UNDERSTANDING THE SELF – LESSON 1

PHILOSOPHERS
 PLATO – “Know thy self”
 Greek – Psuche (psoo-chee)
 Philosophers are task to examine and explain the structure, ac vity and complexity of the self.
Their approach was rather abstract and quite limited in its apprecia on of the complex workings of
human nature.

MODERN THINKERS
 Mind
 birth of modern sciences
 New science now call this undertakings psychology

Psychology – is the study of the self and all its components

❖Main concern of psychology - emo ons, intelligence, ap tude, stress level and mental health

SELF AND PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS

 It was pointed out that philosopher’s task was on theorizing about the self. Provided the
founda ons of understanding the intricacies of human nature.
 The prime interest of philosophy on the self is driven not so much by the scien fic interest to
explain but by the philosophic desire to inquire.
 One must be able to dis nguish explana on from inquiry to appreciate the crucial difference
between psychology and philosophy.

PHILOSOPHERS “SELF”
SIGMUND FREUD

 What people always thought of as self might not be what it is.

 The human behaviour, emo ons, and thoughts that comprise the self are but masks of the
part of the human person which always remain hidden and unknown
 Hidden and unknown dimension that underlies human personality is referred to as the
unconscious.
 Unconscious may manifest itself through ins ncts, impulses, mannerisms, random
expressions or the proverbial slip of the tongue.
The p represents the conscious - the smallest part but the most visible (Thoughts, percep on)
Just below the surface is our preconscious which can be seen only with effort (memories, stored
knowledge)
The biggest region which is buried down into the deep sea is our unconscious (Fearsm Violent
mo ves, unacceptable sexual desires, immoral urges, irra onal wishes, selfish needs, shameful
experiences)
(Ciccarelli & White, 2011)

THREE PROVINCES OF THE MIND (Feist & Feist, 2008)

SIGMUND FREUD’S 5 STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

JEAN PIAGET
 human subject’s cogni ve development
 theorized that the human ability to know evolves in stages and has dis nct peculiari es
appropriate for each par cular stage.
 Self-knowledge happens as a process and is integral to the history of a person

Stages of Cogni ve Development

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE (0 to 2 yrs old)
● Movements and sensory
● Learn through basic ac ons
● Learn that things con nue to exist even when they cannot be seen
● Realize that their ac ons can cause things to happen in the world around them

Preopera onal Stage (2 to 7 Years)

● Begins to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures to represent objects
pretend
● Tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspec ve of others
● Ge ng be er with language and thinking, but s ll tend to think in very concrete terms
○ Symbolic and intui ve taught

Concrete Opera onal Stage (7 to 11 years)

● Begin to think logically about concrete events understand

● Begins to understand the concept of conserva on;

● Thinking becomes more logical and organized, but s ll very concrete
Formal Opera onal Stage (Age 12 and up)
● Begins to think abstractly and reason about hypothe cal problem
● Begins to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social and poli cal issues
that require theore cal and abstract reasoning
● Begins to use deduc ve logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific
Informa on

Lawrence Kohlberg
Concentrated on a person’s moral development.
o person proceeds to oral maturity in gradual stages.
o moral quality of a person depends on the quality of his moral reasoning
o one is not expected to resolve a par cular dilemma if it involves a level of complexity
that is not appropriate for his moral stage.
Moral reasoning can be shaped by educa on
o balance between nature and nurture between reality and possibility
o Conven onal stage is when one struggles to fit in a larger community

