WEEK 5 Lesson
ACQUIRE
The Moral Agent
I. Understanding the nature of the decision maker
a. Homo socialis- To be human is be in a situation. In the words of Martin Heidegger, to be is
to be thrown into the world.
b. Homo Intellectus- To be is to be able to think. Every person is capable of understanding and
direct the same towards action.
c. Homo Libertus- To be is to be free. Everyone is endowed with free will and therefore
capable of making free choices.
d. Homo Existo- To be is to have the capability to become fully human. Everyone is capable of
growth.
e. Homo Moralis- To be is to become morally intelligent and responsible. Everyone is capable
to be compassionate.
II. Moral Character
a. Meaning of moral Character- Character comes from a Greek word which means
engraved. It is the disposition to direct one’s habits, actions and emotional responses toward the
moral and the good. It is also the mark of human authenticity.
b. Developing moral character
i. Acts forming character- The act of good character is virtue. Virtues are attitudes, dispositions,
or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. Eg. Honesty,
courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence.
ii. Acts emanating from character- Every action is a reflection of one’s character but not
necessarily leading towards the good and moral.
III. Moral Development
a. Stages of Moral Development
i. Piaget- Moral development is tied with cognitive development
ii. Kohlberg
b. Conscience
i. Meaning of conscience- Conscientia in Latin which means with knowledge or a person
who tries to order his or her choices according to the demands of the laws of human
nature. It is not a justification for any behavior rather, the application of lasting truths to
choices about human behavior. In Greek, it is called Suneidesis which means joint
knowing. It is the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of
one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do
right or be good.
ii. Conscience-based decision making- It is a judgement about how an action conforms or
does not conform to natural law. Natural law is the participation of humans to the Divine
law which is the standard of what is right and wrong.
Links
Piaget’s theory of Moral development
https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget-moral.html
Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development
https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html
Conscience
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/conscience/