Lesson 8: HUMAN VALUES

The ultimate good of man, according to Aristotle, consists of an aggregate of

goods which would help him attain happiness in this life. Anything which contributes to
man’s development, comfort, and well-being is a value.

Objectives:
At the end of the chapter, the learner is expected to:
1. Recognize the meaning and significance of values.
2. Execute the kinds and hierarchy of values.
3. Believe the moral values, virtues and habits.

Input 1: The Meaning of Values

A value is anything which satisfied a human need. Value is identical to that

which is good defined by Aristotle as “fitting a function.”

Anything which enriches our experience of life is a value, such as a person, a

relationship, a feeling, an object, a place, an event, an opportunity, a profession, a work,
a travel or a state of being. Thus, parents regard their children as their ‘treasure;’
individuals care about their friendship, and a community values peace and cooperation.
One’s life and beliefs are values.

The meaning we assign to events constitutes their values. Thus, we celebrate

birthdays, weddings, graduation, or fiestas. Some other things have their intrinsic worth
such as science and art, technology and machines, customs and traditions, rites and
ceremonies, laws and ideals, history and memories, careers and hobbies, farms and
gardens, businesses and religions.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VALUES

Our ultimate happiness in this life, says Aristotle, consists in the sum of earthly
goods essential to us. Accordingly, values relate to our ultimate purpose, to that which
would make us completely happy. In this respect, our actions are significant because
they are the means by which we attain happiness. Good actions are those that bring
happiness. Evil actions are those that bring unhappiness.

Morally good actions are authentic values while immoral actions are “apparent
values,” that is, evil disguised as good. While these evil acts often promise pleasure or
profit, they lead to pain and misery. Immoral actions do not fit human nature and, thus,
we say they are contrary to natural law.

To sum up:
(1) Values enrich our experience of life and bring happiness;
(2) Actions are values because they are the means we employ to attain
happiness, and
 (3) Morally good actions bring happiness, while immoral actions bring
unhappiness.

KINDS OF VALUES

1. Biological values
- are necessary for the physical survival and growth of man such as food,
shelter, work, pleasure, sex, sports, career, health and medicines.

2. Psychological values
- are necessary to the psychological maturation of man such as companionship,
friendship, marriage, family life and social interaction.

3. Intellectual values
- are necessary to the mental fulfilment of man, such as truth, science, art and
religion.

4. Moral values
- are necessary for the development of character.

We also speak cultural values - those that are shared in a community such as
ideals, laws, customs, beliefs, rituals and ceremonies. Some values are described as
religious, economic, or aesthetic.

HIERARCHY OF VALUES

Values are not equal in their respective worth. From the time of the Greek
philosophers to the present, the moral values are held as more important than the
others. The hierarchy of values refers to the ranking of values from lowest to highest. A
triangle, with its summit and middle and base, illustrates how values are ranked. The
biological values occupy the base, and the moral values, the summit. The psychological
and intellectual values occupy respectively the mid-section.

1. The Biological Values which correspond to our survival and procreation,

are the lowest. The most fundamental value in this category is self-
preservation or health. The other values, such as food, exercise, work,
pleasure and sex, are the means of sustaining and promoting the physical
life.

2. The Social Values corresponding to our psychological growth are the

lower middle values. The fundamental value in this category is love which is
the foundation of friendship, marriage, family, or community.

3. The Intellectual Values corresponding to our mental growth, are the higher
middle values. In this category, the most fundamental value is Truth. The
 values of science, arts, technology and experience are means of acquiring
knowledge.

4. The Moral Values corresponding to spiritual development rank the highest

in the hierarchy. These values constitute moral integrity.

Activity 1
Source: https://www.commonsense.org/education/lesson-plans/understanding-our-personal-values
Direction: Read the following value statements and select the criteria not important,
sometimes important and important by checking the corresponding column of your
choice based on your own personal values.

Part 1

No. Value Statements Not Sometimes Important

Important Important
1. Being happy with who I am
2. Having a family of my own
3. having lots of money
4. having freedom to do what i want to do
5. being good at my job
6. having at least one close friend
7. choosing a career that interests me
8. becoming famous
9. going to college
10. being a leader
11. having lots of friends
12. being happy with my job or career
13. knowing others believe in me
14. being good at sports
15. having my own car
16. being able to make a difference
17. choosing a career that pays well
18. choosing a career that serves others
19. being recognized for what i know
20. being a role model for others
21. being religious or spiritual
22. getting good grades
23. having good health
24. believing in myself
25. serving in the military
26. being popular and well liked
27. being able to reach goals i have set
28. being able to continue despite
 difficulties

Part 2: Count the number of checks in the important column. Then, rank it based on
greater number of important answers. Answer the following questions sincerely:

Hierarchy of Values Number of Value Statements Number of Important RANK

Checks
Moral Values 1,5,10,12, 16,21, 28
Intellectual Values 7,9,18,19, 22, 24, 27
Social Values 2,4,6,8,11,13,20, 25, 26
Biological Values 3,14,15,17,23

1. For which statements was it easy to decide where to stand?

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2. Which statements were more difficult? Why?

