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Module 6
Module 6
Name: ___________________________________
Course and Year: __________________________
Introduction
This module entitled Developing Virtue as Habit presents how moral character develops works in a
comparable manner. It takes exposure, practice, time, and good role models. This will showcase the essential
elements of moral character that give shape to the actions, behavior, and treatment to other people regardless of
race, gender, belief, age, education, or socio-economic status.
I. Objectives:
In this module, you will be able to: Virtue- habit- Moral character
1. Develop virtue as habit.
2. Explain how moral character is developed.
3. Identify each stage of moral development.
Living a moral character, one should endure the difficulties of learning and constant practice of the virtues.
This is so that one may truly make just decisions and actions that inspires others to be the same and gradually
changes societies into communities of virtuous or flourishing people.
B. Moral Development
Moral Development
● Can be considered as a moral framework or theory that distinguish good from bad or right from wrong based
on one’s growth or maturity.
● Moral character is formed by one’s actions. “The habits, actions, and emotional responses of the person of
good character all are united and directed toward the moral and the good” (Mitchell, 2015, para. 1).
Lawrence Kohlberg developed a six-stage moral development theory similar with Jean Piaget’s theories of
moral development in children and adolescents. Kohlberg’s theory has three levels: 1) Pre-conventional Morality; 2)
Conventional Morality; 3) Postconventional Morality with two stages in each level (6 stages).
Heinz Dilemma
A woman was on her deathbed. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium
that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was
charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small
dose of the drug. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could
only get together about $1,000 which is half of what is cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked
him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I’m going to make
money from it. “Should Heinz break into the man’s laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?
Kohlberg’s theory of moral development holds that what the participant offer as justification is more
significant than what he or she thinks Heinz should do. Some of many examples of possible arguments that belong to
the six are shown below:
Stage 1: Obedience
Heinz should not steal the medicine because he will be
imprisoned, which will mean that he is a bad person.
Or
Level 1: Pre-conventional
Heinz should steal the medicine because it is only worth
$200 and not much as what the druggist wanted. He had
even offered to pay for it and wasn’t stealing anything
else.
Punishment obedient
Exchange/self interest
Stage 2: Self-interest
Goodboy/goodgirl conformity
Heinz should steal the medicine because he will be
Law social order
happier if he saves his wife, even if he will have to be
Social contract
imprisoned.
Universal principle
Or
Heinz should not steal the medicine because prison is an
awful place, and he would more likely languish in jail than
over his wife’s death.
Stage 3: Conformity
Heinz should steal the medicine because his wife
expects it; he wants to be a good husband.
Or
Heinz should not steal the drug because stealing is bad,
and he is not a criminal. He has to try everything he can
without breaking the law. He cannot be blamed.
Level 2: Conventional
Stage 4: Law and Social Order
Heinz should not steal the medicine because the law
prohibits stealing; it is illegal.
Or
Heinz should steal the drug for his wife but also take the
prescribed punishment for the crime as well as pay what
he owed to the druggist. Criminals cannot just run around
without regard for the law; actions have consequences.
Level 3: Postconventional Stage 5: Social Contract
Heinz should steal the medicine because everyone has a
right to choose life, regardless of the law.
Or
Heinz should not steal the medicine because the
scientist has a right to fair compensation. Even if his wife
is sick, it does not make his actions right.
However, not everyone adhere to Kohlberg’s theory because it is based only unmarried male respondents
aged 10 to 16.
Getting to the highest level of conscience-based moral decision is arriving at the sixth level of Kohlberg’s
moral development, which is the universal principles or ethics. At this level, one is expected to completely
separate from any personal opinion or the will of the majority. One has to have an internal system of morality which is
often called as conscience.
Etymologically, ‘conscience’ is derived from the Latin word con and scientia, meaning “with-knowledge.”
This conscience could be considered as the repository of the universal principles or ethics, which renders impartial
justice to all concerned parties in a moral issue or decision.
Butler
● Argued that conscience comes from intuition.
Emmanuel Levinas
● Saw conscience as the minds’ resistance from selfishness even that which is factual and logical.
III. Application/Activity
a. What are the six stages of moral development? Briefly explain each stage.
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IV. Assessment
a. Think about your behaviour as a young child. How did you decide if something was right or wrong, good or bad?
Did you follow your parents? Did you copy the behavior of your friends? At one time or another, you probably did
both. When you were able to decide for yourself what was right and what was wrong? Do you base your decisions on
societal or cultural laws? For example, it is wrong to steal because the law says it is wrong? Do you ever feel that the
morally correct decision conflicts with the law? For instance, a mother is dying and needs a specific medicine to
be cured. The medicine costs thousands of dollars that the mother and her son or daughter do not have.
Would it be okay to steal the medicine to save her life? If you were the son or daughter what will you do? Are
you going to steal the medicine to save your mother’s life? Or not, because you will violate the law. Explain
your answer.
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V. Other References:
1. Makie, Gleemoore C., Ethics: Flourishing Life, Research, Statistics, Business Consultancy and Publishing
Company, 2020
2. Pasco M. O., Suàrez V. F., Rodriguez A. G., “Ethics” C&E Publishing, Inc., 2018
3. Bulaong O., Calano M., Lagliva A., Mariano M., Principe J., “Ethics: Foundation of Moral Valuation”, 1st
edition, REX Book Store, 2018
4. Ramos, Carmela, “Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person”, (1st edition), REX Book Store,
2016