THE MORAL AGENT what is moral? “Mores” It refers to those characteristics belonging to man as a rational being, endowed with intellect and free-will what is agent? ➢ moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral ➢ responsibility not to cause unjustified harm. ➢ Moral Agent whose moral behavior is conditioned by his cultural values and belief systems at the same time influenced by different cultures from the environment. Role of Culture in Moral Behavior CULTURE Culture means the customs, ideas and social behavior of a particular people or group – it is everything that man thinks, says and does. It is derived from the Latin word ‘cultura’ in English growing or cultivation. It consists of the way people relate to the world through basic assumptions and images which would more or less give them a coherent view of reality they experience (Claver, 1978). HUMAN CULTURE Matsumoto (2007) defines human culture as a unique meaning and information system, shared by a group and transmitted across generations, that allows the group to meet basic needs of survival, coordinate socially to achieve a viable existence, transmit social behavior, pursue happiness and well-being, and derive meaning from life. CULTURE a) Material living (dress, housing and architecture); b) way of behaving (customary manners and conduct); c) way of speaking (language use); d) way of thinking (thought processes); e) way of feeling (shared psychology); f) way of meaning (arts and symbols); g) Way of believing, valuing and meaning (views of life and attitudes). ROLE OF CULTURE IN MORAL BEHAVIOR How does culture shape moral behavior? MORAL CODES ➢ moral codes are a set of rules or guidelines that a person or group follows in order to live a just and good life. ➢ Moral codes are heavily dependent upon culture. ➢ Moral codes dictate many aspects of our lives, from how we act with different age groups, to how we dress, and even how we treat other people. How does culture shape moral behavior? Within culture are moral codes that are practiced through social behavior. CULTURAL RELATIVISM=CULTURAL DIVERSITY cultural relativism ➢ is “where the traditions of your society, your opinions, and the circumstances of the present moment define your ethical principle ➢ Cultural relativism claims that ethical truths are RELATIVE that the rightness of an action and the goodness of an object depend on or consist in the attitude taken towards it by some individual or group, and hence may vary from individual to individual or from group to group. Ethical judgements have their origins in individual or cultural standards. It is the principle of regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself. An individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others from the perspective of that individual's own culture. One’s moral codes and beliefs of right and wrong are influenced completely by the culture in which an individual is raised. A better way to look at this would be that what is considered morally correct in one culture, may be deemed wrong in another. It doubts if there truly is a universal idea of right and wrong. In other words, the cultural lenses carry with them their own biases of ethical behaviour. The following claims have all been made by cultural relativists: 1. Different societies have different moral codes; 2. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that society; 3. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society’s code as better than another’s. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times; 4. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is but one among many; 5. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of them Is CULTURE the same as RELIGION? CULTURE is generally defined as a set of rules and expected behaviors, known as norms. These are not the same as the beliefs required to form a religion, but do not necessarily interfere with them. A RELIGION can be part of a culture if it is widely recognized within a society, or especially if its observance is mandated by the norms of a society. A religion can also be the basis of a culture if it is the common denominator of a group of people who are not otherwise similar. For example, members of the Jewish diaspora can find common ground based on their religious tenets, and thus form a Jewish culture, or a subculture within a broader culture in which they are a minority. Likewise, members of a widespread and non-ethnic religion like Christianity can develop cultural norms around their common beliefs, which may form an aspect or subset of a wider culture, becoming dominant over other aspects. UNIVERSAL VALUES ➢ those ideals that we believe should be privileged and promoted in the lives of all human beings in spite of the differing cultures and societies where we grew up ➢ Even though some values may be universal, they often arise from particular religious, sociocultural and political contexts How does your community influence your behavior? THE FILIPINO WAY The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia. CULTURAL VALUES are the core principles and ideals upon which an entire community exists. This is made up of several parts: customs, which are traditions and rituals; values, which are beliefs; and culture, which is all of a group's guiding values. CULTURE = VALUES = CUSTOMS A CUSTOM is a ritual or other tradition that is an outward sign of the group's cultural values. CULTURAL VALUES can be pieced together by observing the various customs that the people have passed down for generations. CULTURE is defined as all of a group's guiding values and outward signs and symbols taken together as one big whole. What Filipino Culture do you know? FILIPINO CULTURE 1. Mano Po 2. Hospitality 3. Close Family Ties 4. Bayanihan 5. Serenade 6. Superstition FILIPINOS ARE IN DEEP CULTURAL IDENTITY STRENGTHS ❑PAKIKIPAGKAPWA-TAO ❑FAMILY ORIENTATION ❑JOY AND HUMOR ❑HARD WORK AND INDUSTRY ❑FAITH AND RELIGIOSITY ❑FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY AND CREATIVITY ❑ABILITY TO SURVIVE WEAKNESSES ❑KANYA-KANYA SYNDROME ❑EXTREME PERSONALISM ❑PASSIVITY AND LACK OF INITIATIVE ❑LACK OF DISCIPLINE ❑COLONIAL MENTALITY ❑LACK OF SELF ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION ❑EXTREME FAMILY CENTEREDNESS Culture as an influence of behaviour takes the “nurture" side of the argument about influences of behaviour. Culture looks at the totality of any given society's belief system, laws, mores, practices, language and attitudinal variables which makes a people unique from others. As you know, it is transmitted from one generation to the other. What happened when you are groomed in the ways of a particular culture? You start acting and behaving in ways that are seen as appropriate to such a culture. Your dress sense, grooming, language, belief system and attitude become molded to fit into that society which makes you become accepted by them. Hence, culture plays a big role in determining how an individual behaves in any given environment. Take for example, in some places, baring the breasts is seen as normal, while in some places it is forbidden. Some places allow males and females to mingle freely in public places: others do not. This has a tremendous impact on behaviour, and is evident when these persons go to a place that has a different culture compared to theirs. They encounter what is known as “culture shock", and it is most evident from their reactions and behaviours to certain unique stimuli which they come in contact with in a new place. So yes, culture plays a big role in influencing behavior.
