CULTURE
- A complex phenomenon. Karl Marx
- It contains nearly all aspects of shared
human experienced.
- Human beings learned to modify
behaviors to match that which their
cultural group deemed acceptable.
However, not all is well with culture’s power
and control over people. Plato worried about
the idols and ideologies of his day, and
especially about the power of the public to
corrupt a young person’s mind.
In a memorable passage in The Republic,
Plato warned:
“whenever the populace crowds together at any
public gathering, in the assembly, the law-
courts, the theater, or the camp, and sits there
clamoring it’s approval and disapproval, both
alike excessive, of whatever is being said or
done; booing and clapping till the rocks ring and
the whole palace redoubles the noice of their
applause and outcries. In such scene, what do
you suppose will be a young man’s state of
mind? What sort of private instruction will have
given him the strength to hold out against the
force of such torrent, or will save him from
being swept away down the stream, until he
accepts all their notions of right and wrong,
does as they do, and comes to be just such a
man as they are. And I have said nothing of the
most powerful engines of persuasion which the
masters in this school of wisdom bring to bear
when words have no effect. As you know, they
punish the recalcitrant with disenfranchisement,
fines and death”
EMILY DURKHEIM (Father of Sociology) –
Culture has the power over individuals to create
beliefs, such as belief in God.; more people
holding the same beliefs, social order is also
strengthened.
EDWARD TYLOR (Father of Cultural
Anthropology) – In general, culture is the way
of life of a group of people that “includes their
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs,
and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of society.
- Philosopher and father of communism.
- The power and control on people also
did not sit well.
- “Culture is served to justify inequality
because the ruling class determines
what is right and what is wrong while
the rest merely follow”
- As a major contributor to conflict
theory, Karl Marx argued that culture
served to justify inequality.
- The ruling class or the bourgeoisie
produce a culture that promotes their
interests, while repressing the interest
of the proletariat.
ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
Symbols
- Can be anything that a group of people
find meaningful.
- Example, cross is a symbol for
christianity
Language
- Is a complex symbol system that
enabled human beings to communicate
either verbally or through writing.
Beliefs
- Are assumptions or convictions held to
be true by an individual or a group of
people.
- These assumptions/convictions could
be about events to spirits and gods.
- “Superstitious beliefs”
Values
- Are culturally acceptable standards of
behavior. It is what a person considers
important or beneficial in life.
Norm
- Is an informal guideline by a particular
group of people or social unit about
what is considered normal or
correct/incorrect social behavior.
- Filipino trait called pakikisama
The Republic cited three critical elements that
jointly influence the human person’s moral
development
1. Native traits (or what we might call
genetic characteristics)
2. Early Childhood experience
3. One’s cultural surroundings
Plato implied that if a person’s cultural
surroundings reward conformity to agreeable
norms it would lead the person to behave much
better and quell undesirable conduct.
Plato also expressed that the power of culture
over an individual is more potent in children
because they do not have pre-existing values.
The child’s cultural surroundings create this
values and dispositions.
Plato insisted that a child’s cultural
surroundings should “express the image of a
noble character”
Franz Boaz
- German-American Anthropologist
- First articulate this in 1887
“…civilization is not something absolute,
but … is relative, and our ideas and
conceptions are true only so far as our
civilization goes”
Cultural Relativism
- The first to use the term “cultural
relativism” was a philosopher and social
theorist Alain Locke in 1924.
- Explains why one behavior or practice is
completely acceptable by a particular
group of people, while it is taboo in
another.
- It refers to the idea that values,
knowledge, and behavior of people
must be understood within its own
cultural context, and not by the
standards of other cultures.
- All moral and ethical standards is valid
and there is not “one” standard that is
“better” among all others.
Dr. James Rachels (1941-2003)
- Philosopher and university professor
- In his book The Elements of Moral
Philosophy, laid out five claims of
cultural relativists as why to right or
wrong is only matter of cultural
standards.
1. Different societies have different moral
codes.
2. The moral code of a society determines
what is right or wrong. There is no
objective standard considered better
than others.
3. There are no universal moral truths.
4. The moral code of a particular society
has no special status. It is but one
among many.
5. It is arrogant for one culture to judge
another culture.
The Advantages of Cultural Relativism
1. It warns us from assuming that our
preferences are the absolute rational
standard.
2. It teaches us to keep an open mind and
to be more amenable in discovering the
truth.
Cultural relativism makes us understand that
what we think as truth may actually be just the
result of cultural relativism.
