CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

Silang Campus
Biga 1, Silang, Cavite
 WEEK 2
THE MORAL AGENT
Culture in Moral Behavior

1. Definition of Culture
– refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge,
experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, hierarchies,
religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations,
concept of the universe, material objects and
possessions acquired by a group of people in the
course of generation through individual and group
striving.
- Consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, for
behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols,
constituting the distinctive achievements of human
groups…artifacts, traditional ideas and attached
values.
 THE MORAL AGENT
Culture in Moral Behavior
Definition of Culture
– the sum total of learned behavior of group of people
considering their tradition and transmitting from
generation to generation.
-- Is cultivated behavior.
-- symbolic communication.
- Broader definition: culture includes all the things
individuals learn while growing up among particular
group: attitude, standards of morality, rules of
etiquette, perceptions of reality, language, notions
about the proper way to live, beliefs about how
females and males should interact, ideas about how
the world works and so forth. Its called cultural
knowledge.
2. Culture’s Role in Moral Behavior
■ A Culture is a ‘way of life’ of a group of
people which includes moral values and
behaviors.
■ Knowledge, beliefs, symbols that they accept.
--- these are passed along by communication
and imitation from one generation to the next.
Culture is learned as children grow up in society
and discover how their parents and others
around them interpret the world.
Ex. Learn to distinguish objects as cars,
houses, food, and many more.
Culture’s Role in Moral Behavior
■ People learn moral aspects of right and
wrong from transmitters of culture.
■ Ex. Parents, teachers, novels, books, films
and television.
■ Anthropologically, culture- moral values,
beliefs, and behavior – is learned from other
people while growing up in a particular
society or group.
■ Affects the thoughts, actions, and feelings of
people in every group.
Culture’s Role in Moral Behavior
• Social Learning - the process by which
individuals acquire knowledge from others in
the groups they belong, part of childhood.
• Enculturation or socialization - the process by
which infants and children socially learn the
culture.
 3. Moral Standards as a Social Convention
and Social Conditioning Theory.
Theory Explained
The existence of moral rules, the sense of moral
obligation, and the moral accountability are so-called
“ social convention and social conditioning theories”.
•Moral laws is regard as social convention.
•Agreed by people through their authorities.
•Being learned as customary being done by the
group.
•Social convention that human beings had just made
up for themselves.
 3. Moral Standards as a Social Convention
and Social Conditioning Theory.
Ex. Richard Robinson (1902-1996) an atheist.
“ the original conscience of an individual in any given society
is a historical accident, the result of the influence to which he
has been subject.”
Theory Analyzed.
•Just because something learned at home or school does not
necessarily mean it is a social convention.
•Ex. Mathematical operations, geographical facts, & scientific
laws being thought in an institutions are never considered as
mere human fabrication’.
•Meaning, whether or not people know or like them, they are
as they are.
•EX. Driving in the Philippines/ Australia.
 C.S Lewis – philosopher
■ Two reasons about morality according to CS Lewis.
a. Although there differences between the moral
ideas of one time or country and those of
another, the difference are not really great.
Nations or cultures only have slightly different
moralities but have same moral values under the
section ‘universal values’.
b. We affirm that the morality of one people is better
than that of another, which means that there is a
moral standard or rule by which we measure both
moralities and standards.
 C.S Lewis – philosopher
■ Two reasons about morality according to CS Lewis.
a. Although there differences between the moral
ideas of one time or country and those of
another, the difference are not really great.
Nations or cultures only have slightly different
moralities but have same moral values under the
section ‘universal values’.
b. We affirm that the morality of one people is better
than that of another, which means that there is a
moral standard or rule by which we measure both
moralities and standards.
 Social Conditioning Theory
■ Can be observe when one says that a particular
action ‘ought’ or ‘ought not’ be done.
■ There are plenty of situations where a person,
although conditioned and influenced by his
culture to adopt a particular course, still feels the
moral obligation to take an entirely different
action.
■ Ex. Pre-marital sex – conditioned by Peer-
everyone else in the group may be doing it
anyway.
■ Culture – in Africa
 4. Cultural Relativism in Ethics
Cultural relativism
■famous & dominant form of moral relativism.
■It holds that ethical judgments have their origins either in
individual or cultural standards.
– define as what is ‘socially approved’ by the majority in a
particular culture.
Moral relativism
believes that no act is good or bad objectively, and no single
objective universal standard through we can evaluate the
truth of moral judgments. Believes that moral standards
change over time even in the same culture.
Moral Subjectivism– the recognized standard is a
particular agent.
 5. Cultural Relativism: An Analysis
■ Valuable lesson from ethical relativism.
-proposed that there is no independent standards
in Ethics. Moral relativism does encourage
tolerance.
� Tolerance is necessary for people of different
cultural origins to co-exist and live peacefully in a
society.
� It teaches us to be open-minded to discovering
truth.
� The theory makes us understand that our
feelings and beliefs do not necessarily reflect the
truth- they are products of cultural conditioning.
 5. Cultural Relativism: An Analysis

