Values Education: Intellect and Will (Lesson 1)

The intellect and will differentiate man from other creatures and should, therefore, guide your
decisions toward the truth and goodness.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF A HUMAN PERSON

St. Thomas Aquinas, studied the nature of human persons.

1. Human persons have mortal bodies and immortal souls.

2. Human persons have intellect.
3. Human persons have free will and free choice.
4. Human persons have conscience.
5. Human persons are capable of loving.

Intellect

 Having an intellect means human beings are capable of thinking logically.

 Intellect makes us understand the situation we are in, and makes us recognize our options.
 According to Aristotle (a Greek philosopher) people are “rational animals."

How does a human display their intellect?

1. as intellectual beings, we have the capacity to study

 Human persons are the only creatures who have attempted to understand everything that
exists.
 We have established places for learning like schools.

2. as intellectual beings, we are capable of communicating in an organized manner

 Communication of human persons is far more complex.
 People have come up with different variations of languages.

3. as intellectual beings, we have learned how to use things around us to make life easier
 Human have learned ways how to experiment that make life more convenient for human beings.
 People use their knowledge to be able to invent new things.

4. as intellectual beings, we can organize our language and belief systems and come up with distinct
traditions and cultures
 Human have learned how to depict what we see and experience through painting, sculptures,
and architecture.
 We have developed language to create poetry and song.

5. as intellectual beings, we are able to understand that even if we are knowledgeable, there is a
supreme being who is more powerful than we are
 The intellect has lead us to seek and love our faith.

Free Will

 Free will makes every human person responsible for all the things they say or does.
 Free will call us to choose what is moral.
 Free will allow us to choose what is good and bad.

Conscience

 Conscience is define as a judgment of reason.

 Conscience guides every human person's free will in choosing what is good and avoid what is
evil.
Clarifications about conscience

 Conscience is not found outside of our bodies

 Conscience is not the supreme being's voice telling us what to do
 Conscience is not the feeling of guilt because conscience is not a mere feeling or emotion

Values Education: Real Concept of Freedom (Lesson 2)

Freedom means the state of being free.

Misconceptions about Freedom

1. Freedom is only realized by an entire nation

Real explanation: True freedom can be felt if people will be able to choose their leaders freely.

2. Freedom is merely a physical reality

Real explanation: Freedom is an internal state which involves the person's inner peace and happiness.
Freedom means not being afraid and worrisome. Freedom is being able to experience how to love
and be loved.

3. Freedom is being alone and away from others

Real explanation: True freedom is experienced in a community, living with people who love us and
whom we love.

4. Freedom is doing what we want to

Real explanation: One is truly free when one does not trample on the freedom of other people.
Freedom is doing what is moral in consideration of happiness, well-being and freedom of others.

5. Freedom can be achieved instantly

Real explanation: True freedom cannot be achieved overnight, thus, you need to take the opportunity
to attain freedom.

Two Types of Freedom

1. Freedom "from" or negative freedom

It is a passive type of freedom wherein there is an absence of obstacles or constraints to one’s action.

Examples:

 Freedom from discrimination

 Freedom from religious persecution
 Freedom from corruption and bad politics
 Freedom from illness and disabilities
 Freedom from ignorance and illiteracy
 Freedom from environmental problems created by humans
 Freedom from poverty

2. Freedom "to" or positive freedom

It is an active type of freedom wherein it identifies the possibility to determine and achieve individual
or collective purposes.

Examples:

 Freedom to promote equality

 Freedom to express your faith
 Freedom to practice right governance and responsible leadership
 Freedom to live a happy and healthy life
 Freedom to be educated
 Freedom to live on a greener and a cleaner planet
 Freedom to enjoy a comfortable yet simple lifestyle

Values Education: Laws Govern Human Actions (Lesson 3)

LAWS GOVERN HUMAN ACTIONS

Law is the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions
of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

"Law is nothing other than a certain dictate of reason, for the common good, made by him who has
the care of the community, and promulgated." - St. Thomas Aquinas

1. a certain dictate of reason - laws must be drafted based on careful planning

2. for the common good - allows people to reach the fulfillment full and easily
3. made by him who has the care of the community - laws must be drafted by the proper authority
4. promulgated - all members must be informed of the implementation of the law

The main objective of the law is to bring order, security, and stability in a society.

As rational being, man has the capacity to think, act, and decide what particular action should be
employed on the given situation.

Laws in general, are essentially good in nature and laws come in various forms.

Natural law contains moral teachings that help us lead a holy and moral life.
Civil laws are man-made decrees that bind citizens together to protect the rights and dignity of every
person in the society.
Divine Laws are any law that, in the opinion of believers, comes directly from the will of God (or a
god).
Religious Law includes ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions.

Obedience is the value or the key in understanding laws and in openly living them out.

Values Education: I am a Person of Dignity (Lesson 4)

Human Dignity
 Each human person has dignity.
 Human dignity is not determined by the social status of an individual.
 Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated
ethically.

Dignity tainted but not lost

 Sin has corrupted the dignity of each and every human person. Sin did not destroy our dignity,
but it has made human dignity tainted.

4 WAYS ON HOW WE COMMIT SINS

Through failing to do
Through thoughts Through words Through deeds
good
Entertaining malicious or We sin through words when We commit sin when We sin when we
hurtful thoughts toward we curse or say we hurt other people refuse to help those
others is wrong. inappropriate words. through our actions. who are in need.
Values Education: Basic Rights of a Human Person (Lesson 5)

Rights

 Rights are the fundamental claim we make on others and the society we live in.
 The rights are the power or privilege held by the general public as the result of a constitution,
statute, regulation, judicial precedent, or other types of law.

United Nations
 It is an intergovernmental organization that worked immediately to assert the human rights of
all human beings.
 It was founded in 1945.
 The United Nations has outlined the basic human rights.

1. Right to life
 The right to life invites everyone to defend life and resist anything that could endanger the life of
another human person.
 It is the most basic of all human rights.
 This right allows a person to experience the other rights.

2. Right to education
 It is the duty of the parents to educate and provide moral formation and sound guidance.
 Every human person must be given the opportunity to enhance his or her knowledge.
 This is the right that allows us to avail all possible opportunities for physical, intellectual,
spiritual, and social development.

3. Right to religion
 We must neither criticize nor make fun of the spiritual beliefs and practices of others.
 It is the right to freely express and develop the teachings and practices of our chosen religion.
 Religious rituals and practices must be respected.

4. Right to free expression

 A person must not use this right to degrade others with foul, malicious, or hurtful statements.
 This is also called the "freedom of speech."
 This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and
ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers

5. Right to property
 Private ownership is essential for a human person to feel and experience his or her dignity and
to live comfortably.
 Every person is entitled to own something like money, clothing, land, house, vehicle, and
others, specifically the basic necessities.
 A person must first ensure that this ownership is not a fruit of deceit, theft, or any other evil
means.