TOPIC 2

CONCEPT OF ETHICS AND VALUES FORMATION

There will be many occasions when the officers’ ethics will be tested and it depends on the
officers not to let their own ethics to become weak throughout his career. Many officers become
caught in situations in which they have to make ethical decision to make and it again depends on
the ethics of that officer whether he or she is making the right decision or not. And this decision
plays a vital role and has severe impact on both of his official and personal life.

TOPIC CONTENT
1. Concept of ethics and values formation
2. Ethics and values, definitions and key differences
3. Areas of study in ethics
4. Ethics and morality
5. Philosophy and importance of ethics
6. Impact of Filipino culture and traits in ethics and values formation

TOPIC OBJECTIVES:
This topic aims the students to:

1. Understand the concept of ethics and values formation

2. Differentiate the ethics, values and morality
3. Appreciate the importance and philosophies of ethics
4. Relate the impact of Filipino culture and traits in ethics and values formation

TOPIC OUTCOME
At the end of the topic, the students will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of ethics and values formation

2. Differentiate the ethics, values and morality
3. Appreciate the importance and philosophies of ethics
4. Relate the impact of Filipino culture and traits in ethics and values formation

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Concept of Ethics and Values Formation

Definition of Ethics and Values

There are a number of definitions pertaining to ethics and values, each more verbose and vague
than the other. For one, ethics is defined as “the science of the morality of human acts and
rational human behavior”. Values on the other hand, have been ostentatiously described as a
“qualitatively determined behavior which has a normative obligatory character and presupposes
the liberty of possible decision”. However, for this purpose, the simplest meaning available to
define values and ethics has been used.

Topic 2: Module in Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards. Prepared by: Jomel B. Pinera, Ph.D. Crim. Page 7
According to AFP Chaplain Service Guide, entitled “Ethics and the Soldier” ethics is the
capacity to determine right conduct and the knowledge of what is right from wrong. Values on
the other hand, are the application of ethics. It must be stressed that these two concepts should
always be together, for an expert in ethics might not be necessarily a values-oriented person, and
vice-versa. As previously explained, it’s one thing to know what’s good or bad, and another
thing to apply what you know.

Sociologist Randy David said it best when he commented on the decline of ethics and values in
the PNP: “I think many in the PNP already know what their values should be, though they may
disagree on the importance they assign these values. But it is one thing to profess ethical
behavior, and another thing to live by them. I think their main problem is that there is a large
gap between the ethics they claim to believe in and the values that actually guide their actions.”

What is Ethics?
Ethics
 Was derived from the Ancient Greek "ethikos", meaning "arising from habit". It is a
major branch of philosophy which focuses on the study of value or quality.
 Is the capacity to determine right conduct and the knowledge of what is right from
wrong; specific moral choices to be made by the individual in his relationship with
others; the moral quality of a course of action, fitness and propriety.

In short, Ethics is a discipline that identifies good or evil, just or unjust, fair or unfair practices,
about moral duty. It is well-based standards that a person should do, concerning rights,
obligations, fairness, and benefits to society and so on. The standard puts a reasonable obligation
to stop crime like stealing, assault, rape, murder, fraud and so on.
The system addresses the questions of the human morality, such as what should be a standard
way for people to live? Or what are the appropriate actions in the given situations? What should
be an ideal human conduct? Etc.

Four Important Subject Areas of Study in Ethics:

1. Meta-ethics: Ethical philosophy that analyses the meaning and scope of moral values.
2. Descriptive ethics: The branch of ethics that deals with psychology, sociology,
anthropology, etc.
3. Normative Ethics: The study of the moral course of action through practical means.
4. Applied ethics: This branch tells us how we can achieve moral outcomes, in a particular
circumstance.

Definition of Values

Values refer to the important and enduring beliefs or principles, based on which an individual
makes judgements in life. It is at the center of our lives which act as a standard of behavior. They
severely affect the emotional state of mind of an individual. They can be personal values,
cultural values or corporate values.

