MODULE I

Understanding Morality and Moral Standards.

After reading the course overview, write your reflection towards the standards and
outcomes you are expected to do and accomplish in this course. Write your answer on the box
provided. Limit your answer in not less than 100 words and will not exceed in 500 words.

Lesson 1- Course Orientation and the Importance of Rules.

Everywhere you go are rules - at home, in school, in church, in the barangay. Do these
rules make our life more difficult and so should be eliminated or do these rules make our life
more peaceful and orderly? Imagine your life, your home, your school, your Church and
community without rules. In this Lesson, we’ll study about the Importance of rules.

OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 State what are expected of you in this course
 Give examples of rules
 Explain importance of rules

ENGAGE: K-W-L Chart

Hey! This is where you will start this module. Please fill in the K-W-L Table with the
needed information. K-stands for what you KNOW about the lesson, W-stands for what you
WANT to learn about the lesson and L-stands for what you LEARNED about the lesson. So, the
last column which is the L column is expected to be filled-in at the end of this lesson. However,
the remaining columns must be filled in prior to going to the main part of the lesson.
K W L

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text.

 Rules are important to social beings. Just imagine the chaos that results from the absence
of rules. Do you have family rules? Imagine what happens when family members do not follow
the rules. What if there were no traffic rules? What if there were no Constitution and other laws
of the land?
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 one is above 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 your freedom. They are meant to help you grow in
freedom, to grow in your ability to choose and do what is good for you and for others. If there
are rules or laws that restrict your ability to do good, they are suffocating laws and they are not
good laws.

EXPLAIN:

Give examples and Importance of rules and tell the

good that is derived from then.

EVALUATION/QUIZ:

Answer the following questions:

A. Give 5 examples of rules and their importance (not listed above) (10pts)
B. Why are rules important? (5pts)

Lesson 2 – Moral and Non-Moral Standards

We often hear the terms “moral standards” and “non-moral standards.” What do these
refer to? What about the word “immoral?” Is there such a thing as immoral standards? Is
immoral synonymous with non-moral? Let’s find this out in this Lesson.

OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Define ethics and morals.
 Distinguish Moral and Non-Moral Standards, give examples.

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text.

Meaning of Ethics, Morals

 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. 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. 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.

ELABORATE:

Moral Standards and Non-Moral Standards

Moral Standards are norms or prescription 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. The
following can be classified as moral standards:
 Do not lie Don’t cheat others
 Don’t steal Don’t kill
Non-moral standards are social rules, demands of etiquette and good manners. They are
guides of action which should be followed as expected by society. Examples of non-moral
standards are rules of good manners and right conduct, etiquette, rules of behavior set by parents,
teachers, and standards of grammar or language, standards of art, standards of sports set by other
authorities. Examples are:
 No talking when your mouth is full
 Wear black or white for mourning; never red
 The males should be one to propose marriage not females
 Submitted school requirements on time
 If you are a male, stay by the danger side (roadside) when walking with a female.

EVALUATION/QUIZ

Answer the following questions:

1. Differentiate between moral standards and non-moral standards. In 10-15 sentences
(10pts)
2. Give 5 examples for each kind of standards.(not enumerated above) (10pts)

Lesson 3 – Moral Dilemmas

After leaning moral and non-moral standards, you must now have an idea of what a moral
experience is. When you find yourself in a moral dilemma, you are in for a moral experience.
What is a moral dilemma? This is the main focus of this Lesson.

OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Define Moral Dilemma.
  Distinguish between a moral dilemma and a false dilemma

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the text

Meaning of Moral Dilemma

A Moral Dilemma is a problem in the decision-making between two possible options,
neither of whi Qch is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is also referred to as
ethical dilemma. The Oxford Dictionary defines ethical dilemma as a “decision-making
problem between two possible moral imperatives, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable
or preferable. It is sometimes called an ethical paradox in moral philosophy.” (Oxford
Dictionary) A moral dilemma is a situation where a person has the moral obligation to choose
between two option both based on moral standards, but he/ she cannot choose both, and choosing
one means violating the other.
Meaning of a False Dilemma
On the other hand, a false dilemma is a situation where the decision-maker has a moral
duty to do one thing, but is tempted or under pressure to do something else. A false dilemma is a
choice between a right and a wrong. For example, a lawyer or an accountant can face an
opportunity to prioritize self-interest over the client’s interest.

EXPLAIN:
Difference of Moral Dilemma, Ethical Dilemma, and False Dilemma.

ELABORATE:

Relate your self-experienced Moral Dilemma in not less than 50 words and will not
exceed in 100 words.

EVALUATION/Assignment:

Answer the following question:

Give another (1) example of a Moral Dilemma based on your experience. Relate /
Explain in not less than 50 words and will not exceed in 100 words. (10pts)

Lesson 4 – The Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

The Lesson reinforces your understanding of moral dilemmas. After understanding the
meaning of moral dilemmas let us now illustrate three levels of moral dilemma. In this Lesson,
you are expected to give examples of the levels of moral dilemmas. A research on some
significant events in history may help you arrive at a concrete understanding of structural
dilemma
OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Enumerate and explain the three levels of Moral Dilemma.
 Cite examples of the three levels of Moral Dilemma.

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text.

Levels of Moral Dilemma

A. Individual
This refers to personal dilemmas. It is an individual’s damn-if-you-do-and-damn-
if-you-don’t situation. The dilemma is faced by an individual who is torn between 2
obligations – to save the wife or obey the law. So this is an example of an individual
dilemma.
B. Organizational
An organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social
organization and members’ self-interest. It may exist between personal interests and
organizational welfare or between group interests and organizational well-being…
(Wagner, J. 2019)
Organizational dilemmas may likewise occur in business, medical, and public
sector. It may arise due to different opposing concerns between various groupings in
an organization.
C. Structural
The case of the principal whether to be participatory or non-participator in school
affairs but due to her not so favorable experience of attempting to be participatory
ended up to one-woman rule is an example of a structural dilemma.
Other Examples of Structural Level:
 Flexibility versus Strict Adherence to Rules
You accommodate by bending rules to help someone or you stick strictly to rules
no matter what and so unable to help someone who is thrown into a helpless situation. Or
you may become being too accommodating that all rules are no more.
Your jobs are defined so clearly that you will stick to them even if circumstances
are such that by sticking to your job description the service or product that your
organization provides suffers.
 Centralize versus Decentralize Decision Making
In decentralized decision making, organizations can respond to change more
rapidly and effectively because the decision makes are the people closest to the situation.
However, top managers may lose some control. This is the dilemma of tight
overcentralization or diffusing authority which is loose.

EXPLAIN:
 Differentiate the three levels: individual, organizational, structural with examples.
Research and give one example/ situation for each level.

EVALUATION/ ESSAY

Answer the following question:

Relate a Personal Dilemma that you have experienced. How did you deal with it? Are
you happy or sad with it? What learnings/ insight you gain from that experience? Write in
10-20 sentences (15pts)

Lesson 5 – Freedom as Foundation for Moral Acts

This topic gives you an overview of the meaning of freedom as foundation for Moral
Acts and its relation to ethics. Do the lower forms of animals have ethics? Is ethics only for
human persons? If so, why? This is the concern of this Lesson.

OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Explore the meaning of freedom and moral choice.
 Explain why only human beings can be ethical

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text.

