Introduction

Media

Part of Code of ethics submitted to the president of the Philippines

Title: Introduction
Language: English
Source: Code of Ethics submitted to the President of the Philippines
Year: 1940
Rights
Fulltext: INTRO·DUCTION We are engaged in the gigantic task of nation-building in the \nidst of a tronbled and bewildered world. So that we may succeed in this difficult task, we must forge our people into united, patriotic, God-fearing and contented 1 citizenry; a people inflamed .by a single qevotion-devotion to our native land; a people inspired by a single will-the will to make our coun'try great; and -a people animated by a single hope-the hope that the Philippines may take her rightful place in the family of nations. For this, we need all the unselfish love,. all the unflinching courage, all the i·eserve wisdom, all the clear vision, and all the patient devotion of which we are capable. A nation, if it is to gi·ow up strong and progressive, must be moved by the force of its own dynamic moral energy. The ·aeeds of moral discipline must be nurtured from within, not from without. History teaches that the rise and fall of nations depend essentially upon the underlying moral strength of their citizens. And the frantic . despair and the spiritual blackout now experienced by many nations of the world a1'e due primarily to their failure to' grasp this basic fact. Character means strength and power and will. Character, however, may be true or false, right or wrong, good or evil. In any case, it is the man of character that moulds and shapes the destinies of men and of nations, for weal or for woe. Hence, the transcendental importance of giving our people the proper and correct character training. As a man thinks, so will he act; · from repeated acts, habits arise; and the accumulation of habits determines a man's chara~ ter. Real character makes a man true to · God and to his country, faithful to his conscience and to· his principles, and loyal to his fellowmen and to himself. A man of good moral character makes the. best citizen. He is pure in thought, moderate in action, upright in deed, just in judgment, and noble in purpose. To form a man of true ' character, all the infinite elements that make up the man-his intelligence, his belief's, his feelings, his emotions, his likes, his desires, • and even his fears, his hatreds, his prejudices,-all must be control1ed, adjusted, integrated and developed into a harmonious and well-balanced personality. Down through the ages from generation to generation there has been handed down as a priceless heritage, certain traits of character and norms of conduct which have guided mankind in its never-ending search for perfection and self-improvement. The search for the better life is as old as the human race itself. It is closely intertwined with ' the fundamental instinct of self-preservatipn. And becau•e man i'S essentially gregarious, the rules which he evolved naturally dealt with hi~ relations with his fe)lowmen. But these rules change with the changing mores of the times which are determined in many particulars by economic and social factors which result from his physical enviro~ment. It is the peculiar problem of each generation, therefore, to see that the. ruling tPa it'-.3 or virtues are strengthened and developed; and . that they do not degenerate because of the unwholesome modernisms or the undermining influence of untried philosophies. It is the bounden duty of each generation to so balance and synchronize the stimulation of social and economic forces as to avoid the overdevelopment of some factor'S which result in the dwal'fting or suppression of others needed for healthy growth. The Chinese founded their way of life upon the five-fold precepts of filial love, loyalty, marital fidelity, obedience and sincerity, as regulating the relationship ·between parents and children; rulers and people; husbands and wives; masters and 1 .servants; and man and friend, respectively, whicli found sanction 1 in 'Confucius' rlegative pos: tulation of the Golden Rule. BUSHIDO (the way of the warrior) implemented ·by Kodo (the way of the emperor) produced the type of Japanese citizen and soldier who·.se aggressiveness, tempered by m01·al qualities of Buddhism and S'hintoism, found consummate expression in deeds of heroism, loyalty and patriotism. The classic desig·n for living, though it was founded on the same concept of duty, did .not fare so well. The glory that was Greece, imbued with the, Spartan virtues of courage, loyalty, obedience and truthfulness, which under Athenian ascendancy witnes'sed the apogee of art and culture, finally decayed when the lust for personal comfort oaused the loosening of old loyalties among its citizens. The grandeur