LESSON 2 – THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY AND YOU

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

 Define morality and the foundational moral principle
 Characterize a person with a good moral character
 Evaluate elements that needed to be changed.

THE MORAL AGENT

Moral character refers to the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage,
fortitude, honesty, and loyalty. To say that a certain person has a good moral character means
that he is a good person and a good citizen with a sound moral compass.

The term “character” is derived from the Greek word ‘charaktếr,’ which was
initially used as a mark impressed upon a coin. The word “character” later came to mean
a distinct mark by which one thing was distinguished from others, and then chiefly to
mean the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one person from another. This stress
on distinctiveness or individuality tends to merge “character” with “personality” in modern
usage. For instance, when thinking of a person’s idiosyncratic mannerisms, social gestures, or
habits of dress, we might say “he has personality” or that “he’s quite a character.”

The used in ethics of the word “character,” however, has a different linguistic history.
At the beginning of Book II of the Nichomachean Ethics, the Greek philosopher Aristotle
tells us that there are two distinct human excellences, (1) excellences of thought, and (2)
excellences of character. His phrase of excellences of (moral) character, ‘ếthikai aretai,’ is
often translated as “moral virtue(s)” and “moral excellence(s).” The Greek ‘ếthikos’ (ethical)
is the adjective cognate with ‘ếthos’ (character). So, when we speak of a ‘virtue’ or an
excellence of moral character, the highlighting is not on mere distinctiveness or
individuality, but on the blend of qualities that make a person the sort of ethically
admirable individual he is.
“Moral character,” therefore, in philosophical sense, refers to having or lacking moral
virtue. If one lacks virtue, he may have any of the moral vices, or he may be marked by a
condition somewhere between virtue and vice, such as continence and incontinence.

Moreover, philosophers usually think that moral character traits, unlike other
personality or psychological traits, have an irreducibly evaluative dimension; that is, they
involve a normative judgment. The agent is morally responsible for having the moral
character trait itself or for the outcome of that trait. Hence, a certain moral character trait is a
trait for which the agent is morally involved.

In the process of moral development, there is the circular relation between acts
that build character and moral character itself. Not all acts help to build moral character,
but those acts which emanate 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 moral character, but moral character itself
generates acts that help in developing either virtue or vice.

Virtuous traits of character ought to be stable and enduring and are not mere products
of fortune, but of learning, constant practice, and cultivation. But we have to add that virtuous
traits of character are called excellences of the human being because they are the best
exercise of reason, which is the activity of characteristic of human beings. In this sense, the
Greek moralists believe, virtuous acts complete or perfect human life.

Nonetheless, the Greek philosophers think that it takes someone of good moral
character to determine with regularity and reliability what individual acts are appropriate and
reasonable in certain situations and that it takes someone of good moral character to decide
with regularity and reliability how and when to secure goods and resources for himself and
others. Aristotle thus states that, it is not easy to define in rules which acts deserve moral
praise and blame, and that, these matters require the judgment of the virtuous person, that is,
someone with good moral character.

Among the personnel designated by the society to enable the schools to carry out its
education function, the teacher takes on a primary role. Teachers are responsible in
educating the youth, as stated in the 1987 Constitution, Article XIV:

1) Second parents. Teachers may influence the behavior and character of

students, as they are second to none in doing noble service of rearing good
citizens and future leaders of our nation. To a great extent, the quality of
education depends on the ability of the teacher and the standard of
teaching he uses.
2) Heart of the educational system. The teacher is the key to the learning
process as they have the biggest impact on student learning and
performance. A school may have the best facilities and excellent learning
tools but if its teachers are inefficient and incompetent, its whole
educational program would collapse.

With the foregoing statements, it must be noted that Philippine Educational

Philosophy emphasized on the development of the Filipino people to become productive
citizens in society. It is also stated in the provisions of the 1987 Constitution that education is
one of the highest priorities of the national government, because through education people
will obtain better physical and intellectual training that will enable them to achieve greater
dignity and progress.

THE TEACHER AS A PERSON

The teacher is the representative of the content and the school. How a teacher
presents himself makes an impression on administrators, colleagues, parents, and students.
Often a student links the preference to a particular subject to a teacher and the way the
subject was taught. A teacher who shows enthusiasm and competence for a content area may
transfer those feelings to the students. The teacher’s personality is one of the first sets of
characteristics to look for in an effective teacher. Many aspects of effective teaching can be
evaluated. But it is difficult to effect change in an individual’s personality.
ATTRIBUTES TO AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER

Several studies have been made of the abilities and attributes of an effective teachers
and the relative desirability of various traits for success in teaching. The following are some
of the abilities which the teacher must have:

A. The Teacher as Intellectual Model

1. The teacher should display an interest in learning, and scholarly abilities of

research, analysis and application of information processing to decisions

2. The teacher should have as a mature adult. This requires behavior such as
suppressing immediate impulses to advance some long-range purpose,
identifying problems, and developing and carrying out plans for solving
problems.

