THE MORAL

AGENT
ALYZA JOYCE P. ALARKON
INSTRUCTOR I
 2

MAN AS A
MORAL AGENT
LESSON 1
 Man is a moral agent. What
1
does it mean?

FOCUS 2
How does the moral character
QUESTIONS: of a moral agent develop?

3
What are the stage of moral
development?
 To explain what is moral agent
means
INTENDED
LEARNING
To discuss the meaning of
2
fundamental option
OUTCOMES
 Can a dog be a moral
ACTIVITY: 1
agent? Why or why not?

Can a robot be a moral

2
agent? Why or why not?
 The • “Moral” comes from the
Latin “mores”, referring to
Human society’s patterns,
Person as standards, rules of doing
a Moral things.

Agent • “Agent” comes from Latin

“agree”, to do, act.
 • A moral agent is one who
performs an act in accordance
The Human with moral standards.

Person as a • A moral agent is the moral actor,

one who acts morally.
Moral Agent • Only a moral agent is capable of
human acts. That’s why
“morality is for persons.”
 “…it will suffice if the agent has the
capacity to conform to some of the external
requirements of morality. So if certain
WHAT IS A agents can obey moral laws such as
‘murder is wrong’ or ‘stealing is wrong’ then
SUFFICIENT they are moral agents, even if they respond
only to prudential reasons such as fear of
CONDITION punishment and even if they are incapable
of acting for the sake of moral
FOR MORAL considerations. According to the strong
version, the Kantian version, it is also
AGENCY? essential that agents should have the
capacity to rise above their feelings and
passions and act for the sake of the moral
law..”
-Haksar, V., Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 • For this old question, we find an old
answer from the textbook written by
Rev. Charles Collens, S.J.

THE • It is based on the principles laid down

by St. Thomas Aquinas: “Every man is
PURPOSE- directed towards an end.
• As Aristotle put it, that end which is
DRIVEN sought for its own sake, that is, it is no
longer sought for the sake of another
MORAL end, is the summum bonum, the
highest good. That highest good is
AGENT happiness.
• For St. Thomas, the highest good or
end is happiness but the absolutely
final end is God.
 • Alfredo Panizo (1964) cites the three Thomistic
principles regarding the end or purpose of the
moral agent:
o First Principle: Every agent that performs an
THE action acts for the sake of the end or purpose
to be attained.
PURPOSE- o Second Principle: Every agent acts for an

DRIVEN ultimate end.

o Third Principle: Every agent has the power of
MORAL moving for an end that is suitable or good for
him.
AGENT • From the Christian point of view, a human
person’s destiny in the world is not only to achieve
cultural and moral perfection but to attain the
eternal happiness of the soul after the death of
the body.
 The stance or position I
THE decide to take vis-à-vis the
FUNDAMENTAL Absolute Value (God) which
then influences ultimately
OPTION all my other individual
actions and decisions.
 • For the existentialist, a person is or
becomes what he/she makes of
himself/herself by choice. He/she is
NO PRE- nothing, no “essence”, until he/she

FIXED PLAN starts his/her “existence” by making

choice. (Sartre, 2007)
FOR MAN • For the process philosophers,
whatever a human person is or will be
a result of a creative process.
(Chardin, 1948 & Whitehead, 1996)
 • For other groups, like Heidegger,
Marcel, and Buber, see themselves as
NO PRE- being with others, inseparably related
FIXED PLAN to their fellow man. They realize who
the other being is in their presence.
FOR MAN • Consequently, the end purpose, or
direction of being with others, is what
they discover as they learn to live
together.
 “WORLD TO
COME” • It means, instead of avoiding
MEANS “THE “this world” as a sinful world of
flesh, we involve ourselves in it,
WORLD TO improving it, refining it,
COME OUT constructing and developing it,
OF THIS and perfecting it to bring out
WORLD” the world to come.
THE DEVELOPMENT
15

OF THE MORAL
CHARACTER OF THE
MORAL AGENT
LESSON 2
 State defining moments in your
moral formation
INTENDED
LEARNING
Explain the relationship between
2 moral acts and character OUTCOMES
 Share an experience that
shaped your values and moral
formation. It may be a
ACTIVITY: conversation that determined
your career, an event that
changed the course of your life
or anything else that you
believe has determined what
you have become.
DEFINING • Defining moment is a significant
life-changing event in a person’s
MOMENT life.
 • St. Paul’s defining moment was
when suddenly a light from
THE heaven flashed around him on
DEFINING his way to Damascus.

MOMENTS • St. Augustine’s defining moment

was when while outdoors he
OF THE heard the voice of a child singing
SAINTS a song, the words of which were,
“Pick it up and read it. Pick it up
and read it.”
RELATIONSHIP
• Moral character is necessary for
BETWEEN moral behavior. Moral character
MORAL ACTS facilitates doing the moral
AND action.

CHARACTER
THE STAGES OF
21

MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LESSON 3
 Describe each stage of moral
development
INTENDED
LEARNING
Evaluate one’s personal growth
2
against the stages of personal
OUTCOMES
development
 • Moral development refers to the
“process through which a human
person gains his/her beliefs, skills and
dispositions that make him/her a
morally mature person.
MORAL • Growth in morality can be described as
DEVELOPMENT passing through stages of behavior
controlled first, by taboo; then second,
by law; third by conscience; fourth by
reciprocity; fifth by social consensus
and finally by personal moral
principles, though not necessarily in
that order.
 LEVEL 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
This is the lowest level of moral
development. At this level, children don’t
KOHLBERG’S have a personal code of morality.
STAGES OF • STAGE 1. OBEDIENCE AND
MORAL PUNISHMENT ORIENTATION– The
individual does good in order to avoid
DEVELOPMENT being punished.
• STAGE 2. INSTRUMENTAL
ORIENTATION– Right behavior is
defined by whatever the individual
believes to be pin his/her best interest.
 LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
At this level, a child’s sense of morality
is tied to personal and societal relationships.
KOHLBERG’S • STAGE 3. “GOOD BOY, NICE GIRL”
STAGES OF ORIENTATION– Individuals want the
approval of others and act in ways to avoid
MORAL disapproval.
DEVELOPMENT • STAGE 4. INSTRUMENTAL ORIENTATION–
The individual becomes aware of the wider
rules of society, so judgments concern
obeying the rules in order to uphold the law
and avoid guilt.
 LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
This is the level of full internalization.
KOHLBERG’S Morality is completely internalized and not
based on external standards.
STAGES OF • STAGE 5. SOCIAL CONTRACT
ORIENTATION– At this level, individuals
MORAL reason out that values, rights, and
principles transcend the law.
DEVELOPMENT • STAGE 6. UNIVERSAL, ETHICAL, PRINCIPLE
ORIENTATION– Individuals at this stage
have developed their own set of moral
guidelines which may or may not fit the
law. They have developed moral judgments
that are based on universal human rights.