Understanding Morality and Moral Standards

LESSON 1: Morality: Rules and The Moral and Non-Moral Standards

LESSON 2: Moral Dilemmas
LESSON 3: Culture and Cultural Relativism
LESSON 4: The Filipino Character and Universal Values

Everywhere you go there are rules- at home at school, in church in the barangay, Do these
rules make our life more peaceful and orderly? In this module we will study about the
importance of rules. The next part will be all about the moral standards and how it is
important to your life.
This module will also discuss the significance of the Moral Dilemma as one of the vital
topics in the understanding of human morality. The next lesson which is all about the three
levels of moral dilemmas and some suggestions that will help us on how to make decisions
once we encountered moral dilemmas.
As an addition to that, this module will also explore culture and its multifaceted reality. It
will also tackle how culture is being made and what are the influencing factors that affects
culture. It will also discuss varied cultural realities such as realism and its impact on the
notion of universality of culture. At the end of this section, this lesson will also provide
activities and exercises that will practice the students’ to be informed into the realm of
ethical inquiry and understanding.
This lesson will discuss values as an important aspect in cultural identity. This module will
discuss also the difference between eastern values & western values and the roots of
Filipino characters. At the end of this section, this lesson will also provide activities and
exercises that will practice the students’ to be informed into the realm of ethical inquiry
and understanding.

Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:

 Explain the importance of rules
 Distinguish the difference between moral and non-moral standards
 Determine a moral dilemma
 Identify the three levels of moral dilemmas
 Appreciate the importance of solving moral dilemmas
 Determine the significance of culture in society.
 identify the different realms of cultural mechanism
 determine the factors that affect culture
 Determine the importance of values as a universal norm
 identify the key variations between eastern and western values
determine the roots of Filipino characters that shaped our value system.
  Familiarize themselves on the importance of rules in their life as a student, as a son
or a daughter, as a sibling and as a member of the society.
 Appreciate the essence of moral and non-moral standards in their life
 Create anything that will show unleash their imagination on what will happen if
rules do not exist .
 Identify what is a moral dilemma
 Differentiate a moral dilemma to a false dilemma
 Create a video presentation, podcast or comic strip wherein they will be able to
share their ways on how to solve moral dilemmas and challenges that they
encountered or encountering as a student.
 identify the importance of culture in nation identity.
 enumerate the varied aspects of culture
 discuss factors that affects culture
 identify the value from vice.
 enumerate the key difference between eastern and western values
discuss the Filipino characters.

 Are rules important? Why or why not?

 Do you find rules constricting? Why or why not?
 How can you differentiate moral and non-moral standards?
 What is a moral dilemma?
 How can you differentiate a moral dilemma to a false dilemma?
 How can you solve moral dilemmas?
 How does culture affects your life as an individual?
 How can you show respect to others culture and tradition?
 What is Values?
 How eastern and western are similar and different with each other?
 What are the roots of Filipino Characteristics?
Lecture Guide

LESSON 1: Morality: Rules and The Moral and Non-Moral Standards

Rules are meant to set order. Rules (the Philippine Constitution and other laws included) are meant
for man, The greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ, preached emphatically, "The Sabbath) is made for man
and not man for the Sabbath". The law of the Sabbath, i.e. to keep it holy and observe rest, is meant
to make man whole by resting and by giving him time to thank and spend time in prayer and
worship for his own good.
For the sake of order in society, everyone is subject to rules. In a democratic country like the
Philippines, we often hear the statement "No all one is above to rules the law," including the highest
official of the country. We are all subject to rules or else court chaos.
Rules are not meant to restrict in freedom. They are meant to help you grow in freedom to grow in
your own ability to choose and do what is good for you and for others. If there are rules or laws that
restrict your ability or strength to do well, they are suffocating laws and they are not good laws.
They ought to be abolished. Any rule or law that prevent human from doing and being good ought
to be repealed. They have no reasons to exist.
In fact, if you are a rule or a law-abiding citizen, you don't even feel the restricting presence of a rule
or law because you do what the law or what the rule states everybody should do. Looking from a
higher point of view, this is the state when one acts not because rules demand it but because one
sees he has to act that way. It is like saying one no longer needs the rule or law because one has
become mature and wise enough to discern what ought to be done. This is an ideal state which the
ancient Chinese sages (Confucius, Lao Tzu) referred to as state of no-more rules, no-more laws,
because people discern what is right or good and do what is right or good without thinking a rule or
a law; people are no longer in need of a government where one owns the moral standard not just
abide by the moral standard.
Etymology and Meaning of Ethics

The term “ethics” comes from the Greek word “ethos” meaning custom used in the works of
Aristotle while the term “moral” is the Latin equivalent.
Based on Greek and Latin etymology of the word ethics, ethics deals with morality.

