LESSON 5 :

MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Let’s Warm-up
MORAL SCENARIOS
1. If your friend came up to you with a copy of this year’s Ethics
Examination, would you take a peek? Why or Why not?
2. Let’s say you are guaranteed not to be caught, would you cheat?
Why or Why not?
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
 Moral character refers to the
existence or lack of virtues such as
integrity, courage, strength, honesty,
and loyalty. To say that a certain
person has a good moral character
means that he/she is a good person
and good citizen with a sound moral
compass.
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
1. MORAL CHARACTER AND VIRTUES
 
 The word character gives a distinct mark by which
one thing was distinguished from others, and then
primarily to mean the collection of qualities that
distinguish one person to another. This stress on
distinctiveness or individuality tends to merge
‘character’ with ‘personality’ in modern usage.
 The use in ethics of the word “character”,
however, has linguistic history. According to
Greek philosopher Aristotle, he tells us that there
are two distinct to human excellences:

o The excellence of thought

o The excellence of character
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
1. MORAL CHARACTER
AND VIRTUES
 
 “Moral character,” therefore, in
philosophical sense, refers to having
or lacking moral virtue. If one lacks
virtue, he/she may have any of the
moral vices, or he/she may be
marked by condition somewhere in
between virtue and vice, such as
continence or incontinence.
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
2. THE CIRCULAR RELATION OF ACTS
AND CHARACTER 
 In the process of moral development,
there is the circular relationships
between acts that builds character and
moral character itself. Not all acts help to
build moral character, but those acts
which come from moral characters
certainly matter in moral development.
Hence, there appears the apparent
circular relationship between individual
acts and moral character. A person’s
actions determine his/her moral
character, but moral character itself
produces acts that help in developing
either virtue or immorality.
 
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
3. MORAL CHARCTER AS
DISPOSITIONS
 The moral character traits that constitute a
person’s moral character are characteristically
understood as behavioral and effective
dispositions. Generally speaking. ‘disposition’
are kinds of properties or characteristics that
objects can possess.
 Among moral beings, moral character traits –
either virtue or evils – are also considered as
dispositions. Moral character traits are those
dispositions of character for which a person is
deserving of a positive reactive attitude, such
as praise or gratitude, is a virtue. On the other
hand, a vice is a moral character trait for
which the agent is deserving of negative
reactive attitude, such as resentment or
blame.
DEVELOPING VIRTUE AS
HABIT
3. MORAL CHARCTER AS
DISPOSITIONS
 The moral character traits that constitute a
person’s moral character are characteristically
understood as behavioral and effective
dispositions. Generally speaking. ‘disposition’
are kinds of properties or characteristics that
objects can possess.
 Among moral beings, moral character traits –
either virtue or evils – are also considered as
dispositions. Moral character traits are those
dispositions of character for which a person is
deserving of a positive reactive attitude, such
as praise or gratitude, is a virtue. On the other
hand, a vice is a moral character trait for
which the agent is deserving of negative
reactive attitude, such as resentment or
blame.
SIX STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LAWRENCE
KOHLBERG
The American psychologist (1927-1987)
his best known for his theory of stages
of moral development. In principle, he
agreed with Swiss clinical psychologist
Jean Piaget’s (1896-1980) theory of
moral development but wanted to
develop his ideas further.
 SIX STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LEVEL 1:
PRECONVENTIONAL MORALITY
Stage 1: RESPECT FOR POWER AND PUNISHMENT
A young child (age 1-5) chooses what to do what is right according to what he/she wants to do and can do without getting into
trouble. In this level, to be right, one ought to be obedient to the people in power and, thus, avoid punishment. The motto in
this seems to be: “might make right.”
 
Stage 2: LOOKING OUT FOR #1
Children (age 5-10) are disposed to be egotistic. They lack respect for others’ right but may give to others on the assumption
that they will get as much or even more in return. Instead of loyalty, gratitude, or justice, the case is more a matter of “you
scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” The motto here seems to be: “What’s in it
for me?”
 SIX STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LEVEL 2:
CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
Stage 3: “GOOD BOY” or “NICE GIRL”
In this stage, people (age 8-16) have shifted from pleasing themselves to pleasing important others, usually parents, teachers, or friends.
They seek approval and thus conform to someone else’s expectations. When charged of doing something wrong, their behavior is likely
to be justified by stating “everyone else is doing it” or “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone.” The motto here: “I want to be nice.”
 
Stage 4: LAW AND ORDER THINKING
Here, the majority people (16 years old and older) have internalized society’s rules about how to behave. They feel indebted to conform,
no longer to just family and friends, but also to societies law and customs. They realize that it is important to do one’s duty to maintain
social order. Social leaders are assumed to be right and social rules are adopted without considering the core moral principles involved.
Thus, social control in this stage is exercised through guilt associated with breaking a rule; through the guilt in this case is an automatic
emotional response, not a rational reaction of conscience based on moral principles. In this stage, individuals believe that everyone
breaking the rules deserves to be punished and “pay his/her debt to society.” The motto here is: “I’ll do my duty.”
 SIX STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LEVEL 3:
POST-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
Stage 5: JUSTICE THROUGH DEMOCRACY
In this stage, people understand the underlying moral purposes that are supposed to be served by the laws and social customs. When a law in democracy ceases
to serve a good purpose, they thus feel the people ought to get active and change the law. Understood in this manner, democracy is seen as social contract
whereby everybody tries constantly to construct a set of laws that best serve most people, while protecting the basic rights of everybody. Respect for the law and
sense of obligation to live by the rules are present, as long as rules were established in a fair manner and fulfill a moral purpose. It is said that only about 20-25%
of today’s adults ever reach this stage and most of those that do supposedly only get there after their mid-twenties. The motto here: “I’ll live by rules Or try to
change them”.
 
Stage 6: DECIDING ON BASIC MORAL PRINCIPLES BY WHICH YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE AND RELATE TO EVERYONE FAIRLY
In this stage, rare people have evaluated many values and have rationally chosen a philosophy of life that truly guides their life. Morally developed, they do not
automatically conform to tradition or others’ beliefs, and even to their own emotions, intuitions, or impulsive notion about right and wrong. In stage 6, individuals
judiciously elect fundamental principle to follow, such as caring for and respecting every living thing, feeling that people are all equal and thus deserve equal
opportunities, or, subscribing to the Golden Rule. They are tough enough to act on their values even if others may think they are odd or if their belief are against
man’s law, such as refusing to fight in a war. Social control in this stage is exercised through guilt associated with the rational reaction of conscience based on
moral principles. Reaching this stage is thus seen, at least in Kohlberg and Piaget’s theories. As getting to the highest level, conscience-based moral decisions.