SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

San Jose, Malilipot, Albay

COURSE/S and Block: BCAED 1A, BCAED 1B, BCAED 1C, BCAED 1D, BCAED 1E,
BCAED 1F, BSED FIL 1C
Instructor: SHARON G. BALAGUER Semester: 2nd Semester
Course Code: GE 8 AY: 2022-2023
Course Title: ETHICS Time/Duration: 3 hrs
Credit Units: 3 Modality: Modular/Face to Face

I – COURSE INTRODUCTION/DESCRIPTION

The concepts of feelings and values are central in explaining morality.

Philosophers who study ethics seek to discover the feelings and values that underlie more
behaviours – such as in making moral judgements or decisions. This module begins with
the basic definition of feelings and values, showing how they influence the moral
perception of people.
In this module, students will learn Max Scheler’s hierarchy of values. Many
people waste away each day not knowing what kind of modality is their priority. With the
help of Scheler’s hierarchy, people may be reminded of the more vital and valuable
aspects of their life and what should be prioritized in the course of living. It is important
to understand that the modalities which have lower values do not mean that they do not
have any value at all. Nurturing each of these feeling-statements is essential to one’s life.
This introduces students to the meaning of moral character. It explains the
important factors in the development of moral character. It also helps students
understand the theories of moral development. An individual’s moral character is often
attributed to his or her relationship with the significant people in his or her life such as
parents.

II – LEARNING OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After the discussion, you are expected to:
 Define feelings; feeling-states; values-modalities
 Describe the Filipino hierarchy of values
 Discuss the importance of feelings and values in ethics
 Discuss the 4 levels of value-modalities in Scheler’s Hierarchy
 Reflect on the practicality of feeling-states and values modalities in daily life

III. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Feelings - The one of the basic physical senses of which the

skin contains the chief ends organ an of which the
sensation of touch and temperature are
characteristic
 - Emotional state or reaction
Values Relative worth, utility or importance
Modality The quality or state of being modal
Modal Containing provisions as to the mode of procedure or the
manner taking effect - used of as contract of legacy
Holiness The quality or state of being holy

IV. COURSE LEARNING ACTIVITY / CONTENT: LESSON / TOPIC

Time Topic Learning Evaluation of
Duration objectives learning
 Define and
understand
Immanuel Kant’s view of moral
feelings feelings Reflection Paper
Theory of values  Understand
Filipino values the meaning
Scheler’s Hierarchy of and theory
Values of values
 Know and
understand
the Filipino
values
 Reflect on
the
practicality
of feeling-
states and
value –
modalities in
daily life

Moral Character and Moral

Development  Define moral
character
 Identify and
differentiate
the various
stages of
moral
development
according to
Lawrence
 Kohlberg
 Determine
the
significance
of making
moral
justification
in ethical
decision
making

Immanuel Kant’s view of feelings

Feelings are easy to describe. However, formally defining the concept of feelings in
the context of moral philosophy has proved to be an elusive and difficult task. The
challenge to philosophers has proved an elusive and difficult task. The challenge has
been to identify the most important feelings related to morality. Immanuel Kant is one of
the first philosophers who explored the nature of feelings and attempted to explain the
relationship between feelings and morality. According to his theory of moral feeling, when
people make moral decision, feelings come into play, organizing them into inclinations,
affects, passion and desires.
Moral Feelings according to Kant is the susceptibility to feel pleasure or
displeasure merely from being aware that actions are consistent or contrary to the law of
duty. Susceptibility to sensible pleasure and pain, then, is a condition at the deepest root
of human experience. Moral feeling cab be perceived to be the representation of moral
law; consequently, it is not an incentive to act morally. Kant is ambiguous in his claim
that moral feeling is not necessarily associated with moral goodness, but a susceptibility
on the part of free choice to be moved by pure practical reasons. He also asserts that no
human being is entirely with moral feeling. Here moral feeling’s practical function is the
ground of judgment and motive to action. The way an individual responds to a situation
could be based on feelings.

Meaning and theory of values

values determine behaviours. They influence decision – making. Common source of
values is one’s personal experiences and relationships with others. Major influences in
values formation are one’s family, peers’ education and the media.
Axiology is the study of values. Values are things considered important in life.
Values are beliefs that influence people’s behaviours and decision-making. Values can
refer to objects, people, places and behaviours. In ethics, the degree of importance of
things can influence many specific attitudes, decisions and moral behaviours. Values are
the culture’s standard for discerning what is good and bad, right and wrong, beautiful
and ugly, desirable and undesirable and what ought to perform and not to perform
Filipino values strive to obtain not only individually but also collectively,
particularly for their families. An important theorization on Filipino values is developed
by Thomas Quintin Andres in which he arranged Filipino values in heirachy: from the
basic level at the bottom to the hgihgest level of values on the top:

Self-
esteem

Social
Mobility

Social
Acceptance

Debt of Gratitude

Closeness in the Family

Thomas Andres’ hierarchy of Filipino values

1. Closeness in the family
The basic and most important unit in the Philippine society is the family.
Filipinos emphasize the importance of the close family ties which remain even
throughout adulthood.
2. Debt of gratitude
This value called utang-na-loob in Filipino reflects the value of reciprocity among
Filipinos. It refers to the value in which one remembers the favour other people has
given to him or her and for him or her to return it in some form or another in the
future.
3. Social acceptance
Among Filipinos, social approval, social acceptance and the sense of
belongingness are essential to enable them to functions in the society.
4. Social mobility
Filipinos work hard for the comfort of their families. Some Filipinos even opt
to work abroad even as domestic helpers just so they can provide for their loved
ones.

5. Self – esteem
This is the value the highest level among Filipinos. It refers to high regard
for amor propio (self-esteem) of the strong desire to be respected.

MAX FERDINAND SCHELER

At the time of his death, Max Ferdinand Scheler was one of the most prominent
German intellectuals and most sought-after philosophers of his time. A pioneer in the
development of phenomenology in the early part of the 20 th century, Scheler broke new
ground in many areas of philosophy and established himself as perhaps the most creative
of the early phenomenologists. Relative to the attention his work received and the
attention his contemporaries now enjoy, interest in Scheler’s work and thought has
waned considerably. This decrease in attention is in part due to the suppression of
Scheler’s work by the Nazis from 1933 to 1945, a suppression stemming from his Jewish
heritage and outspoken denunciation of fascism and National Socialism. Nevertheless,
his work has survived and continues to be read and translated throughout the world,
serving as evidence of the creative depth and richness of his thought.

He has developed the most important theory of values. For Scheler, values are the
intentional objects of feelings, qualities given originally in the “feeling of something”. He
constantly stresses the objectivity, immutability and eternal characteristics of values that
are “prioristic” in character.

In The Nature of Sympathy and Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of

Value, Scheler talks about love, human feelings and the nature of the person. He
contends that reason consciousness and ego are characteristics of human being and the
pure form of those characteristics cannot be found outside humans. Knowing a human
being as an essentially loving creature, Scheler states the existence of human being due
to his or her heart and not his or ego., will or reason. He considers love as the center of
all emotions and goes on to argue that love and feelings have their own type of logic that
is different from the logic of reason. The reality of value precedes knowing. Values can be
felt and organized by means of the hierarchy of the power of reason after they are
experienced.

Considering emotions as inconsistent and insincere at times, Scheler researched

on the concept of value deceptions as seen in his works Ordo Amoris, The Idols of Self-
knowledge, Repentance and Re-birth and Ressentiment. He based on “pre-rational
refereeing”, the persons first reaction towards a specific value. When a person prioritizes
a value of lower rank to a value of higher rank or disvalues a value, a “disorder of heart
occurs. He asserted as well that values can be better advanced through aristocracy than
a democracy.

From this interest of his, he formulated his theory of value – an enumeration of the
four levels of value-modalities and the feeling-states that are incorporated therein.
Feeling-states refer to specific values or elements that one may give importance to. It
may be pleasure, strength, joy or holiness. Upon knowing what is really valuable for one,
his or her value-modality or level of hierarchy of value is determined.

SCHELER’S HEIRARCHY OF VALUES

Scheler’s ethics is centered on his theory of value. He pointed out that moral
values of good and evil are solely related to persons not objects.

1. Sensory Value-Modality
 These values range from agreeable to disagreeable. People who conform to
these values primarily consider whether something leads to pleasure or
pain. They agree on what gives them pain. Hence, this feeling-state relates to
 hedonistic and utilitarian values. Pleasure-seekers hold this particular
value-modality.
2. Vital – Value Modality
 All modes of feelings in life are included in this level. These values are higher
than the values of pleasure. This value-modality pertains to the recognition
of health and sickness, strength and weakness and excellence and flaw.
Emotional reactions are also included in this category such as being happy
about something or being annoyed at something.
3. Spiritual-Value Modality
 The feeling-states relative to this value-modality are connected to spiritual
feelings, more specifically, love and hatred, beauty and ugliness, joy and
sorrow, delight and disgust, reverence and contempt. They may also include
feelings of pleasure and displeasure, approval and disapproval and respect
and disrespect.

The 3 types of spiritual values are:

a. Values of beauty and ugliness, including the whole span of purely
aesthetic values;
b. Values of right and wrong;
c. Values of the pure cognition of truth.