Ex. 1. if you were living in Europe during WWII, and

Nazis showed up at your house and you were
hiding some Jewish people in your basement. 
What will be your answer if the soldier ask you…?
2. if you were a Catholic who believed in the right of
birth control in his or her marriage, as most
Catholics in the United States believe. You would
be going against the official teachings of the
Church, but doing what you thought was ethical
for you and your family.
■ The theory’s ethical faults.
� cultural relativism contains various ethical faults.
Ex. Being a member of Hitler’s Nazi party that approves
anti- Semitism ( racism). ‘Moral’ simply means ‘socially
approved’, exterminating millions of Jews… (right or
wrong).its socially approved but still wrong.
� Cultural relativism discourages analytical thinking and
independent decision-making in Ethics.
� Logically, cultural relativism is inconsistent in promoting
tolerance while teaching that no culture is morally
superior or more progressive than others.
� Practically, we have problems in living out this ideology.
An individual belongs to a particular race, country,
province, city, barangay, and community and at the same
time part of a certain clan, family, religion, and other
institutions.
■ Rachels’ evaluation of cultural relativism
(1941-2003).
The cultural Differences argument in the status of
morality.
. The Greeks believed it was wrong to eat the dead
. The Callatians (an Indian tribe) believed it was right to
eat the dead.
* The Eskimos see nothing wrong with INFANTICIDES
(esp. girls). Whereas we believe infanticide is
immoral.
Different cultures have different moral codes.
Therefore there is no objective “truth” in morality.
Therefore eating the dead is neither objectively right or
wrong. It is merely a matter of opinion, varies from
culture to culture.
■ Rachels’ evaluation of cultural relativism
(1941-2003).
� Rachel called this the ‘cultural differences
argument’.
� ARGUMENT: Beliefs and Values
It is wrong to eat cows… think of some cultures.
There are other factors that about society’s values.
1. Religious beliefs
2. Factual beliefs
3. Physical circumstances in which people must
live.
Therefore it is wrong to conclude that there is disagreement
about values and morality just because customs differ.
The bad consequences of cultural relativism.

■ A. we could no longer say that the customs of

other societies are morally inferior to our own.
■ Ex. Mel Gibson movie ‘ Apocalypto’.
■ B. We could decide whether actions are right
or wrong just by consulting the standards of
our society.
■ Ex. South Africa (1975) a resident wondering
of his country’s policy of apartheid ‘ a rigidly
racist system’ and known as morally correct.
 The bad consequences of cultural relativism.