PRECONVENTIONAL LEVEL - avoid punishment or received rewards

a. Punishment and obedience
I. Behavior is determined by consequences. The individual will obey in order to avoid
punishment
b. Instrumental purpose orienta on
II. Behavior is determined again by consequences. The individual focuses on receiving
rewards or sa sfying personal needs
CONVENTIONAL MORALITY - acceptance of social rules concerning right and wrong
Stage 3 (good boy/nice girl orienta on)
Good Interpersonal Rela onships - the child/individual is good in order to be seen as
being a good person by other
Stage 4 (law and order orienta on)
Maintaining the social order the child individual becomes aware of the wider rules of
society, as judgements concern obeying the rules to uphold the law and avoid guilt
POST CONVENTIONAL MORALITY - acceptance of social rules concerning right and wrong
Stage 5 Social contract and individual rights - the child becomes aware that while rules/laws
might exist for the good of the greatest number there are mes when they will work against
their interest of par cular individuals
Stage 6 Universal ethical principle orienta on - people at this stage have developed their own
set of moral guidelines which may or may not fit the. The principle applies to everyone

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

o The Self: a dis nct iden ty that sets us apart from others.
o The Life Course
o Self is created through social interac on with others
o Social experience is a concept of the development of the self.
o The self does not mature on its own.
o It requires an environment where interac ons with other selves are possible,
par cularly, interac ons that allow shared meanings.
o Mead developed a theory about how the social self develops over the course of
childhood
o Infants know only the “I” but through social interac on they learn about “me” and the
“other”
o They develop a concept of the “generalized other” which allows them to apply norms
and behaviors learned in specific situa ons to new situa ons

Mead’s Stages of the Self

o Social experience is a concept of the development of the self.
o The self does not mature on its own.
o It requires an environment where interac ons with other selves are possible,
par cularly, interac ons that allow shared meanings.

STAGES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

1st Stage PREPARATORY STAGE
o Under 3 years Children imitate people around them
o They use gestures, objects and words that form basis of human communica on
o Child mimics and has no understanding in regards to the meaning behind words, ac ons
or tones of voice
2nd Stage PLAY STAGE
o Play pretend
o A er 3 years Child develops skill in communica ng through symbols and role taking
course
o Process of mentally assuming perspec ve of another and responding from that imagined
viewpoint
3rd Stage GAME STAGE
o Early school years
o Children understanding of social interac on become more develop.
o Children starts to understand the behavior, a tudes, beliefs- ‘GENERALIZED OTHERS” or
society as a whole and people not only perform in ways based on what they personally
believe but also based on what society more broadly expects of them
o Children must follow rules of game and understand where others playing game are
coming from
Axel Honneth
o Recogni on is an essen al requirement of self-realiza on.
o An individual can develop into the person he wants to be only in an atmosphere that
allows him to experience self-confidence, self-respect and self-esteem.

AXEL HONNETH’S THEORY OF RECOGNITION

LOVE - To refer to an individual’s primary rela onships
-Self-confidence is developed within this sphere when physical as well as emo onal needs are
met
o Family
o Friends
o Roman c connec on
RIGHTS - When an individual’s experiences recogni on
-Recogni on can be achieved if everyone who bears the same rights are perceived and treated
as equals
-Self-respect is cul vated
SOLIDARITY
o Acknowledgment us essen al for an individual to become fully individuated
o Recogni on happens when the skills and abili es of an individual are acknowledge.
o Result of recogni on is self esteem

AXEL HONNETH’S THEORY OF RECOGNITION

o Shows what forma on and transforma on of the self-entail.
o Forma on of self is never a handiwork of only a single person much less by the same
person.
o The three different spheres, underscore the indispensable role of social rela ons in any
endeavor of forma on and transforma on.
o It was explicitly suggested how forma on and transforma on are ini ated by the act of
recogni on.
EXAMPLE OF SELF DESCENDING INTO VACCUM
o There are social groups – members of the LGBTQ community
o Wage earners constantly disadvantaged by the prac ce of “endo”
o The OFW who suffers from perennial exclusion
o voices heard or their presence no ced because their condi ons prevent them from
becoming who they wish to be.
KEY POINTS
o The study of self is a concern of all ethical tradi ons.
o Modern psychology brings the study of self to the fron ers of science
o Freud, Piaget, Kohlberg, and Mead are some of the modern psychologists who put
forward modern theories of the self
 o Philosophy and psychology are dis nct disciplines, but they share the same interest on
self-forma on and transforma on
o The interest of philosophy on the ma er of self is primarily ethical.
o The self is a totality that is uniquely manifested in one’s behaviour and consciousness.
Through knowing and understanding the self, the individual becomes aware of his
strengths as well as his limita ons and weaknesses. Being able to do so will then help
him lead a more fulfilling life.
o Personality refers to how an individual uniquely thinks, feels and behaves in different
situa ons. One’s personality is made up- of his traits
o There are numerous ways to further describe oneself. One may merely describe one’s
tangible characteris cs; he may also use self-reflec on or ask other people about their
opinions of him; lastly, one may resort to crea ng an ideal version of himself.
o The Johari Window is a concept that can be used to further understand the different
aspects and parts of the self. It has four components or panels: the open self, the blind
self, the hidden self and the unknown self.
o Keeping personal jourbal can help an individual further make sense of and understand himself.
Through expressing one’s thoughts and emo ons as openly and honestly as possible, the
individual I able to see his strengths and weaknesses and address them successfully