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy which deals with moral standards, inquires
about the rightness or wrongness of human behavior or the goodness or badness of personality,
trait or character. It deals with ideas, with topics such as moral standards or norms of morality,
conscience, moral values and virtues. Ethics is a study of the morality of human acts and moral
agents, what makes an act obligatory and what makes a person accountable.
"Moral" is the adjective describing a human act as either ethically right or wrong, or qualifying a
person, personality, character, as either ethically good or bad.
Ethics is defined as the study of moral behavior or conduct of man as viewed from ultimate
principles known by human reason. It can also be defined as a philosophical science dealing with
the morality of human acts. Ethics guides the intellect in the acquisition and application of the
moral principles. Ethics is a practical and normative science, based on reason, which studies human
acts, and provides norms for their goodness and badness. Likewise, ethics guides the will in its
search for what is good.
The problem of definition
Moral Philosophy is the attempt to achieve a systematic understanding of the nature of
morality and what it requires of us—in Socrates’s words, of “how we ought to live, and why.”
Knowing the “how we ought to live” could have been easier if we have a simple, uncontroversial
definition of what morality is. But this is impossible
Moral Standards or Moral Frameworks and Non-Moral Standards
Since ethics is a study of moral standards then the first question for the course is, what are moral
standards? The following are supposed be examples of moral standards: "Stealing is wrong,
"Killing is wrong ", Telling a lie is wrong," "Adultery is wrong”, "Environment preservation is
the right thing to do", "Freedom with responsibility is the right way", and "Giving what is due
to others is justice". Hence, moral standards are norms or prescriptions that serve as the
frameworks for determining what ought to be done or what is right or wrong action, what is good
or bad character.

Moral standards are either consequences standards (like Stuart or non-consequence

standards (like Aristole's natural law, or Immanuel Kant' good will or sense of duty)

The consequence standards depend on results, outcome. An act that results in the general
welfare, in the greatest good of the greatest number. To take part in a project that results in the
improvement of people is, therefore, moral.
The not only consequence standards are based on the natural law. Natural law is the law of God
revealed through human reason. It is the written in the hearts of men. To preserve human life is in
accordance with the natural law, therefore it is moral. Likewise, the may also be based on good will
or intention, and on a sense of duty. Respect for humanity, treatment of the other as a human is
moral, springs from a sense of duty, a sense of duty that you to all human persons.

On the other hand, (non-moral standards are social rules, demands, of etiquette and good
manners. They are guides of action which as expected by society. Sometimes they may not follow
them. From time to time, changes are made regarding good manners or etiquette. In sociology, non-
moral standards or rules are called folkways. In short, non-moral actions are those where moral
categories cannot be applied.

Examples of non-moral standards

 Rules of good manners and right conduct
 Etiquette
 Rules of behaviour set by parents and teachers
 Standards of grammar or language
 Standards of art
 Standards of sports

Lesson 2: Moral Dilemmas and the Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

Man is condemned to be free”

– Jean-Paul Sartre
Moral dilemma
Dilemma comes from the Greek words ( δίλημμα) diV (twice) and lemma
(assumption/premise). Dilemmas are experiences where an agent is confused about the right
decision to make because there are several competing values that are seemingly equally important
and urgent. H.E. Mason (1996), expounds that moral conflicts is a fact of moral life. It is something
that we can never do away with it. It is embedded in the crucial decisions that we make, particularly
in moments that we are faced with is and what should be.

