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The Moral Agent: Developing Virtue As Habit

Moral character is developed through acts that become habits over time. Children's moral reasoning develops in stages from focusing on consequences to understanding motives. There is a reciprocal relationship between acts, character, and moral development. Kohlberg's theory of moral development outlines six stages spanning three levels - pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional - moving from self-interest to upholding social norms to making decisions based on universal ethical principles. However, some criticize that Kohlberg's dilemmas used to develop this theory lacked real-world validity.

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Jeanette Torralba Esposito
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784 views12 pages

The Moral Agent: Developing Virtue As Habit

Moral character is developed through acts that become habits over time. Children's moral reasoning develops in stages from focusing on consequences to understanding motives. There is a reciprocal relationship between acts, character, and moral development. Kohlberg's theory of moral development outlines six stages spanning three levels - pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional - moving from self-interest to upholding social norms to making decisions based on universal ethical principles. However, some criticize that Kohlberg's dilemmas used to develop this theory lacked real-world validity.

Uploaded by

Jeanette Torralba Esposito
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE MORAL AGENT

Developing virtue as habit


I. HOW IS MORAL CHARACTER IS
DEVELOPED:
• MORAL CHARACTER – REFERS TO HAVING
OR LACKING MORAL VIRTUE
- MORAL CHARACTER TRAIT IS A TRAIT FOF
WHICH THE AGENT IS MORALLY
RESPONSIBLE.
• MORAL DEVELOPMENT –IS THE PROCESS
THROUGH WHICH CHILDREN DEVELOP PROPER
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ON SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL NORMSS, RULES AND LAWS.
I. HOW IS MORAL CHARACTER IS
DEVELOPED:

JEAN PIAGET THEORY


• A SWISS PSYCHOLOGIST
EXPLORED HOW
CHILDREN’S MORAL
REASONING.
I. HOW IS MORAL CHARACTER IS
DEVELOPED:
PIAGET FOUND TWO DIFERRENCES TO HOW CHILDREN
THOUGHT ABOUT MORAL BAHAVIOUR

1. Young children’s thinking is based on


how actions affected them or what the results of an action.
2. Older children look at the motives
behind actions rather than consequences of actions.
II. THE CIRCULAR RELATION OF
ACTS AND CHARACTER
• IN THE PROCESS OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS THE RELATION BETWEEN
ACTS THAT BUILD CHARACTER AND MORAL CHARACTER ITSELF.
• NOT ALL ACTS HELP TO BUILD MORAL CHARACTER,BUT THOSE ACTS WHICH
EMANATE FROM CHARACTERS CERTAINLY MATTER IN MORAL DEVELOPMENT.
• MORAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD ALSO BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE SENSE OF
HUMAN FLOURISHING.
• VIRTOUS TRAITS OF CHAEACTER OUGHT TO BE STABLE AND ENDURING AND
ARE NOT MERE PRODUCTS OF FORTUNE,BUT OF LEARNING, CONSTANT
PRACTICE AND CULTIVATION.
III. SIX STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST


LAWRENCE KOHLBERG (1927-1987)
IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS THEORY OF
STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT.
• IN PRINCIPLE,HE AGREED WITH RHE
SWISS CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY TO
DEVELOP HIS IDEAS FURTHER.
LEVEL STAGE NATURE OF MORAL
REASONING

LEVEL I. STAGE 1: • People make decisions based on


what is best for
PRE-CONVENTIONAL OBEDIENCE AND themselves,without regard for
MORALITY PUNISHMENT ORIENTATION other’s needs or feelings.

STAGE 2. • People recognize that others


also have need. They may try to
INDIVIDUALISM AND satisfy other’s need if their own
EXCHANGE need are also met. (e.g.,you
scratch my back,I’ll scratch
yours)
LEVEL II. STAGE 3: • People make decisions
based on what actions will
CONVENTIONAL GOOD INTERPERSONAL please others,especially
MORALITY RELATIONSHIPS authority figures with high
status (e.g., teacher,popular
peers)

STAGE 4: • People look to society as a


whole for guideliness about
MAINTAINING THE right or wrong.
SOCIAL ORDER • They know rules are
necessary for keeping
society running smoothly
and behave it is their “duty”
to obet them.
LEVEL III. STAGE 5: • People recognize that rules
represent agreements among
POST-CONVENTIONAL SOCIAL CONTRACT AND many indiviuals about
MORALITY INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS appropriate behavior.
• Rules are seen as potentially
useful mechanisms that can
maintain the general social
order and protect individual
rights,rather than as absolute
dictates that must be obeyed
simply because they are “the
law”.

STAGE 6: • People in this stage adhere a


few abstract,universal
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES prniciples (e.g., equality of all
people respect fo human
dignity,commitment to
justice)that transcend specific
norms and rules.
IV. CONSCIENCE: HOW DO WE GET TO
THE HIGHEST LEVEL,CONSCIENCE-BASED
MORAL DECISIONS?

Stage 1
• Respect for power and punishment
• Motto: “Might makes right”

Stage 2
• Looking out for number 1
• Motto: “What’s in it for me?”

Stage 3
• Being a Good Boy or Nice Girl
• Motto: “I want to be nice”
IV. CONSCIENCE: HOW DO WE GET TO THE
HIGHEST LEVEL,CONSCIENCE-BASED MORAL
DECISIONS?

Stage 4 • Law and other thinking


• Motto: “I’ll do my duty.”

Stage 5 • Justice through democracy


• Motto: “I’ll live by rules or try to change them.

• Deciding on basic moral principle by which you will

Stage 6 live your life and to relate to everyone fairly


• Motto: “ I will subscribe to Golden Rule pr act on my
own values”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PROBLEM WITH KOHLBERG’S THEORY


IT MUST BE NOTED,NONETHELESS,THAT NOT ALL ETHICISTS ACCEPT
KOHLBERG’S THEORY ON MORAL DEVELOPMENT.SOME ARGUE THAT HIS
MENTIONED DILEMMAS ARE ARTIFICIAL,THAT IS ,THEY LACK ECOLOGICAL
VALIDITY.

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