Moral vs Non-Moral Standards

ETHICS AND MORALITY
Ethics is derived from Ethos (Greek)
● Morality from Mores (La n)
● Both terms translate roughly into no ons affec ng “customs”, “habit”, and “behavior”.
● Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles which arises two ques ons:
○ What is morality?
○ What are principles

DILEMMA AND MORAL ISSUES

Before defining “morality” and a “moral system” it is worth no ng that not every moral issues (or moral
problems) that arises (also necessarily a moral dilemma)
DILEMMA is a situa on where one must choose between two undesirable op ons, which o en -leads to one
having to choose between “the lesser of two evils
 WHAT IS MORALITY?
Morality can be defined as a system of rules for guiding human conduct, and principles evalua ng those
rules

Two points are worth no ng in this problem:

1. Morality is a system
2. . It is a system comprised of moral rules and principles Moral rules can be understood as “rules of conduct”,
which are very similar to “policies”

PRINCIPLES The rules of conduct in a moral system are evaluated by way of standards called principles.
Example: Principle of “social u lity” (promo ng the greatest good for the greatest number) can be used to
evaluate a social policy

Characteris cs of Moral Standards

(O’Connor, Lynn, 1997) Moral standard is a code of what is right and wrong without reference to specific
behaviors or beliefs.
This basic code of honor has already been inculcated to children and gradually undergoes revision as the child
matures and influenced by the surroundings.
Moral standard deals with ma ers that the person thinks have serious consequences. Standards are not hinged
on external authority or rules, but based on good reason and impar al considera ons overriding-self interest.
(Mandal,2010; Velasquez, 2012) Feeling of guilt and shame are o en associated when the person goes against
his or her moral standards
INTRINSIC vs INSTRUMENTAL VALUES
Philosophers dis nguished between two types of values: INTRINSIC and INSTRUMENTAL VALUES
Any value that serves some further end or good is called an instrumental value because it is ed to some
external standards
For example: automobiles, computers, and money are goods that have instrumental values
Values such as life and happiness are intrinsic because they are valued for their own sake.

CORE VALUES
Another approach to cataloguing values is to dis nguish core values, some of which may or may not also be
intrinsic values, from other kinds of values
Moor (2004) argues that values such as life, happiness and autonomy are core values because they are basic to
a society’s thriving and perhaps even to a society’s survival
Not all core values are also moral values

Six Characteris cs of Moral standards (Velasquez, 2012)