Moral Dilemma- a problem in the decision-making between two possible options, neither of which
is acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is also referred to as “ethical dilemma”.
Ethical Dilemma- decision making problem between to possible moral imperatives, neither of
which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. It is sometimes called as an ethical paradox in
moral philosophy. (Oxford Dictionary)

BASED ON THESE DEFINITIONS MORAL DILEMMAS HAVE THE FOLLOWING IN COMMON

 The agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions which are morally unacceptable.
 The agent can do both of the actions
 But the agent cannot do both or all of the action at the same time. The agent thus seems to
condemn to moral failure; no matter what he/she does she will do something wrong (or fail
to do something that he/she ought to do)

Examples:

The Pregnant Lady and The Dynamite

A pregnant woman leading a group of five people out of a cave on a coast is stuck in the mouth of
that cave. In a short time high tide will be upon them, and unless she is unstuck, they will all be
drowned except the woman, whose head is out of the cave. Fortunately, (or unfortunately,)
someone has with him a stick of dynamite. There seems no way to get the pregnant woman loose
without using the dynamite which will inevitably kill her; but if they do not use it everyone else will
drown.

What should they do?

Source: http://psychopixi.com/uncategorized/25-moral-dilemmas/

The Robin Hood Robber

You witness a man rob a bank, but instead of keeping the money for himself, he donates it to a local
orphanage. You know this orphanage has been struggling for funding, and this money will allow the
children to receive proper food, clothing and medical care. If you report the crime, the money will
be taken away from the orphanage and given back to the bank.

What should you do?

Source: http://psychopixi.com/uncategorized/25-moral-dilemmas/

The Plagiarized Report

You are an English teacher at a high school. One of your pupils is a very bright and gifted girl, whom
you have always enjoyed teaching. She has always achieved A grades throughout her school years,
and is now in her final year and getting ready to graduate. Unfortunately she has been very ill this
term, and missed several weeks of schooling. She has just turned in a report which is worth 40% of
her final grade, but you realize that she did not write it herself – she has copied a report found
online and tried to pass it off as her own work.
If you report her plagiarization to the school authorities it will be entered on her permanent record
and she will no longer be eligible to attend the prestigious university that she has dreamed of
attending all through high school. If you refuse to accept the report, her final mark will be very poor
and may harm her chances of being chosen for this university. If you mark the paper as though you
believed it was her own work, she will do very well, and stand every chance of getting her desired
university place.

What should you do?

Source: http://psychopixi.com/uncategorized/25-moral-dilemmas/

The Unfaithful Wife

You are an emergency worker that has just been called to the scene of an accident. When you arrive
you see that the car belongs to your wife. Fearing the worst you rush over, only to see she is
trapped in her car with another man. He is obviously her lover, with whom she’s been having an
affair.

You reel back in shock, devastated by what you have just found out. As you step back, the wreck in
front of you comes into focus. You see your wife is seriously hurt and she needs attention straight
away. Even if she gets immediate attention there’s a very high chance she’ll die. You look at the seat
next to her and see her lover. He’s bleeding heavily from a wound to the neck and you need to stem
the flow of blood immediately.

If you attend to your wife, her lover will bleed to death, and you may not be able to save her
anyway. If you work on the lover, you can save his life, but your wife will definitely die.

Who should you choose to work on?

Source: http://psychopixi.com/uncategorized/25-moral-dilemmas/

In understanding the morality of an individual, we need to emphasize that the majority of

the human persons are those who are sturdily exposed to stand fast by their reflective chosen
principles and ideals when tempted by consideration chosen that are morally irrelevant. As Mason
explains, we will experience a moral dilemma if we are faced with two actions, each of which, it
would be correct to say in the appropriate sense of ought that is ought to be done, and both of
which we cannot do. This means that we either straight or do it the other way. We, then, ought to
make moral choices, with our own moral actions.

Meaning of False Dilemma

False Dilemma- where the situation where the decision maker has a moral duty to do one thing,
but is tempted to or under pressure to do something else. A false dilemma is a choice between a
right and a wrong.

Example: a lawyer or an accountant can face an opportunity to prioritize self-interest over the
client’s interest.
What to do When Faced With a Moral Dilemma?

In a state of emergency, necessity demands no moral law. You have to decide based on your best
judgment or choose based on the principle of lesser evil or greater good or urgency.

(The Levels of Moral Dilemmas)

 The mission of Catholic School A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn
between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to
keep quality teachers.
 Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save
her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and Heinz tried desperately to buy
some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this
was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even
after help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and
asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later The chemist
refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The
husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s
laboratory and stole the drug.
 A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school
affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community are passive and so the principal
always ends up deciding and doing things just the same. She is obliged to observe parents’
and community participation which do not give any input at all at the same time she is
obliged to accomplish things on time

Among the three dilemmas, which is an example of an individual dilemma? Organizational

dilemma? Structural dilemma? How the 3 dilemmas differ? Explain your answer.

Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

A moral dilemma is a conflict of morals, where you are forced to choose between two or more
options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option.

Three levels of moral dilemma

1. Individual Dilemmas- Judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and moral reasoning is

based on individual rights and justice. This also refers to personal dilemmas.

Examples:

 The most common ethical dilemma is involved when you are taking someone to hospital for
an emergency treatment by car. The law states that speeding and running red lights is
illegal. However, this person might die if not treated quickly and they are in your car
 Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save
her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and Heinz tried desperately to buy
some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this
 was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even
after help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and
asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later The chemist
refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The
husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s
laboratory and stole the drug.

2. Organizational Dilemmas- It is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of social organization

and member self-interest. Depending on members' definitions of self, the organizing dilemma
may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare, or between group interests
and organizational well-being.

Examples:

 Sexually harassing female employees in an organization is an unethical behavior in the

work place (Andrews, 2014).The essay discusses the ethical dilemmas that the employees
in an organization often face and what methods do they apply to resolve the ethical
dilemma.
 The mission of Catholic School A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn
between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to
keep quality teachers.

3. Structural Dilemma- Finding a satisfactory system of roles and relationships is an ongoing,

universal struggle. Managers rarely face well - defined problems with clear - cut solutions.
Instead, they confront enduring structural dilemmas, tough trade - offs without easy answers.

Example:
A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school
affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community are passive and so the principal
always ends up deciding and doing things just the same. She is obliged to observe parents’ and
community participation which do not give any input at all at the same time she is obliged to
accomplish things on time

More examples of structural dilemmas

 Differentiation Versus Integration The tension between allocating work and coordinating
sundry efforts creates a classic dilemma. The more complex a role structure, the harder it is
to focused, tightly coupled enterprise.
 Gap Versus Overlap If key responsibilities are not clearly assigned, important task fall
through the cracks. Roles and activities can overlap, creating effort, wasted effort and
unintended redundancy. An overlap occurs where two or more areas intersect each other,
creating a region covered by multiple areas. A gap occurs where two or more areas fail to
meet at a boundary.
  Lack of Clarity Versus Lack of Creativity - If employees are unclear about of what they are
supposed to be doing, they often shape their role around personal preferences instead of
organizational goals, frequently leading to problems.
 Excessive Autonomy Versus Excessive Interdependence - If the efforts of individuals or
group are too autonomous, people often feel isolated and unsupported.

How to solve an ethical dilemma?

The biggest challenge of ethical dilemma is that it does not offer an obvious solution that would
comply with ethical norms. Throughout the history of humanity, people always faced ethical
dilemmas, and philosophers aimed and worked to find solutions to the problems.

By far, the following approaches to solve an ethical dilemma were deduced:

 Refute the paradox (dilemma): The situation must be carefully analyzed. In some cases, the
existence of the dilemma can be logically refuted.
 Value theory approach: Choose the alternative that offers the greater good and the lesser
evil.
 Find alternative solutions: In some cases, the problem can be reconsidered, and the new
alternative solutions may arise.
LESSON 3: Culture and Cultural Relativism

What is Culture?

CULTURE (fr. Webster 1950’s)

-an act of cultivating soil.

- the proper care and development of plants and animals.

- is one of the most central concepts in sociology and anthropology.

CULTURE (fr. Oxford English Dictionary)

-fr. Latin word cultū ra which means cultivation or tending

- is the “training development and refinement of mind, tastes and manners.”

- Most central concepts in sociology and anthropology.

This etymological evolution is an indication of how the word “culture” itself undergoes
cultural change as society develops. This kind of word evolution is significant in that it pictures the
possible world that culture can inhabit.

Defining Culture

The classic definition of culture was given by Sir. Edward Taylor, an English anthropologist,
who wrote “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”.
Therefore, culture is tantamount of saying that it is indispensable to the creation of the society.
While society is the people and culture are their behavior patterns, it is important to remember that
culture becomes reality if it is acquired by man as a result of his being member of his social group.

Three layers of culture in the society

1. Cultural Universe: pertains to the cultural elements, patterns, practices or activities that are
common and similar across cultures.

2. Mainstream Culture: this is the cultural stem of society or the general prevailing culture which
differentiates apart such as Filipino values, traits, cuisines, national costumes etc.

