RANDOM THOUGHTS - 2

I. Values and Rules of Behavior

Phenomenologically, "behavior" may be viewed in two successive levels: the pre-reflective and the reflective.

On the one hand, "behavior," which is spontaneous in the pre-reflective level is based on the inaccessible and unconscious biological aspect of being. On the other hand, "behavior" in the reflective level is dealt with deliberately. The non-thematic character of "behavior" in the former level becomes thematic in the latter. "Behavior" in its non-thematic form is absent in human consciousness. However, the active participation of human consciousness in dealing with "behavior" gives way to the exploitation of its very nature as the noesis (active consciouness) reflects upon "behavior" as its noema (object of consciousness).

Hence, "rules of behavior" can only emerge at the reflective level. It cannot do so at the pre-reflective level because "behavior" as it takes place in this level precedes consciousness and therefore, does not involve explicit "rules." "Rules" emanate only when human consciousness perceives certain aspects in the natural processes occurring in every dimension of reality as necessary and significant to grasp realistically and creatively the relation of this dimension with human existence.

This perspecive gives us a glimpse of the relation between values and rules of behavior. Both basically emanate from the stream of consciousness occurring in the reflective level. Both are concerned with what is desirable:values, in general, arise as Sartre's "being-in-itself" (or a human being who is always open to possibilities) constitutes objects as desirable while rules of behavior emerge as s/he tries to put in methodical order his attempt to internalize that which is desirable. Therefore, the human being, as the "for-itself," creates his own values and rules of behvior whose characters are based on every human surpassing.

As the "for-itself" seeks to be united with the "self" in a progressive and unceasing struggle to properly understand the cause of his becoming in the context of human historicity, values--the desirable objectives of all surpassings--and rules of behavior--the ordered and systematic manner of dealing rationally with the desirable objectives-- will always remain as the life-blood of all human attempts in creativity.


II. Is Survival a Value?

Survival in the non-cosncious plane of being is not a value. It spontaneously runs along the flow of implicit biological order wherein human consciousness has no primal focus. Such nature is seen among animals and even newborn babies. They are driven by an instictive force toward a struggle for survival where in deliberation is non-operative. An unmensch (Nietzsche) through which drive for surbvival is seen is not consciously aware of what ought to be done. What it does is simply an event in the realm of unconscious regularities. Through constant regularities occurring between its biologival structure and the milieu into which it has been adapted, bilogical needs ar spontaneously generated and do conform to what is.

However, the explicitation of "survival" leads us to a higher plane. here, survival is thematically presented to human consciousness and thereby acquires a twofold character sujectively dependent upon each individual human being to whom survival becomes an issue. To him who believes that existence is only an accident, survival which is a by-product of this accident is just another accident to which his entire existence is tied-up until the point when he will ultimately disintegrate to nothing. Survival, therefore, in this instance, is not a value--a desirable objective of all human undertakings--but simply an "unsought-for" drive that is inseparable from the necessities spontaneously generated in the unconsious biological dimension of reality. For such types of human, values are only those which he can freely desire within the confines of conscious reflection, wtih no connection whatsoever to the the mysterious stream of blind natural processes completely uncontrolled by human sanity.

But to him who believes that his being caught amidst the complexities of human existence allows him to perceive the necessities generated by the biological processes independent of rationality, survival, from its subjection in the lower level, is raised to a higher point in the human consciousness where it is signified in the on-going motion of human reality. It, thus, becomes a value.

From the consciousness of the situation where difficulties of living and the problem of the deprivation of the right to live arise, the status of survival is raised to become a value. However, in the final analysis, we are able to find out that these difficulties and problems somehow become a fact of human existence only because man himself created them.

III. Acquisition of Values

Values are acquired through social practice. To constitute reality, the human being is caught in a dialectical relation with the world, By the very nature of this relation, the human being consciously perceives the necessities involved to continuously participate in the historic process. His knowledge of these necessities is a dimension of freedom, for, upon knowing the complexities of living, the human being's will is then left in an autonomous situation to reflect and act upon it, to change what can possibly be changed.

In action and reflection--praxis--values are acquired; for how can man, the "being-for-itself," go on in his struggle to be united with the "self" if there is not a value that will give meaning to his aspirations? The human being in his becoming is always confronted by possibilities because it is a facticity of his existence to be incomplete--always lacking as s/he strides on new situations from moment ot moment.

IV. Fundamental Values Crucial for National Development

There are threee fundamental values crucial in dealing with the arduous task of social transformation for national development. These are freedom, responsibility and creativity. Every humanist value that has been given an eminent place in the heart of the human being as s/he partakes in the task of moving toward higher and greater refinement follows from the primacy of these three values.

From the necessities of human existence geared toward national development, we can fully harness the value of freedom in terms of decision-making . In the process of being immersed in such kind of situations, i.e., to keep oneself always in touch with what is obtaining in the superstructure of the society, responsibility is definitely significant. Both freedom and responsibility are, however, futile if they are not perfectly joined in unison with our wish to create a just and humanized society.

(c)Ruel Pepa