HUMAN VALUES

What is value?
■ Anything which satisfies a human need is a value.
– Identical to that which is “good” according to Aristotle.
■ Anything which enriches our experience of life such as, person/s, relationship,
feelings, objects, places, events, opportunities, profession, work, travel, state of
being.
– The meaning we assign to these constitutes their value.

Significance of Values:
1. Values enrich our experience of life and bring happiness.
2. Actions are values because they are the means we employ to attain happiness.
3. Morally good actions bring happiness while immoral actions bring unhappiness.

Kinds of Values
1. Biological values - necessary to the physical survival and growth of man such
as food, shelter, work, pleasure, sex, sports, career, health, and medicines.
2. Psychological values - necessary to the psychological maturation of a person
such as, companionship, friendship, marriage, family life, and social interaction.
3. Intellectual Values – necessary to the mental fulfilment of a person, such as
truth, science, art, religion, technology, experience.
4. Moral Values – necessary for the development of character.
*Cultural values – those that are shared in a community such as, ideals, laws,
customs, beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies.

Characteristics of Moral Values:

1. They have intrinsic worth
2. They are universally accepted by all people
3. They are obligatory

How do we choose values?

■ 1. Permanent or lasting values must be preferred over
temporary or perishable ones.
■ 2. Values favored by the majority must be
preferred over those appealing only to a few.
■ 3. Essential Values must be preferred over the accidental values.
4. Moral Values must be preferred over the physical values

Moral Habits
■ Moral character is the sum of a person’s good habits.
■ Habit comes from the Latin word “habere” which means to have or to possess.”
■ Habits are either entitative or operative
 – Entitative habits – those which predispose a person to acquire certain
nature or quality, like being healthy, being beautiful, being intelligent, or
being rich.
– Operative habits – predispose a person to act readily towards a purpose
like singing, dancing, playing basketball, etc.
■ The operative habit of doing well is called virtue; while that of doing
evil is vice.

Moral Virtues

■ 1. Prudence – enables the person to know the best means to employ in

attaining a purpose. A prudent person weighs the pros and cons of a situation.
■ 2. Justice – inclines a person to give to everyone what is due.
■ 3. Fortitude – pertains to the strength of the will.
■ 4. Temperance – moderates a person’s instincts and emotions.

Intellectual Virtues:
1. Episteme (scientific knowledge) - knowledge of what is necessary and universal
2. Techne (artistic or technical knowledge) - knowledge of how to make things or of
how to develop a craft
3. Nous (Intuitive reason) - the process that establishes the first principles of
knowledge or understanding.
4. Phronesis (practical wisdom) – the capacity to act in accordance with the good
of humanity
5. Sophia (philosophic wisdom) - the combination of intuitive reason and scientific
knowledge.

RIGHT AND DUTIES

Meaning of Right
■ Objectively
– Anything which is owed or due.
■ Subjectively
– Moral power bound to be respected by others, of doing, possessing, or
requiring something.

Kinds of Right
1. Natural Rights – those based on natural law. The right to life, education, and
work.
2. Human Rights – those based on human positive laws, either those enacted by
the state or by religion.
Civil Rights – those promulgated by the state
■ E.g., right to form associations, right to run for public office, and the right
to due process.
Ecclesiastical or Religious Rights – promulgated by the church
■ E.g., right to attend religious services, right to be instructed in the faith,
right to the services and rites.
3. Alienable and Inalienable Rights
Alienable Rights – rights are those which could be surrendered,
renounced, or removed
■ E.g., right to travel, operate business.
Inalienable rights – rights which cannot be surrendered, renounced, removed
■ E.g., right to life, marry, education
4. Juridical and Non-Juridical Rights
– Juridical Rights – based on the law
■ Right of a worker to a wage
– Non-Juridical Rights – based on virtue rather than strict justice
■ Right to clothing allowance
 5. Right of jurisdiction – The power of a lawful authority
to govern and make laws for his constituents and dependents.
E.g.
– Mayor over his constituents
– Parents over their children

Characteristics of Rights
■ 1. Coaction – the power inherent in rights to prevent their being violated and to
exact redress for their unjust violation.
■ 2. Limitation – The natural limits or boundary beyond which a right may not be
insisted without violating the right of another.
■ 3. Collision – the conflict of two rights so related that it is not possible to
exercise one without violating the other.