that was E:ome nurtured in the "homely virTHE LOCAL GOVERNMENT li"EVIEW SUPPLEMENT PAGE 3 tues . of piety, modesty, courage, fortit.ude, prudence, honesty and trustworthiness," likewi'Se degenerated when its rulers engrossed in the problems of empire-building and the pursuit of material ease, sought to bo)ster their ·tottering influence by corrupting the ~opulace with infamo,us orgies. Humanism salvaged · the classic tradition which, enriched by Gallic and Anglo-Saxon influences, crossed three oceans by different routes to the fertile soil of the Philippine's which had witnessed the welding of Mahyan, Sanscrit, and Mandarin culture. We do not have to look f.ar, therefore, for the moulds upon which to cast the way of life which we wish to fashion for our people. But the m9uld must be the · democratic life which· connotes intelligence, lbve of work, self-discipline, moral strength, and capacity to ewrcise individual right~ without injuring the public welfare or· invading the rights of others. Tl;e democratic government is often distinguished from the dictatorial government in its emphasis on the principle that the State exists for the individual, i-ather than the individual for the State. Modern democracie.s, however, find that they must, within certain limits, subordinate indivi<fual rights to the public welfa1·e, if the individual is to con~inue to enjoy the privilege's that only democracy is in a position to offer. This comp1·omise with the totalitarian principle is deemed necessary, so that the modern democracy m_ ay 1 acquire the much needed efficiency and efficacy consistent with the modicum of personal liberty without which life would not be worth living. The true concept of democracy emphasizes not only rights but duties as well. The citizen should acquire the required balance of liberty and authority in his mind through education and personal discipline, so that there may be established the resultant equilibrium, which means pe.ace and order and happiness for all. ~ Code of Ethic~ designed to formulate a way of life for a free people must perforce be didactic rather than legislative. It must be based on an appeal to reaMn and the conscience and not on any threat of punishment, for the sense of right and the force of tradition often ' far outweigh the most exacting legal sanctions. It is also evident that such a code must draw on the history1 and culture of the people for whose benefit it is promulgated. In our quest for inspiration we mu~t teach our people to direct their gaze upon our own heroes, our own traditions a!1d our own history. The genius of our _past must kindle the throbbing mind of the present and inspire the f~ture with its immortal fire. This "Code of Ethics" is not to foster exaggerated nationalism, or ·, to , glorify narrow and blind patriotism. Its object is higher, purer, nobler. It h; to strengthen the moral fiber of our youth; .to keep alive in the, hearts of our citizens the value of ethical principlee; and ·to proclaim the truth that moral discipline is the only sure road t6 national greatness. Endless days of unremitting toil and unceasing vigil lie ahead of our country, for · natfonal greatness . never springs fr.om the slime of ea:se or self-complacency, but from the crucibl~ of grim struggle • and patient industry. We shou.ld realize that national and individual progress can only be attained through work, more work, and more· hard work. But we shall p'rove ourselves equal · to the challenge flung against us, though it may mean the sacrifice of material comfort or personal convenience. A nation erected upon the impregnable foundation of moral discipline and the indus- ' try of its citizens 'sh;lll endure through the thundering ages, fo1: . it is a "house" built by loving hands, upon a "rock", of which posterity may proudly say: "The rains fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat . upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." . (Matt. 7 :25) I HAVE. FAITH IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT GUIDES THE DESTINIES OF MEN AND NATIONS. Of supreme importance to the life of nations and peoples is faith in Divine Providence, Who created and upholds the universe, Whose power directs the course of the world, and Whose wisdom guides the destinies of men and nations. The Christian Bible, the Mohammedan' Koran, as well a& the sacred books of other reiigions, e.ach have its own set of commandment~ for the observance of the faithful. All 'Unite in the recognition of the existence and in fervid love of God by whatever Jlame He is called. The Filipinos, even befoi·e the coming of the Spania1:ds, believed in one Supreme Being called Bathala by the Tagalogs, Laon or Abba by the VisaPAGE 4 THE LOCAL GOVER!"MENT REVIEW SUPPLEMENT