Home⇛SALETTINIAN OPEN ACADEMIC REVIEW⇛vol. 8 no. 1 (2026)

A Schelarian Phenomenology Of Person And Filipino Value Of Kagandahang-Loob

Mark Anthony Salayog

Discipline: Philosophy

 

Abstract:

This paper discusses kagandahang-loob, one of the most crucial Filipino moral values, in the framework of Max Scheler's phenomenology of the person, with special consideration of his acts of preference and value-subordination. Scheler identifies the human person as a valueresponding entity whose moral life is determined by intentional actions that ascertain the priority of the values. Such acts of preference and subordination enable the individual to scale values in respect of their depth and significance, hence informing genuine moral action. The work views kagandahang-loob not only as kindness or generosity but as a deep manifestation of inner moral beauty, which is full of sincerity, compassion, and benevolence as a result of a well-organized moral character. The study claims that kagandahang-loob is a stable value of moral and personal values over utilitarian and emotional values because it places it in the context of the higher spiritual values covered by Scheler, including love, justice, and the affirmation of dignity. It is a deliberate commitment based on the personal core or loob whereby the subject decides on greater values and inferior ones, which lead to those deeds that uphold and elevate the kapwa. This phenomenological approach shows that kagandahang-loob is a relational and communal orientation that is the core of Filipino ethics. The paper has concluded that the combination of the hierarchy of values and acts of preference as put forward by Scheler and the Filipino value theory helps in enhancing the philosophical explanation of kagandahang-loob as a moral phenomenon. Finally, the analysis shows the Filipino individual as an individual who is relational in goodness, genuine moral duty, and value-based action.



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