Moral Character and Virtues

At what stage do children typically start to focus on pleasing authority figures?

Stage 5 is characterized by an understanding of laws and social customs without considering their moral purposes.

What is the primary focus of children in Stage 1?

In Stage 4, individuals have internalized society's rules about how to ______.

Match the stages with their descriptions:

Which stage is associated with a focus on justice and democracy?

In Stage 2, children are primarily concerned about the rights of others.

What moral development stage involves exercising social control through guilt?

People in Stage 4 have adopted ______ thinking.

Which age group is typical for Stage 2?

What does Aristotle refer to as excellences of character?

Kohlberg identified four stages in his theory of moral development.

What are the two distinct excellences of human character identified by Aristotle?

According to Kohlberg, Stage 1 of moral development is focused on ___________.

Match the following stages of Kohlberg's moral development with their descriptions:

Which of the following best describes Stage 5 of Kohlberg's moral development?

Dispositions in moral character refer to innate traits that are unchangeable.

What does the Greek word 'êthikos' mean?

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development was influenced by the work of Swiss psychologist ___________.

Which stage of Kohlberg's moral development focuses on interpersonal accord and conformity?

The term "character" originates from the Greek word 'charakter'.
Aristotle, in Book II of the Nicomachean Ethics, distinguishes between two human excellences: excellences of thought and excellences of character.
Excellences of character are referred to as "moral virtues" or "moral excellences."
The Greek word 'êthikos' (ethical) derives from 'êthos' (character), linking ethics to personal character.

Defining which acts deserve moral praise or blame is challenging, according to Aristotle.

Dispositions are qualities of character that include habits, preparations, and tendencies to act in specific ways, which can be learned.

Developed by Lawrence Kohlberg, building on Jean Piaget’s earlier work.
Kohlberg utilized moral dilemmas in storytelling to illustrate stages of moral reasoning.

Preconventional Level
- Stage 1: Avoiding punishment; right and wrong based on consequences.
- Stage 2: Aiming for rewards; decisions driven by self-interest.
Conventional Level
- Stage 3: Good Boy and Good Girl attitude; morality tied to approval from others.
- Stage 4: Loyalty to law and order; adherence to rules and duties.
Postconventional Level
- Stage 5: Justice and spirit of the law; laws viewed as social contracts, accommodating differing opinions.
- Stage 6: Universal principles and ethics; moral actions based on conscience, potentially at odds with societal norms.

Stage 1: Young children are motivated by a desire to avoid punishment.
Stage 2: Children focus on self-interest, serving their needs for mutual benefit.
Stage 3: Adolescents shift to pleasing significant others, prioritizing others' views.
Stage 4: Most individuals internalize societal rules around age 16 and older, adhering to law and order.
Stage 5: Understanding justice and the moral purposes behind laws supports democratic values.
Stage 6: Individuals establish personal moral principles, ensuring fairness in relationships while grappling with guilt and conscience.