■ In the resolution of conflict, the right which should prevail

is that which,
■ 1. Belongs to the higher order.
■ 2. Concerned with a graver matter
■ 3. Founded upon a stronger title or claim
Civil and Political Rights
■ 1. Civil Rights – those enjoyed by persons as private individuals in pursuit of
their personal activities and in their transaction with others.
– E.g., right to life, privacy, property, education, worship, etc.
2. Political Rights – those enjoyed by persons as citizens in their participation in
government affairs.
– E.g. right to run for public office, right to vote, right
to be informed of public issues, and the right to public services
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
■ Economic, social, and cultural rights pertain to the right to work, the right to a just
and favorable conditions of work, the right to an adequate standard of living,
including food, clothing, and housing, the right to physical and mental health, the
right to social security, the right to a healthy environment, the right to education,
and the right to freely form and join trade unions.
Duty
Objectively:
-Anything which we are bound to do or omit.
Subjectively:
-Moral obligation incumbent upon a person to do, omit or, avoid something.

Correlation of right and duty

■ One who has a right to something has the duty to act consistent with that right.
Kinds of Duties
■ 1. Natural Duties – those imposed by natural law.
– Ex. Duty to take care of our health, the duty
to educate ourselves
■ 2. Positive Duties – imposed by a human positive law.
 – The duty to pay taxes, the duty to observe traffic
rules, duty to vote
*Duties are either positive or negative
Positive Duties are those that require the performance of an act. Ex. Duty of loving our
parents
Negative Duties are those which require the omission of an act.
Ex. Duty not to kill another person

Exemption from Duty

■ 1. Negative duties arising from negative natural law admit no exemption.
■ Ex. Murder, stealing, rape, kidnapping, or adultery.
■ 2. Affirmative duties arising from affirmative precepts of natural law admit
exemptions when the act is rendered impossible under certain conditions or
would involve excessive hardship on the person.
■ Ex. A poor person is not bound to feed the hungry
■ 3. Ordinary hardships which come along with the performance of a duty do not
exempt one from complying with such duty.
■ Ex. A student who has difficulty in getting a ride going to school is not exempted
from attending his/her classes.

Conflict of Duties
■ 1. Duties towards God must be given priority.
■ 2.Duties that secure public order or the common good have priority over those
that safeguard the individual.
■ Ex. The duty to observe traffic rules takes precedence over personal
convenience.
■ 3. Duties towards the family and relatives take precedence
over those towards strangers
■ Ex. A father should spend for the needs of the family before
entertaining his barriadas.
■ 4. Duties of greater importance take precedence over those of lesser
importance.
■ Ex. Preservation of one’s honor is more important than gaining
monetary advantage
■ 5. Duties based on higher law takes precedence over those coming from
lower laws.
LOVE OF GOD
Religion
■ The word comes from the Latin word “relegate” which means “to bind”. Religion
is a bond or a fellowship between man and his creator
■ Religion is a system of beliefs, rituals, moral practices and laws pertaining to the
divine worship of God.
A Search for Meaning
Religion expresses human yearning to discover the meaning
Beings of human existence. He yearns to discover his origin, his nature, and his
purpose in life. All religious systems aim to teach the faithful the meaning of human life.

Acts of Religion – human acts pertaining to the practice of religion

1. Faith – the act of assenting to religious truths
2. Devotion – the act of obedience to God’s will
3. Prayer – the act of communicating with God
4. Adoration - the act of proclaiming the glory of God
5. Sacrifice – the act binding oneself in the service of God
Actions contrary to religion
1. Blasphemy – the act of mocking God
2. Presumption – the act of believing that God, being all loving, does not punish
evil
3. Fanaticism – excessive subservience to one’s faith
4. Sacrilege – the act of desecrating sacred objects
5. Idolatry – the worship of creatures other than God
Worship of God – proclamation of the glory of God
■ Internal – when it consists of the acts of the intellect, such as in praying, or in
affirming one’s faith
■ External – when it involves bodily actions expressing homage to God, such as
attending religious services, or rendering charitable acts
■ Private – done by a person alone and by his own initiative
■ Public – when it is done by a group of believers as a communal manifestation of
faith.
The worship of God consists of:
1. The duty to know God
2. Duty to love God
3. Duty to serve God
Institutional Religion
■ A group of believers, subscribing to the same faith, practices, ritual, and laws,
recognizing a hierarchy of officials, constitutes a sect or church and has a
theological doctrine as the basis of its moral teachings.
Freedom of Religious Worship
■ Our constitution provides for the freedom of religious worship. Citizens are free to
choose their religion. The state should not require a state religion, or pass a law
prohibiting the practice of religion.
Religious Tolerance
■ Religious Tolerance – recognizing the faith of another person as his
cherished possession, truly belonging to him as an act binding him to God.
 ■ Religious intolerance – viewing someone’s religion as an error which needs to
be corrected
Religious Unity
Ecumenism -An initiative that seeks unity among Christian churches.
■ Interreligious Dialogue- Interreligious dialogue is a meeting of people of
differing religions, in an atmosphere of freedom and openness, in order
to listen to the other, to try to understand that person’s religion, and hopefully to
seek possibilities of collaboration.