3. Subculture: this culture is unique to respective particular groups of people in the society that
distinguishes them from others.

Elements of culture

1. Material Culture: consists of tangible things such as technological tools, structures, fashion
accessories, foods etc.

2. Non – material Culture: consists of intangible things such as language, ideas, symbols, religion,
behavior, gesture, habits, etc.

Function of culture

1. Culture provides behavioral patterns: it helps people to adjust immediately to his

environment.

2. It maintains the biological functioning of the group: man is biological being for he /she needs
food, shelter clothing, and the need to reproduce etc. with culture, human being is provided with a
certain built in mechanism for survival.

3. It gives meaning and direction to one’s existence: culture gives meaning and color to the life of
curious human beings.

4. It offers solution to human being’s material and non – material problems: it helps man to cope
with the complication of life.

5. It develops human being’s attitude and values and gives him /her conscience: it helps human
being beings to internalize these values to himself /herself that guides him /her in his /her life and
decision making.

The mechanism of culture

1. Folkways: the pattern of repetitive behavior which become habitual and conventional part of
living. Included therein are customs and traditions.
2. Mores: the set of ethical standards or moral obligations as dictates of reason that distinguishes
human acts as right or wrong or bad or good.

3. Laws: these are sets of binding rules or measures that induce man to act or restrain him /her
from acting. Laws maybe customary of written.

4. Values: anything held to be relatively worthy, important, desirable or valuable.

5. Institutions: it is the most stable, uniform, formal and highly structured. They have a well –
established patterns and roles which are people are expected to follow to maintain stability.

6. Fashions, fads, crazes: short – lived and not practiced by the whole group, represent the
changing aspects of culture.

Modes of acquiring culture

The inquisition of culture is primarily an intellectual process, and the material aspects
become meaningful only in terms of the mind. There are three ways by which culture is learned or
acquired:

1. Imitation: it is done primarily by imitation of examples. Child upon growing imitates everything
that he /she sees in his/her surroundings.

2. Formal and informal teaching: a way of acquiring culture is done through teaching; it could be
in a formal set – up inside the schools of institutions or informal way.

3. Conditioning: a process in which a child acquired culture by the methods of punishment and
reward. In this the child could learn the value of honesty and the consequences of disobedience.

Cultural relativism

It views people’s behavior from the perspective of their own culture. It places priority in
understanding other cultures, rather than dismissing it as strange. Cultural relativism is the kind of
value neutrality. The basis of morality are sometimes based on the questions:

 Is it moral?
 Is it right?
 Is it good?
 Is it legal?

There is no standard for testing whether one person’s perceptions is right and another
person’s perception is wrong. Knowledge is relative to each person. In ethics, the idea of universal
truth is a myth. To say that a custom is correct or incorrect would imply that we can judge that
custom by some independent standard of right and wrong. But no such standard exists. Every
standard is culture-bound. Cultural relativism challenges our belief in the objectivity and
universality of moral truth. “There are no universal or absolute moral principle and standards of
right or wrong are always relative to a particular culture or society.”
The following claims have all be made by cultural relativists:

1. Different societies have different moral codes;

2. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society.

3. There is no objective standards that can be used to judge one society’s code as better than
another’s.

4. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is but one among many.

5. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of them.

Ethnocentrism

It refer to the tendency to assume that one’s culture and way of life are superior to others.
They view their culture as the center of culture and see all other culture as deviation of what is
normal. The opposite of relativism is Ethnocentrism. It is a belief that there is one correct culture.
The common ground between the ethical/cultural relativism and ethnocentrism is the shared
values, i.e., the values common to one another.

Xenocentrism

Is the belief that the products, styles, or ideas of one’s society are inferior to those that
originate elsewhere. (Reversal of ethnocentrism)

Culture shock

Is the feeling of surprise and disorientation that is experienced when people witness
cultural practices different from their own. It is a feeling of displacement in foreign land.

LESSON 4: The Filipino Character and Universal Values

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” – Plato

Asian and Filipino Values

People believe in objects, things, events and ideas which to them form part of that
phenomenon called reality, this is philosophy. Talk of belief, Filipinos has their own belief and dis-
belief system. This system is based on his /her own philosophies in life and it’s constitutes a facet of
social order which defined as consisting of social relations guided by a set of prescriptions.