Topic 2: Module in Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards. Prepared by: Jomel B. Pinera, Ph.D. Crim. Page 8
Values are forces that cause an individual to behave in a particular manner. It sets our priorities
in life, i.e. what we consider in the first place. It is a reason behind the choices we make. It
reflects what is more important for us. So, if we are true to our values and make our choices
accordingly, then the way we live to express our core values. Moreover, if you understand an
individual’s values, you can easily identify what is important for them.

Key Differences Between Ethics and Values

The fundamental differences between ethics and value are described in the given below points:

1. Ethics refers to the guidelines for conduct, that address question about morality. Value is
defined as the principles and ideals, which helps them in making the judgement of what is
more important.
2. Ethics is a system of moral principles. In contrast to values, which is the stimulus of our
thinking?
3. Values strongly influence the emotional state of mind. Therefore it acts as a motivator.
On the other hand, ethics compels to follow a particular course of action.
4. Ethics are consistent, whereas values are different for different persons, i.e. what is
important for one person, may not be important for another person.
5. Values tell us what we want to do or achieve in our life, whereas ethics helps us in
deciding what is morally correct or incorrect, in the given situation.
6. Ethics determines to what extent our options are right or wrong. As opposed to values,
this defines our priorities for life.

Comparison Chart

Basis for Ethics Values

Comparison
Ethics refers to the guidelines for Value is defined as the principles and
Meaning conduct, that address question about ideals, that helps them in making
morality. judgement of what is more important.
What are they? System of moral principles. Stimuli for thinking.
Consistency Uniform Differs from person to person
What is morally correct or incorrect,
Tells What we want to do or achieve.
in the given situation.
Extent of rightness or wrongness of
Determines Level of importance.
our options.
What it does? Constrains Motivates

ETHICS VS.
MORALITY

Topic 2: Module in Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards. Prepared by: Jomel B. Pinera, Ph.D. Crim. Page 9
Both morality and ethics relatively have to do with distinguishing the difference between “good
and bad” or “right and wrong.” Many people think of morality as something that is personal and
normative, whereas ethics is the standard of “good and bad”, identified by a certain community
or social setting. For example, your local community may think adultery is immoral, and you
personally may agree with that; however, the distinction can be useful if your local community
has no strong feelings about adultery, but you consider adultery immoral on a personal level. By
these definitions of terms, your morality would contradict the ethics of your community. In a
popular discourse, however, we will often use the terms moral and immoral when talking about
issues like adultery, regardless of whether it is being discussed in a personal or community-based
situation. As you can see, the distinction can get a bit tricky.
It is important, however, to consider how those two terms have been used in discourse at
different fields so that we can consider the connotations of both terms. For example, morality has
a Christian connotation to many Westerners, since moral theology is prominent in the church.
Similarly, ethics is the term used in conjunction with business, medicine, or law. In these cases,
ethics serves as a personal code of conduct for people working in those fields, and the ethics
themselves are often highly debated and argued about. These connotations have helped in
guiding the distinctions between morality and ethics.
Ethicists today, however, use the terms interchangeably. If they do want to
differentiate morality from ethics, the blame is on the ethicist to state the definitions of both
terms. More importantly, the distinction between the two is as substantial as a line drawn in the
sand.

Importance of Ethics
Ethics is an indispensable knowledge. Without ethical perception, man is only an animal.
Without values, man as a rational being is a failure. Because ethics is too essential to be
dismissed, each one of us was gifted with an innate ability to understand what is right and wrong.
No matter how rudimentary and vague, even the primitive men had it. And modern man, finding
convenient reasons to turn his back from it, discovers that he is in the center of it.
Moral values are the only true measure of what man ought to be. The most powerful king, or the
most successful professional, is nothing unless he too is morally upright. Thus, the philosophers
speak of Ethics as the “only necessary knowledge”. "We are tempted to center everything on
human happiness", says Jacques Leclercq, "forgetting that man's greatness, perfection and
happiness, his whole meaning in fact, consist in transcending the commonly accepted human
good".
Moral values are the foundation of every human society. Rightly, Russell (1995) observes that
"without civic morality, communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no
value". Every culture admits the importance of morality as a standard of behavior. When the
moral foundations of a nation are threatened then society itself is threatened.
In the words of Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani:
"At the bottom of our economic problems and political instability is the weakness and
corruption of the moral foundations of our society. We do need an economic recovery
program. We also urgently need a moral, intellectual and spiritual recovery program."

