LESSON 4

THE MORAL AGENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

 articulate how culture  evaluate the strengths and

shape behavior; weaknesses of cultural
 attribute facets of relativism;
 explain why universal
personal behavior to
culture; values are necessary for
 recognize differences in
human survival;
 determine how moral
moral behavior of
different cultures; character is developed; and
 recall the reason and
 appreciate the culture’s
impartiality as
differences;
requirements for ethics.
What is a Moral agent?

☻Is a being who is capable of acting with

reference to right and wrong.

Who are capable of being a moral agents?

☻ Only rational beings, who can reason

and form self-interested judgments are
capable.
Determinist said that all our actions are the products
of antecedent causes, and some believe this is
incompatible with free will and thus claim that we
have no real control over our actions.
Whether or not our
real self , noumenal self,
can choose, we have no choice but to
believe that we
choose freely when we make a
choice, this does not mean that we can control the
effects of our actions.
CULTURE SHAPES MORAL BEHAVIOR

Culture is the sum of symbols, ideas, forms of

experience, and material products associated with a
social system.

Culture is a dynamic medium through which

societies create a collective way of life reflected in
such things as beliefs, values, music, literary, arts,
dance, science, religion, ritual, technology, and others.

It is a social heritage of a society which is

transmitted from one generation to another through
language.
CULTURE SHAPES MORAL BEHAVIOR

Culture is a very powerful force that affects or

influence the lives and moral behavior of the members
of a society.

Culture shapes and guards people's perception of

reality, determines the food they eat, the music they
listen, the game they play.

It shapes their understanding of good and evil, love

and hate, health and sickness, life and death. In short,
the individual's culture become immediately evident by
his clothing, food, belief, mannerisms, moral character,
and personality
CULTURE SHAPES MORAL BEHAVIOR

Culture tells what the individual does, what to do,

and how he should do those things, and how he
should relate to other people. It is culture that makes
man different from other places.
What are those cultures that influence the person's
moral behavior?

These are the following:

1. Material-culture that refers to the concrete and

tangible things that man creates and uses. This
includes dwelling units, tools, weapons, clothing,
books, machines, artifacts, relics, fossils, etc.
What are those cultures that influence the person's
moral behavior?

2. Non-material culture which refers to things or

intangible objects which the person uses, follows,
professes, or strives to conform. It includes knowledge,
laws, lifestyle, teachings, ideas, customs, moral behavior,
values, language, sanctions, etc.

Culture can be acquired through imitating

indoctrination or suggestions and conditioning.
Providers of Moral Behavior in a Culture:

The family - Children are taught to follow and observe the

family's norms, values, beliefs, and behavior that are
appropriate to members of society.

The School - Through education, knowledge, skills,

attitudes, and values are acquired, shared and transmitted
to other members of society. The school does not only
teach the basic skills. It also changes and modifies
negative attitude and values in the individual so. that he
would become a happy, integrated, well-disciplined and
morally right member of society.
The church. The church promotes interaction among its
members in order to foster unity and group solidarity.
Through preaching, listening and watching church
activities, the individual is able to understand the
meaning of his existence.

The Government. The government exists for the benefit

of the people. It promotes economic and socio-cultural
well-being of the people. It administers justice, fairness;
promotes progress and development, security and
protection. It also defines and punishes individuals for
crimes committed. It also supports cultural
transformation for the people to attain quality of life.
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs,

values, and practices should be understood based on
the person's own culture rather than be judged against
the criteria of another culture.

Example:
In Culture Relativism:

☻ People change. Cultures change. Humanity is

constantly evolving developing, and adapting. When
cultural relativism is implemented, then the ability to
evolve and adapt is encouraged because the definitions of
ethical and moral "right" and "wrong" can change as
people change. Cultural relativism eliminates the rigidity
that societies have in place regarding ethics, conduct, and
reasoning. It also means that there are no actual
definitions that are in place for a society. Cultural
relativism promotes an individualistic perspective which
governs how a person acts, thinks, and responds. Each
person can set his own moralistic codes which he follows.
Strengths of Cultural Relativism

1. It is a system which promotes cooperation.

2. It creates a society where equality is possible.
3. People can pursue a genuine interest.
4. Respect is encouraged in a system of cultural
relativism.
5. It preserves human cultures.
6. Creates a society without judgement.
7. Create personal moral codes based on societal
standards with ease.
8. It stops cultural conditioning.
Weaknesses of Cultural Relativism

1. It creates a system that is fueled by personal bias.

2. It would create chaos.
3. It is an idea that is based on the perfection of humanity.
4. It could promote a lack of diversity.
5. It draws people away from one another.
6. It could limit moral progress.
7. It could limit humanity’s progress.
8. Cultural relativism can turn perceptions into truths.
Qualities of Filipino Moral Identity
Filipino moral identity constitutes the Filipino Value system that majority of the
Filipinos have historically held important in their lives. This Philippine values system
includes their own unique assemblage of consistent ideologies, moral codes, ethical
practices, etiquette, and cultural and personal values that are promoted by their society
though, the values that an individual holds sacred can differ in the basis of religion,
upbringing and other factors.

As a general description, the distinct value system of Filipinos is rooted primarily in

personal alliance systems, especially those based on kinship, obligation, friendship,
religion (particularly Christianity) and commercial relationships.
Philosophical Basis
Filipino values are, for the most part, centered at maintaining social
harmony, motivated primarily by the desire to be accepted within a group. The
main sanction against diverging from these values are the concepts of "Hiya",
roughly translated as a sense of shame', and "amor propio" or self- esteem.
Social approval, acceptance by a group, and belonging to a group are major
concerns. Caring about what others will think, say or do, are strong influences on
social behavior among Filipinos.
According to the anthropologist Leonardo Mercado, the Filipino worldview
is basically nondualistic. Based on his linguistic analyses of Filipino value terms
like loob (Cebuano buot), he concludes that Filipinos desire harmony, not only in
interpersonal relationships, but also with nature and religion, while still
remaining nondichotomous.
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao
2. Family Orientation
3. Joy and humor
4. Flexibility, Adaptability, Creativity
5. Faith and Religiosity
6. Ability to Survive
7. Hard Work and Industry
8. Hospitality