Filipino values

One of the generally characteristic of Filipino values is communitarianism or placing first

the collective interest and welfare of the group. Dr. Felipe Landa Jacano an authority on the subject
matter of Filipino society and culture showed evidence that individualism is not part of traditional
Filipino culture, pointing out the pakikitungo, pakikisama, pakikiramay etc. much of Filipino values
are stirred with emotions and concerned their affective end-results which may be a reason why
people tends to always put in their minds the concept of hiya, amor proprio and delicadeza, palabra
de onor, and utang na loob, pabalat - bunga. Filipino values orientation lean towards having a
fatalistic outlook as manifested by the expressions bahala na, itinadhana ng Diyos and napasubo.
Cultures also tend to be regionalistic or group affiliation. Such are the following; kamag-anak,
kumpadre, kapatiran and palakasan – system. Filipino values also can be characterized as
ambivalent or it could be positive or negative resulting from having a double standard personality.

Traits and Characteristics

Filipino has one of the best traits in the world which you must know. Although they have
been colonized by several countries, core values from their ancestors remained intact and
are still applied up to this time.

Hospitable
This is one of the most popular qualities of Filipinos. Foreigners who have gone to the
Philippines find themselves falling in love for their hospitality.

It’s a different kind of values which already existed thousands of years ago.

Respectful
This is often observed not just from younger people but also from older ones.

Strong Family Ties and Religiosity

Filipino values their family so much that they tend to be so intact.

Generous and Helpful

This is observed when one person has nothing and they find to share what they have to
them.

Hardworking
Filipinos are hardworking people to the fact that they are willing to work several times to
almost whole day just to feed their families.

Loving and Caring

Filipinos are the sweetest and loving people in the world.

Strong Family Orientation

Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for family which includes not simply spouse and
children, parents and siblings but also grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents and
other ceremonial relatives.

Flexible, Adaptable and Creative

Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust and to circumstances and the surrounding
environment, both physical and social.
Ability to Survive
We have survived many invaders, oppressors and natural calamities and have come out
with hope and determination to carve out our existence anew. Significantly, the typical
Filipino greeting, “Mabuhay!”

Camaraderie (Pakikisama or Kapwa-tao)

While this trait is true to some extent, it must be noted that camaraderie is present only
among close friends and relatives.

Debt of Gratitude (Utang na Loob)

Debt of gratitude still persists in the Filipino psyche. You give a Filipino a favor and he will
surely remember it even if he already returned the favor.

Good Traits of a Filipino

 Pakikisama/ Harmony
 Joyous
 High Intelligent
 Faithful
 Loyal
 Bayanihan
 Being Optimistic
 Self-realiance
 Very Competitive
 Very Brave
 Adaptability
 Endurance

Bad Traits of a Filipino

 Judgemental
 Plastikan/ Backstabbers
 Nepotism/ Favoritism
 Crab Mentality
 Always Late
 Tsismoso/ Tsismosa

 Pakialamero
 Paasa
 Mañ ana Habit
 Dirty Minded
 Pilosopo
 Too much Hospitality
 Ningas Kugon
 Lack of Historical Knowledge
 Padrino System
Weakness of the Filipino Character

 Extreme family centeredness - Excessive concern for family means using one's
office and power to promote family interests and thus factionalism patronage,
political dynasties and the protection of erring family members. It results in lack of
concern for the common good, and acts as a block to national consciousness.
 Extreme personalism - "Takes things personally," cannot separate objective task
from emotional involvement. Because of this the Filipino is uncomfortable with
bureaucracy, with rules and regulations and with standard procedures. He uses
personal contacts and gives preference to family and friends in hiring, services and
even voting. Extreme personalism leads to the graft and corruption evident in
Philippine society.
 Lack of discipline - A casual attitude toward time and space, manifested in lack of
precision and compulsiveness, in poor time management and procrastination.
Aversion to following procedures strictly results in lack of standardization and
quality control. Impatience results in short cuts, palusot, ningas cogon. Lack of
discipline often results in inefficient work systems, the violation of rules and a
casual work ethic lacking follow through.
 Passivity and lack of initiative - Waiting to be told what to do, reliance on others
(leaders and government), complacence, lack of a sense of urgency. There is high
tolerance for inefficiency, poor service, and even violations of one's basic rights. Too
patient and matiisin, too easily resigned to his fate, the Filipino is easily oppressed
and exploited.
 Colonial mentality - Lack of patriotism, or of an active awareness, appreciation and
love of the Philippines and an actual preference for things foreign
 Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality - Done by tsismis, intriga,
unconstructive criticism ... It is evident in the personal ambition that is completely
insensitive to the common good, e.g ., the lack of a sense of service among people in
the government bureaucracy. This results in the dampening of cooperative and
community spirit and in the trampling upon other's rights.
 Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection - The tendency to be superficial and
somewhat flighty. In the face of serious personal and social problems, there is lack of
analysis or reflection and instead satisfaction with superficial explanations and
solutions.
 Emphasis on porma rather than substance - This lack of analysis and emphasis
on form is reinforced by an educational system that is more form than substance.
External forces that shape contemporary Filipino values

