Norms for Moral Character

Norms for Moral Character

• Moral judgements extend beyond actions to include character assessment.
• Character evaluations concern the essence of an ethical individual or community.
• Moral judgment of character emphasizes inner motivations, traits, habits, and dispositions.
• Moral character involves a tendency to act morally in moral situations, displaying virtues like compassion, caring, wisdom, or courage.
• Moral character is shaped by choices, decisions, and environmental factors.
• Religion significantly influences moral character for many, with some religions like Yoruba emphasizing character (iwa) as the core of ethics.

Three Elements of Religious Ethics in Moral Character Formation

Moral Development

• Moral development suggests moral maturity is acquired over time.
• Cognitive development is a key aspect of moral development involving reasoning skills.
• Religious traditions mythically portray moral development as a transition from a pre-moral state to morality.
• The Genesis story reflects moral development through Adam and Eve's attainment of moral knowledge.

Moral Conscience or Consciousness

• Most people believe they possess a conscience, guiding them toward right actions.
• Some philosophical and religious views suggest humans are born with an inherent moral sense.
• Debate exists on whether innate moral discernment needs development.
• Mencius believed people are naturally good.
• Others argue that conscience is shaped by social and cultural factors.
• Sigmund Freud viewed the conscience as internalized societal restrictions.
• Walter Conn defines conscience as evolving moral consciousness, enabling coherence between moral understanding and actions.
• Huckleberry Finn's story illustrates the shift from societal norms to critical moral consciousness.
• Conn emphasizes conscience as a moral consciousness that evolves, is self-critical, and open to moral wisdom.
• An informed conscience is shaped by religious tradition and divine wisdom.

Emotions and Virtues

• Focus should be put on moral dispositions, feelings, and virtues instead of rationalizing.
• Ethical actions stem from moral dispositions and virtues.
• Religions can activate emotions, motivating people to act morally.
• Sympathy involves affective identification with others' sorrow or suffering, prompting action.
• Emotions can also limit actions through feelings of guilt or shame.
• Indigenous traditions use taboos to connect emotions and moral judgment.
• Virtues signify strength, power, and excellence, developing over time and aligning with moral understanding.
• Virtues make moral actions easy and bring joy, reinforcing moral habits.
• Different religious traditions have varying accounts of virtues.
• Greeks: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice.
• Christianity: faith, hope, and love.
• Buddhism: self-restraint and compassion.
• Compassion is both an emotion and a virtue cultivated over time.
• Communities assign institutions or groups to aid in character formation.
• Religions play a significant role in moral development across cultures.
• Alexis de Tocqueville noted religion's role in cultivating "habits of the heart".

Moral Exemplars

• Moral exemplars are individuals or communities embodying the highest moral standards.
• Religious communities often present their founders as moral exemplars.
• Quran: Muhammad
• Buddhist scriptures: Buddha
• Bible: Jesus
• Wangari Maathai is a contemporary moral exemplar, who was an environmental activist.