Values ED

LESSON 1 - DIGNITY
 Motivation to inspire & encourage children to leave the streets permanently
 Humanization to teach basic human habits in personal hygiene, table manners, discipline and
orderliness
 Direction Setting to help street children cope with hurts, pains and physchological traumas
 Capacity Building to prepare them for a goal setting, suitability, and capability for academic
and/or vocational-technology skills training.
 Pre- integration to prepare them for the world of work through on-the-job training (OJT) or
apprenticeship
 Reintegration to help them enter the world of work and resettlement

Dignity – An Innate Value

 Dignity comes from the Latin word “dignitas”: worthy.

 “innate” means …
- existing in, belonging to, or determined by factors present in an individual from birth
- Belonging to the essential nature of something.
 “Dignity is an innate value” all human beings are worthy of honor and respect.
- Allows us to realize that every human being should not be deprived of his dignity &
humanity in the pursuit of self-interested material wealth.

LESSON 2- VOLUNTEERISM OF HUMAN ACTS

 These charitable works are examples of the numerous kind gestures done by people.
 Random acts of kindness are proof that human beings are capable of showing compassion to
those who are in need of help.
 These actions are done voluntarily, with full knowledge and free will.

HUMAN ACT (St. Thomas Aquinas)

 An act which proceeds from the knowledge of the intellect and the free decision of the human
will.
 It should be based on reason.
 This reason is composed of 2 powers:
1. Cognitive power- the intellect which permits humans to know and
understand.
2. Appetitive power- refers to the will; the native desire for the understood
good.
 Human act- an act that is done freely and with full knowledge.
 Human act responds to do what is good
 The goal of human act is happiness.
 Happiness is understood in terms of perfection and well-being.

HUMAN ACT vs ACTS OF MAN

 - Human acts are based on adequate knowledge and freedom
- Acts of man can be done without reason and will

Acts of Man- are not controlled by the will and does not require understanding (digestion, growth,
respiration)

DETERMINANTS OF HUMAN ACT

In order for a human act to be justified as good or evil, it has to be subjected to

3 essential factors:
1. OBJECT or NATURE of the act
- Refers to the thing with which the action is principally involved
- Example: helping an old woman, telling the truth, defending the rights of a person
*In order to make human act good, the object or nature of the act must also be good.

2. INTENTION
- Refers to the end or purpose
*In order for a human act to qualify as good, the agent or person doing the act must have a good
intention.

3. The CIRCUMSTANCES
 The event, place, time or occasion in which the person is involved
 These may influence the goodness or wrongfulness of a human act.

VALUING A VIRTUE: KINDNESS

*We show kindness when we display a pleasant disposition and concern for other people.
- ARISTOTLE defined kindness as a virtue of being helpful toward someone in need.

*A genuine act of kindness does not ask anything in return.

*It is an example of human act since the helper is fully aware of the situation and does something out of
his will.

Lesson 3: DECISION MAKING PROCESS

- In making a decision, what factors influence your choice of action?
- How can you determine the righteousness of your decision?
 Decision-making is a process which uses mental reasoning.
 The intellect allows the decision-maker to examine different alternatives before committing to a
certain course
 of action
 Decisions are also based on the values of the person.

DECISION- MAKING BASED ON 3 PERSPECTIVES

1. PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
decisions are based on a set of needs, preferences and values that the person has.
 Example: a young boy was taught by his parents to be respectful to elders
Every time he will see his grandparents, he would immediately greet and kiss them, and say
“mano po”.
2. COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE- refers to the process of decision-making in relation to the
environment
Example: when his parents ask him to greet and talk to his elders, the young boy obeys
his parents as a response to them.
3. NORMATIVE PERSPECTIVE- refers to the logic of decision-making. It deals with the rationality
behind the choice made by the person.
Example: The young boy may reason out and ask:
“Do I have to greet my grandparents?
“What if I don’t want to be interrupted while playing mobile games? “
“What will my parents do if I will not greet them?”
“How will my grandparents feel if I will greet and talk to them?”

DECISION-MAKING TECHNIQUES

A. GROUP DECISION-MAKING

1. Consensus decision-making – requires the approval of the majority.

2. Voting-based methods
a) each alternative is given a score and then all the scores are averaged. The alternative with
the highest
average will be chosen.
b) Majority voting- requires the vote of more than 50% of the members.
c) Plurality- the largest block in a group decides even though they are less in number.