LOVE OF SELF
■ Love is the tendency towards what is good. We love ourselves when we value
our person, recognize the goodness in us and the tremendous powers for
personal improvement.
Love and Selfishness
■ Love thrives on justice on what is honest and beautiful. Selfishness is the
overflowing of greed and pride. A selfish person sees only himself. Thus, our
preoccupation with ourselves must be regulated by our concern for others.
Ethics of Self perception
■ It is the duty of every person to actualize his potentials. In the biological sense it
means growing up healthy and strong. In the moral sense, it means molding our
character.
■ Natural Law, which is the law of our human nature, requires us to grow and
develop, physically, intellectually, and spiritually.
■ The process of moral maturation demands sacrifices as one must prefer what is
good and avoid what is evil. Moral character is shaped by discipline and hard
work.
■ “Whatever individuals do whether they remain in the world as
artisans, merchants, and officers of the kind, ore retire from the world
and devote themselves to a life of religious meditation, let them put
their whole heart into their tasks; let them be diligent and energetic, and if
they struggle in life without cherishing envy or hatred, they live in the
world not a life of self but a life of truth, then surely joy and bliss will
dwell in their minds.” –Buddha
■ “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you possess and give money to the
poor and you become the owner of a treasure in heaven.” – Jesus tells the rich
young man

Duties towards the Self

■ It is the duty of a person to preserve his life and cultivate all of his potentials.
Loving oneself means fulfilling these duties

1. Biological Duties
• Include those pertaining to the preservation of life. This means we
should take care of our bodily functions and health. It is the duty of everyone
to take nourishment, observe personal hygiene, and perform such asks that
contribute to one’s physical well-being
2. Intellectual Duties
 • The duty of everyone to overcome ignorance by learning a skill or acquiring
knowledge. Knowledge promotes self-reliance, rendering a person useful to
himself and to others. However, the ignorant is a burden to himself and
society.
3. Moral Duties
• Moral duties are those pertaining to the development of attitude and
character. The cultivation of moral values marks the good and decent
person. Man’s perfection lies on the possession of such values that truly
reflect his humanity. Moral integrity is a person’s crowning glory.

Heroes and Saints

■ They are our role models of what we ought to be as persons. They nurtured those
attitudes and habits that set them apart from ordinary people. They shaped their
character and decided their destiny.
■ The greatness of moral character is tested in a situation. Situations are
opportunities for a person to prove his worth.
Basic Rights of a person
■ Correlative to our natural duties are the rights necessary to our protection and
perfection. Loving oneself presuppose the following Rights:
1. Right to life
2. Right to property
3. Right to education

1. Right to life.
The right to life secures us not only from physical harm but provides for the
promotion of our economic, cultural, and spiritual growth.
The right to life is an inalienable right. Yet, there are other values much higher than
life itself. For these values, we may risk our life. Risking one’s life is not the same
as committing suicide. It means that one may risk life in taking on dangerous jobs,
in defending the country in times of war, or in defending truth. One may risk life in
resisting evil, such as when refusing to be intimidated into doing what is morally
wrong.
2. Right to Property
The right to life implies the right to property. A person’s survival would not be assured
if he does not have the means for supporting life.
3. Right to Education
This right is derived from the natural law, since man is endowed with intellect and will.
Every person is entitled to be educated by his/her family, by the state, and by the
church.

1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE III, BILL OF RIGHTS
Section 1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process
of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any
purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall
issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after
examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may
produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things
to be seized.
Section 3. (1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable
except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise,
as prescribed by law.
Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of
the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government
for redress of grievances.
Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and
worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test
shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
Section 6. The liberty of abode and of changing the same within the limits prescribed by
law shall not be impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to
travel be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public
health, as may be provided by law.
Section 7. The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be
recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to
official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as
basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as
may be provided by law.
Section 8. The right of the people, including those employed in the public and private
sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall
not be abridged.
Section 9. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.
Section 10. No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.
Section 11. Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal
assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.
Section 12. (1) Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall
have the right to be informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and
independent counsel preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the
services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights cannot be waived
except in writing and in the presence of counsel.
Section 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion
Perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by
sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as may be provided by law. The right
to bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is
suspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.
Section 14. (1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due
process of law.
Section 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in
cases of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.
Section 16. All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before
all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.
Section 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
Section 18. No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and
aspirations.
Section 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman
punishment inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling
reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death
penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion Perpetua.
Section 20. No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a poll tax.
Section 21. No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same
offense. If an act is punished by a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under
either shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for the same act.
Section 22. No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.