Filipino Culture and Morality

Cultural Relativism
Culture relativity is a concept that cultural norms and values must be
understood based on the culture he is adhered to. As the saying goes, “different
strokes for different folks” which simply means that if I am to understand a
situation the explanation must primary begin with my own culture. According to
William Graham Sumner, in his book entitled “Folkways” written in 1906 culture
can only be understood in its own value and content. Example is December 20 to
the Filipinos it is of value for it is Rizal Day but is worthless to the Americans and
Japanese. On the other hand, February 22 is Washington’s Birthday to the
Americans but of no value to the Filipinos or the Japanese. Same is true every
February 6 which is the Foundation of Japanese Empire but is just an ordinary day
to Filipino and American calendars. The example reflects the significance or
insignificance of these dates reflecting a national holiday to some and an ordinary
day to others. In the first place who is Jose Rizal to the Japanese and Americans
but he is adored in the Philippines. Conversely George Washington is just a face in
a one-dollar bills as far as Filipinos and Japanese are concerned but a revered
persona in America.
Ethics and Cultural Relativism
Before we delve into that let us define ethical relativism, it is the theory that
holds that morality is related to the tenets of his culture. Right or wrong a certain
belief that prevailed in a culture is shared by everyone. In a nutshell, everybody
thinks the same way considering that anyone who belongs to a certain society
subscribed to every norm they dictated. This is universality in a culture for as what
everyone believed, culture is shared by everyone and denial of their practices is a
pariah among their ranks. However not everyone shared their beliefs because blind
obedience denies man his fundamental right of his freedom of choice. With his free
will, he can decide what is right or wrong but he is aware if what his culture
dictates him what to obey. For example During the Second World War, NAZI
Germany believed that the extermination of Jews is the “final solution” that be akin
to ethnic cleansing. The dictates of their Fuehrer Adolf Hitler has to be taken in to
account by every German and is expected that every German must obey it to the
letter. But not all Germans believed in this among them was a German industrialist
and war profiteer Oscar Schindler who saved twelve thousand Jews from the
Auschwitz Concentration Camp to work in his metal factory. This proves that
ethical relativism is untrue. To discuss further, although Communist China Party
Chairman believed in the apogee of communism of human development and
abhorred western culture his successors believed otherwise among them were
Deng Xiaoping who even went to the US and begin China’s rise to
industrialization –the worst enemy of the communist/socialist ideology.
Filipino Psyche and morality
Being a nation of multi-cultural race, Filipinos are also cosmopolitan
that out hospitality extends to almost every nation in the world. Filipinos are a
happy people that are known for their hospitality, subtleness, patient and fun-
loving, Despite coming from the third world country, personal and family honor
are given priority if given a choice. The value education highly that poverty is not
an excuse to get scholastic degree. At an early age Filipinos consider shame as he
worst among the negative trait they avoid they value dignity as an important value
in life that they cannot live in a society that consider them as outcast. Spanish an
American colonial rule that lasted for more than four centuries are the major
ingredients in the Filipino psyche.
Comparing Filipinos to other Asian nations they are generally more easy-
going than their Asian counterpart. In a study conducted by the Hong Kong based
Political an Economic Risk Constituency (PERC) the Filipinos are “the easiest
people in Asia to get along with.” Being a happy people that is understandable. In
the 2006 Happy Plant Index (HPI), the Philippines ranked 17th out of 178 countries
with the progressive United States at 150. This means to show that materialism is
not a primary source of Filipino happiness. In a study conducted by Howard, he
described Filipinos as nice, cheerful and open people, everyone is welcomed even
social misfits being the most nonjugdemental and the least racist country in Asia.
Filipino negative traits in an article written by Alisa Krutovsky mentioned that
Filipinos have colonial mentality and are often tardy during appointments.