1. Moral Standards involve behaviors that seriously affect other people’s well being.
○ It can either profoundly injure or benefit a person or persons.
■ Example:
● Lying, stealing, killing are ac ons that hurt people.
● While trea ng people with respect and kindness upli s them.
2. Moral Standards take a more important considera on than other standards, including self-interest
○ Because trust is important to you than revenge you refuse to expose your friend’s terrible
secret even though she offended you
3. Moral Standards do not depend on any external authority but in how the person perceives the
reasonableness of the ac on.
○ You will not copy your classmate’s answers during the exam not because your teacher will fail
you if you do, but because you personally believe chea ng is wrong and demeaning to you as a student
4. Moral Standards are believed to be universal
○ When you truly believe an act is wrong you also will not agree or consent when other people
commit what you consider a wrongful act. On the other hand, if you believe an ac on is morally right,
then you will also support other people doing such acts.
■ You believe lying is wrong therefore you will also not agree when someone is not telling the
truth. On the other hand, you tend to trust the person whom you know as someone who is true to his or
her word
5. Moral standards are based on objec vity
○ What you consider as right and wrong does not depend on whether the ac on advances the
interest of a par cular person or group, but your ac on depends on a universal standpoint where
everyone’s interest is counted as equal.
6. Moral standards are associated with vocabulary that depicts emo on or feelings.
○ When you go against your moral standards you will say you feel guilty, remorseful or
ashamed. You may describe your behaviour as immoral or sinful. If you see other people going against
your moral standards you feel indignant or perhaps disgusted with that person.

Moral vs Non-Moral Standards

● Morals and values are not necessarily iden cal
● Values can be either moral or non-moral
● Reason informs us that it is in our interest to develop values that promotes our own survival,
happiness and flourishing as individuals
● When used to further only our own self-interest, these values are not necessarily moral values
Moral Values
● Once we bing in the no on of impar ality, we begin to take the “moral point of view”
● When we frame the rules of conduct in a moral system, we ar culate a system of values having to do
with no ons such as autonomy, fairness, jus ce, etc. which are moral values
● One basic moral values are derived from one non-moral values
●E que e- (Taylor and Williams, 2017) is a set of rules on how an individual should responsibly behave
in the society. ○ Table manners such as the proper use of utensils and the proper manner of ea ng are
examples
● Policy (The University of Sydney, 2020-2017) is a clear, simple statement of how an organiza on plans
to handle its services, ac ons or business. ○ When schools require their students to wear the proper
school uniform and school ID before being allowed inside the campus
●Law – (Robertson, 2008; Brickley and Go esman, 2017) is a rue created and enforced by the
government and its agencies to maintain order, resolve disputes and protect a person’s liberty and rights.
● Commandment – (Stahl,2009) is a rule that is to be strictly observed because it was said to be set by a
divine en ty, such as those the Ten Commandments

Grounding Principles of Moral System

Three Schemes for Grounding the Evalua ve Rules in a Moral System

The principles are grounded in one of three different kinds of schemes:
o Religion
o Law
o Philosophical ethics
We will see how a par cular rule - e.g., “DO not steal - can be jus fied from the vantage point of each scheme

Approach #1: Grounding Moral Principles in a Religious System

o Consider the following ra onale for why stealing is morally wrong
o Stealing is wrong because it offends God or because it violates one of God’s (Ten) Commandments
o From the point of view of ins tu onalized religion, stealing is wrong because it offends God or because it
violates the commands of a supreme authority
Approach #2: Grounding Moral Principles in Legal System
o An alterna ve ra onale would be:
o Stealing is wrong because it violates the law
o Here the grounds for determining why stealing is wrong are not ed to religion
o If stealing violates a law in par cular na on or jurisdic on, then the act of stealing can be declared to be
wrong independent of any religious beliefs that one may or may not happen to have
 Approach #3: Grounding Moral Principles in a Philosophical System of Ethics
o A third way of approaching the ques on is:
o Stealing is wrong because it is wrong (independent of any form of external authority or any external sanc ons)
o On this view, the moral “rightness” or “wrongness” of stealing is not grounded in some external authorita ve
source
o It does not appeal to an external authority, either theological or legal, for jus fica on
o Many philosophers and ethicists have argued that, independent of either supernatural or legal authori es,
reason alone is sufficient to show that stealing is wrong
o They argue that reason can inform us that there is something either in the act of stealing itself, or in the
consequences that result from this kind of act, that makes stealing morally wrong
o In the case of both law and religion, specific sanc ons against stealing exist in the form of punishment
o In the case of (philosophical) ethics, the only sanc on would be in the form of social disapproval and possibly
social ostracism
o Example: there is no punishment in a formal sense
o External condi ons or factors, in the form of sanc ons, are irrelevant