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Philosophy of Ethics
1. Idealism - is a theory that states that our reality is shaped by our thoughts and ideas.
2. Realism - on the other hand, deals with the fact that reality has an absolute existence
independent from our thoughts, ideas and even consciousness.

Key Differences Between Idealism and Realism:

1. Idealism causes you to see things in a very hopeful manner, shaping situations with your
own ideas. Realism, on the other hand, causes one to assess a situation as it is, without
overt emotional involvement.
2. Idealists tend to be more positive when compared to realists, in how they perceive things
and carry out tasks.
3. When making decisions, realists are more goal oriented and thorough than idealists, who
may have lofty ambitions, but lack the clarity and focus to put them into action in an
achievable way.

Impact of Filipino Culture on Ethics and Values Formation

Positive Traits of the Filipino
1. Pakikipagkapwa-Tao. Filipinos are open to others and feel one with others. We regard
others with dignity and respect and deal with them as fellow human beings.
Pakikipagkapwa-tao is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness and in concern
for others. It is demonstrated in the Filipino's ability to empathize with others, in
helpfulness and generosity in times of need (pakikiramay), in the practice of bayanihan or
mutual assistance, and in the famous Filipino hospitality.

2. Family Orientation. Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for family which
includes not simply spouse and children, parents and siblings, but also grandparents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents and other ceremonial relatives. To the Filipino, one's
family is the source of personal identity, the source of emotional and material support,
and one's main commitment and responsibility. Concern for family is manifested in the
honor and respect given to parents and elders, in the care given to children, the generosity
towards kin in need, and in the great sacrifices one endures for the welfare of the family.
This sense of family results in a feeling of belongingness and rootedness and in a basic
sense of security.

3. Joy and Humor. Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups
and downs. We have a pleasant disposition, a sense of humor and a propensity for
happiness that contribute not only to the Filipino charm but also to the indomitability of
the Filipino spirit. Laughing at ourselves and the mess we are in is an important coping
mechanism. Often playful, sometimes cynical, sometimes disrespectful, we laugh at those
we love and at those we hate and we make jokes about fortune and bad. This sense of joy
and humor is manifested in the Filipino's love for social celebrations, in our capacity to
laugh even in the most trying of times, and in the appeal of political satire. The result is a

Topic 2: Module in Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards. Prepared by: Jomel B. Pinera, Ph.D. Crim. Page 11
certain emotional balance, optimism, a healthy disrespect for power and office and the
capacity to survive.

4. Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity. Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust and to
adapt to circumstances and the surrounding environment, both physical and social.
Unplanned or unanticipated events are never overly disturbing or disorienting as the
flexible Filipino adjusts to whatever happens. We possess a tolerance for ambiguity that
enables us to remain unfazed by uncertainty or lack of information. We are creative,
resourceful, quick learners, and have the ability to improvise and make use of whatever in
order to create and produce. This quality of the Filipino is manifested in the ability to
adapt to life of the world, in the ability to make new things out of old scraps, in the keep
old machines running, and of course, in the creative talent manifest cultural sphere. It is
likewise seen in the ability to accept change. The result is productivity, innovation,
entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival.

5. Hard Work and Industry. Filipinos have the capacity for hard work given proper
conditions. The desire to raise one's standard of living and to possess the essentials of a
decent life for one's family, combined with the right opportunities and incentives, makes
the Filipino work very hard. This is manifested most noticeably in the willingness to take
risks with jobs abroad and, while there, to work at two or three jobs. The result is
productivity and entrepreneurship for some and survival despite poverty for others.

