UNIT 5: THE CHALLENGES OF PLURALISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM:

THE SEARCH FOR UNIVERSAL VALUES

TOPIC 1: GLOBALIZATION AND ITS MORAL REPERCUSSIONS

Introduction
“Globalization is the spread of products, technology, information, and jobs across national
borders and cultures. In economic terms, it describes an interdependence of nations
around the globe fostered through free trade” (www.investopedia.com). Quite similar to
the introduction of innovations thought to bring changes especially in the sense of
progress, globalization has its own advantages and disadvantages. On the upside, it is a
“cure” to the maladies many societies around the world are living with – poverty,
backwardness or poor technology, unstable economy and unemployment. On the
downside, it is a curse to budding local economies, tranquility and to socio-cultural
balance.

Globalization needs to be managed wisely. If we can, we must maximize the benefits that
it can offer us and reduce its ill effects. The challenge for Filipinos is to assess how
globalization works and how it can influence us positively or negatively. The presentation
below discusses the pros and cons of globalization. The topic will help us to be more
critical about it so that we can avoid becoming victims of the subtle invasion that goes
with it in the guise of generous economic benefits.

What is globalization?
It is the process of integration among the people, companies and governments of different
nations. A process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information
technology. In the Philippines, we have long welcome globalization as attested by history.
We have been trading with other countries earlier in our history, as evidenced by the jars
of foreign origin as part of archaeological findings. In the Acapulco trade, the Philippines
was instrumental as well as in the Galleon trade during the Spanish colonization.
Globalized practice is not new. It was called in early years of merchantism. Those
practices can have effect culturally, on the physical aspects, and that is where morality
comes in. Effects may be good or bad. Development could come to a country, plants and
factories are placed but they could have hazards to physical health. Example, in Boracay
cultural effects are now evident. Natives were driven away resulting to displacement. Not
to mention the placing of Boracay under rehabilitation because of lack of planning at the
height of the booming of the tourist industry in the area. The same thing is true to Baguio
where more Koreans are occupying the area, displacing the natives of the place.
Globalization is a complicated issue. It is necessary to evaluate the pros and cons before
drawing any conclusions.

Pros (short for in favor) of globalization

 Free trade. It is the reduction of barriers like tariffs, value added taxes, subsidies
and other barriers between nations.
 Competition can drive prices down and can also create more employment
opportunities.
 Provide infusion of foreign capital. It creates an atmosphere in which human rights
may flourish as recognized by foreign investors. An example of this is the creation
of BHRAO (in the barangay level).
 Creates world market for companies and consumers to have access to products
of different countries.
 Gradually, there is world power being created.
 There will be more influx of information.
 There is cultural intermingling and each country learning more about the other
culture, thus promoting cultural superiority.
 Since we share financial interests, corporations and governments are trying to sort
out ecological problems for each other.
 Socially, we have become more open and tolerant and people who live in the other
parts of the world are not considered aliens.
 It guarantees speedy travel, more and better communication and quick
dissemination of information through the internet.
  Labor can move from country to country to market skills.
 Sharing technology can lead to progress.
 Transnational companies install plants in other countries providing them
employment and getting them out of poverty.

Cons (short for contra) of globalization

 Complaints are present. The rich becoming richer and the poor, poorer. And this
has created a “hell for the worker.”
 There are still many barriers.
 Resulted to cheapest labor.
 Multinationals avoid taxes. They lose sight of what is good for our laborers.
 Threats of corporate powers ruling the world.
 Not working for the world. The situation has worsened. There is wider gap between
the rich and the poor.
 Leads to infusion of communicable diseases – HIV/AIDS.
 Leads to exploitation of labor, including child labor.

Summary
The presentation of the advantages and disadvantages of globalization is not exhaustive
but it has enough elements that can help initiate further reflection on the topic. It is a
challenge for each Filipino and as nation in order to transform its effects into opportunities
for our economic well-being and better understanding of our identity as Filipinos.