MORAL DILEMMA
MORALITY - (Rawl, 2009) defines morality as a general concept of jus ce. Morality is used in two broad senses.
1. Descrip ve sense - the codes of conduct imposed by a society or a group (such as a religion). It is also
individually accepted by a person as his or her behavior
2. Norma ve sense - the code of conduct that is put forward by ra onal person in given specified condi ons
or situa ons.
by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2018), an individual who conflicts or in a decision-making problem
who must choose between two or more ac ons that have moral reasons for choosing such is referred to as
MORAL DILEMMA. A person who has to deal with moral dilemmas is considered as a MORAL AGENT.
SALIENT FEATURES OF MORAL DILEMMA
o The agent is required to do each of two (or more) ac ons
o The agent is required to do each of the ac ons, but the agent cannot do both (or all)
o The agent thus seems condemned to moral failure no ma er what she does she will do something wrong (or
fail to do something that she ought to do)
Three Levels of Moral Dilemma
Personal moral dilemma: where there is moral conflict is the cause of either your own; that of another
person; or a group of people’s poten al harm. A person's choice will adversely affect very important people in
your life
Organiza onal dilemma: a member or members of the organiza on is in a situa on where there is moral
conflict and the decision will poten ally harm either some members of the group or the en re organiza on. A
business owner choice will adversely affect either the company or the employees
Structural dilemma: high-level posi ons in the society faces a morally conflic ng situa on wherein the en re
social system is affected. implemen ng or not implemen ng a policy not because it will affect the poor
communi es but not implemen ng it will also impact the environment.
TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMA
1. Epistemic moral dilemma: involves two or more moral requirements that conflicts with each other. He
or she is not aware of which op ons is morally right or wrong, and du es are conflic ng on the
situa on.
Example: a mother promised her son to be home early, but there’s an urgent situa on-a sick older
adult who needs to be brought to the hospital
2. Ontological moral dilemma: Neither of those conflic ng moral requirements overrides each other nor
stronger that the other.
Example: A military doctor is a ending to the medical aid of the wounded soldiers in the middle of the
war. Two soldiers urgently need a blood transfusion, but only one bag of blood is available at the moment.
3. Self-imposed moral dilemma: It is a dilemma caused by the agent’s mistake
Example: A candidate is running for the posi on of mayor. He promised the ci zen to protect the forest
surrounding the city to gain votes. But he seeks financial support from a mining company. A er the elec ons,
he won the posi on, and at the same me, the mining company was allowed to perform the mining opera on
in the vicinity
4. World-imposed moral dilemma: agent in moral conflict due to certain events in the world place
Example: The problem of world hunger is a world-imposed moral dilemma that can be solved. S ll, the
government and other agencies fail to address, we are thrown into the world, as a source of the answer to
that solu on, we are imposed, or we are tasked to address that problem and solve it.
5. Obliga on moral dilemma: It is a situa on in which more than one possible ac on is obligatory
Example: In the situa on in a war-torn community, young children are focused to join the ranks as
soldiers for the war due to lack of armed forces in the country
6. Prohibi on moral dilemma: It involves cases in which all possible ac ons are prohibited
Example: Suppose that a person promised her friend to chat with her at precisely 3 p.m. Due to a lapse
in memory, she promised another person to chat with him at the same me. No ma er what she will do, she
will fail to sa sfy the dictates of morality
7. Single Agent moral dilemma: an agent is compelled to act on two or more equally the same moral
op ons. However, he cannot choose both
Example: A medical doctor found out that her pa ent has HIV. The medical doctor may experience
tension between the legal requirement to report the case and the desire to respect confiden ality. However,
the medical code of ethics acknowledges our obliga on to follow legal requirements and to intervene to
protect the vulnerable
8. Mul -person moral dilemma: involve several people like a family, an organiza on, or a community.
requires more than choosing what is right.
Example: An organiza on may have to choose between complying with the wage law by cu ng its
workforce or by retaining its current workforce by paying them below the required minimum wage.
Ethical Principles: Thin Morality
1. AUTONOMY - ● The freedom to make decisions about one self ● The right to self-
determina on
2. NONMALEFICENCE - ● Requires that no harm be caused to an individual, either
uninten onally or deliberately ● Also, the strong bears responsibility to protect
individuals who are unable to protect themselves
3. BENEFICENCE - ● This principle means “doing good” for others. ● This includes assis ng
other in mee ng all their needs ○ Biological ○ Psychological ○ Social
4. JUSTICE - ● Every person must be treated equally and fairly without prejudgement
5. FIDELITY - ● Loyalty ● The promise to fulfill all commitments ● Basis of accountability ●
Includes faithfulness or loyalty to agreements and responsibili es
6. CONFIDENTIALITY - ● Anything shared with mutual agreement of confiden ality ● The
only mes this principle may be violated are: ○ If keeping a shared informa on as secret
or confiden al may cause harm to themselves or others ○ If given permission for the
informa on to be shared to somebody else
7. VERACITY - ● This principle implies “truthfulness” ● Veracity is an important component
of building trus ng rela onships
8. ACCOUNTABILITY - ● Principle of totality and integrity ● Accep ng responsibility for
one’s own ac ons. ○ Individuals need to be responsible for their ac on
○ You are accountable to yourself and to others

