Culture In Moral Behavior provides people with a basis upon which to
discern their own accepted ethical systems
KEYWORDS: and a basis for contextualization or
CULTURE broadening their own conceptions of the
good.
- It is a set of beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a
particular society, group, place or time. WHAT IS CULTURAL RELATIVISM?
CONTEXTUALIZATION - Cultural relativism is a doctrine that asserts
the validity of culture in the process of
- It is to think or provide information about the thinking. In ethics, cultural relativism is
situation in which something happens. culture-specific such that the truth is
measured insofar as it is culturally
RELATIVISM logical or consistent. Ethical thinking in
cultural relativism is the doing of good that is
- It is one of the theories on truth that states
greatly dependent on the culture. In this way,
that the truth is being viewed depend on the
an individual behaves to the satisfaction of
individuals and groups holding them
his or her culture which serves as rational
ground of his or her doing.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
- Having said that, what can be true to one
- Culture is a system of conduct that gives culture may not necessarily be true to
the world meaning and shapes the another. Analogically, what is medicine for
behavior of people. It also determines one person may be a poison for another.
proper behavior. This includes what we eat Cultural orientation and application may
and how we prepare food, how we talk and be valid, but its validity is only within its
what language we use, what we make and own culture. This goes to say that the
how we make and utilize things, how we tenable position of what is right or wrong is
understand the meaning of life and death, seen from what is prescribed of a certain
and how we recognize the ultimate meaning culture. Its prescriptive character is clearly
of life. Culture is our code of conduct that exclusive in nature, that is, excluding other
shapes how we understand, what life is worth cultures which also bear their own conception
living and what it means to be human. of truth.
- Given the diversity of cultures, Cultural
CULTURE INFLUENCE MORAL BEHAVIOR Relativism could not serve as a solid
moral ground for moral decision making,
- The conception of good and evil, of what however, without compromising one’s
is right or wrong, is shaped by culture cultural bias, it serves to develop open-
as it is the very basic system of conduct mindedness, broadmindedness and critical
that shapes human behavior. This could fluidity and firmness in understanding others
be dangerous in a way since not all cultures with different cultural backgrounds.
and their conception of the good reflect the
universal good or what ought to be. While
culture frames our understanding of good and Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral
evil in relation to other cultures, it in turn
leads to some potential consequences based Development
on that cultural orientation. - Maturity, decisiveness, uprightness are
certain qualities of an individual who has
- There is always the possibility that one’s grown through life which can neither be
cultural conception of the good can lead programmed nor predicted, implying that one
to harm and evil to another culture. goes through a step-by-step process in
Thus, the study of ethics is important since it moral living. If moral maturity means more
than just mere acceptance of norms STAGE 3: INTERPERSONAL CONCORDANCE
established by society, then it is essential to
know just what it means and how one Behavior driven by social approval or by what
achieves it. These were the main concerns of others expect in behavior – good boy, good girl
a study of Lawrence Kohlberg in his orientation.
Theory of Moral Development.
STAGE 4: AUTHORITY
Behavior driven by obeying authority and
conforming to social order. One is motivated
to act in order to uphold law and order.
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG (1927 – 1987)
- American psychologist and educator,
Harvard University
- “Education is crucial for moral living.”
LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL
MORALITY
THE THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
- The norms of morality are defined apart from
- Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral authority of groups, but with independent
Development emphasizes the gradual attitude towards moral values and principles.
progress experienced by the individual who in
turn can only realize his or her status of STAGE 5: SOCIAL CONTRACT
personal development after passing through
Behavior driven by the balance of social order
a lower level. Kohlberg believes that the
and individual rights. One will act based on
individual moves from one level to another,
social justice and the common good.
going through the varying stages of
social orientations. All three levels, which
STAGE 6: UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES
are comprised of two stages each, cover the
six stages of moral development. Behavior driven by internal moral principles and
associated with the development of one’s
LEVEL 1: PRECONVENTIONAL MORALITY conscience, having a set of principles that
drives one to possess moral responsibility.