6. Faith and Religiosity. Filipinos have a deep faith in God. Our innate religiosity enables
us to comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the context of God’s will and plan.
Thus, tragedy and bad fortune are accepted and some optimism characterizes even the
poorest lives. Filipinos live very intimately with religion. It is tangible, and touchable
apart of everyday life. We ascribe human traits to a supernatural God whom we
alternately threaten and thank, call upon for mercy or forgiveness and appease by
pledges. Thus prayer is an important part of our lives.

7. Ability to Survive. Filipinos have an ability to survive, which is manifested in our

capacity for endurance despite difficult times and in our ability to get by on so very little.
Filipinos make do with what is available in the environment (e.g.,making out living from
a garbage dump). This survival instinct is related to the Filipino's other strengths -- a
basic optimism, flexibility and adaptability, hard work and a deep faith in God. It is
manifested in the millions of Filipinos who bravely live through the harshest economic
and social circumstances. Regretfully, one wonders what we might be able to do under
better circumstances.

Negative Traits of the Filipino

1. Extreme Personalism. Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationships and
the extent to which one is able to personally relate to things and people determines the
recognition of their existence and the value given to them. There is no separation between
an objective task and emotional involvement. This personalism is manifested in the
tendency to give personal interpretations to actions, i.e. "take things personally." Thus, a
sincere question may be viewed as a challenge to one's competence or positive feedback

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may be interpreted as a sign of special affection. There is in fact some basis for such
interpretations as Filipinos are quite personal in criticism and praise. Personalism is also
manifested in the necessity for the establishment of personal relationships before any
business or work relationships can be successful.

2. Extreme Family Centeredness. While concern for the family is one of the Filipino's
greatest strengths, in the extreme it becomes a serious flaw. Excessive concern for the
family creates an in-group to which the Filipino is fiercely loyal to the detriment of
concern for the larger community or for the common good. Excessive concern for family
manifests itself in the use of one's office and power as a means of promoting the interest
of the family, in factionalism, patronage and political dynasties, and in the protection of
erring family members. It results in lack of concern for the common good and acts as a
block to national consciousness.

3. Lack of Discipline. The Filipino's lack of discipline encompasses several related

characteristics. We have a casual and relaxed attitude towards time and space which
manifests itself in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time management and in
procrastination. We have an aversion for following strictly a set of procedures and this
result in lack of standardization and quality control. We are impatient and unable to delay
gratification or reward, resulting in the use of shortcuts, in skirting the rules (the palusot
syndrome) and in foolhardiness. We are guilty of ningas cogon, starting out projects with
full vigor and interest which abruptly die down leaving things unfinished. Our lack of
discipline often results in inefficient and wasteful work systems, violations of rules
leading to more serious transgressions and a casual work ethic leading to carelessness and
lack of follow-through.

4. Passivity and Lack of initiative. Filipinos are generally passive and lacking in initiative.
One waits to be told what has to be done. There is strong reliance on others (e.g., leaders,
government) to do things for us. This is related to one's attitude towards authority.
Filipinos have a need for a strong authority figure and feel safer and more secure in the
presence of such an authority. One is generally submissive to those in authority and is not
likely to raise issues or to question decisions. Filipinos tend to be complacent and there
rarely is a sense of urgency about any problem. There is high tolerance for inefficiency,
poor service and even violations of one's basic rights. In many ways, it can be said that
the Filipino is too patient and long suffering (matiisin). Too easily resigned to one's fate,
Filipinos are thus easily oppressed and exploited.