Dangers of Cultural Relativism
1. We cannot call out societal practices
that promote harm.
2. We cannot justifiably criticize our own
culture’s harmful practices.
3. The idea of social progress becomes
doubtful.
The three universal values shared by all 7. The economic environment
cultures are: - Some filipinos are rooted in our
economic environment
1. Caring for the young - This hard life drove filipinos to work
2. Murder is wrong hard and take risks, such us leaving
3. Tell the truth family to work abroad.
- This further developed our ability to
The theoretical point here is that survive.
“There are some moral rules that all societies 8. The political environment
will have in common, because those rules are - Political environment and government
necessary for society to survive” structures and systems are fraught with
problems.
Qualities of the Filipino Moral Identity - The economic and political
environments are among the elements
Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan that developed the culture of
- Psychologist corruption in the Philippines.
- Former chairperson of CHED 9. Mass media
- Wrote the strengths and weaknesses of - Reinforce our colonial mentality
the Filipino character are rooted in 10. Leadership and role models.
factors such as: - Filipinos highly respect authority, we
lean on our leaders and role models.
1. The Home Environment
- Filipino children are taught to value
family and give it primary importance
2. The social environment
- The Filipino social environment is
characterized by depending on one
another to survive.
3. Culture and Language
- Depict openness to foreign elements
with no basic consciousness of our
cultural core.
4. History
- Regarded as the culprit behind our
colonial mentality.
5. The educational system
- Instrumental in molding the strengths
and weaknesses of the filipino
character.
- Schools are highly authoritarian
6. Religion
- Taught us optimism and resilience.
- It is also instilled in us fatalistic attitude
- This reinforced our being passive and a
conformist.
Strengths of the Filipino character
The strong aspects of filipino character are:
1. Pakikipagkapwa tao
- Demonstrated in the filipino’s
openness, helpfulness, and generosity;
- In the practice of bayanihan, or mutual
assistance; and the famous filipino
hospitality.
2. Family orientation
- Filipinos also possess a genuine love for
family. This love is not just for one
spouse and children but also to parents,
grandparents, aunts, uncles and
cousins, and even to ceremonial
relatives.
- This strong family orientation gave
filipinos a sense of belonging and
security.
3. Joy and Humor
- This pleasant disposition contributed to
our ability to overcome life’s changes.
4. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity
- Filipinos are tremendous in adjusting
and adapting to any circumstances.
- We can improvise and make use of
whatever is at hand to create and
produce.
- Reasons why many Filipinos thrive in
various parts of the world.
5. Hard work and industry
- This trait is most noticeable in our
willingness to take risks and work in
other countries.
6. Faith and religiosity
- This can be related to bahala na
mindset.
- There is actually a positive side to this
fatalistic trait.
- The bahala na attitude could serve as a
“kickstarter” or a “pampalakas loob” to
move him or her into action.
7. Ability to survive
- All these positive filipino traits
mentioned contribute to our ability to
survive.
Weaknesses of the Filipino Character
This enables the filipinos to identify the areas
that need improvement in order to grow and
develop as a person.
1. Extreme Personalism
- We find it difficult to separate objective
tasks and emotional involvement.
- Filipinos wants to get special treatment
and will always look for “inside
connections” in most of her transaction.
- Is another element that led to the
prevalence of graft and corruption in
the country.
2. Extreme family centeredness
- Is manifested in our political system
where political dynasties lord over our
elected governments posts starting
from the barangay level all the way up
to the national positions.
3. Lack of discipline
- Characterized by our idiomatic
expression “ningas cogon”.
4. Passitivity and lack of initiative
- There is strong reliance on leaders and
government to solve the nation’s
problems but filipinos also do not feel
the need to initiate or contribute to the
solution.
5. Colonial mentality
6. Kanya kanya syndrome
- Filipino traits of extreme personalism
and extreme family centeredness.
- Dampened our sense of community and
cooperation – and we trample on each
other’s rights as a result.
- The expression of CRAB MENTALITY,
where we tend to pull others down to
climb up, exemplify the kanya kanya
syndrome.
7. Lack of self analysis and self reflection
- “madaling makalimot”
Moral character as disposition
- Are those dispositions or the tendency
to act or to think in a particular way for
which a person can be held morally
resposible.
- Moral character traits are rational,
informed, stable, and reliable
dispositions.