Ethics Applies Only to Human Persons

The song, My Way/Born This Way, implies choice or freedom “I did it my way”, Unlike
the lower forms of animals, human persons have a choice or freedom, hence morality applies
only to human persons. Ethics, therefore, applies only to human persons. We cannot say a cat is
“unethical” when it eats the food at table intended for you or when a dog urinates on your
favorite bag lying on the floor.
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or
restraint. Choice or freedom is a prerequisite of ethics or morality

Freedom and Moral Choice

Without freedom it is impossible to make a moral choice. If we are to have free will we
must have the ability to make a decision that is unhindered. Kant believed that we must have free
will if we are to be held morally responsible for our actions. If God did not give us free will then
our decisions cannot be considered immoral or moral as we would have had to act in the way we
did. Thus we cannot be held responsible; a good moral action cannot be praised as you had no
other option, whilst an immoral action cannot be punished as once again there was no free
choice. In other words, making moral choice is a necessary consequence for being free, a
consequence of being a human person. Because a human person has freedom, he/she has a
choice and so is responsible for the consequences of his/her choice. The lower forms of animals
have no choice since they are bound by instinct and so cannot be held responsible for their
behavior.
Moral choice is committing to act for what one believes is right and good. It is less about
what we know than about defining who we are.
Without freedom it is impossible to make a moral choice. If we are to have free will we
must have the ability to make a decision that unhindered. Kant believed that we must have free
will if we are to be held morally responsible for our actions. If God did not give us free will then
our decisions cannot be considered immoral or moral as we would have had to act in the way we
did. Thus we cannot be held responsible; a good moral action cannot be praised as you had no
other option, while an immoral action cannot be punished as once again there was no free choice.
In other words, making moral choice is a necessary consequence for being free, a consequence of
being a human person.
Because a human person has freedom, he/she has a choice and so is responsible for the
consequences his/her choice. The lower forms of animals have no choice since they are bound by
instinct and so cannot be held responsible for their behavior.

ELABORATE

(Do you know the song My Way? Sing or listen, and analyze) How does the song implies
in freedom or choice of human person?
EXPLAIN
Why only human beings can be ethical?

EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT

Answer the following questions:

 Explain why only human beings, not the brutes, can be ethical. (5pts)
 Determine what freedom/ choice have you encountered in life that made you happy or
grateful. Explain in 3 sentences. (5pts)
Lesson 6 – Culture: How It Defines Moral Behavior
The “absolute freedom” that the existentialist and phenomenologist are talking about
does not of course exist in vacuum. It exists in a world with all its spatio-temporal conditions, its
“facticity.” Facticity refers to the “givens” of our situation such as our language, our
environment. Our previous choices and our very selves in their function as in- itself constitute
our facticity. (Sartte, Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) That includes culture. In this
Lesson, we shall discuss culture and how it affects our definition of moral behavior.
OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES
  Define culture.
 Explain ways by which culture change.
 How culture shapes the moral agent.

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text

What is culture?
Culture “is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. This
consists of language, ideas, customs, moral, laws, taboos, institutions, tools, techniques, and
works of art, rituals and other capacities and habits acquired by a person as a member of
society.” (Taylor as quoted by Palispis, 1997)
Sociologist categorize culture into material and non-material culture. “Nonmaterial
culture consists of language, values, rules, knowledge, and meanings shared by members of
society. Material culture is the physical object that a society produces-tools, streets, homes and
toys, to name a few.” (Brinkenhoff, 1989).
Culture is passed on to the next generation by learning not through the genes or heredity.
“Culture” includes all human phenomena which are not purely results of human genetics.
(Kroeber et al, 1952)