The population of the Philippine society reflects a great variety of external forces which
emerge from cultural influence for Indonesian, Malaysian, Hindu, Chinese, Spanish, and American.
Spanish and American cultures compose the Filipino’s Occidentalism. Spanish influence is evidently
manifested in the Filipino’s religion, economic and cultural orientations. While the introduction of
democratic system of government and the popularization of education was brought by the
American regime. They further new ideals pertaining to the family, economy, government,
education, religion sports, health and social welfare.

Roots of the Filipino character

The strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino have their roots in many factors such as:

1.The home environment. Childbearing in the Filipino family is characterized by high nurturance,
low independence training, and low discipline. The Filipino child grows up in an atmosphere of
affection and over protection, where one learns security and trust, on the one hand, and
dependence, on the other. In the family, children are taught to value family and to give it primary
importance.

2. Social environment. This is characterized by a feudal structure with great gaps between the rich
minority and the poor majority. These gaps are not merely economic but cultural as well, with the
elite being highly westernized and alienated from the masses. Filipinos are raised in an
environment where one must depend on relationships with others in order to survive.

3. Culture and language. Aside from emphasizing interpersonal values, Filipino culture is also
characterized by an openness to the outside which easily incorporates foreign elements without a
basic consciousness of our cultural core. This is related to our colonial mentality and to the use of
English as the medium of instruction in schools, which de-Filipinized the youth and taught them to
regard American culture as superior. At a very early age, we find that our self-esteem depends on
the mastery of something foreign.

4 History. Colonialism developed a mind-set in the Filipino which encouraged us to think of the
colonial power as superior and more powerful. As a second-class citizen beneath the Spanish and
then the Americans, we developed a dependence on foreign powers that makes us believe we are
not responsible for our country’s fate. The colonizers eventually became our savior; hence, we
considered our own government as foreign and apart from us. We became distrustful and
cooperative towards our leaders. Much time and energy is spent trying to outsmart the
government.

5.Educational system. The lack of suitable local textbooks and dependence on foreign textbooks,
particularly in the higher school levels, force Filipino students as well as their teachers to use school
materials that are irrelevant to the Philippine setting. Teachers reward well-behaved and obedient
students and are uncomfortable with those who ask questions and express a different viewpoint.
Critical thinking is not learned in the school.

6. Religion. The root of Filipino optimism and its capacity to accept life’s hardships. However,
religion also instills in the Filipino attitudes of resignation and a preoccupation with the afterlife.
We become vulnerable also to being a victim of opportunism, oppression, exploitation, and
superstition.
7. Economic environment. Many Filipino traits are rooted in the poverty and hard life that is the lot
of most Filipinos. Our difficulties drive us to take risks, impels us to work very hard, and develop in
us the ability to survive.

8. Political environment. This is characterized by a centralization of power. Basic services from the
government are concentrated in Manila and its outlying towns and provinces. A great majority of
Filipinos are not reached by such basic services as water, electricity, roads and health services.
Since the government often is not there to offer basic services, we depend on our family, kin, and
neighbours for our everyday needs. The inefficiency of government structures and systems also
leads to a lack of integrity and accountability in our public servants.

9. Mass media. This reinforces our colonial mentality. Advertisements using Caucasian models and
emphasizing a product’s similarity with imported brands are part of our daily lives. Rather than
confront our poverty and oppression, we fantasize instead.

10. Leadership and role models. Filipinos look up to their leaders as role models. When our leaders
violate the law or show themselves to be self-serving and driven by personal interest—when there
is a lack of public accountability—there is a negative impact on the Filipino.