ETHICS AND CULTURE

WHAT IS CULTURE?
o Culture is a complex phenomenon.
o Contains nearly all aspects of shared human experiences.
o Gives a par cular community its unity and iden ty. encompasses way of life, prac ces,
worldviews, religious rites, fes vals, belief systems as well as oral and wri en literatures.
o provides the fundamental norms for the prac ces and decision-making processes
o Culture and ethics, however, do not always blend harmoniously
HOW DOES CULTURE AFFECT HUMAN BEHAVIOR?
o Since human beings are naturally social creatures, we as people, are also naturally drawn
to par cipate in culture.
o People want to belong, to be accepted by peers.
o We also need protec on from danger.
o Being part of social group not only feeds our need to be accepted, it also increases the
human being’s chances to survive.
o Therefore, because of the safety in numbers that being part of a group provides, human
beings learned to modify behaviors to match that which their cultural group deem
acceptable.
o Yet, not all is well with culture’s power and control over people.
o Plato worried about the idols and ideologies of his day and specially about the power of
the public to corrupt a young person’s mind
According to Marx, culture served to jus fy inequality because the ruling class or bourgeoisie
produce a culture that promotes their interest while repressing the interest of the proletariat, in
other words, the ruling class determines what is right and wrong while rest merely follow.
5 BASIC ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
1. SYMBOLS - symbols can be anything that a group of people find meaningful.
2. LANGUAGE - is a complex symbol system that enabled human beings to communicate
either verbally or through wri ng
3. BELIEFS - assump ons or convic ons held to be true by an individual or a group of
people.
4. VALUES - are culturally acceptable standards of behavior. It is what a person considers
important or beneficial in life.
5. NORM - is an informal guideline by a par cular group of people or social unit about
what us considered normal or correct/incorrect social behavior.

HOW DOES CULTURE DEFINE MORAL BEHAVIOR?

- According to Pekarsky, 1998, in Plato’s famous philosophical work “THE REPUBLIC” he
cited 3 cri cal elements that jointly influence the human person’s moral development.