- The norms of morality are understood
through physical pain and pleasure - Kohlberg maintains that the stages he has
orientation. identified are merely descriptions of moral
development. He claims that his findings are
STAGE 1: OBEDIENCE AND PUNISHMENT not dependent on a specific psychological
Behavior driven by fear of avoiding theory but a result of his empirical analysis of
punishment. the way people develop morally. Moral
judgements, although depending on
STAGE 2: INDIVIDUAL INTEREST intelligence, social status, personality and on
the age and experience of each individual,
Behavior driven by self-interest and rewards. are nonetheless distinctive.
One is motivated to act by the benefit that one
may obtain later. Feelings And Moral Decision –
LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
Making
- Apart from man’s rationality, feelings and
- The norm of morality is maintained by emotions play a crucial role in determining
expectations and values of the group where the way man acts through various situations
one belongs, for example: family, friends, he/she experiences. Man does not simply
society and other social institutions. know others and the world; Man, also feels
their existence and their value.
WHAT ARE EMOTIONS? moral decision making. That’s why one
should always find the equilibrium between
- are constitutive of being human on personal rationality and emotions as the former is
and collective levels. attributed to its unstable characteristic.
- are momentary feelings; unsuitable to moral
decision making. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MORAL
- are sometimes unwilled and subjective; are PRINCIPLES INVOLVING EMOTIONS AND
fleeting feelings hence, there can hardly be REASONS:
accountability.
- conscious mental reaction subjectively 1. Emotions should be guided by reasons.
experienced as strong feeling usually
directed toward a specific object and typically 2. When moral claims could not be supported by
accompanied by physiological and behavioral reasonable arguments, then such claims would in
changes in the body. no way resolve a moral issue. As discussed in the
previous lesson, anything that’s moral is
reasonable and if a claim is non-reasonable, it is
therefore non-moral. If there is no good reason to
back up moral statements/actions that are done
out of emotions, emotions could become a
SOME PHILOSOPHERS LIKE BLAISE hindrance. The following are the moral principles
PASCAL ASSERTS THAT EMOTIONS PLAY involving emotions and reasons:
A CRUCIAL ROLE IN MORAL LIFE.
3. The neutral position (relativism) carried out by
“We know the truth not only through our feelings implies a double standard. No two
reason but also through our heart.” judgments are contradicting each other." Stealing
as bad” shares with the assertion that “stealing is
“The heart has its reasons of which reason good”. Both actions are equally true on the basis
knows nothing.” of the agent’s (the person who steals) conviction.
E.g., at the peak of Jose’s frustrations, he
- (#110 & #423) Pensees, Blaise Pascal
indulged in stealing despite knowing that it is bad
but then, he also thinks that doing it would be
- The mind is not the sole arbiter of what is
way better than letting his family die out of
right and wrong.
hunger. There is a double standard on the part of
- Emotions operate with precision and
Jose’s stealing. The following are the moral
consistency of its own.
principles involving emotions and reasons:
THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT 4. Emotions unaided by reason do away with
CONCERNING EMOTIONS: critical analysis for objectivity, disconnecting
ethics. Letting emotions rule us over our
EMOTIONS ARE BOTH HINDRANCE AND rationality could blind us from what really the
HELP. truth is. Someone who has hatred and pain in his
- Sometimes, our emotions lead us to the heart would always see a different “truth”
wrong way like when we love and care for the compared to the “truth” that is seen by others.
wrong person, commit crimes out of anger, or
cross the boundaries out of lust. But then,
emotions also are a help in a way that we
become more humane because of it.
