THE MORAL AGENT

THE MORAL AGENT

THE MORAL AGENT

 “NEVER
INTENTIONAL
LY
CAUSE
UNJUSTIFIED
HARM”
- ARISTOTLE
 MORAL
• Morals are defined as standards for what behavior is considered right or wrong.
• It is important to note that morals differ between individuals and cultures, and that and
individuals moral change throughout their life as they mature and their relationships with the
environment and people around them change.

Carol Rabor
 HOW MORALS ARE ESTABLISH
Morality isn’t fixed. What’s considered acceptable in your culture might not be acceptable in another
culture. Geographical regions, religions, family, and life experiences all influence morals.

Scholars don’t agree on exactly how morals are developed. However, there are several
theories that have gained attention over the years.:

❑Freud’s morality and superego- Freud suggested moral development occurred as a person’s ability
to set aside their selfish needs were replaced by the values of important socializing agents (such as
a person parent’s.)
❑Piaget’s theory of moral development- Piaget focused on the social – cognitive and social
emotional perspectives od development. Piaget theorized that moral development unfolds over
time, in certain stages as children learn to adopt certain moral behaviors for their own sake rather
than just abide by moral codes because they don’t want to get into trouble.
• B.F. Skinner’s behavioral theory – Skinner focused on the power of external forces that shaped
an individual’s development. For example, a child who receives praise for being kind may treat
someone with kindness again out of a desire to receive more positive attention in the future.
• Kohlberg’s moral reasoning- Kohlberg’s proposed that an adult’s stage of reasoning could be
identified.
 SEVEN MORALS

• Be brave
• Be fair
• Defer to authority
• Help you grow
• Love your family
• Return favors
• Respect other’s property
 MORAL AGENCY
• Moral agency is the ability to make ethical decisions based on what is right and wrong. This capacity can be
found in individuals or collective entities like business or health care institutions.
• Moral agency – a person’s ability to make moral judgements based on some notions of right and wrong and to
be held responsible or accountable for these actions.

Three (3) Major Concepts of Moral Agency

1. The moral competency of the person or organization in question
2. The narrative framework on which ethical behavior is based; and
3. The situational constraints that influence decision-making.

Allyssa Mae
• MORAL COMPETENCIES include reasoning, recognition, response, discernment,
accountability, character, motivation and leadership.
• With the appropriate NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK and a supportive SITUATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT, moral competency gives rise to sound moral judgement.

Alyssa Mae
 MORAL AGENT
• A MORAL AGENT is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable
for his or her own actions. Agents have moral responsibility not cause unjustified harm.
• Moral Agents are those agents expected to meet the demands of morality. Not all agents are moral agents.
• An intelligent being who has the power of choosing, and has the scope to act according to his/her choice.
For Example:
Agents can obey moral laws such as murder is wrong or stealing is wrong; then they are moral agents, even if
they respond only to prudential reasons such as fear of punishment and even if they are incapable of acting for
the sake of moral considerations.

Wilma
AS A MORAL AGENT:

• As a moral agent – one is deemed to blame or to be held responsible for the act or the choice of
act whether good or bad.
• A moral agent – must be a living creature and a rational being capable of comprehending moral
principles and applying them to decision making.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Self- conscious, memory, moral, principles, other values, reasoning.
MORAL AGENT

HUMAN PERSON MORAL BEING

INTELLECTUAL BEING NATURE BEFORE ORIGINAL SIN

COGNITIVE INTELLECTION

CAPABLE OF UNDERSTADING

AWARE OF THE WORLD

COGNITIVE VOLITION

ABILITY TO KNOW

EVALUATIVE KNOWLEDGE
Carol
 MORAL AGENT

• FOR EXAMPLE:
- That particular responses are appropriate when a person who is moral agent performs or fails to
perform an action.
❑ a good Samaritan is praised for his conduct; a thief is blamed for his.

⮚ In short, MORAL AGENT is responsible for his actions. His/her is the DOER, ACTOR to which
praised or blamed is typically assigned.

Joen
 MORAL STANDING

• If you have moral standing: your continued existence or welfare is valuable in itself (intrinsic
value).
• Your interest and well-being must be weighted when deciding what is permissible to do.

❖Example:

Humans of all kinds like babies, children, adults, old people, etc. different races, different
cultures.

colleen
 WHAT HAS MORAL STANDING?
• H BEING HUMAN SENTIENCE

- Humans have soul

- Humans are moral agents and
are responsible for knowing
- Animalshave sentience.
right from wrong
Therefore moral standing is
- Humans are intelligent
extended.
- Humans have personhood and
self- consciousness
- Humans have language

Colleen
 MORAL DUTIES

• MORAL DUTIES – that which is owed by moral agents to those with moral standing.
Example :
it is wrong to kill our children because we have a moral duty towards them.

PAMELA
MORAL DUTIES TOWARDS FAMILY
❑ Obedience
❑Ideal atmosphere in home
❑Procreation of children
❑To take of the health of the health of others.
• Fulfillment of needs
• Family planning
• Saving
• To provide education to children
• To look after the old parents
• To bring fame to the family.
 MORAL DUTIES TOWARDS
SOCIETY

❑ Social service
❑To keep the surrounding clean
❑To eradicate social evils
❑Co – operation
❑To spread love among others
❑ Help in arresting criminals
❑Development of villages and cities
❑To join others in sorrows and happiness
❑To have compassion
 MORAL DUTIES TOWARDS
HUMANITY

❑No to discriminate
❑To help in the maintenance of world peace
❑To rise above blind nationalism
❑To help the poor
❑Sense of world citizenship