LESSON 6: ETHICS AND CULTURE

ETHICS: ETHICS
PROFESSOR: Prof. Concepcion G. Regalado
UST-AMV College of Accountancy First Semester | A.Y. 2023 - 2024

FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE ○ As the cultural differences between members of a

● How are these words related to our understanding of subculture and the dominant national culture blur
“Culture”? and eventually disappear, the subculture ceases to
○ Learned, Gratifying, Responsive, Continuous, exist except as a group of people who claim a
Accumulative, Transmitted, Changing, Integrated, common ancestry.
Social, Shared, Linked with other society ● Third Layer: Cultural Universalis
○ Learned behavior patterns that are shared by all of
A DEFINITION OF “CULTURE” humanity collectively. No matter where people live
● It refers to that complex whole which includes in the world, they share these universal traits.
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a EXAMPLES OF UNIVERSAL CULTURAL TRAITS OF
member of society. - Edward Tylor HUMAN BEINGS
● Other Ideas About Culture ● Communicating with a verbal language, using limited
○ It refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, set of sounds and grammatical rules.
art and food. ● Using age and gender to classify people
○ For a Biologist ● Classifying people based on marriage and descent
■ Culture is a colony of bacteria or other relationships and having kinship terms to refer to
microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in them.
a laboratory Petri dish. ● Raising children in some sort of family setting
○ For Anthropologists and other behavioral ● Having rules to guide and regulate sexual behavior
scientists ● Distinguishing between good and bad behavior
■ Culture is the full range of learned human ● Having body ornamentation
behavior patterns ● Making jokes and playing games
○ Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is ● Having Art
a fragile phenomenon. ● Having leadership roles and models for
○ It is constantly changing and easily lost because it implementation of
exists only in our minds. ● Language, politics, and even values do not make sense
if they are not transmitted or communicated with
CORE LAYERS OF CULTURE others. Cultures necessitate….people.

FILIPINO CULTURE AND ETHICS

● Propriety (Hiya) vs. Troubled (Pagkabagabag)
● Pakikipagkapwa-tao vs. Pakikisama
● Personal Initiative vs. Duty/Obligations
● Family Solidarity vs. Universal Principle of Good

THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

STRENGTHS
Pakikipagkapwa-tao
Family Solidarity
Joy and Humour
LAYERS OF CULTURE
DENNIS O’NEILL Flexibility, adaptability and
creativity
● First: The body of cultural traditions that distinguish
Hard work and Industry
your specific society.
Lavishness, Outright display
○ Ex. Shared Language, Shared Traditions, Beliefs Hospitality
● Second: Subculture
○ Occurs in a complex, diverse societies in which Gender specific values
people have come from many different parts of the Faith and Religiosity
world, they often retain much of their original
Resiliency
cultural traditions.
WEAKNESSES
Extreme Personalism
Extreme Family
Centeredness
Lack of Discipline
Passivity and lack of
initiative
Colonial Mentality
of generosity
Stereotyping: Role-Gender
assignment
Kanya-kanya Syndrome
Lack of Self Analysis and
Self-Reflection

7 JLLA
 ASIANS AND WESTERNERS appealing to a principle of tolerance as a universal
norm.
ASIAN CULTURE WESTERN CULTURE ● Are they saying that the only absolute thing is there is
Collectivistic (community absolutely no absolutes?
Individualistic
and family)
Risk Avoidance Willing to take risks CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Asian men do not compete ● Take note, cultural differences are real but should not
directly against Asian Gender-free competition
be exaggerated.
women, and vice versa
● There is always a “value” behind cultural practices.
Attitude: Analytical and
Attitude: Holistic Views Practices may vary and in conflict to one another BUT
Detailed
Expresses one’s opinions the value behind the practices remain constant, thus
Suppresses one’s opinions
freely universally acceptable.
Time Orientation: Cyclical Time Orientation: Linear ● Always look for the higher principle that is present in
Stereotyping: Role-Gender different practices like justice.
Gender specific values
assignment ○
Faith and Religiosity Kanya-kanya Syndrome ○
Lack of Self Analysis and
Resiliency ○
Self-Reflection
○
○
THE CONCEPT OF TIME
●

● “How far is the market from your house?”

○ Filipino: 20 minutes away.
○ Westerners: 3 Km away

MORAL RELATIVISM
● The view that ethical standards, morality, and positions
of right or wrong are culturally based and therefore
subject to a person’s individual choice
● No universal moral truths since moral standards are
culture-bound

ARGUMENTS FOR CULTURAL RELATIVISM

● Different cultures have different moral codes.
● A culture’s moral code is right or correct relative to the
people of that culture.
● Therefore, there are no such things as universal moral
standards or objective truths in Ethics.

ARGUMENT AGAINST MORAL RELATIVISM

● Moral relativists are accused of inconsistently claiming
that there are no universal moral norms while

8 JLLA, TJMS