Let us not forget that if it intends to help Filipinos build stronger and advanced technology
to produce more, we are in the first place a nation of more than one hundred million and
that makes us an incredibly attractive market for multinationals and a source of cheap
labor at the same time. It does not mean that we should turn our back to globalization
since it is a global reality, but we should know how to deal with it. It offers a lot of
opportunities but protecting our integrity will be to our best interest.
 TOPIC 2: RELATION BETWEEN ETHICS AND RELIGION

Introduction
One of the questions in ethics is the attempt to determine the relationship between religion
and ethics. The question that people ask is about the nature of this relationship. Or, is
there at all a relationship between the two? Furthermore, which between the two takes
precedence if one has to take a stance or make a decision concerning certain issues
regarding the right behavior, the do’s and don’ts, about food and a long list of queries.

People have a special curiosity for religion that somehow must be offered some degree
of satisfaction. It is not the intention, of course, of the present topic to prove which among
the religions is the correct and true one. The subject is not about the presentation of any
infallible dogma to prove which of the religions should be recognized to be the true one
as mentioned earlier. It is what many intend to do in the attempt to proselytize or attract
potential followers in their faith. But the topic highlights rather the interdependence of
religion and ethics. As a consequence, the understanding of the nature of this relationship
may lead one to become a more committed faithful and a more responsible and
conscientious moral agent.

What is religion?
Religion is born from a charismatic experience. It is a mysterious experience and the
person asks people to identify the experience. They share it and gather together to
celebrate the experience and as a result, there are more people caring for one another.
From this experience, the church is an institution or a group of people assembling together.
This gathering together becomes the eklesia. Then, it becomes bigger or global. But it
splits into sects. A sect also has the potentiality to become bigger. The sect becomes part
of the society but it is only one part of the society and not the society.

Religion can be a veritable instrument in the transformation of people’s lives that includes
change in one’s attitude toward the self, other people, about life and its meaning. The
religious experience is so powerful that it gives people a different perspective about the
human experience in terms of the acceptance of pain and suffering and believing that
ultimately our sacrifices are not futile but that it has a purpose and meaning. Despite
therefore all the odds, people continue to strive to be good and do what is moral, cling to
what is acceptable and desirable. The religious experience is thus given admirable
expression in the realm of morality or ethics. What they live is what one ought to do
propelled by that powerful religious experience.

According to Durkheim, it has to participate in the society. In that society, the church
teaches spirituality and morality. The relation is found here. Religion precedes ethics.
Religion gives religious teachings to be put into the domain of ethics. Religion is the bigger
word and ethics is the smaller one. Religion gives you the venue to practice ethics.
Doctrine has to be seen in concrete practice in the day to day existence of the members.
Religion succeeds ethics. Ethics would call you to do what is good than evil. If you do that
often, it leads to religiosity. It is active habit. And both religion and ethics could lead to
axiology or values related to actions. Also, both could lead to spirituality and a certain
lifestyle. Finally, religious doctrines are guides to ethical decisions.

Summary
Bulaong Jr. et al. (2018) warns people that there is a need for a critical mind in matters of
our religious belief. He suggested that people should make a distinction between religion
and the religious leader. He warned that there is a danger of mixing the two; that people
identify the leader with the religion. This attitude, accordingly, could lead to the
unquestionable acceptance of whatever the religious leader say, that their words and
themselves have become infallible as they are supposed to represent what they believe
in. In matters of interpreting the word of God, it does not necessarily mean that the
interpretation of the religious leader is beyond question. As the religious leader remains
to be human, he or she continues to be prone to misunderstand and misinterpret religious
texts like the bible. The religious community in this case, is not only being guided by the
religious leader but it also serves to guide the religious leader.
 TOPIC 3: ETHICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Introduction
Environmental Ethics is a philosophical discipline that considers the moral and ethical
relationship of human beings to the environment. This therefore helps define man’s moral
and ethical obligations toward the environment. All human activities involving the
environment speak of human values.

Human values refer to what man considers important which will guide him in making
decisions and in doing actions. Thus what man does to his environment is what he
considers important. Say, if wealth to him is most important, then he will capitalize on
what the environment can provide him. This would mean cutting of trees for lumber
business, mining, slash and burn techniques, and others. The very rapid development
and technological advancement has done a lot of environmental degradation or depletion
which demands deliberate human decision. Thus, in the succeeding topic you are
expected to draw insights that will lead you to become better stewards of the environment.

