DEFINITION OF TERMS IN MORAL EDUCATION

Form 1-3

Compiled by Ms O. Tabona

Ø Morality is a system of principles and judgments based on cultural,

religious, and beliefs, by which humans determine whether given actions are right
or wrong
Ø Morality: A system of ideas of right and wrong conduct
Ø Values: Are principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile, important or
desirable
Ø Culture: The way of life of a particular group of people

Ø Decision making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among
multiple alternatives OR A process of making a choice between different alternatives
Ø Moral dilemma: A moral dilemma is a situation that often involves a conflict
between moral values, in which to obey one would result in transgressing another OR
It can also be defined as a situation in which two of our moral values conflict
Ø Self esteem: Feelings one has about him/herself
Ø Self concept: The way one sees and understands him/herself
Ø Characteristics: Being a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing;
Ø Attributes: A quality or characteristic inherent in or ascribed to someone or
something
Ø Self confidence: A firm belief in one's own powers OR Believing and trusting in
oneself.
Ø Self assertiveness: the act of putting forth your own opinions and getting what you
want without hurting other people
Ø Peer pressure: The social influence that an age group puts on its individual members,
as each member attempts to conform to the expectations of the group.
Ø The influence from one's peers to behave in a manner similar or acceptable to them.
Ø The influence that people of our age have on us.
Ø Consequences: Things that happens a result of an action
Ø Relationship: The condition or fact of being related; connection or association or
Connection by blood or marriage; kinship OR A particular type of connection
existing between people related to or having dealings with each other: has a close
relationship with his siblings.
• A romantic or sexual involvement.

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• State of relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption
Synonyms: kinship, family relationship
• A connection, a link or a bond between two or more people.
Ø Autonomy: The quality or state of being self-governing OR The ability to act
independently
Ø Interpersonal skills: Effective ways of communication that helps people to get on
well with others
Ø Empathy: The ability to understand someone’s situation, feelings, and motives.
OR The ability to put yourself into someone else’s position.
Ø Dignity: the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
Ø Respect: To look up to someone and admire them and have a very good opinion of
them.
Ø Interpersonal relationship: is social relationship or connection between two or more
people
Ø Racism: The belief that a particular race is superior to others. Discrimination or
prejudice based on race/skin colour
Ø Tribalism: A strong feeling of identity with and loyalty to one's tribe or group. A
strong feeling that one’s own tribe is better than others
Ø Favoritism when one person or group is unfairly treated better than others
Ø Nepotism: Using ones’ own powers to favour members of a family or tribe
Ø Heterosexuality: Sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex.
• *Sexual activity with another of the opposite sex
Ø Bisexuality: Sexual activity with, or sexual attraction to, members of both sexes
• (Sexual activity with both men and women)
Ø A "lesbian" might be defined as: any woman who is attracted to women or a woman
who is primarily attracted to other women..
Ø Homosexuality: Sexual orientation to persons of the same sex OR Sexual activity
with a person of the same sex.
Ø Bestiality (sex with animals). Bestiality is when human beings use animals to satisfy
their sexual desire.
Adultery: Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other
than the lawful spouse
Ø Fornication: refers to engagement to any sexual activity outside of the confines of
marriage, obviously including pre-marital sex Fornication: Sexual intercourse
between partners who are not married to each other
Ø Rape: The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual
intercourse.
• Rape in law refers to the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the
victim, often through force or threat of violence.
Ø Rape is a crime wherein the victim is forced into sexual activity against his or her
will, in particular sexual penetration. .
Ø Incest: Sexual relations between persons who are so closely related that their
marriage is illegal or forbidden by custom.
Ø Prostitution: Provision or sale of sexual services either for goods or money
Ø *The act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire.