Enculturation, Inculturation and Acculturation

Cultures change or evolve. There are various ways by which cultures change – by
enculturation, inculturation and by acculturation.
Enculturation, an anthropological term, was coined by J.M. Herskovits Margaret Mead
has, however, was the one who defined the term as “the process of learning a culture in all its
uniqueness and particularity”
Enculturation is a process of learning from infancy till death, the components of life in
one’s culture. The contents of this learning include both the material and non-material culture.
The latter refers to values while the former refers to tools such as a hoe mask. In the said
process of learning, a person grows into a culture, acquires competence in that culture and that
culture takes root in that person and becomes the cognitive map, the term of reference for
acting.
Inculturation refers to the “missiological process in which the Gospel is rooted in
particular culture and the latter is transformed by its introduction to Christianity.” Umoren, U.E.
(1992). Inculturation raises two related problems, that of the evangelization of cultures (rooting
the Gospel in cultures) and that of the cultural understanding of the Gospel. This means that
inculturation isnot an action but a process that unfolds over time, one that is active and based on
mutual recognition and dialogue, a critical mind and insight, faithfulness and conversion,
transformation and growth renewal and innovation.
Acculturation is the “cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by
adapting to or borrowing traits form another culture”. It is also explained as the merging of
cultures as a result of prolonged contact”. Immigrants to the United States of America become
acculturated to American life. Refugees and indigenous peoples (IP) likewise adapt to the culture
of the dominant majority. There are cultural practices that should be stopped because of the
painful harm they do.

How Culture Shapes the Moral Agent

Culture definitely affects the way we evaluate and judge things. Culture has a very long
lasting hold on an individual. A person may have become highly educated, may have even
obtained a doctorate degree, educated with Christian values of forgiveness, but if he comes from
a society with a culture of vengeance (“an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”) having the
sense of obligation to make an act of revenge when a member of his tribe has been killed or
harmed by another, he becomes ultimately vindictive and joins his tribe seeking revenge. No
amount of graduate education can prevent him from joining his tribe to seek revenge. He forgets
about his doctorate degree in Values Education.

ELABORATE

Marriage Practices – Give different marriage practices as a result of culture.

EXPLAIN
Ways by which culture change. How culture shapes the moral agent.

EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT

Answer the following questions:

1. Cite a behavior of yours which is an influence of your culture. Is that behavior morally
right? (5pts)
2. Does culture limit human person’s freedom? (5pts)

Lesson 7 – Cultural Relativism

After studying the meaning of culture, how it is learned and how it shapes moral
behavior, let us focus on cultural relativism, its meaning and its strengths and weaknesses.

OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Explain cultural relativism
 Cite the strength and weaknesses of cultural relativism
 EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text.

What is cultural relativism? First, relativism says “what is true for you, you is true for
you, and what is true for me is true for me.” Analogously, cultural relativism would say, “what
you believe, value or practice depends on you culture while what I believe, value and practice,
depends on my culture.” In other words, cultural relativism is “the idea that a person’s beliefs,
values, and practices should be understood based on that person’s own culture, rather than be
judged against the criteria of another.”
Cultural Relativism vs Cultural Perspective
However, what the cultural relativist fails to see is the difference between cultural
perspective and cultural relativism. A perspective is a standpoint or viewpoint of something.
Trying to understand one’s culture, having a perspective of one’s culture, is needed to understand
people. But it does not follow that morality must be based only on said culture.
Relativism in general breaks down when examined from a purely logical perspective.
The basic premise is that “truth is relative,” If every truth statement is valid, then the statement
“some truths are absolute” must valid. The statement “there are no absolute truths” is accurate,
according to relativism – but it is an absolute truth itself. These contradict the very concept of
relativism, meaning that absolute relativism is self-contradictory and impossible.
To have a cultural perspective is to understand people’s beliefs, values and practices I the
context of their culture. Having a perspective of one’s culture, is needed to understand people.
But it does not follow that morality must be based on said culture.

ELABORATE

Is there any danger posed by this thought: “What is true for me is true for me, and what is
true for you is true for you”?

EXPLAIN

Cultural relativism. How does cultural relativism differ from cultural perspective?

