MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
&
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Group 3
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Moral Character: People judge others by their own moral standards.
To understand moral character, know first the meaning of
“character.”
Origin: “Character” comes from Greek kharakter, a stamping tool for
making coins, later meaning a distinctive mark or qualities that
distinguish individuals.
Modern Use: Today, character often mixes with personality—unique
mannerisms, gestures, dressing styles—but in philosophy,
“character” has a deeper meaning.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Aristotle’s View:
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains two excellences:
excellences of thought and excellences of character
The latter in Greek is phrased by aristotle êthikai aretai which is
translated moral virtue or moral excellence.
“Ethikos” (ethical) comes from “ethos” (character).
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Moral Virtue:
Focuses on being ethically good, not just unique.
Evaluates consistent moral traits like courage, honesty, loyalty.
Good Moral Character:
A state concerned with choice, guided by reason.
It’s the mean between two vices: excess and defect.
Not just a feeling or tendency, but firm beliefs and values.
Lack of good character leads to vulnerability to vices.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
The Concept of Moral Virtue
The excellence of character focuses not just on uniqueness or individuality, but on the
combination of qualities that make a person ethically good. Moral character is seen as an
evaluation of one’s consistent moral traits. Character can include virtues like courage, fortitude,
honesty, loyalty, and other good behaviors or habits.
Aristotle believes that excellence of character, or good moral character, is a state concerned with
choice, guided by reason. Good moral character, according to Aristotle, is the balance (or mean)
between two vices: one that depends on excess and the other one that depend on defect.
When Aristotle calls it a “state,” he means that good character is not just a feeling, ability, or habit.
It is a firm condition where a person holds strong beliefs and values. If a person lacks good moral
character, Aristotle says they become more vulnerable to vices.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Fr. Dionisio Miranda (1987) on Moral Character
Fr. Dionisio Miranda (1987) says that moral character is linked to a person’s sense of
dignity or identity.
This identity is shaped by values such as:
A. Individuality
B. Autonomy
C. Meaning
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Three Basic Needs and Values
The core of moral character is simply being human.
First:
The need to acquire individuality or personal identity — to be someone, not a
nobody.
Having a personality means having unique traits and characteristics.
Owning oneself is about uniqueness, not selfishness.
Second:
The need to exercise personal autonomy — to freely make decisions and take
responsibility for them.
Third:
The need to find meaning in life through actions and relationships, whether or not
described in personal terms.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Development of Moral Character
In childhood and adolescence, it is crucial to learn how to distinguish between right and
wrong to develop moral character.
To be moral is to think morally and act accordingly (Myers, 1995).
Moral Dilemmas in Early Childhood
Children learn that lying, cheating, stealing, teasing, and fighting are bad behaviors.
Honesty, generosity, courtesy, and politeness are values that build good moral
character.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Three Aspects of Moral Development
Emotions: Feelings and values that shape moral standards.
Knowledge: Learning the moral code of the community and judging right from wrong.
Actions: Choosing the right actions—controlling impulses, obeying rules, behaving
helpfully.
Role of Teaching and Modeling
Discussing moral issues, teaching principles, and modeling behavior are important
during early school age.
Through integration, children emulate ideals, values, and standards from family and
community.
Internalizing moral standards helps children develop conscience or moral judgment.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
1.) Social Learning Theory
Children learn moral behavior through observation, imitation, and modeling.
Models can be parents, teachers, or peers.
Positive reinforcement (rewarding good behavior) and negative reinforcement (punishing bad behavior) help
internalize moral behavior.
Focus: Conditions that support moral behaviors.
2.) Cognitive Developmental Theory (Jean Piaget)
Explains how children judge right and wrong.
First Stage – Heteronomous Morality:
Children strictly follow rules and authority.
Rules are seen as fixed and unchangeable.
Second Stage – Autonomous Morality:
Children learn to evaluate rules based on mutual respect and cooperation.
Focus: How people acquire and organize knowledge (moral codes).
Challenge: Building a moral code is hard due to inconsistent standards children experience.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
3.) Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud)
• Moral behavior is influenced by unconscious ideas rooted in childhood conflicts.
• Freud sees conscience as the superego:
- Develops during the phallic stage (ages 3 to 6).
• Formed through conflict between id (pleasure principle), ego (reality principle), and superego (moral principle).
• Moral character develops through parental identification (internalizing parents’ values and standards).
4.) Evolutionary Theory
• Focuses on the neurobiological basis of moral development.
• The ventromedial prefrontal cortex helps control emotions, decision-making, and self-control.
• This brain area is essential for moral judgment and character development.
• Morality is seen as evolving through social interaction, creating moral codes passed to future generations.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage of Moral Development
Moral character is vital to overall moral development.