5. Kanya-Kanya Syndrome. Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a

feeling of envy and competitiveness toward others, particularly one's peers who seem to
have gained some status or prestige. Towards them, the Filipino demonstrates the so-
called crab mentality (referring to the tendency of crabs in a basket to pull each other
down) using the leveling instrument of tsismis, intriga and unconstructive criticism to
bring others down. There seems to be a basic assumption that another's gain is one's loss.
The kanya-kanya syndrome is also evident in the personal ambition and the drive for
power and status that is completely insensitive to the common good. Personal and in-
group interests reign supreme. This characteristic is in the lack of a sense of service

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among people in the government bureaucracy. The public is made to feel that service
from these offices and from these civil servants is an extra perk that has to be paid for.
The kanya-kanya syndrome results in the dampening of community spirit and in the
trampling upon of the rights of others.

6. Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection. There is a tendency in the Filipino to be

superficial and even somewhat flighty. In the face of serious problems, both personal and
social, there is lack of analysis or reflection. We joke about the most serious matters and
this prevents looking deeply into the problem. There to validate our hypotheses or
explanations of things satisfied with superficial explanations and superficial to problems.
Related to this is the Filipino emphasis on form than on substance. There is a tendency to
be satisfied with rhetoric and to substitute this for reality. Empty rhetoric and endless
words are very much part of public life. As long as the right things are said, as long as
proper documents and reports exist, as long as the proper committees, task forces or
offices are formed, Filipinos are deluded into believing that what ought to be, actually
exists.

Impact of Filipino Traits on PNP Ethics and Values Formation Program

From the discussion of the positive and negative traits of the Filipino, it is clear that there is
much that is good in us but there is much that need to be changed. It is also clear that many of
our strong points are also the sources of weakness.

 As a people we are person-oriented and relationships with others are very important part
of our lives. We are thus capable of much caring and concern for others. On the other
hand, our personal orientation in the extreme leads to lack of objectivity and the disregard
for universal rules and procedures where everyone, regardless of our relationship with
them, is treated equally. Our personal orientation leads us to be concerned for people and
yet unfair to some.
 Our family orientation is both a strength and a weakness giving us a sense of rootedness
and security, both very essential to any form of reaching out to others. At the same time,
it develops in us an in-group orientation that prevents us from reaching out beyond the
family to the larger community and the nation.
 Our flexibility, adaptability and creativity is a strength that allows us to adjust to any set
of circumstances and to make the best of the situation. But this ability to "play things by
ear" leads us to compromise on the precision and discipline necessary to accomplish
many work-oriented goals.
 Our sense of joy and humor serves us well in difficult times and makes life more pleasant
but serious problems do need serious analysis and humor can be distracting and
unconstructive.
 Our faith in God and our religiosity, are sources of strength and courage but they also
lead to an external orientation that, keeps us passive and dependent on forces outside
ourselves.

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 There are other contradictions in the many faces of the Filipino. We find
pakikipagkapwa-tao and the kanya-kanya mentality living comfortably together in us.
 We are other-oriented and capable of great empathy and yet we are self-serving, envious
of others and unconstructively critical of one another.
 We also find the Filipino described alternately as hard-working and lazy. Indeed, we see
that we are capable of working long and hard at any job. However, also apparent is our
casual work ethics as well as our basic passivity, in the work setting, waiting for orders
and instructions rather than taking the initiative.

Ethics is the key component of competitiveness in our work environment. How can we ensure
that we work in an atmosphere characterized by mutual trust and confidence worth the respect of
everyone in society? There is no doubt on this fact that the greater the measure of mutual trust
and confidence in the ethics of a society, the greater its strength and support to everyone. Hence,
ethics must be considered in a broader sense by the citizens and constituents in a larger society.
As the great Thomas Jefferson stated that all human beings are endowed with a moral sense –
that the average farmer behind a plow can decide a moral question, just like a university
professor. However, that common moral sense does not come out of nowhere or perpetuate itself
automatically. All of us and in every generation must keep it alive and flourishing and sincerely
in deeper edge, think of the means, the ethical buttresses to this end.

*END OF TOPIC 2**

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REFERENCES:

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/difference-between-ethics-morals-and-values.html
file:///C:/Users/PC/Documents/PNP%20MANUAL/ethicsandvaluesformationmanual.pdf
https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-ethics-and-values.html
https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-morality-and-ethics

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