Other Studies on Filipino Moral Character

There had been studies of the Filipino moral life, the more popular of which were those Fr. Jaime
Bulatao, Fr. Leonardo Mercado, Fr. Francis Senden, and Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe. Fr. Bulatao's research
identified the "kami" mentality of Filipinos. In "kami" (a Filipino term which means "us") he says, "I
identify with my family and relatives ... We are opposed to all who are not kami." Fr. Vitaliano
Gorospe, SJ referred to this way of thinking as "group-centeredness" or "group thinking"
characterized as follows:

One norm of morality in the Philippines is based on "groupcenteredness" or "group-thinking." One's

in-group determines for the individual what is right or wrong. The individual who has not yet
attained moral independence and maturity will ask: "What will my family, or my relatives and
friends, or my barkada think or say?" "What will others say" usually determines Filipino moral
behavior; it is "conscience from the outside."For instance, parents tell their daughter who is being
courted: "Iha, please entertain your boyfriend at home. Do not go outside. What will the neighbors
say? Nakakahiya naman. "Shame or hiya makes the parents and the girl conform to the social
expectations of the neighbors lest they become the object of tsismis or gossip.

Universal Values

Jesus Christ preached the value of love from which spring patience, kindness taught
righteousness, goodwill, forgiveness and compassion. Confucius taught righteousness,
human-heartedness values and piety .Are not these universal values, that is, they remain
values at all times and in places? Yes, Plato would say that they exist apart from the
concrete world. On the other hand Aristotle would say that they exist embodied in the
concrete individual as common or essential characteristic. St. Thomas agreed with them,
but universals do not exist apart from the individual; they exist as universal features
individuated, instantiated in the individuals. In other words, the universals are abstracted
common features from individuals. For example the universal characteristics of man are
that he is a "rational, sentient living, body" are abstracted as characteristics common to all
persons. A human person differs from a stone because he/she is alive. He/she differs from
living things like plants because he/she is sentient, and differs from sentient things like
animals because he/she is rational. This universal character of a human person exists in the
mind as idea. Universals are immaterial and immutable, beyond (transcendent) space and
time, or spatio-temporal conditions. In the words of Van Peursen, they are termed as
"logical structures" underlying the material world and making the world possible.
The same thing is true with moral standards and values. The values of honesty and respect
for human life are characteristics individuated in all people who respect, do not harm,
injure or kill, human beings. All the standards and values implied in the Ten
Commandments can be reduced to the value or rule of love. This is because no one can wish
or will the opposite, hatred, killing, stealing, to be universal. Values are universalized
because they can only be wished to be the values of all. For instance, one cannot wish that
killing be obligatory because it is like wishing anyone to come and kill you. Using Kant's
criteria, can these identified "universal values" be willed as universal. Can one will these
values be the values of all? Certainly, the answer is in the affirmative.
Related to the empirical findings on the universal values, Dr. Kent M. Keith (2003) came up
with a list of fundamental, or universal moral principles that can be found throughout the
world. These are grouped into negative and positive statements as follows:
DO NO HARM

 Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.

 Do not lie.
 Do not steal.
 Do not cheat.
 Do not falsely accuse others.
 Do not commit adultery.
 Do not commit incest.
 Do not physically or verbally abuse others.
 Do not murder.
 Do not destroy the natural environment upon which all life depends.
DO GOOD.

 Do to others what you would like them to do to you.

 Be honest and fair.
 Be generous.
 Be faithful to your family and friends.
 Take care of your children when they are young.
 Take care of your parents when they are old.
 Take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
  Be kind to strangers.
 Respect all life.
 Protect the natural environment upon which all life depends.

Engaging Activities for SLM 1

Engaging Activity 1

Classify the following into groups: moral standards and non-moral standards. Write your
answer to the table provided.

Moral Standards Non-Moral Standards

 No talking while your mouth is full

 Do not lie
 Wear black or white for mourning; never red.
 Males should be the one to propose marriage
 Do not steal.
 Correct grammar when writing and speaking English
 Submit school requirements on time.
 If you are a male, stay by the danger side (roadside) when walking with a female.
 Go with the fashion or you are not "in".
 Don’t cheat unto others.
 Do not kill
 When you speak pronounce words correctly.
 Focus the microscope properly
 Maintain a 36-24-36 body figure