Chapter 1: Moral Agent

Chapter 1: Moral Agent

Lesson 1: How Culture Shape Human
Behavior
Lesson 2: Cultural Relativism
Lesson 3: Universal Values

Ethics
 Chapter 1: The Moral Agent
What does “culture” mean?

How does culture shape moral behavior?

Why should culture not be the ultimate determinants of

values?

Is there a Filipino understanding of right and wrong? What

are its influences?
 Chapter 1: The Moral Agent

The basic concepts that will be discussed are:

A. Culture in moral behavior

1. Culture and its moral behavior
2. What is cultural relativism? Why is it not enable in ethics?
3. Are there an Asian and a Filipino understanding of moral behavior:
strengths? Weaknesses?
 Chapter 1: The Moral Agent
B. The moral agent: Developing virtue as a habit
1. How is moral character developed? The circular relation of acts that
build character and acts that emanate from character.
2. Moral Development
a. The stages of moral develoement
b. How do we get to the highest level, conscience-based moral
decisions?
PAGMAMANO
 Lesson 01
HOW CULTURE SHAPES
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
 What is Culture?
Culture is a complex phenomenon. It contains nearly all aspects of shared
human experiences. How does culture? Affect human behavior? Since human
beings are naturally social creatures, we as people, are also naturally drawn to
participate in culture. People want to belong, to be accepted by peers. Being
part of a social group not only feeds our need to be accepted, it also increases
the human beings chances to survive.
What is Culture?

-is the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other

characteristics shared by groups of people.

-can also demonstrate the way a group thinks, their

practices, or behavioral patterns, or their views of the
world.
Karl Marx
“ culture is served to justify inequality because the
ruling class determines what Is right and wrong
while the rest merely follow”.
Elements of Culture The five basic elements of culture are: symbols,
language, beliefs, values, and norms.
Symbols
- can be anything that a group of people find meaningful.
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.
Values
- are culturally acceptable standards of behavior. It is what a erson considers important or beneficial in life.

Norms
- is an informal guideline by a particular group of people or social unit about what is considered normal or
correct/incorrect social behavior.
 How does culture define moral behavior?

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. He also expressed that the power of culture over an
individual is more potent in children because they do not have any pre-existing
values.
 Lesson 02:
CULTURAL
RELATIVISM
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

● refers to not judging a culture to our own

standards of what is right or wrong, strange or
normal.
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

- believes that all cultures are worthy in

thier own right and are of equal value.
Why can’t all cultural practices be always correct?

Part of what makes the world interesting is that it is home to

different groups of people who have developed their own unique
outlook on how to survive and thrive. These differences led to
people to view life differently and live completely different
lifestyles.
 Cultural Relativism Claims:
● Different societies have different moral codes.
● The moral code of the a society determines what is rigth and wrong. There is no
obejective standard considered better than others.
● There are no universal moral truths.
● The moral code of a particular 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 culture.
The Advantages and Dangers of Cultural Relativism
Rachels identified two positive lessons we can learn from 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.
 Dangers of Cultural Relativism

1. We cannot call out societal practices that promotes harm.

2. We cannot justifiably criticize our own culture’s harmful

practices.

3. The idea of social progress becomes doubtful.

​Peace Education
Peace as defined in relation to culture according to UNESCO is a set of beliefs,
values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behavior and ways of life based on:

1. Respect for life.

2. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
3. Rejection of all forms of violence
4. Adherence to the principles of justice, democracy, tolerance,
solidarity, cooperation, diversty, dalogue and understanding in all
levels of society.
 The three phases to accomplish peace:

1. Cognitive phase which is understanding and being aware to the

happenings in the society.
2. Affective phase which is being concerned and responsible learning
to value peace since rational beings are species of social
interaction.
3. Active phase which is taking practical action in which a course that
will lead us to what is good for the benefit of the majority.
“ peace education seeks the abolition of war as an
institution. Considering the death destruction and
suffering that results from war, the abolition of war
gains practical relevance”

-Global Campagin for Peace Education

 Two types of peace:
1. Negative Peace – Absence of direct/physical violence (both macro and
micro)
Direct Violence – War, Torture, child and women abuse

2. Positive peace – Presence of conditions of well being and just

relationships:
a. Economic, political, and ecological
b. Structural Violence – Poverty, hunger
c. Socio – cultural Violence – Racism, sexism, religious
intolerance
d. Ecological Violence – Pollution, over consumptions
Six Dimensions and Opertive Values
Personal & Family (spiritual) Values formatin starts in the family. These
01 are taught to children by the parents. Family is the basic unit of the Society.

Human Rights & Democrasy (Justice) indicates that politicl respect is

the key towards human viability and sustainability in achieving peace
02 and mitigating conflict in the complex and dynamic society.

Poverty Eradiction ( Compassion)- Poverty might be inevitable, however

03 the help of lowering the poverty borderline, peace can somehow be
attainable. This could be a sense that not all of us
share same perspective.
Six Dimensions and Opertive Values
Intercultural Understanding & Solidarity ( Dialogue) “ What is right for you
04 might be wrong for me, what is wrong for me might be right for you”

Disarmament & Cessation of Hostilities (Active/non-violence). In

promoting the culture of peace, we must share the same idea of cease
05 fire towards active/non-violence.

Environmental Protection (Stewardship) The concept of stewardship must

06 be universal to all regardless of the status, influence, and power.
 Peace education is broadly
defined as education that seeks
the transformation of people’s
mindsets, attitudes and behaviors
toward peace, justice and
environmental care.
Peace education is important.
It is an ethical imperative
since it upholds core ethical
principles such as value of
life, love, and human dignity
 Lesson 03:
UNIVERSAL
VALUES
Why there are Universal Values

The dangers that cultural relativism present led thinkers such as ethics
expert Dr. James Rachels to reject cultural relativism because it is
implausible.

The three universal values shared by all cultures are:

1. Caring for the young
2. Murder is wrong
3. Tell the truth
The theoritical point here is that “ there are some moral rules that all
societies will have in common, because those rules are necessary for
society to survive” ( Rachels, 2004).

Imagine a human beings do not care for their young. Homo sapiens will
eventually be an extinct species. In the same manner, we will eventually be
wiped out toof poepl were free to kill other people.
Thanks!
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