CONFUCIAN TRADITIONS – moral development
was attributed to “four beginnings” which were
considered as seeds of human personality that
will naturally unfold to become human
activities. Personality in Confucian perception
meant – an achieved state of moral excellence.
For Western understanding, when the four
beginnings are put together, “pre-self” or
“potential self” (Klemme, WEB)
1. The heart of compassion, which
leads to Jen – goodwill, sympathy
towards others, and generosity.
2. The heart of righteousness, which
leads to Yi – righteousness and the
respect of duty, that is, respect your
position as guardian toward nature
and humanity.
3. The heart of propriety, which leads
to Li – deals with outward behavior
such as etiquette, customs, and
rituals.
4. The heart of wisdom, which leads to
Zhi – wisdom, and this wisdom is a
product of practicing Jen, Yi, and Li
in one’s life.
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG
- a 20th century developmental
psychologist and moral philosopher.
- When he was the director of Harvard’s
Center for Moral Education, Kohlberg’s
research focused on the moral
development of children particularly on
how they develop a sense of what is
right or wrong, as well as justice. He
observed that children move through
what he believed as definite stages of
moral development.
KOHLBERG’S THEORY
- studied morality using a very
interesting technique. His theory holds
that moral reasoning, which is the basis
for ethical behavior, has identifiable
development stages and each become
more adequate at responding
to moral dilemmas as the person progresses
from one stage to the next. The process of
moral development was principally concerned
with justice, and that the process goes on
throughout the individual’s lifetime.
LEVEL I: Pre-Conventional Morality –
judgement at this level is solely focused on the
self.
STAGE 1: Punishment-Obedience Orientation
- also called the “pre-moral” stage where
decisions and actions are determined
by immediate physical consequence
and not the true moral value. The goal
is to avoid punishment.
STAGE 2: Reward Orientation
- As children grow older, they begin to
see that there is actually room for
negotiation because other people have
their own goals to meet and wants that
must be satisfied too. Children learn to
behave in a manner based on the
principle “What’s in it for me?”
LEVEL II: Conventional Morality – This level of
moral reasoning is typical of adolescents and
adults. Conventional Morality is to reason in a
conventional (something that is generally
accepted) manner. It is accepting the rules and
standards of one’s group. The focus on this level
is the “significant others” or “Tyranny of the
They”
STAGE 3: Good Boy/Good Girl Orientation
- at this stage, the children try to seek
approval from other people by living up
to their expectations. He/She also now
understands the concept of loyalty,
trust, and gratitude as well as become
interested in motives and intentions
behind a particular decision or action.
Ex. children understand and live by the
Golden Rule.
STAGE 4: Authority Orientation
- individuals have reached adulthood
and they usually consider society as a
whole when making judgments. The
focus in this stage, is following the
rules, maintaining law and order, doing
one’s duty, and respecting authority.
LEVEL III: Post Conventional –
also known as “principled level” It is marked by
a growing realization that people are unique
and are an independent part of the society. At
this level, a person does not see rules and laws
as absolute or beyond question, but a
changeable mechanism. Post conventional
individuals view rules and laws to be important
in maintaining peace and order but it only
serves as a guide that needs to be weighted
against personal principles and beliefs to uphold
one’s human rights.
STAGE 5: Social Contract Orientation –
- individual is aware that much of what is
considered to be moral or good is
mainly based on personal beliefs as well
as on the social group they belong to
and that only a very few of the known
fundamental values are actually
universal. The person at this level
understands that the world holds
different opinions, right, views, and
values; thus different views should be
mutually respected. Ex. Democratic
form of government.
STAGE 6: Ethical – Principle Orientation
- At this point, social contract takes a
clear back seat and the person makes a
personal commitment to uphold
universal principles of equal rights and
respect. At this stage, an individual is
already has a principled conscience; and
will follow universal, ethical principles
regardless of what the laws or the rules
say. Judgment here is based on abstract
reasoning such as being able to put
oneself in other people’s shoes.
Aristotle
- Believe that human have essence
- He called this essence proper
functioning where everything has a
function and the thing that performs as
intended is called good when it able to
fulfill this function.
- The principle of being virtuous is called
the “doctrine of the golden mean”- that
moral behavior is the one that is in the
middle of two behaviors.
Temperance is the golden mean between
gluttony and starvation.
The virtuous man- is the kind of man who is
able to satisfy both inclinations and rational
desires because his/her inclinations and desires
are aligned.
Eudaimonia can be translated as
“happiness”,”well-being” or the “good life” and
that this is the goal of human life.