GOVERNOR MARIANO E.

VILLAFUERTE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Tinambac, Camarines Sur

1ST SEMESTER
ETHICS WITH PEACE EDUCATION
WEEK 4 - MODULE 4

MODULE 4
The Moral Agent
I. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the sessions, you should be able to:

a. Define morals and values.
b. Differentiate the character and personality.
c. Enumerate and understand the stages of moral development.

II. Discussion
MORAL VALUES AND CHARACTER BUILDING

Morals - Principles and values based on what a person or society believes are the right, proper or
acceptable ways of behaving.

Values - Moral principles and beliefs that they think are important in life and that they tend to live their lives
by such values as guiding principles.

Character vs. Personality

CHARACTER PERSONALITY
Refers to the set of morals and beliefs Refers to the range of distinctive personal
Meaning that defines how we treat or behave with qualities and traits of an individual.
others and ourselves.
Definition Learned behavior Identity
Representation Who we actually are? Who we seem to be?
Traits Mental and moral Personal and physical
Nature Objective Subjective
Outer appearance and behavior of a
Expression Traits of a person that is abstract.
person.
Remain the same ever since you are a May change over time depending on the
Change
child. experiences.
Validation of
Not Required Required
Society

THE SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER

1. Trustworthiness
 A quality how all relationship is created.
 Being honest, dependable, and being reliable to get things done right.
 Work with little supervision, yet seek guidance as needed.
 Refuse to lie, cheat, deceive, manipulate, exploit or take advantage of others.

2. Respect
 A way of treating or thinking about something or someone.
 ‘do unto others as you would have them unto you’
 Respect prohibits violence, humiliation, manipulation and exploitation.

3. Responsibility
 The obligation of an individual to perform the duty assigned to him.
 Recognizing that are actions matter and we are morally and the hook of consequences.
 Strive to improve abilities, learn new skills and take on broader responsibilities.

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4. Fairness
 Implies adherence to a balanced standard of justice without relevance to one’s own feelings or
inclinations.
 Treating people justly not letting personal feelings or bias your decisions about others.
 Considering all stakeholders and the possible short- and long-term consequences of decisions.

5. Caring
 The heart of ethics, and ethical decision-making.
 Strive for harmonious, mutually beneficial relationships.
 Show kindness and sensitivity to the feelings of others.
 It creates deeper bonds as individuals learn on each other for emotional support.

6. Citizenship
 The status of a person recognized under the law of a country of belonging to.
 Understand and contribute to the organization
 Take care of equipment and resources.
 Pursue life-long learning.

KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

LEVEL AGE RANGE STAGE NATURE OF MORAL

REASONING
 People make decisions based
on what is best for themselves,
Stage 1:
without regard for others' needs
Punishment-avoidance
or feelings.
and Obedience
 They obey rules to avoid
Seen in preschool
punishments.
Level 1: children, most
 People recognize that others
Pre- elementary school
also have needs. They may try
conventional students, some
to satisfy others' needs if their
Morality junior high school
own needs are also met ("you
students Stage 2:
scratch my back, I'll scratch
Exchange of Favors
yours").
 They continue to define right
and wrong primarily in terms of
consequences to themselves.
 Children want the approval of
others and act in ways to avoid
Seen in a few Stage 3: disapproval.
older elementary Good Boy/Girl  Emphasis is placed on good
school students, behavior and people being
some junior high “nice” to others.
Level 2: school students,  People look to society as a
Conventional and many high whole for guidelines about right
Morality school students or wrong.
(Stage 4 typically  They know rules as necessary
Stage 4:
does not appear for keeping society running
Law and Order
until the high smoothly and believe it is their
school years) ‘duty’ to obey them. However,
they perceive rules to be
inflexible
 People recognize that rules
Rarely seen represent agreements among
Level 2: before college many individuals about
Stage 5:
Conventional (Stage 6 is appropriate behavior.
Social Contact
Morality extremely rare  There are times when they will
even in adults) work against the interest of a
particular individual.

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  People choose the ethical
Stage 6:
principles they want to follow,
Universal Ethical
and if they violate those
Principle
principles, they feel guilty.

REASONS THAT PREVENT GOOD CHARACTER

 Heredity and early childhood experiences

 Modeling by important adults & older youth
 Peer Influence
 General physical and social environment
 Communications media
 Content taught in schools, etc.
 Specific situation and roles

BUILDING GOOD CHARACTER

 Everything that happens to us happens in purpose, and sometimes, one thing leads to one another.
 Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches,
embarrassment, failures, treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self-
improvement and success.
 Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure because you are not. How can others accept you of
you can’t accept you?
 Take things one at a time. Self-improvement is one day at a time process.
 Self-improvement results to inner stability, development and SUCCESS.
 It comes from self-confidence, self-appreciation and self-esteem.
 A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

III. Reference/s:
 De Guzman, J. M., et al. (2017). ETHICS: Principles of Ethical Behavior in Modern Society. Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKtqNuNJuTc&list=PLJIxuQlSXWfA_hc7M0diLLn8WWG_OI6x-
&index=8

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