Topic 2.

The Moral Agent: Developing

Virtue as Habit

Sub-Topic 2.1. How is Moral Character

Developed:

The Circular Relation of Acts that Build

Character and Acts that Emanate from
Character
At the end of this Module, the students should
be able to:

Describe what is act and character?

Explain the circular relation between Act and

Moral Character

Assess your personal Act and Moral Character

  Action – Activities/Acts of a human person
 Moral Character – refers to having or
lacking moral virtue
 According to De Guzman, “in moral

Action and development, there is a circular relation

between acts that build character and moral
Character character itself” (De Guzman, 2018).
 Your moral character will produce
particular moral actions that are related
with it, and on the other hand, the individual
actions that you execute will determine the
kind of moral character that you possess.
 Action Moral Character 1. Habit / Repeated acts
2. Education/Learning

3.Disposition/Inclination
Moral Character Action

therefore:
Good Action = Virtues
Bad Action = Vices

Human Person/Moral Agent – Acts/Actions/Activities/Behaviors –

Building Moral Character in return emanates Moral Acts
Examples of virtues / Example of vice
Integrity lies
Courage coward
Fortitude coward
honesty lies
loyalty unfaithful
Therefore: Human Actions and Moral Characters are
complementary

MORAL CHARACTER - refers to “the existence or lack of virtues

such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty and loyalty” (Merriam-
Webster, 2017).

MORAL CHARACTERS - are those dispositions or tendencies to

act or think in a particular way by which a person can be held
morally responsible (Gallinero, 2018).

Dispositions – personalities /characters/temperaments/mindset

(influenced by nature-environment as nurtured/cultivated)
 Greek Philosopher (Aristotle)

Virtue Ethics

Nichomachean Ethics

Human Excellence
• Excellence of Thought / Reason (Logic)
• Excellence of Character (Ethics) – Moral Excellence –
• Principle of the Golden Mean /
• Middle Path or Way *
For example, if you possess an
“honest character”, it will always
lead you to do actions
associated with honesty (and
you may rarely do actions related
to dishonesty). On the other way
around, when you “tell the
absolute truth even at the risk of
attracting troubles”, this particular
action determines the kind of
moral character that you have –
which is, honesty.
Philosophical Views on Moral Character
In Confucian (Confucius) tradition, personality meant “an
achieved state of moral excellence”. Moral development
was attributed to the “four beginnings” of the human
personality, namely:
1) the heart of compassion (jen),
2) the heart of righteousness (ren),
3) the heart of propriety (Li), and
4) the heart of wisdom (Zhi)
(Internet: Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2017).
According to Aristotle, each person has a built-in desire to be
virtuous and that if a person is focused on being a good person then
the right actions will follow effortlessly, and you will do good things.
The principle of being virtuous is called the “Doctrine of the Golden
Mean”, the principle that the one that is in the middle of two extreme
behaviors (Gallinero, 2018).
 “Doctrine of the Golden Mean/Middle Way or Path ”
(Practice of virtue of Moderation / Prudence)
Temperance/Self-control/Restraint

Take Note: Both extremes are bad/vice/wrong.

Example:
You want to earn money to buy yourself a gift this coming December/
Christmas
+ You will save money from allowance
- You will not buy anything even if it is a necessity of the body –
depriving food/nourishment of the body/miser/frugal/kuripot
Thank you!