A positive moral character leads to sound moral judgment.
Moral development: gradual growth of conscience, values, social attitudes, and moral behaviors.
About Lawrence Kohlberg
American psychologist, professor at University of Chicago and Harvard.
Developed the theory of stages of moral development.
Focus: Stages of moral reasoning — how people think about right and wrong.
Proposed 6 stages of moral thinking, grouped into 3 levels:
Pre-conventional
Conventional
Post-conventional
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
1.) Pre-Conventional Morality (Before age 9) 3.) Post-Conventional Morality (Adulthood for some)
• Rules are seen as fixed and absolute. Moral reasoning based on universal ethical principles and
• Obey rules to avoid punishment; fear of punishment is the motivator. abstract thinking.
• Right and wrong based on consequences. Follows internalized values even if they conflict with laws
• Individual Needs: Actions judged by how they serve personal interests.
and rules.
• Reciprocity: Favor is returned only if it benefits oneself (an eye for an eye).
Justice and ethical principles guide actions.
• Believes in equal sharing regardless of need.
• Expects rewards for good deeds.
2.) Conventional Morality (Ages 10 to 15)
• Awareness of living in a society with others.
• Emphasis on conformity and peer approval.
• Intentions are as important as actions.
• Focus on maintaining law, order, and respecting authority.
• Obeys laws not just out of fear, but out of respect.
• Conscious of others’ welfare and recognizes laws serve humans.
MORAL CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
&
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Group 3
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Human Acts vs. Acts of Man
Human Acts
Definition: Actions performed by a person who has full knowledge through free will.
Elements:
Knowledge: The doer is conscious of their actions, aware of the reasons and
consequences.
Freedom: The doer acts on their own initiative, without being forced, making them
responsible for their actions.
Voluntariness: The act is done willfully, with consent, and the doer assumes
accountability for its consequences.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Human Acts vs. Acts of Man
Human acts can be morally evaluated (good or evil, moral or immoral).
Morality is based on the object chosen, the intention, and the circumstances.
Object: The matter of the human act, where the will deliberately directs itself.
Intention: The goal or purpose of the action, guiding the will toward the end.
Circumstances: Secondary elements that influence the goodness or evilness of the act
but do not change the moral quality of the act.
Moral Evaluation: For an act to be good, all three elements (object, intention, and
circumstances) must be good. If one element is evil, the act is evil.
St. Thomas’ View: The intention is the moral content of the act, and harmful
consequences (even if unintended) contribute to guilt. The act’s goodness depends on
aligning with the will of God.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Human Acts vs. Acts of Man
Acts of Man
• Definition: Actions that do not involve the use of reason, performed
instinctively or automatically.
• Examples: Digestion, reflexive reactions, unconscious actions, and
acts done during sleep.
• Nature: These are common to humans and animals, not relying on free
will or reflection.
• Characteristics: Involuntary, psychological, and instinctive. They do
not involve moral evaluation because they lack conscious deliberation.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Classification of Human Acts
Human acts are classified into two categories: Acts of Will and Acts of Reason.
Acts of Will
Actions performed freely by the individual based on their will.
Types:
Elicited Acts: Initiated, performed, and completed by the will alone. These include:
i. Wish: The primordial desire or inclination of the will toward a conceived good.
ii. Intention: The will’s purposive tendency toward a goal, regardless of whether it is achieved.
iii. Counsel: The series of thoughts and judgments on the most suitable means to attain the
desired end.
iv. Consent: The definite decision on the means to be used.
v. Choice: The active commitment to follow the means deemed right by the intellect.
vi. Command: The interplay between intellect and will, where the intellect directs the will
toward a goal.
vii. Fruition: The actual attainment of the desired good.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Classification of Human Acts
Human acts are classified into two categories: Acts of Will and Acts of Reason.
Acts of Will
Actions performed freely by the individual based on their will.
Types:
Commanded Acts: Actions carried out by both mind and body under the will’s command.
These include:
i. Internal Acts: Mental actions carried out under the will’s direction.
ii. External Acts: Bodily actions executed under the will’s command.
iii. Mixed Acts: Actions that involve both bodily and mental functions.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Classification of Human Acts
Human acts are classified into two categories: Acts of Will and Acts of Reason.
Acts of Reason
Actions judged as morally right or wrong based on reason.
Moral Evaluation: For St. Thomas Aquinas, morality is founded on natural law, where reason
discerns what is good or evil. An act directed toward a true good as dictated by reason is considered
good.
Good Act: For an act to be good, it must involve reason and employ a means determined by
reason to be appropriate.