B. INDIVIDUAL DECISION-MAKING

a. Pros and cons – listing of the advantages and disadvantages then choose the alternative
with the most
positive attributes.
b. Simple prioritization- then choosing an option based on its usefulness and value. The most
useful and
valuable alternative is the best choice.
c. Satisficing- examining the alternatives and choose one that is satisfactory.
d. Elimination process- eliminating the alternatives that has less impact and choose the best
option left. (Amos Tversky)
e. Preference list – listing available options and compare them using a hierarchical system
from the least to most important. (Tversky & Sattach,1979)
f. Based on authority – option is based on the orders of an authority.
g. Divination – using tarot cards, astrology, signs and symbols in order to arrive at a decision.
This does not assure that the decision is correct.
h. Participative decision-making – sharing one’s decision to a group then ask additional input
to arrive at the best possible decision.

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

(Ethics Research Center of Virginia, USA – 6 step decision-making process

1. Define the problem – awareness of the problem is a fundamental step in making a decision to
have a
motivation to act and seek for the right solution.
2. Identify available alternatives that can solve the problem- decision process becomes easier if
alternatives
are limited to 2 or 3 alternatives.
3. Evaluate the identified alternatives – looking at the positive and negative attributes of each
alternative and
carefully examine possible consequences of each option.
4. Make the decision – select the best alternative or consult the team and choose the best option
5. Implement the decision – a decision only counts when is acted upon.
“There are no more prizes for predicting rain; there are only prizes for building arks” – Lou
Gerstner- former
CEO of IBM
6. Evaluate the decision- assess if the decision made is correct by evaluating the results.

LESSON 4: THE EXERCISE OF AUTHENTIC HUMAN ACT

HUMAN EXPERIENCE: “BAKWIT” SCHOOLS OF LUMAD
HUMAN ACTS VS ACTS OF MAN - elements and modifiers
Human Acts – come from the premeditated free will of man
 Man, freely chooses and does an act
 He has full knowledge and responsibility for such actions
ELEMENTS that need to be in a Human act
- Knowledge - Freedom - Voluntariness

ACTS OF MAN – are actions that are done without full knowledge.
 The person may be ignorant of the act
 Action is done because of fear or violence
 The person was forced to do the act
[Elements] Acts of man are actions done because of…
- Ignorance - passion - fear - violence or habits

HUMANITARIAN ACTS – are acts or practices that deal with saving the lives of people and alleviating
poverty and suffering in the society.
 It can be done in various scales,
 Organized groups come together to help provide assistance to the poor, hunger and the
needy.

1. LARGE SCALE EFFORTS

 a. Doctors without Borders volunteered doctors
b. Big Help initiative of nickelodeon by using children to give their help
c. Save the children organization w/c helps needy children
d. Catholic relief services provide people with useful needs. [ex. GAWAD KALINGA]
e. Action Against Hunger provides natural food like the country of Africa, an internal
group that reaches out to underprivileged communities and helps them to recreate a
better society.

2. LOCAL EFFORTS [Non-governmental Organizations]

a. Bahay Bata Center institution that takes care of abused children, orphans or youth.
Their main goal is to provide home, education, & spiritual guidance for them to have a
better future.
b. Buklod center an NGO that helps women and teenagers that escaped from
prostitution.
c. KAISA, Inc. for those who have disabilities (PWD’s), parish outreach in Malate, Manila
d. Lumina Intervention Center an NGO that help special children

VALUING A VIRTUE: SERVICE

Service
- refers to a set of actions or solutions that are put in place or are performed to provide a
repeatable and consistent set of outcomes, deliverables and performance for people,
organizations and systems that represent consumers and beneficiaries of such results.
- intimately linked with humanitarian act

 In serving other people, we must have the right recipient and intention as well as proper
circumstance for it to be authentic.
 When we serve, we must truly care for the needy, allocate enough time for them and have
unswerving dedication.

“PHILANTHROPY”
- Comes from Latin word “philantropia” – means kindness, humanity, benevolence, and love of
mankind.
 It is used to describe an act that manifests love for humanity.