Those who possess these values are considered geniuses (artistic,

moral and philosophical)

4. Value of Holiness Modality

 This level includes the highest type of values that appear only on objects
given intentionally as absolute objects. Thus, the values connected to these
values are those things from sacraments, cults and other forms of worship. In
this modality, the feelings range from blissfulness or unhappiness. This type
of persons in this criterion includes the saints.

Value of Holiness
Modality

Spiritual Value-
Modality

Vital – Value
Modality

Sensory Value – Modality

Scheler’s Hierarchy of Values

MORAL CHARACTER
People tend to judge others by their own moral standards. To best understand the
concept of moral character, it is important to know first the meaning of “character”.
Character is derived from the Greek Kharakter, a stamping tool used to make coins.
Later, the word came to imply a distinctive mark that differentiates one thing from
another. It came to refer to the collection of qualities that distinguish one individual from
another. The person has personality or that he or she is quite a character.
Aristotle describes the two different kinds of human excellences: excellences of
thought and excellences of character. The latter in Greek is phrased by Aristotle as ethikai
aretai which is translated as moral virtue or moral excellence. The Greek word ethikos
(ethical) is the adjective similar to ethos (character). The concept of a moral virtue or the
excellence or character emphasizes not one’s mere uniqueness or individuality but the
combination of qualities that make an individual ethically good. Moral character can be
understood as an evaluation of one’s consistent moral characteristics or attributes.
Fr. Dionisio Miranda asserts that the concept of moral character is associated with
one sense of dignity or identity. This sense of identity can be specified by other values or
characteristics such as individuality, autonomy, and meaning. The core of one’s moral
character is his and her being human.

Development of Moral Character

In childhood and adolescence, it is crucial to learn how to distinguish
between right and wrong or good or bad to develop moral character. To be a moral person
is to think morally and act accordingly. The moral dilemmas facing young children are
usually about understanding that lying, cheating, stealing, teasing and fighting are bad
behaviours and practices and that honesty, generosity courtesy and politeness are values
that can shape one into having good moral character.

Theories of Moral Development

Theoretical approaches that explain the process of moral development:
 Social Learning Theory – children develop moral behaviours though the
process of modelling. Models can be parents, teachers, or peers. Moral
development can also occur through positive or negative reinforcement. Thus,
giving rewards and punishments is significant to the internalization of moral
behaviour.
 Cognitive Development Theory – Jean Piaget describes ways in which
children arrive at judgement about what is right or wrong. Heteronomous
morality, children follow strict rules and are completely obedient to authority
figures. Autonomous Morality, children begin to learn new things about the
world through interaction with other people.
 Psychoanalytic theory – moral behaviours is governed by unconscious ideas
and impulses that are rooted in childhood conflicts.
 Evolutionary Theory – focuses on the neurobiological bases of moral
development that all human share.

Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

 Moral Development is the gradual development of an individual’s concept of right
or wrong - conscience, values social attitudes and other moral behaviours
Lawrence Kohlberg is an American psychologist best known for the theory of stages
of moral development.
 Postconventional Morality (0-9) – children see rules as fixed and absolute.
They obey rules to avoid punishment. They are motivated by fear of
punishment.
 Conventional Morality (10-15) – one becomes conscious that he or she is
living in a society with many people who have interests that me be similar or
different from one’s own. In this stage, one begins to consider society as a
whole when making judgement. One does not only obey law out of fear but
out of respect.
 Post conventional Morality - people begin to account for the differing of
values, opinions and beliefs of other people. They see rules of law are
important in maintaining a society btu members of the society must agree
upon these standards.
V. ACTIVITY
V.1 Answer the following:

1. How can feelings and values affect the moral lives of people?
2. Why are values considered important to human life?

V.2. Reflection:
1. Read Luke 18:18-27. Write your reflections on and insights drawn from the story.
2. Read THE GOOD SAMARITAN (LUKE 10:25-37). What was your reaction when you
read the parable? What did you learn from it?
3. THE HEINZ DILEMMA - is an experiment designed by Lawrence Kohlberg to
determine the moral character of different individuals. His theory is shown that people’s
conception of what is right and wrong develops as they interact in their environment.

THE HEINZ DILLEMA

Heinz’s wife is dying because of a terminal illness. There is only one drug that the
doctors think might cure her but it is an advanced formula that has been recently
discovered by the pharmaceutical company. This drug is extremely expensive to produce.
Thus, the company is selling it at a price tenfold the production costs. Heinz sought
everyone he knows to borrow money but he could only collect half of what the drug costs.
He went directly to the owner of the pharmaceutical company to beg him to sell the drug
at a lower cost. The owner refused as he couldn’t make any exceptions as the company
had spent much money in the research and equipment to manufacture the drug.

(If you are in Heinz’s situation, what will you do? Discuss and explain the basis of your
answer.)
********** THANK YOU GUYS… GOD BLESS**********