CULTURE AND ITS ROLE

IN MORAL BEHAVIOR
CULTURE
Culture is defined as a way Our home environment molds us into
of life, it is the totality of the social the person we are and further reinforces
environment in which we conduct our by the learning that we acquire in
lives. school. According to Plato, however,
Each culture is different in this learning has the tendency to
an interesting, weird, and unusual sort dissolve in the “face of the allure and
of way. Knowledge of these threats presented by the crowd.”
differences among cultures means
that these differences impact on
individual development, particularly,
the development of morality.

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CULTURE
Our behavior in general, and
morality, in particular, is affected both
by culture acquired in the HOME AND
BY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE.
What we are is the result of
everything we had experienced at
home, school, community, church and
society.
Strong influences are likewise
seen in our interactions with friends,
relatives, entertainment and news, and
social media.
Patterns in our behavior are
culturally induced and become deeply
embedded in our psyche. These
behaviors manifest themselves without
us being fully aware of them.
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CULTURE
THE MEDIA, especially SOCIAL MEDIA
indirectly promotes values, beliefs and
aspirations through the way other
people are portrayed which shows the
attitudes they display toward violence,
sex, minorities, gender roles and
group behavior.
The type of media we are
exposed to strongly influences our
ideas, how we think of ourselves and
how others think of us.

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 “
The culture into which we are born affects
our language, tastes, diet, interest, interaction
and strongly influences how we perceive
morality in the social world.

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CULTURAL
RELATIVISM

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 IF CULTURES VARY IN ALMOST ALL
ASPECTS OF EXISTENCE, THEN CAN WE
SAY THAT EACH CULTURE’S CONCEPT
OF RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND BAD
ALSO VARIES?

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According to Holmes [1998],

Customs, Morality depends Morality or

practices and on human nature, rightness and
moral beliefs vary human condition wrongness may
from culture to and specific vary from person
culture. social and to person and
cultural culture to culture.
circumstances.

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This may mean that what may be right for one culture may be
considered wrong in another. This is known as relativism. The idea of
relativism offers no information about which behavior and practices
are right or wrong, good or bad but it tells us that behavior or practices
may both be right and wrong at the same time.

relativism
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Cultural relativism is the view that a particular behavior may be judged
as morally right if one’s culture approves of it.

Cultural relativism
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Universal Morality
The idea of a universal morality is the reason why many
oppose cultural relativism. Many people believe that acceptance of
cultural relativism would lead to the erosion of moral standards. If
people are lead to believe that right and wrong are relative, they
would let go of all inhibitions and self-regulation and do whatever
they want to do.

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Vaughn [2008] presented the following
arguments on cultural relativism;

People’s Therefore, right

If right and wrong
judgement of and wrong are
are relative to
right and relative to culture
culture, there are
wrong/good and and there are no
no universal moral
bad differ from universal moral
principles.
culture to culture. principles.

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Vaughn [2008] futher presented reasons as to why cultural
relativism is not tenable in ethics.
1.
Cultural relativism implies that
culture are morally infallible. If it
approves of an action as morally
right or disapproves another as
morally wrong, it should be
accepted by all its members. This
means that a culture cannot
make mistakes about moral
issues.
2.
In cultural relativism, social
reformers would always be
wrong because their cultures
are the only authority on matters
of morality. Disagreements with
their culture means that social
reformers could not possibly be
right.
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Vaughn [2008] futher presented reasons as to why cultural
relativism is not tenable in ethics.
3.
In cultural relativism, cultural
practices are as morally justified as
in any other culture because such
practices are socially sanctioned.
4.
It is not possible for cultural
relativism to be applied to moral
questions. We all belong to
different societies and different
cultures. Since cultures differ,
there is no way to determine
which culture’s explanation to
moral questions is the proper
one.
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 “
Some philosophers argue that humanity must have a core
set of moral values that is universal or applicable to all cultures,
otherwise world cultures would not survive. In the light of the
reasons given, it would be a mistake to use culture as the only
basis for determining the morality of human conduct.
Understanding culture, however, is important when people want
to come up with better, more enlightened moral decisions.