7 Steps Moral Reasoning
Model
EMOTIONS SHOULD BE GUIDED BY
- How” is associated with process. However,
REASONS.
there is a little divide between the idea of
- As argued, emotions serve as a help “process” and “ethics” because the former
however, emotions are also defined above as is transparent and clear whereas there is
momentary feelings, thus is unsuitable for no way that “ethics” can be in full
operative. There is no specific way where
goodness can be secured, and evil can be to ask people close to him/her if your
avoided. Just if ever there is a connection partner goes through a problem which you
between process and ethics, the just don’t know.
connection avoids the following:
IDENTIFY A LIST OF OPTIONS
1. The fact that what is in principle through
words can be automatically in principle through - just in case one has identified the validity
action. Sometimes, what we do differs from what of the problem, he has to circumnavigate
we say. We just find it difficult to align our deeds the variables involved in the issue. What
with our words all the time. could be the factors why your romantic
partner is getting cold in your
2. The danger of looking at the question of what relationship? Is he/she still happy? Is there
is ethical as if it is solved by a how-to-manual. someone else which he/she is becoming
There is no specific manual on how to be ethical. more intimate with? Is he/she just doing
something so important which you just
- However, there can still be steps
don’t know? Have you done anything
necessary in the attainment of a moral
wrong to him/her? Try ask yourself of the
act. It’s just that the steps can be actually
questions that would lead you to some
dynamic and holistic to accommodate the
facts about the problem.
reality itself. The following is the
DEVELOP A LIST OF OPTIONS
- the list of options developed should lead
7-STEP MORAL REASONING MODEL the person to a focused choice. Such
choices should lead on the possible and
proposed by MICHAEL DAVIS.
plausible address of the problem. If ever
you identified that there is someone else
STATE THE PROBLEM meddling in your relationship, what would
- Acknowledge that there is a problem- you possibly do? Will you confront the
there is something to be fixed. The other person? Will you just let it pass? Or
problem sometimes is that one refuses to will you make your partner choose
accept that something is wrong in the first between you and his/her “someone new?”
place. E.g. acknowledge that there is
something wrong with your partner’s TEST OPTIONS
relationship. It’s getting cold as compared
- before making a judgment, the following
to how it was before thus, there must be
tests would be helpful:
really a problem.
VIRTUE TEST
ASCERTAIN THE FACTS
“If I were to ignore this, how does this
- Take a careful look because not all
reflect my virtue?” If I would let this pass, I
problems can be considered as legitimate
could be seen as a martyr lover.
problems. Just may be, you overthought
on things. Just maybe, your relationship HARM TEST
with your partner doesn’t really have a
problem and you were only overthinking. “What will be the effect of the possibility
of nondisclosure?” If I would let this pass,
- Clear things out, confront, and will I be emotionally settled? If I would
communicate as much as possible with confront either my partner or the other
the person/s involved. Be enlightened if person, or both of them, would it be good
there is truly a problem or none at all. Try for me or for the other parties?
asking your romantic partner of your
thoughts. Voice out your observations. Try
- before making a judgment, the following realities that bear upon the lives of others.
tests would be helpful: A decision turns something in your mind
into reality. Make sure you do not regret
REVERSIBILITY TEST the decision you have conferred reality
upon.
“Would I also be affected by it if I were in
his position?” If I were in the position of
my romantic partner, would I also have MAKE A FINAL DECISION
the tendency to cheat in this relationship? - The final choice happens upon further
evaluation of the steps. After confronting
PROFESSIONAL TEST your partner and weighing on things, now
what? After your cool off, now what? You
“How does my discipline or field see this
cannot be in a cool off forever. Should you
action?” If I would confront the other
continue? Or rather, should you put your
person and get driven by my emotions,
relationship to an end?
will my actions still be seen appropriately
being a professional?
- before making a judgment, the following
tests would be helpful:
ORGANIZATION TEST
“How does the organization or my
institution observe the following
problem?”
COLLEAGUE TEST
“How does my colleague see the same
issue?” If my colleague were in my shoes,
what would he/she possibly do about the
situation?
- before making a judgment, the following
tests would be helpful:
PUBLICITY TEST
“How should this issue be treated
publicly?”
DEFENSIBILITY TEST
“How could this issue be defended and
where?”
CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES
- Filter your choices and separate the
ethical from the unethical choices bearing
in mind both your motives and the
potential consequences of your action.
Think of long-term consequences and act
in accordance with the principles of justice
and fairness. Consequences are historical