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Part 3: You ask at least five friends of yours in your class about their answers on Part 1
and answer the following:
1. Were you surprised at how others ranked some of the values? Why or why not?
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2. What do you do when your values differ from your friends' values?
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 3. Have you ever disregarded someone else's values when making a decision?
What did you do? What was his or her reaction?
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Input 2: SOCIAL DIMENSION OF VALUES

The authenticity of values consists in their being shared with others. The higher a
value goes up the ranking the more it becomes altruistic.

The lower values are seen as competitive and egotistic because they tend
towards the accumulation of material possession which man finds difficult to share with
others. Thus, man would not easily share food and would wage war to defend or
acquire the source of food. On the other hand, the psychological value of love lends
itself to sharing with others. Friendship for instance, is possible only with mutual respect
and care.

The nature of intellectual value is also altruistic. People find it easy to talk, to
communicate, and to share news with one another. Knowledge lends itself to sharing.
Thus, thinkers share their thoughts, inventors share their inventions, teachers share
their skill, and artists share their artworks.

The moral values are even more meaningful because it allows man to live with
others in peace and harmony. the virtues of charity and justice are the foundation of
society. No society would be possible where men do not have goodwill towards one
another.

Just as a child grows up with the parents, a human being grows and becomes an
authentic person only in the community with others. This is what God means when he
said: “It is not good for man to be alone; I will give him a helper who will be like him”
(Genesis 2:18).

MORAL VALUES

Moral values are those pertaining to the functions of the intellect and the will –
our choices, decisions, actions, and habits. Moral values relate to our spiritual growth.

Strictly speaking, only those related to the spiritual growth are moral values. But
in the context of integral perfection, all values whether biological or social, acquire moral
significance. For example, eating becomes the object of temperance, so that over
indulgence to food is gluttony. Again while eating is a necessity, the act of fasting is also
required for medical, political, religious, or moral purpose. In this sense, every human
activity has a moral dimension and, depending on one’s motive, an innocent act like
working or playing may be moral or immoral.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL VALUES

Moral values have the following characteristics:

1. They have intrinsic worth. This means that moral values are in themselves good
independent of our opinion of them. The act of feeding the hungry, for example, is a
good act regardless of the motive of it.

2. They are universally accepted by all people. None would find fault with helping
the needy, or testifying on the truth of something, or working honestly for a living. The
Bill of Rights is accepted by the community of nations.

3. They are obligatory. This means that a person, when so capacitated, is duty
bound to do what is good when the situation demands it. Thus, one is duty bound to
return to its rightful owner a lost-and-found property. Likewise, one is duty bound to help
accident victims. This also means that every person is obliged to be honest, to be
respectful of others, to be diligent, and to avoid doing what harms others.

CHOOSING VALUES

Since values have relative worth, a person has to choose those which are
relevant to him. These guidelines serve a purpose:

1. Permanent or lasting values must be preferred over temporary or perishable

ones. For example, education is objectively better than leisure; moral habit better
than physical strength.

2. Values favored by the majority must be preferred over those appealing only to a
few. For example, marriage is better than remaining single; wealth better than
staying poor.

3. Essential values must be preferred over the accidental values. For example,
good reputation is better than being pretty; attending to parental duties better than
involvement is social gatherings or parties.

4. Moral values must be preferred over the physical values. For example, the
practice of religion is better than sports; feeding the orphans is better than spending
money for luxuries.

Activity 2
Source: https://growingleaders.com/free-resources/building-values-and-ethics/
Memory Lane
Take out some old photos of you when you were growing up, and look them over with
your younger sibling. You might even want to get some hot chocolate and sit down with
a photo album for an entire evening. Talk about some fun memories you had growing
up. Talk about what was happening when the pictures were taken, years ago. Try to
remember the pivotal moments when your life was shaped as a young person.
Next, begin to talk about the values your parents passed on to you. Discuss the ones
you wish they would have given you, if you feel you didn’t receive a strong foundation of
values. Whenever possible, talk about what your parents did right, as they raised you.
Next, choose six core values that you and your younger sibling believe would be good
ones to embrace today. You may choose words as simple as honesty, service, or
generosity. Practice them.

Answer the following questions:

1. What happened to you when you remembered and shared memories with your
younger sibling?
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2. What are the values that were passed on to you or you didn’t receive from your
parents?
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3. What are the six core values that you believed and embraced until today?
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4. In what way can you practice this at home with your family during this time of
pandemic?
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Input 3: MORAL HABITS
 Moral character is the sum of man’s good habits. Habit comes from the Latin
word “habere”, meaning – to have or to possess. Habits are either entitative or
operative.

