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The Moral Agent
Culture and its Roles in Moral Behavior
Introduction
What is culture? Culture has been defined in many ways. Jomil C. Baring, CSSR
(www.academia.edu) citing Sir Edward Taylor defines culture as the “integrated pattern of human
knowledge, beliefs and behaviors. This consists of language, ideas, customs. morals, laws, taboos,
institutions, tools, techniques, and works of art, rituals and other capacities and habits acquired by a
person as a member of society.” By this definition, one realizes the importance and the crucial
influence culture has for an individual.
“I am what I am because of my culture. I am an embodiment of my culture. I am not the perfect
embodiment of my culture, no one is, but somehow, as I am, I represent my culture.” Such proves
how cultures shapes the morality of a person.
Every person born in a particular culture is an embodiment of his or her particular culture. From this,
we can confidently say that culture is the basis of one’s behavior, on which the moral fabric of an
individual is patterned. People act, think and live according to the culture in which they are part of.
And nobody is culture-free as we are always part of a society as succinctly expressed by the
definition.
What is the role of culture in moral behavior? Culture as fundamentally the basis of people’s moral
behavior is the short and precise answer to the question. Culture becomes the basis of our moral
valuation as we evaluate the rightness or wrongness of our decision and action according to the
values and codes of our culture.
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe how culture serves as bases of morality;

2. Identify the relationship of culture and morality; and

3. Relate the aspects of moral development to real life situations.

Activating Prior Learning

1. In the small group, answer the question: What is culture?
2. What are those that we consider elements of our culture? Give examples. 26 |
Presentation of Contents
In a seminar in which culture was a subtopic, one participant, a former member of the Society of
Jesus, described what culture is in the following terms: Culture is equal PERSIA, where:
P = Political
E = Economic
R = Religion
S = Social (Society)
I = Intellectual and
A = Artistic
Therefore, C (culture) = P + E + R + S + I + A (PERSIA)
The participant made an interesting explanation about PERSIA. He explained that all these elements
are part of culture. They all interact to make a culture; each cultural element having a particular role
but having the same importance. He said that all that we are, all that we say, all that we think, all that
we produce including our point of references in life are part of our culture. Culture penetrates each
fabric of our personal and social life.
Cultural Elements
The following are the elements of culture:
Time. Something that is part of culture must endure time. If it does not last, it might just be a fad.
Place. A culture is limited in its coverage. It is limited in a particular place. It cannot be a practice in
all places, otherwise it is a universal phenomenon and it does not reflect the culture of a particular
place.
Player (persons). In the same manner as the place, culture is also limited to particular persons living
the particular culture. There has to be a people practicing the culture. If nobody practices something,
it is not culture. Culture gives an identity to a particular people. It is what makes such a people
unique.
Dynamism. A culture is not dead. It is alive. Cultures continue to develop or evolve to become
another culture.
The Role of Culture in Moral Development
Baring (www.academia.edu) discusses the elements of moral development in the context of the
society as distinguished from the Stages of Moral Development by Lawrence Kohlberg. The
following elements relative to culture influence moral development: 27 |
First, culture is always social and communal. Culture is learned in the context of the society in which
the person lives and expands his or her horizon. One’s relationship allows one to learn and be
influenced by the specific culture in which the person lives and mature. In such condition, morality is
promoted through the relationship in the community. Individuals learn the moral codes of the right
behavior and their opposites within that context of social interaction. The people around the
individual transmit those codes which the individual acquires as he matures and develops
intellectually, psychologically and socially. The pattern of the person’s life is conditioned by the
moral standards present in his or her culture.
Second, culture defines the normative principles and behavior of the society. Within the culture are
sets of principles that are encouraged to guide the manner in which people will have to live. As such,
there are behaviors that are recommended by the culture and the society that practice them. This
includes the moral norms that the society nurtures allowing the members live and define what is right
and wrong.
Third, culture, sets the restrictions and boundaries in the lives of people as they relate and live in
their community. In any society, not everything is tolerable as there are restrictions in order to
maintain a certain order to guarantee that each member is protected in the same manner that the same
member can protect others. Restrictions and boundaries are important to any society because
delinquent manners may always be present. As such, they serve as guide to people’s behavior.
Fourth, culture helps generate the character and identity of its people and that includes their moral
character. The manners in which people live together give them their identity as a unique group. The
way people dress up, the way they greet each other, their food and even the type of houses symbolize
their uniqueness which outsiders notice with ease. Visitors and tourists always make a way that
before leaving a place they have visited to buy souvenir items unique in the place. The uniqueness of
a people is not only manifested in some form of souvenir items, but the contact with them makes one
aware that their true uniqueness and identity is exemplified in their moral character.
It is well known in the Philippines that it exists in Batanes what is known as “honesty stores.” These
stores do not only represent the peculiar system the people of Batanes have adapted but demonstrate
more deeply a unique type of moral character expressed in their strong sense of honesty.
Finally, culture identifies the authorities. They are the symbol of guidance and control. During the
earlier times, the elders had this great honor of having been looked up to because of their experience.
As such they were considered to be the “talisman” of their community who offered wise and
appropriate decisions to resolve conflicts and issues.
According to Baring (www.academia.edu), as the previous society was patriarchal by nature, the
elders were composed of the old men in communities. They were respected and their decisions were
upheld by the members of their communities. Their authority did not only include the rules that
govern their life – how they dealt with each other, family, work, social interactions but they also
considered the behavior of the members of the community. As such, 28 |
community moral code was determined by the council of elders. Sanctions were also decided by
them when rules and decisions were violated. It was important that there should be overseers in the
community to safeguard the peace and order whether it is internal or outside threat that menaces their
communal life.
Summary
People are what they are because of their culture. It gives them their identity, sense of uniqueness and
defines to a great extent their moral character. People behave in the way they are according to the
dictates of their cultural background and practices. It is difficult to imagine how people would be
without this great frame of reference for their life.
In the words of Jean Paul Sartre, “how can one get rid of bad faith and live freely according to one’s
free will and choices?” This may be a reaction similar to the reaction of other existentialists. They
were trying to point out the restrictions and limitations that culture and traditions impose upon
individuals. Culture has deep impact in molding people’s thoughts, feelings and moral valuation and
consequently in their behavior.
Same idea is confirmed by Lev Vygotsky, a prominent Russian psychologist who believes that self-
regulation or independent learning can only be achieved when a child has learned the signs and
symbols of one’s culture. It is an important indicator according to him of the child’s ability to solve
problems on his or her own.
Also, Gestalt psychology believes that to be able to understand a person, there is a need to understand
his or her environment. Individuals are part of their environment and we cannot treat them apart from
it. Hence, we can say that to understand ourselves, others and our community, including the
understanding of our moral behavior, it would be necessary that we should know and understand our
culture.