Humans as stewards of the earth

Our ancestors were all born into a planet that that everything they needed. The resources
were all abundant. Their ingenuity and intelligence allowed them to make use of these
resources. As time passed, people simply built up and improved the things they created
and began to make use of even more resources. The improvement of health care and
medicine and the increase in the longevity of the human lifespan made it possible for
humans to populate the Earth at a very rapid pace. The increase in the number of people
also meant an increase in the resources needed. We have lived like the resources in the
Earth were limitless. Now, we are facing the consequences of our choices. It has only
been during these present generations that people all over the globe experience
shortages of water, oil and other indispensable materials we need to survive. This has
created the urgency to value and safeguard nature’s gifts. It is therefore imperative to
generate innovative ideas and ways for humans to practice that can salvage the
destruction of the earth and the depletion of natural resources. For instance, as humans
cut trees for any purpose, they must also plant to replace those cut trees. All of us have
been witnesses or victims of the super typhoons like Yolanda, Lawin, and Ompong which
have greatly damaged almost all parts of the country. From here, the need to plant more
trees are the number one way of helping achieve an ecological balance.

Another way is the conscientious practice of the Seven R’s in environmental

Management . These are: Refuse, Reduce , Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Regift, Rethink.

Reduce Waste
 Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft
reports and by making training manuals and personnel information available
electronically.
 Refuse- Improve product design to use non-plastic materials.
 Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength

Reuse
 Reuse office furniture and supplies, such as interoffice envelopes, file folders, and
paper.
 Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, cups, and glasses.
 Use incoming packaging materials for outgoing shipments.

Regift – You may donate/exchange:

 Old books
 Old clothes
 Old computers
 Excess building materials
 Old equipment to local organizations

Rethink – Conduct outreach programs adopting an ecologically sound waste

management system which includes:
 Waste reduction
  Segregation at source
 Composting
 Recycling and Re-use

Recycle: plastic bottles can be used as garden decorations or woven as baskets or bags
while used bottles can be cleaned and sanitized and can be used in different ways.

Effects of waste on animals and aquatic life

 Increase in mercury level in fish due to disposal of mercury in the rivers.
 Plastic found in oceans ingested by birds.

Effect of waste on the environment

 Waste breaks down in landfills to form methane, a potent greenhouse gas
 Change in climate and destruction of ozone layer due to waste biodegradable
 Littering, due to waste pollutions, illegal dumping
 Leaching: is a process by which solid waste enter soil and ground water and
contaminating them.

The effects of food waste

According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (2009), it is estimated that food
wasted by the US and Europe could feed the world three times over. Food waste
contributes to excess consumption of freshwater and fossil fuels which, along with
methane and CO2 emissions from decomposing food, impacts global climate change.
Every ton of food waste prevented has the potential to save 4.2 tons of CO2 equivalent.
If we all stop wasting food that could have been eaten, the CO 2 impact would be the
equivalent of taking one in four cars off the road.

As these realizations awaken us, let us conserve and safeguard our natural resources. In
some cities in the Philippines as Metro Manila, Davao, Cebu, Baguio, Tuguegarao City
etcetera, where heavy industrialization and tremendous proliferation of automobiles
pollute the environment so badly, people even find difficulty of breathing. Pollution is a
very serious problem that needs urgent solution.

How does industrialization and globalization harm the environment and morality ?
Industrialization and advancement of technology may be advantageous, but let us not
forget that everything we do to nature has an effect which can either damage or improve.
There is always a corresponding price that we need to pay. In a way, nature will bring
back to us what we truly deserve. If we take good care of it, nature will give us gifts, but
if we abuse and bring damage to it, nature has its own way to retaliate against what we
have done. While it is true that humans are rational beings and they have dominion over
all creations, they have to relate to nature with passion and just as humans benefit from
nature in various ways, nature should never be abused or seriously destroyed and
endangered. This should be considered for the sake of our children’s children and the
next generations to come.

What industrial products and processes have harmed the natural resources like the air,
water and land? Pollution, destruction of the ozone layer, climate change, El Niño and La
Niña, flashfloods, soil erosion, accretion, sedimentation, and siltation are some of the
harmful effects of industrialization.

Summary
Industrialization has both advantages and disadvantages to the natural environment. If
only humans are cautious and responsible enough to use and take care of the
environment, the harmful effects of human activities could be avoided. The practices of
7R’s could be the innovative ways to preserve the environment and mitigate the
destruction done in the environment.