Entitative Habits predispose man to acquire certain nature or quality, like being
healthy, being intelligent, or being rich.

Operative Habits predispose man to act readily towards a purpose, like singing,
dancing, playing basketball, or helping others. The operative habit of doing well is called
virtue; that of doing evil is vice.

Virtues pertaining to mental or intellectual operation are called intellectual virtues;

those pertaining to the will are moral virtues.
1. Moral Virtues

There are four moral virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

a. Prudence enables a person to know the best means to employ in attaining a

purpose. A prudent person weighs the pros and cons of a situation and acts with
reasonable caution.

b. Justice inclines a person to give to everyone what is due. A just person pays his
legal debts, honors his elders, observes the laws of society, and worships God.

c. Fortitude gives a person the strength of the will to face dangers and the
problems in life. A person of fortitude is not easily discouraged and is ready to stand
what is right.

d. Temperance moderates a person’s instincts and emotions. A temperate person

is not given to inordinate anger, jealousy, desire, or love.

2. Intellectual Virtues

There are four intellectual virtues: understanding, science, art and wisdom.

a. Understanding is the habit or intuition of the first principles, such as “the whole
is greater than the sum of any of its parts,” or that doing well is better than doing bad.”
This is also called common sense.

b. Science is the habit of proximate causes, why things are such because of their
nature or natural properties. Thus, we have the different sciences on different field of
studies.

c. Art is the habit of making beautiful things, such as in literature, in architecture,

and in the fine arts.
d. Wisdom is the habit of the ultimate causes, such as the interdependence of
created things in the eco-system; or how the negative emotion of man – like hatred,
anger, or sadness – are not signs of weakness but are natural instincts for self-
preservation and growth.

VICES AND CHARACTER

A vice is the opposite of virtue. Vice is the habit of doing evil acquired through the
repetition of an evil act. One immortal act does not constitute a habit or a vice for that
matter. But it is no less unfortunate. The fact is every single evil act speaks of an evil
character.

A vice is evil either because of excess or of defect.

1. Vices opposed to prudence by excess are – cautiousness, fraud, flattery, trickery;

by defect – imprudence, impulsiveness carelessness, or stubbornness.

2. Vices opposed to justice by excess are – profligacy, idolatry, fanaticism, and

superstition; by defect – disrespect to elders, irreligion, and non-payment of debts.

3. Vices opposed to fortitude by excess are – rashness, boldness, recklessness; by

defect – cowardice, timidity, sensitivity, and depression.

4. Vices opposed to temperance by excess are – rigorousness, lack of self-

confidence, moroseness; by defect – pride, lust, hatred, gluttony, and vanity.

Moral integrity is man’s true worth. With it, a person is distinguished as

“mabuting tao” . Without it, a person is “masamang tao.”

Summative Assessment
Direction: Answer the following briefly:

1. How are the values related to the ultimate purpose of life?

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2. What is the implication of our choice of values?

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 3. In what sense are values altruistic?
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4. What is the relevance of the hierarchy of values?

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Reading: The Story of Father Anthony Hofstee

Just before giving communion during the Mass, the elderly American priest
stared blankly at the leper serving as his altar boy.
“I’ve forgotten what to say next”, he whispered.
“The body of Christ”, the altar boy whispered back.
The priest still confused, turned to the first communicant, offered him the sacred
Host and said: “Amen”.
“The Body of Christ”, replied the leper-scarred communicant, after a moment’s
hesitation.
The priest smiled in relief, gave the Host and moved to the next communicant.
“Amen”, he said again.
And so went the Mass – the congregation taking over for the old priest whenever
his memory failed.
The irony of the Rev. Anthony Hofstee’s Mass is not lost on his 300 leper
parishioners. “I think it is very beautiful”, says Zosimo Pascual, president of the Tala
Leper Colony’s citizen advisory council and himself a leper. “Father Hoftee is 81. After
37 years of him taking care of us, now it is time to take care of him”.
Hofstee, a Dominican priest from Seattle, has served the lepers of Tala,
northeast of Manila, since 1947. He first went to the colony in 1946 while a chaplain with
the American military. “We did not have any spiritual leader then and we were all
longing for someone to love us”, remembers Pascual.
Philippines primate Cardinal Jaime Sin in 1982 awarded Hofstee the Pro
Eclessia et Pontifice Cross on behalf of Pope John Paul II in recognition of the priest’s
50th jubilee and 35 years of service to Tala’s lepers.
“A lot of people are coming here wanting to write about him, but he doesn’t like
it”, said Sister Naty de la Cruz, Hofstee’s housekeeper. He says “What is the use of
writing it down? God knows what I’ve done” (Asia’s Heroes for Today Readers Digest,
July 1984).

Assignment: Read: “The Story of Father Anthony Hofstee” and discuss the following:
 1. What values are exemplified by the story?
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2. To what extend would you be willing to serve others?

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