■ C. the idea of moral progress is called into

doubt.
Ex. Rachel mention the role/place of women in
society through out the history.
� Not own a property
� Not vote
� Hold political office
� Under absolute control of their husbands
Comment: in cultural relativism the progress that
we experience in our time is not legitimate. No
standards in judging the ‘progress’.
 6. Asian Moral Understanding
■ Culture has a major impact on morality, people
from different cultures appear to have seemingly,
different sets of ethics.
■ Western ethics basically about finding truth.
- claimed to have more on self and what is
rationally or logically true.
■ Asian( eastern) ethics –more about showing
respect, and more about doing right in terms of
what is expected by the family, society, and
culture.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
■ Centers on having a ‘ smooth interpersonal
relationship’ (SIR) with others.
■ 6 basic Filipino Values.
1. Pakikisama
2. Hiya
3. Amor propio
4. Utang na loob
5. Filipino hospitality
6.Respect for elders
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
1.Pakikisama – is having and maintaining good
public relations. This being practiced to avoid
clash with other people or certain group. Its goal
is to keep good feelings in all personal
interactions and getting along with others.
Smiling even when things go wrong, avoiding to
say ‘no’ and refraining from venting anger or
losing temper.
Note: It can work positively and destructively.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
2. Hiya – felling of lowliness, shame and
embarrassment, inhibition or shyness which is
experience as somewhat distressing. It is related to
the concept of ‘face’ that is concern on how one
appears in the eyes of others, ‘fear of losing face’.
Being afraid to things as may damage one’s
reputation in the sight of other people.
Note: the fear of losing face reflects his or her family
upbringing. Too much ‘hiya’ may lead to having
inferiority complex and losing self-confidence.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
3. ‘Amor propio’ – is derived from the concept of
‘self’. Amor means love and propio means self. It
comes from the person’s tendency to protect his or
her dignity and honor.
Note: because of ‘pride’ or amor propio, a person
may refuse offers even if he/she wants to accept
them.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
4. Utang na loob – (debt of gratitude) a fundamental
aspects of upholding group harmony and
relationships that demand the balancing of
obligations and debts. ‘reciprocity’ or returning the
received favor.
Note: some Filipinos sometimes do things that
maybe bad( like voting for unworthy candidate) just
to return a received favor.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
5. Filipino hospitality – refers to the innate ability and
traits of Filipinos to be courteous and entertaining to
their guest. Internationally known to be warm,
welcoming, and accommodating.
Note: this trait, however, makes Filipino prone to
being abused or maltreated.
 7. Filipino Moral Character
Strenght and Weaknesses
6 basic Filipino Values.
6. Respect to elders – our unique ways of
expressing respect to elders include the use of ‘po’
and ‘opo’ when talking to elders, and ‘pagmamano’
or putting hand to one’s forehead.
Further discussion:
�Calling older names
 8. Universal Values
■ It means values generally shared by cultures.
■ It proves that cultural relativism is wrong
because of its existence.
■ Analogy - If certain values exist in Western
and Eastern cultures despite the distance,
then cultural relativism claim that cultures’
moralities radically differ from each other is
mistaken.
■ Ex. Eskimos are also protective of their
children as like filipinos.
 8. Universal Values
■ Universal Values shared by many cultures.
1. Giving value on Truth telling
it focus more attention to what anyone
communicates. because complex societies
cannot exist without communication among
members, the emphasis that proves the
truthfulness is valued in every cultures.
2. Valuing or respecting life
cites necessities the prohibition on murder.
Conclusion ( as of Rachels)
■ “ there are some moral rules that all societies
will have in common, because those rule are
necessary for society to exist. Cultures may
differ in what they regard as legitimate
exceptions to the rules…
■ Therefore it is a mistake to overestimate the
amount of difference between cultures. In fact
not every rule can vary from society to
society.
 Class Discussions
1. Define culture
2. How do you think your community influences
your behavior?
3. Name some differences in moral behavior of
different cultures. Evaluate the differences.
4. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of
filipino people.
5. Discuss Universal Values. Explain why
universal values are necessary for human
survival.
■ http://ourhappyschool.com/philosophy/ethics-
syllabus