbours, and

To unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

To ensure, by the acceptance of principles and institution of methods, that

armed force shall not be used, save in common interest, and

To employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and

social advancement of all peoples.

The Purposes of United Nations are:

1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective
collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and
for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to
bring out by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and
international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or
situations which might lead to a breach of peace;
 2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principles
of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate
measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an
economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and
encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all
without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.

UNESCO

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), a

specialized agency of the United Nations, stresses education, the spread of culture and
an increased scientific knowledge. It contributes to peace and security by promoting
collaboration among nations in the above aspects in order to further fundamental
freedoms for all and universal respect for justice, the rule of law and human rights.

Education:

UNESCO helps develop education at all levels. It sponsors programs to train

teachers, build courses to study, and carry out research in education. UNESCO sponsors
permanent and mobile libraries. Its library in Delhi, India was the first public library
open to all caste and creeds in India.

Culture:

UNESCO concentrates on international cultural cooperation, like leading efforts

to save Nile Valley archaeological treasures that might be lost under the lake formed by
the Aswan Dam. It tries to acquaint the public with important works of art and
literature, and works for international copyright agreements. It promotes the growth of
museums, and advances studies in the humanities. In mass communication, it has
made considerable effort to spread knowledge and understanding of various cultures
by primarily concerning itself with removing barriers to the wide exchange of printed
matter through “UNESCO coupons” so that “soft currency” countries can buy from
“hard currency” countries and through international agreement to lower customs
duties and transmission costs.

Science:
 UNESCO promotes international scientific cooperation. It encourages research
in the natural sciences in such basic problems as the use of arid lands and world’s
oceans and the peaceful uses of atomic energy. In the social sciences it encourages
study of certain problems that cause tensions and misunderstanding within and among
nations. In fact, it has found out that there is no scientific basis for any one race being
inherently superior to another. It encourages more standardization of statistical data
throughout the world. It also stimulates social science teaching and research.

Five problems UNESCO is concentrating are: illiteracy, primary education,

racial, social and international tensions, mutual appreciation of eastern and western
culture; research on living conditions.

The United Nations has other specialized agencies like the UNIDO and the
UNICEF which contribute in a major way to democratic space.