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ACTIVITY
1. Research on local traditional cultural practices on
any of the following events;
a. Courtship
b. Pregnancy
c. Child Discipline
d. Death and Burial
2. Research on any foreign cultural practices on the
same events
3. Give a short narrative of your chosen cultural
practices.

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Insights ; Answer the following questions
a. How were the practices rationalized by cultures?
b. Do you think the practices are reasonable? Explain
your answer.
c. Are these cultural practices still being done today?
Why?
d. Share your researches and insights to the class.

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Morality;A Filipino
Understanding
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 “
Presently, we Filipinos may be free from physical
foreign bondage, but in reality, what we are and
probably will be is still conquered by what is foreign.
The influxof technology and the move towards
globalization are making young Filipinos equate
themselves with the culture of the West.

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Our sense of morality as Filipinos seems to be
influenced by two factors;

1. 2.
What we believe Our perception of how
based on our religious others judge us
inclinations

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 “
Why is it that it is common observation to
see people so good and God-fearing at one
moment and irresponsible and corrupt in the
next?

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Fr. Jaime Bulatao, S.J. [1960], coined the term “split-level”
Christians for their inconsistent behavior. For Filipinos,
there seem to be a big disparity between what we ought
to do and what we are doing. There might be a crisis in
faith because most of us are failing to emulate the true
values of our religious inclinations.

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 “
According to Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, S.J.
[1966], the Filipino conscience seems more
external that it is internal. The construct of
“hiya” takes center stage for explaining
Filipino behavior.

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Examples
A mother would not allow her
daughter to wear skimpy
clothes not because she values
decency but because the
neighbors might think that her
daughter is not decent and that
she is not a good mother.
A father would not allow his son
to drop out of school not
because he values education
and a good future for his son
but because the neighbors
might think that he cannot
afford to send his son to school
or that his son has no ambition.
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 “
If most of our behavior is guided by this
“external conscience,” there is a strong
tendency that without the presence of
others to “keep us in line,” we will pretty
much do whatever we want.

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 “
This means that we will break rules, cheat,
steal, or kill simply because nobody is
watching us and “hiya” will not be applicable.
If this is the reality that we have today, it is
no surprise that morality in the Philippines is
a big issue. [Harvey, 2017]
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 “
◎ ..\..\..\Downloads\y2mate.com -
political_dynasties_in_ph_FXYK4fKlkIM_3
60p.mp4

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 Morality; An Asian
Understanding
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Hinduism  One of the world’s oldest
religion which began in India
 Vedas – their sacred texts
composed of hymns and rituals
 Religion is a matter of practice
rather than beliefs.
 Reincarnation – a human being
is born as a result of dying in
another life
 Samsara – endless cycle of birth
 Law of Karma

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Buddhism  Similarities with Hinduism but a
believer would have to follow
the path of the Buddha
 Siddharta Gautama – the
Buddha is not divine nor is he a
prophet. He is a teacher and
model for the lives of his
followers
 The central belief is that life is
full of sufferings
 Also supports Law of Karma
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 “
The first two paths are concerned with
wisdom, the next three with morality and the
remaining three with concentration.

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Confucianism  A way of life based on teaching
of Confucius
 Yin [force of darkness’], and
yang [force of brightness] – the
two forces should be kept in
harmony for disharmony will
result in suffering and disaster.
 Confucius believe in the power
of culture and the conservation
of cultural values and social
norms

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 “
Confucius believed that social order would
flow naturally if the best qualities in human
beings were cultivated within the realm of
everyday interaction which centers on the
family. [Ludwig,2001]

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 thanks!
ANY
QUESTIONS?
-----
Christalene Jewel Mercado

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