3. The teacher should plan and execute the educational program on the basis of
the best estimates of the conditions which the student will face in the future.
These include changing requirements for continuing in various kinds of
academic programs, changing job requirements, and changing relationships
among people and institutions.

B. The Effect of the Teacher’s Affective Make-up

1. The teacher should learn to adjust her opinion or evaluation of a student as the
student’s performance and interest change.

2. The teacher should have positive expectations for each student which she is
responsible for. This does not mean that the teacher needs to be disconnected
from reality. On the contrary, a realistic assessment of the student’s current
abilities should be the basis of a constant search for a better learning plan for
each student.

3. The teacher should have a previously established plan for responding to a

student’s learning problem. It might take the form of using a combination of a
student’s profile, a case history discussion with other teachers and observation
of the student’s immediate behavior in order to arrive at a strategy for helping
a student in the classroom.

4. The teacher should give each student a sense of individual worth and
importance by attention to events which the student considers important, by
noticing the things which the student does best, by positive references to the
student as a student, and by developing realistic self-evaluation based upon
evidence of change and growth.
 5. The teacher should keep relaxed, professional manner even when there are
multiple demands upon her time and attention. The teacher should be sensitive
to sing from the children

6. The teacher should be able to change his behavior quickly in response to new
information about a student which he can attribute to his acts.

C. The Teacher as an Observer and Responder to Student Behavior

1. The teacher should be able to classify student responses (e. g., reciting a verbal
chain) in order to determine whether they are appropriate for the learning
objective.

2. The teacher should be able to write or select performance objectives which can
represent the curriculum.

3. The teacher should be able to classify activities on a priority scale from

essential to nonessential and to focus her efforts upon the essential activities
when there is shortage of time.

4. The teacher should be able to classify student behavior according to the degree
that it contributes to learning objectives. (This is especially important for the
child who is not confident student). The teacher should take some care to
reinforce productive activity, and to avoid reinforcing non-productive activity.

5. The teacher should avoid using punishment (e.g., shaming or angry criticism)
for incorrect responses during instruction.

6. The teacher should use rewards and reinforcement which are appropriate for
the task, and appropriate to the individual student.

D. The Teacher’s Task of Employing a Systematic Approach to Resource Allocation

and Decision Making

1. The teacher should learn to allow students to make as many decisions as

possible. This requires that she be able to make an accurate determination of
the student’s decision-making ability.

2. The teacher should arrange instructional materials so that they will be

maximally accessible to the students—preferably without the intervention of
an adult.

3. The teacher should use or develop procedures, forms, and schedules for
learning decision making for learning activities.
E. The Teacher as a Knowledge Source

1. The teacher should be able to make a competent instructional response to the

unique learning problems of each group of students, who maybe working on
activities which span years of the curriculum. This will probably require
specific training, using microteaching and critical incidence techniques.

2. The teacher should answer student’s question in such a way as to promote

learning by the student. No fixed rules can be stated, saying that questions
should not be answered. Sometimes a question should be answered simply so
that the students can get on with what he is doing. At other times a question
should be answered with a question, and still other times the student should be
referred to a reference source. In general, responding to a student questions
can be one of the most rewarding parts of the life of a teacher. When the
student takes the initiative by asking a question, it is an important sign of
intellectual activity.

F. The Teacher’s Task in Data Collection and Use

1. The teacher should assess the entering behavior of students—their mastery of

prerequisite knowledge and abilities.

2. The teacher should assess what the student learns outside of the school, and
she should assume that much relevant learning does take place outside of the
school.

3. The teacher should observe (and if possible, measure) the latency of student
responses, and develop tactics for dealing with either very long latencies or
impulsive responses.

4. The teacher should develop guidelines (with expert assistance) as to when a

student can be expected to make creative responses as opposed to a limited or
closely guided responses.

G. The Teacher Task in the Student’s Career Development

1. The teacher should use examples and instances in the instructional process
which are motivating because they relate to the student’s career goals.

2. The teacher should provide instruction directly related to the saleable skills
required, needed, or wanted by an individual student.

3. The teacher should use the activities in technical, vocational, and arts and
crafts programs to promote motivation for learning academic skills which are
related to the student’s possible career choices.
What is Morality?

Society expects much from a teacher. Henry Brooks Adams, said it succinctly: “A
teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” For a teacher to be able
to cope up with these expectations, he/she should be anchored on a bedrock foundation of
ethical and moral principles.
Morality refers to the quality of human acts by which we call them right or wrong,
good or evil (Panizo, 1964). A human action is right when it conforms with the norm, rule or
law of morality. Otherwise, it is said to be wrong.

A man’s action, habit or character is good when it is not lacking of what it is natural
to man, i.e. when it is in accordance with man’s nature. Man has intellect and free will. His
intellect makes him capable of thinking, judging, and reasoning, his free will gives him the
ability to choose. Unlike the beasts, he is not bound by instincts.