3 CRITICAL ELEMENTS THAT JOINTLY INFLUENCE THE HUMAN PERSON’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT
- Na ve traits (or what we might call gene c characteris cs)
- Early childhood experience
- One’s cultural surroundings
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Explains why one behavior or prac ce is completely acceptable by a par cular group of
people, while it is taboo in another
Cultural rela vism, determinants of moral values: • Customs • Tradi on • Language • Ideology •
Poli cs • Religion
THE ELEMENTS OD MORAL PHILOSOPHY BY DR. JAMES RACHELS (1943-2003)
- The different socie es have different moral codes, The moral code of a society
determines what is right or wrong.
- There is no objec ve standard considered be er than others.
- There are no universal moral truths.
- The moral code of a par cular society has no special status. It is but one among many.
- It is arrogant for one culture to judge another culture. There should be tolerance among
cultures
THE ADVANTAGES AND DANGERS OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
▪ Many of our prac ces are relevant only to our community.
▪ This implies our moral views are a reflec on of our society’s prejudice.
▪ Cultural rela vism makes us understand that what we think as truth may actually be just the
result of cultural condi oning.
The danger of Cultural Rela vism:
1. We cannot callout societal prac ces that promote harm.
2. We cannot jus fiably cri cize our own culture’s harmful prac ce
3. The idea of social progress becomes doub ul
4. One cannot cri cize the moral prac ces of other socie es
 5. Cultural/social norms become the basis of moral judgement
6. There is no moral progress
7. We should be tolerant to other socie es moral prac ces if they do not harm us

UNIVERSAL VALUES
However, when it comes to important moral issues, there are 3 values that are universal
(Rachels, 2004) 3 Universal values shared by all cultures:
1. Caring for the young
2. Murder is wrong and
3. Tell the truth

THE FILIPINO WAY

- Filipino culture is a mix of both Eastern and Western Cultures.
- The beliefs and tradi ons pf pre-colonial Philippines was mainly indigenous Malay
heritage (Baringer, 2006)
- The brief occupa on of the Bri sh and the Japanese however had no cultural influence
in the Philippines at all.

ROOTED FACTORS OF THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

BY: DR. PATRICIA B. LICUNAN
1. The home environment
2. The social environment
3. Culture and language
4. History
5. The educa onal system
6. Religion
7. The economic environment
8. The poli cal environment
9. Mass media and
10. Leadership and role models
THE HOME AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
- Filipino children are taught to value family and give it primary importance.
CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
- Filipino culture depicts openness to foreign elements with no basic consciousness of our
cultural core.
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
- The Philippine educa onal system is also instrument in molding the strengths and
weaknesses or the Filipino character. Schools are highly authoritarian.
RELIGION
- The Filipino is also religious. Religion taught us op mism and resilience. However, it also
ins lled in us a fatalis c a tude.
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
 - Several Filipinos are rooted in our economic environment. The hard life drove Filipinos to
work hard and take risks, such as leaving their families to work abroad.

MASS MEDIA
- The emphasis on the superiority of an imported brand or product through mass media
is, in fact, part of Filipino’s daily life
LEADERS AND ROLE MODELS
- Filipinos highly respect authority.

STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

The strong aspect of the Filipino character are:
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao - demonstrated in the Filipino’s openness, helpfulness, and
generosity; in the prac ce of bayanihan or mutual assistance; and the famous
Filipino hospitality
2. Family orienta on -This love is shown through giving honor and respect to
parents and elders, care for the children, generosity towards kin, and the
personal sacrifices that a Filipino endures for the welfare of the family
(Manauat,2005)
3. Joy and humor - Filipinos are cheerful and fun loving.
4. Flexibility, adaptability and crea vity - Filipinos are also tremendous in adjus ng
and adap ng to any circumstances.
5. Hard work and industry - This trait is most no ceable in our willingness to take
risks and work in other countries.
6. Faith and religiosity
7. Ability to survive

WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

Poin ng out on the weaknesses of the Filipino character will enable the Filipinos to
iden fy the areas that needs improvement in order to grow and develop as a person. An
informed and improved Filipino will also result in a stronger and more progressive
na on.
Generally, these weaknesses are:
1. Extreme Personalism
2. Extreme Family-Centeredness
3. Lack of Discipline
4. Passivity and Lack of Ini a ve
5. Colonial Mentality
6. Kanya-kanya Syndrome
7. Lack of Self-analysis and Self-reflec on