Module 4

DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS HABIT

Developnig Virtue as Habit

Ethics is a matter of living well through the

habitual practice of virtue which essentially
translates into having a virtuous or excellent
character.
 A virtuous character is the result of proper
combination of practical wisdom (phronesis), and
habituation in the pursuit of the mean (mesotes).
 Being ethical is all about being excellent in human
being, which is being excellent in fulfilling one’s
essence as a rational being that has cultivated an
excellent character and capable of making the most
prudent decisions in all circumstances.
 Through the constant interaction of thought and
action as prompted by various situations that calls for
one’s decision, a person comes to know himself/herself
as a certain type of character or personality.
 Being a certain way or having a particular
personality or character implies a certain
understanding of the good.
 Personality or character is an approach or a way of
reckoning the different situations that one faces in
his/her life - a way of navigating one’s way towards
his/her flourishing as a human persons.
 Character is not merely a theoretical construct but a
product of action in the world – a constant doing or
way of being that is made apparent by the possession
and actualization of particular virtues or vices.
Moral Character

It is an evaluation of an individual's
stable moral qualities. The concept
of character can imply a variety of attributes
including the existence or lack of virtues such as
empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty,
or of good behaviors or habits.
 Moral character primarily refers to the
assemblage of qualities that distinguish one
individual from another -although on a cultural
level, the set of moral behaviors to which a
social group adheres can be said to unite and
define it culturally as distinct from others.
 Psychologist Lawrence Pervin defines moral
character as a disposition to express behavior in
consistent patterns of functions across a range of
situations.
 Normative ethics involve moral standards that
exhibit right and wrong conduct. It is a test of
proper behavior and determining what is right
and wrong.
 Plato believed that the soul is divided into three
parts of desire, namely:

 Rational
 Appetitive
 Spirited
 In order to have moral character, we must
understand what contributes to our overall good
and have our spirited and appetitive desires
educated properly, so that they can agree with the
guidance provided by the rational part of the soul.
 Aristotle tells us that there are good people in
the world. These are those who
exhibit excellences – excellences of thought and
excellences of character.
 Excellence of character, then, is a state
concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative
to us, this being determined by reason and in the
way in which the man of practical wisdom would
determine it.
 We have been informed that Ethics is a branch of
Philosophy concerned about actions, the action either
human act or act of man. Ethics and values have a
common role; they even interplay with each other.
 Ethics without values is hollow and shallow and
therefore weak. While values without ethics is
paralytics.
Values

These are beliefs or ideals shared by the

member of a culture about what is good or
desirable and what is not. It strongly influence the
behavior of an individual and serve as board in all
situation.
 Through heredity or through the environment,
an individual acquires values. The influence of the
family, community, society, nation, and other
individuals makes the person unique as he/she
develops a set of values. These values determine
the priorities and lifestyle of the person.
Root of Filipino Values

There are three known origin of the Filipino

values. These are lifestyles, human nature, and
cultural inclination.
 The Patterns of Filipino Values

 Exogenous Pattern
 Indigenous Pattern
Exogenous Pattern

It is also identified as legal or formal. The word

itself would help us deduce its root to the time when
Filipinos began to form a link with cultures.
Indigenous Pattern

It is considered traditional or non-formal pattern

of Filipino values. Indigenous values are acquired
in the subconscious mind.
 Filipino Values

 Bayanihan
 Family Closeness
 Hospitality
 Compassion
 Regionalism
 Friendliness
 Politeness
Bayanihan

The Filipino community spirit of cooperation in

which a group of individuals extends a helping
hand without expecting any remuneration.
Family Closeness

The Filipino trait of prioritizing the family

above other things and maintaining the close
connections and cooperations among its members.
Hospitality

The Filipino trait of being receptive and

generous to guests and to anybody that enters into
their homes.
Compassion

The Filipino trait of being kind and emphatic to

others even if the person is a not known to them or
a stranger.
Regionalism

The Filipino trait of giving his province mates

preferential treatment as well as priority over
natives of other provinces.
Friendliness

The Filipino quality of being friendly and can

easily get together with others in a sincere, loyal,
and kind ways.
Politeness

The Filipino quality of being courteous to

anybody, most especially to the eldars, and it is
usually associated with the used of Po and Opo.
Filipino Values and Non-Filipino Culture

While it is true that Filipinos have their own

sense of values and valuing system, it is also an
accepted fact that these distinct values came from
the universal human needs and wants. For instance
everyone in the world has a want to own a car.
However, how serious the Filipinos are on this want
may be different from that of the Americans.
 Bipolar Filipino Values

 Hiya or Shame
 Ningas Cogon or Procrastination
 Bahala Na or Resignation
 Mañana Habit
 Utang na Loob or Indebtedness
Hiya or Shame

It gives the Filipinos a picture of refinement,

culture and education. It avoids harshness or
crudeness. This value limits the Filipinos to desire
so much and it gives them peace of mind.
Ningas Cogon

Its positive aspects relies on the fact that a

person with such a value is definitely simple. It
has a negative effect because a man with that value
refuses to take responsibility, and a man who does
not take responsibilities seems to be far from
improvements.
Bahala Na or Resignation

It has a positive effect because it is a

demonstration of dependence to God. Bahala na is
a expression of humility; it is the opposite of
arrogance. However, it also have a negative effect
because it legitimizes laziness.
Mañana Habit

Being a positive values, it allow things to move

on their pattern. They assure peace of mind in the
person. They are like allowing wound to heal on its
own. However, they also have a negative part. It
keeps problems to a heap until solving them
becomes impossible.
Utang na Loob or Indebtedness

It is a recognition of a favor. It is a way of

paying back something or a way of repayment. It
is also negative; the success of one is like a debt
to someone. This is one weakness of the Filipinos
that many times it results to prejudices during
elections.
References

Corpus, R.M., de la Cruz, R.G., & Tabotabo, C.V.

(2011). Standards of Human Conduct: Ethics for
Filipinos. Quezon City: C & E Publishing Inc.
Corpus, R.M., de la Cruz, R.G., Estoque, R.S., &
Tabotabo, C.V. (2008). Introduction to Logic: A
Modular Approach. Intramuros, Manila:
Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Lombo, J.A., Russo, F. (2014). Philosophical
Anthropology: An Introduction. Illinos: Midwest
Theological Forum
Sheerean, Patrick J. (1983). Ethics in Public
Administration: A Philosophical Approach. Santa
Barbara, CA: Praeger