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Ø *Prostitution, an act of granting sexual access for payment. Although most commonly
conducted by females for males, it may be performed by females or males for either
females or males.
Ø Abstinence: is the act or habit of refraining from some tempting activity, usually sex
• Staying away from sexual activities
Ø Chastity: The condition or quality of being pure for personal reasons
Ø Celibacy: Abstinence from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious
vows*
• Celibacy may refer either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. An oath of
celibacy is a promise not to enter into marriage
Ø Teenage pregnancy: Is a situation whereby a female person aged between 13 and 19
has a baby growing inside her womb.
Ø Contraception: Intentional prevention of conception or impregnancy through the use
of various devices, agents, drugs, sexual practices, or surgical procedure
Ø Birth control by the use of devices (diaphragm or intrauterine device or condom) or
drugs or surgery
Ø Abortion: Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is
incapable of survival.
• Premature termination or expulsion of the fetus from its mothers’ womb.
Ø Induced abortion: Any deliberate termination of a pregnancy, usually before the
embryo or fetus is capable of independent life.
Ø Spontaneous Abortion: The premature expulsion of the fetus from the uterus due to
accidental trauma or natural causes. Spontaneous abortion is also known as a stillbirth
or miscarriage.
Ø *Natural expulsion of the fetus from the womb.
Ø Infertility: the inability to conceive and have offspring.
• Infertility is also defined as the failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse
without contraception
Ø Test tube babies: a baby conceived by fertilization that occurs outside the mother's
body; the woman's ova are removed and mixed with sperm in a test-tube or laboratory
dish and if fertilization occurs the blastocyte is implanted in the woman's uterus
Ø Surrogacy: refers to an arrangement whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant
for the purpose of gestating and giving birth to a child for others to raise. She may be
the child's genetic mother or not, depending on the type of arrangement agreed to.
Ø Surrogate mother: A woman who agrees to bear a child for another woman, either
through artificial insemination by the other woman's husband or partner or by
carrying until birth the other woman's surgically implanted fertilized egg.
• A woman who bears a child for a couple where the wife is unable to do so
Ø A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a child for a couple or single person
with the intention of giving that child up once it is born (also called surrogate
pregnancy). The surrogate mother may be the baby's biological mother (traditional
surrogacy) or she may be implanted with someone else's fertilized egg (gestational
surrogacy).
Ø Artificial insemination Introduction of semen into the vagina or uterus without
sexual contact with the aim of impregnating a woman.

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Ø Artificial insemination is a technique involving the artificial injection of sperm-
containing semen from a male into a female to cause pregnancy.
Ø Adoption: act by which the legal relation of parent and child is created.
• It also refers to legally making someone else's child your own son or daughter
Ø Death: A termination of life, usually as the result of an accident or a disaster: casualty,
fatality OR The permanent end of all life functions in an organism or
Ø Suicide: The act of intentionally killing oneself.
Ø Euthanasia: The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a
terminal illness or an incurable condition in order to end his pain and suffering.
Ø Fairness: The quality or state of being just and unbiased or not taking sides
• It can also be defined as freedom from prejudice and abiding by the rules which give
everybody the same life chances
• Ability to make judgments free from discrimination or dishonesty
Ø Equality: treating people the same way or equally regardless of their sex, group, or
nation.
Ø Inequality: Treating people differently more especially according to their sex
Ø Will: a legal document in which a person says who s/he wants to have his/her money
and property after s/he dies.
Ø Social institution: is a group of social positions, connected by social relations,
performing a social role. It can be also defined as any institution in a society that
works to socialize the groups or people in it. Common examples include universities,
governments, families, and any people or groups that you have social interactions
with.
Ø Religious moral code: are the ethical codes or rules that govern followers of a certain
religion
Ø Citizenship: Citizenship having rights as a membership of a political country. A
person having such membership is a citizen.
Ø Tradition: beliefs or activities that are shared by a group of people and have existed
for a long time
Ø *The passing down of elements of a culture (beliefs, customs, religion e.t.c) from
generation to generation, especially by oral communication.
Ø *The beliefs, customs, norms that people have done for a long time, and continue to
do that is, they pass from one generation to the other.
Ø Crime: an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
Ø *An act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and
for which punishment is imposed upon conviction. OR A serious offense, especially
one in violation of morality.
Ø Violence: Physical force used for the purpose of violating, damaging, or abusing OR
*The act or an instance of violent action or behavior OR
The use of force against people or objects in order to hurt or destroy
Ø Capital punishment: The penalty of death for the commission of a crime
Ø Human rights: any basic principle of fairness, freedom and justice to which all
human beings are entitled.
Ø Child abandonment, the practice of withdrawing one’s responsibilities, help and
support from one's offspring

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Ø (To abandon is: To withdraw one's support or help from, especially in spite of duty,
allegiance, or responsibility ;)
Ø Peace: The absence of war or other hostilities
Ø Environment: the land, water, and air that people, animals, and plants live in
• The surrounding in which people live.
Ø Physical Environment
Ø Environmental sustainability: The careful use of the environment and its resources
for future use by generations.
Ø Environmental Mismanagement: careless use of the environment