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Moral Character

It describes the entirety of a person's dispositions or characteristics that influence how they
behave morally or, to put it another way, to have or lack specific virtues and vices of character is
to have or lack a particular moral character. The virtues and vices that make up one's moral
character are typically viewed as predispositions to act in particular ways under particular types
of conditions.

It can also be conceptualized as an individual's disposition to think, feel, and behave in an

ethical versus unethical manner, or as the subset of individual differences relevant to morality.

Moral Development

Morality is defined as principles for how individuals ought to treat one another, with respect
to justice, others’ welfare, and rights (Turiel 1983, cited under Introductory Works and Historical
Background). In order to explain how morality is acquired during development and to present a
complete picture of moral development, understanding the acquisition of morality also entails
examining the roles of pro-social behavior, emotions, beliefs, and intentionality.

It describes how people gradually develop a sense of what is proper and improper, as well as
right and wrong. It can be characterized as feelings, actions, and thoughts that relate to moral
standards.

Theories of Moral Development

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Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Piaget (1965) found that young children were focused on authority mandates and that with
age, children become autonomous, evaluating actions from a set of independent principles of
morality.

He developed two phases of moral development, one common among children and the other
common among adults.

Heteronomous Phase

- This phase, more common among children, is characterized by the idea that rules come from
authority figures in one’s life, such as parents, teachers, and God. This phase of moral
development includes the belief that belief that “naughty” behavior must always be punished and
that the punishment will be proportional.

Autonomous Phase

- This phase is more common after one has matured and is no longer a child. In this phase,
people begin to view the intentions behind actions as more important than their consequences.

Piaget (1965) focused on the individual’s construction, construal, and interpretation of

morality from a social-cognitive and social-emotional perspective.

According to Freud, moral development proceeds when the individual’s selfish desires are
repressed and replaced by the values of important socializing agents in one’s life (for instance,
one’s parents).

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

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According to Piaget’s theory, there are three broad stages of moral development.

In the first, the child is still mastering motor and social skills and unconcerned with morality.

In the second, the child exhibits unconditional respect for rules and submission to authority.

In the last stage, the child recognizes that rules are arbitrary and can be changed with group
consensus.

The intentions of an actor (rather than just the consequences of the action) should be
considered in judging the morality of an act.

Piaget (1932) was principally interested not in what children do (i.e., in whether they break
the rules or not) but in what they think. In other words he was interested in children’s moral
reasoning.

Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process
that occurs throughout the lifespan. He describes moral development as a process of discovering
universal moral principles, and is based on a child’s intellectual development.

Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a theory that focuses on how children develop
morality and moral reasoning. Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral development occurs in a
series of six stages and that moral logic is primarily focused on seeking and maintaining justice.
These six stages are organized into three general levels of moral development.

Level 1: Pre-conventional level

-Morality is externally controlled. Rules imposed by authority figures are conformed to in order
to avoid punishment or receive rewards.

Stage 1: Punishment/obedience orientation

-Behavior is determined by consequences. The individual will obey in order to avoid

punishment.

Stage 2: Instrumental purpose orientation

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-Behavior is determined again by consequences. The individual focuses on receiving rewards or

satisfying personal needs.

Level 2: Conventional level

- Conformity to social rules remains important to the individual. However, the emphasis shifts
from self-interest to relationships with other people and social systems. Focusing to win their
approval or to maintain social order.

Stage 3: Good Boy/Nice Girl orientation

- Behavior is determined by social approval. The individual wants to maintain or win the
affection and approval of others by being a “good person.”

Stage 4: Law and order orientation

- Social rules and laws determine behavior. The individual now takes into consideration a larger
perspective, that of societal laws. The individual believes that rules and laws maintain social
order that is worth preserving.

Level 3: Post-conventional or principled level

- Morality is defined in terms of abstract principles and values that apply to all situations and
societies. The individual attempts to take the perspective of all individuals.

Stage 5: Social contract orientation

- Individual rights determine behavior. The individual views laws and rules as flexible tools for
improving human purposes. That is, given the right situation, there are exceptions to rules.

Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation

- It is the highest stage of functioning. At this stage, the appropriate action is determined by one’s
self-chosen ethical principles of conscience. These principles are abstract and universal in
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application. This type of reasoning takes the perspective of every person or group that could
potentially be affected by the decision.

Virtue Ethics

Aristotle and other ancient Greeks developed the philosophy of virtue ethics. It is the
endeavor to comprehend and lead a morally upright life. This character-based perspective on
morality makes the assumption that we learn virtue through experience.

Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in
moral philosophy rather than acting out of duty or in order to bring about good consequences. A
virtue ethicist emphasize to “Act as a virtuous person would act in your situation.”

REFERENCES

 Cohen, T. R., & Morse, L. (2014). Moral character: What it is and what it does. Research
in Organizational Behavior, 34, 43–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2014.08.003

 Moral Character - Seven Pillars Institute

 Dorough, S. (2011). Moral Development. In Springer eBooks (pp. 967–970).

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1831

 MSEd, K. C. (2022). Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development. Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071

 Mcleod, S., PhD. (2023). Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development. Simply Psychology.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget-moral.html#:~:text=Piaget%20conceptualizes

%20moral%20development%20as,but%20in%20what%20they%20think.
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 Patanella, D. (2011). Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development. In Springer eBooks (pp.

1109–1111). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2167

 Ethics Unwrapped. (2022, November 5). Virtue ethics - ethics unwrapped.

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/virtue-ethics#:~:text=Virtue%20ethics%20is

%20a%20philosophy,we%20acquire%20virtue%20through%20practice.

 MSEd, K. C. (2022b). Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development. Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071

 Mcleod, S., PhD. (2023a). Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Simply Psychology.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html

 Hoose, N. A. (n.d.). Theories of Moral Development | Adolescent Psychology.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/adolescent/chapter/theories-moral-development/

 Virtue Ethics | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). https://iep.utm.edu/virtue/#H3