EVALUATION/QUIZ

Answer the following questions:

1. How does cultural relativism differ from cultural perspective? (5pts)
2. What is a strength of cultural relativism? Explain. (5pts)

Lesson 8 – The Filipino Character

After having learned that culture influences the human person as a moral agent of and
after having understood the meaning of culture relativism let us now examine the Filipino
character to determine which one does not help him/her grow in moral character.
OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Analyze crucial qualities of the Filipino moral identity
 Identify the weaknesses of the Filipino character
 Enumerate the strengths of the Filipino character

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text

The Filipino Character: Strengths and Weaknesses

The Strengths of the Filipino character are cited below.
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao: Opening yourself to others and feel one with others with dignity
and respect deal with them as fellow human beings. This means;
- sense of fairness and justice
- concern for others
- ability to empathize with others
- helpfulness and generosity
- practice of hospitality
- sensitive to other feelings and trust
2. Family Orientation: a genuine and deep love for family.
Examples:
- commitment and responsibility
- honor and respect
- generosity and sacrifice
- sense of trust and security
3. Hard Work and Industry : capacity for hard work given to raise one's standard living
of a decent life for one's family.
4. Faith and Religiosity : Faith in God - accepting reality to comprehend as a human
created by God. "Pampalakas-loob"

The Weaknesses of the Filipino character are cited below.

1. Extreme family centeredness – Excessive concern for family means using one’s office
and power to promote family interest and thus factionalism patronage, political dynasties
and the protection of erring family members. It results in lack of concerns for the
common good, and acts as a block to national consciousness.
2. 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.
3. Lack of discipline – A casual attitude toward time and space, manifested in lack of
precision and compulsiveness, in poor time management and procrastination. 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.
 4. Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality- Done by tsismis, intriga, unconstructive
criticism the lack of a sense of service among people on the government bureaucracy.
This results in the dampening of cooperative and community spirit and in the trampling
upon other’s rights.

These weaknesses are rooted in many factors: home, social and economic environment;
culture and language; history; religion; educational system; mass media; leadership and role
models. Change is possible, however, and the following goals are proposed to develop in the
Filipino: (1) a sense of patriotism and national pride; (2) a sense of the common good; (3) a
sense of integrity and accountability, (4) the values and habits of discipline and hard work; (5)
the value and habits of self-reflection and analysis; the internalization of spiritual values and the
emphasis on essence rather than on form. (Shahani, Leticia. (1998). A Moral Recovery
Program: Building a People, Building a Nation.)

EXPLAIN

Cite instances where 1) extreme family centeredness, 2) lack of discipline, 3) passivity and lack
of initiative, 4) colonial mentality, 5) kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality 6) lack of self-
analysis and self-reflection are manifested in Philippine society. When can we say that Filipino
has developed an integrated personality?

EVALUATION/QUIZ

Accomplish this Table. (20pts)

Filipino trait What is Positive about it What is negative about What should be done to
it make it a positive trait

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lesson 9 – Universal Values

After a lesson on cultural relativism and after a discussion on the Filipino strengths and
weaknesses, let us find out if there are universal values.
OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Identify universal values
 Explain why universal values are a necessity for human survival

EXPLORE: Read and Understand the Text

Are there universal values? Is honesty a universal value? Plato talked about the values or
virtues of temperance, courage. Jesus Christ preached the value of love from which springs
patience, kindness, goodwill, forgiveness, and compassion. Confucius taught righteousness,
human-heartedness, filial piety. Aristotle would say that they exist embodied in the concrete
individual as common or essential characteristic. St. Thomas agreed with them, but the
universals do not exist apart from the individual; they exist as universal features individuated,
instantiated in the individuals. Universals are immaterial and immutable, beyond (transcendent)
space and time, or spatio-temporal conditions.
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 NOT 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 you 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. Values are universalized because they can only be wished to be the values of all.

EXPLAIN
Why are universal values a necessity for human survival?

ELABORATE
Research, study and analyze the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the
period 2015-2030.

EVALUATION: Research/Assignment

Answer the following questions:

1. Enumerate the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the period 2015-2030. Study and
analyze them. (17pts)
2. Explain why universal values are a necessity for human survival. (3pts)

** END OF MODULE I **