Meaning of foundational moral principle

What is meant by foundational moral principle? The word principle comes from
the Latin word princeps which means a beginning, a source. A principle is that on which
something is based, founded, originated, initiated. It is likened to the foundation of a building
upon which all other parts stand. A foundational moral principle is, therefore, the universal
norm upon which all other principles on the rightness or wrongness of an action are based. It
is the surce of morality.

Where is this foundational moral principle? It is contained in the natural law.

Many moralists, authors, and philosophers may have referred to this foundational moral
principle in different terms. But it may be acceptable to all believers and non-believers alike
to refer to it as natural law.

What is meant by natural law? It is the law “written in the hearts of men” (Romans
2:15). For theists, it is “man’s share in the Eternal Law of God…” (Panizo, 1964) St. Thomas
defines it “as the light of natural reason, whereby we discern what is good and what is evil…
an imprint on us of the divine light…” (Panizo, 1964) It is the law that says: “Do good and
avoid evil.” This is the fundamental or foundational moral principle.

All men and women, regardless of race and belief, have a sense of this foundational
moral principle. It is ingrained in man’s nature. It is built into the design of human nature and
woven into the fabric of the normal human mind. We are inclined to do what we recognize as
good and avoid that which we recognize as evil.

Panizo says: ‘Writings, customs, and monuments of past and present generations
point out to this conclusion: that all peoples on earth, no matter how savage and illiterate,
have recognized a supreme law of divine origin commanding good and forbidding evil”
(1964). The same thing was said by the Chinese philosopher Mencius long ago:

“All men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others…If men
suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they will without exception experience a
feeling of alarm and distress…From this case we may perceive that the feeling of
 commiseration is essential to man, that he who lacks the feeling of commiseration is
not a man; that he who lack a feeling of shame and dislike is not a man; he who lacks
a feeling of modesty and yielding is not a man; and that he who lacks a sense of right
and wrong is not a man…Man has these four beginnings…(Fung Yulan, 1948, 69-
70).

The natural law that says “do good and avoid evil” comes in different versions.
Kung-fu-tsu said the same when he taught: “Do not do unto others what you do not like
others to do to you.” This is also the Golden Rule of Christianity only it is written in the
positive form: “Do to others what you like others do to you.” Immanuel Kant’s version is
“Act in such a way that your maxim can be the maxim for all.” For Christians, this
Golden Rule is made more explicit in the Ten Commandments and the Eight Beatitudes.
These are summarized in the two great commandments, “love God with all your heart, with
all your mind, with all your strength” and “love your neighbour as you love yourself.” The
Buddhists state this through the eightfold path. For Buddhists, they do good when they “(1)
strive to know the truth; (2) resolve to resist evil; (3) say nothing to hurt others; (4) respect
life, morality and property; (5) engage in a job that does not injure others; (6) strive to free
their mind of evil; (7) control their feelings and thoughts; and (8) practice proper forms of
concentration” (World Book Encyclopedia, 1988). Buddha taught that “hatred does not cease
by hatred; hatred only ceases by love.” The Islamic Koran forbids “lying, stealing, adultery,
and murder.” It also teaches “honor parent, kindness to slaves, protection for the orphaned
and the widowed, and charity to the poor. It teaches the virtues of faith in God, patience,
kindness, honesty, industry, honor, courage, and generosity” (World Book Encyclopedia,
1988). Furthermore, the Muslims abide by the Five Pillars of Islam: 1) belief in Allah and in
Muhammad his prophet; 2) prayer five times a day; 3) self-purification by fasting; 4)
almsgiving; and 5) pilgrimage to Mecca for those who can afford.

Teacher as a person of good moral character

As laid down in the preamble of the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers,

“teachers are duly licensed professionals who possesses dignity and reputation with high
moral values as well as technical and professional competence in the practice of their
noble profession, they strictly adhere to. observe, and practice this set of ethical and
moral principles, standards, and values.”

From the above preamble, the words moral values are mentioned twice, to
accentuate on the good moral character expected of the teacher.

When is a person of good moral character? One Christian author describes four ways of
describing good moral character:
1) being fully human – you have realized substantially your potential as a human person;
2) being a loving person – you are caring in an unselfish and mature manner with yourself,
other people and God;
3) being a virtuous person – you have acquired good habits and attitudes and you practice
them consistently in your daily life; and
4) being morally mature person – you have reached a level of development emotionally,
socially, mentally, spiritually appropriate to your developmental stage (Cosgrave, 2004).
 In short, you are on the right track when you strive to develop your potential, you love and
care for yourself and make this love flow to others, you lead a virtuous life, and as you
advance in age you also advance in your emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual life.
Activity/Questions to Ponder on

Answer the following questions for further discussion.

1. What does the following statement imply on the role of religion in the moral
formation of man?
“If God did not exist, then everything would be permitted.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

2. Who said the following words and what do they say about the natural law?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”