Moral Judgment: In the case of acts like murder, the immorality is judged based on the act itself
and the individual performing it.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Norms of Human Acts
Norms are accepted standards of behavior within
social groups, often unwritten rules that guide
how people should behave. They are crucial for
understanding social influence and conformity. In
ethics, there are two main types of norms:
Conscience and Law.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Norms of Human Acts
Conscience
The inner voice that guides a person to do what is good and avoid evil.
Role: Conscience judges particular choices, approving what is good and
condemning what is evil.
Judgment of Reason: It involves a judgment where the person recognizes the
moral quality of an act they are going to perform, are performing, or have
already performed.
Conscience helps recognize and perceive the prescriptions of divine law.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Norms of Human Acts
Law
A rule of conduct enacted by competent authority for the common good.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Definition: “An ordinance of reason promulgated for the
common good by the one who has charge of society.”
Types of Laws:
1. Divine Laws: Laws at work within religions. They are formations that are believed to come directly
from a higher being.
2. Human Laws: Laws made by humans. They are usually considered in opposition
to natural laws.
3. Temporal Laws: Laws that apply to humans at a specific time. All human laws
are temporal laws.
4. Eternal Laws: Law of higher being that directs all the actions and
events of the universe.
5. Natural Laws: are based on the use of reason and are held to be natural or common to all humans.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Norms of Human Acts
Law
A rule of conduct enacted by competent authority for the common good.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Definition: “An ordinance of reason promulgated for the
common good by the one who has charge of society.”
Types of laws:
6. Positive Laws: are man-made laws consisting of codes, regulations, and decrees that oblige or
specify people to obey.
7. Affirmative Laws: are also called permissive or suppletory laws. They are binding but not required at
every moment.
8. Negative Laws: also called prohibitory laws, are laws humans are obliged to comply with
at every moment.
9. Moral Laws: are laws based on the laws of God, the state, and the Church.
10. Penal Laws: are usually laws enacted by the state prescribing a penalty like fine or imprisonment
for anyone who violates it.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Modifiers of Human Acts
There are circumstances where human acts may be modified, making them closer to acts of man. These factors
impair the element of voluntariness and diminish one’s responsibility in performing an act. The main modifiers
are ignorance, passion, fear, violence, and habit.
1. Ignorance
refers to the lack or absence of knowledge in a person capable of it.
There are four kinds of ignorance:
i. Ignorance of the Law: Lack of knowledge about the existence of a law or principle. This does not excuse one from
responsibility.
Example: A driver unaware of a speed limit violation is still accountable.
ii. Ignorance of the Fact: Lack of knowledge about the violation of a law or principle, typically excused in legal systems,
especially when no negligence exists.
Example: A driver who exceeds the speed limit unknowingly is not liable legally, but philosophically, it doesn’t modify
the human act.
iii. Vicible Ignorance: Knowledge a rational person could have acquired but did not make the effort to do so.
Example: Someone misinformed about the professor’s presence in class; they could have checked but didn’t.
iv. Invincible Ignorance: Lack of knowledge that a person could not possibly obtain.
Example: Whether or not a higher being exists.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Modifiers of Human Acts
There are circumstances where human acts may be modified, making them closer to acts of man. These factors
impair the element of voluntariness and diminish one’s responsibility in performing an act. The main modifiers
are ignorance, passion, fear, violence, and habit.
2. Passion (Concupiscence)
Passion is a compelling desire or emotional state. It can include both positive (love, bravery) and negative (anger,
hatred) emotions.
Passion is divided into two types:
i. Antecedent Passion: Emotions that arise before the act and may affect voluntariness. It can increase accountability.
ii. Consequent Passion: Emotions that follow the act and don’t necessarily reduce voluntariness.
3. Fear
Fear is a feeling caused by perceived danger or threat. It can be voluntary (if one has control over it) or involuntary
(when it leads to panic or intense reaction). Fear can diminish voluntariness, making the act less responsible.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN ACTS
Modifiers of Human Acts
There are circumstances where human acts may be modified, making them closer to acts of man. These factors
impair the element of voluntariness and diminish one’s responsibility in performing an act. The main modifiers
are ignorance, passion, fear, violence, and habit.
4. Violence
Violence is physical force applied by one person to compel another to act against their will.
It can be perfect or imperfect:
i. Perfect Violence: Complete resistance to physical or moral force, leading to involuntary actions.
ii. Imperfect Violence: Partial resistance or compliance to force, which can reduce voluntariness but doesn’t eliminate
responsibility entirely.
iii. Moral Perfect Violence: Occurs when no resistance is used for a good reason but is still considered involuntary.
5. Habit
Habit refers to actions performed out of repeated behavior, which becomes ingrained in a person. The person
may act in a habitual manner with little resistance, making it easier to perform the act but reducing the
voluntary element.
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