College of Teacher Education

First Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021

Module 5
Developing Virtue as Habit

Course Title: Ethics

Course Code: GE 8

Name: ___________________________________
Course and Year: __________________________
Date and Time Allotment: Sept. 30, Oct. 9, 12 (3 hours)

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:
1.Develop virtue as habit.
2. Explain how moral character is developed.
3. Identify each stage of moral development.

II. Lecture and Discussions of the lesson/s

A. Formulation of Moral Character

Moral Character (or personality)
Is the composite of the moral qualities one has that uniquely distinguishes one from others. Moral qualities
are universal values of traits or dispositions on how individuals act or express themselves.
It defines a person.
It is the sum of chosen good behaviors which are excellently practice for a period of time and have become
naturally, instantly, relevantly and effectively responsive to moral situations.
Psychologist Lawrence Pervin (definitions.net) defines moral character as “a disposition to express behavior
in consistent patterns of functions across a range of situations.”
Marie I. George– Refers to moral character as the “sum of one’s moral habits and dispositions.”
 Dispositions – Are generally defined as the natural characteristics which an object uniquely possessed.
 Human dispositions are either natural or potential (conditioned) actions that one develops in a created
structure or culture so that they become naturally and excellently done in any similar situations.
 Examples of human dispositions: virtues of integrity, courage, loyalty, honesty, humility and respect.

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).

Factors Affecting Moral Character Development

Mamawal (1993) listed several agencies of values formation:
1. Family.Plays a crucial role in the formation of someone’s character. Biological or not, the family that one
considers to have an immense impact. Modern times also affect the composition of the family we
traditionally have known to be. Before, we have a female for a mother, male for a father, and their children.
But, now, the composition of parents could be varied. Despite the changes, the adults who are deemed to
 be the parents are still accountable for the moral development of their child or children. Zigler and Finn
Stevenson (1987) asserted that there are several factors affecting the values a parent could teach a child.
These factors are: socioeconomic status, culture, age, gender, religion, religion, and education (as cited in
Mamawal, 1993).
2. Biological Constitution.Biological factors such as age, sex, and gender, may also have an impact on the
value formation. It is supposed that as one grows older, the moral character one has should also grow or
improve.
3. Peers.As we become exposed to more people, we are pressured in trying to belong or be accepted. Peers,
friends, classmates, and colleagues are also influencers in our moral character. Parents and teenagers are
to be aware that in the adolescent years, teens are drawn to spending more time with peers than family. The
time spent in peers will expose them to other perspectives and practices. This would test their existing set of
morals. Thus, the foundation of their moral character formed in the family should be strong.
4. School.Most of a person’s life before adulthood is commonly spent in school. In this span of time, the
exposure of the students come from the school, teachers, classmates, lessons in class, and their peers. The
school and its teachers can enhance the student’s moral character if they know and if they are intentional
about it.
5. Community. Means to also share their beliefs and/or practice their traditions or culture. A community could
pertain to a “locality, neighborhood, town, city, or even a nation” (Panopio, 1983, as cited in Mamawal,
1993).

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).

Level 1: Pre-conventional Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation

Morality is typically found in children between the ages of A behavior is good if it follows the rules and bad if it
4 and 10 years old. It is something external which the big breaks the rule that leads to punishment. In this stage,
people say to them that they must do.) children unquestioningly obey a fixed set of rules handed
down by powerful authorities because not obeying them
corresponds punishment.

Stage 2: Self-interest and Exchange

A behavior is good if it gets a reward that is personally
meaningful and bad if it gets none. This stage is about
“instrument purpose and exchange” in which children
follow rules simply out of reward or self-interest.
Level 2: Conventional Stage 3: Conformity and Good Interpersonal
Morality is generally reached between ages 13 and Relationship
above, though some individuals never move beyond this A good behavior is having good motives and
level. It is making moral decisions as full-fledged member interpersonal feelings such as love, empathy, trust, and
of society. concern for others while bad behavior is having none of
them. It should “maintain mutual relations, approval of
others, and the golden rule.” This stage is best in two-
person relationships with family or friends because one
can make a real effort to get to know other’s feelings in
order to help others, behave in “good” ways, evaluate
acts according to motives, consider circumstances, judge
intentions and develop own ideas on morality.
Stage 4: Maintaining Law and Social Order
Good behavior is obeying laws, respecting authority, and
performing one’s duties for social order while bad
behavior is doing their opposites that lead to social
disorder. Moral decisions are based on doing one’s duty
and societal expectations and perspectives. Anything
that harms others or violates a law is wrong since it
destabilizes a society.
Level 3: Postconventional Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights
Morality is generally reached between ages 10 and 13, This is about “morality of contract, of individual rights,
though some individuals never more beyond this level. It and of democratically accepted law” in which individuals
is concerned with the principles and values that make a value the will of the majority and society’s well-being. But
good society. “morality” and “rights” take some priority over particular
laws as social perspective and mode of reasoning should
 be considered. Despite human need and law conflicts, it
is better to simply follow the law.
Stage 6: Universal Principles or Ethics
In this stage, individuals do what they think is right, even
if it is in conflict with the law. They act according to their
internalized standards of morality because there is a
need to (a) protect certain individual rights and (b) settle
disputes through democratic processes. A universal
principle of justice impartiality consider the claims of all
parties, respecting basic dignity of all people.

Application of Kohlberg’s Moral Development in Heinz Dilemma

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
Heinz should steal the medicine because it is only worth
$200and not much as what the druggist wanted. He had
even offered to pay for it and wasn’t stealing anything
else.
Level 1: Pre-conventional
Stage 2: Self-interest
Heinz should steal the medicine because he will be
happier if he saves his wife, even if he will have to be
imprisoned.
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.

Stage 6: Universal Principles or Ethics

Heinz should steal the medicine, because saving a
human life is a more fundamental value than the property
rights of another person.
Or
Heinz should not steal the medicine, because others
may badly need the medicine just as badly, and their
lives are equally significant.

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 Decisions

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.

Thomas Aquinas and many Christians

Believed that persons should follow their conscience because it is the voice of reason.

Butler
Argued that conscience comes from intuition.

Emmanuel Levinas
Saw conscience as the minds’ resistance from selfishness even that which is factual and logical.

Some non-Christians and Christians

Often consider conscience as the “inner voice of God” or the moral law authored by God. Conscience is an
intrinsic law, which may sometimes be in conflict with external positive or human-made laws. One reason is
that it may not necessarily be a product of a rational deduction because it can be influenced by the
indoctrination of one’s religion, family and culture.

Lawrence Kohlberg’s last stage (Universal Principles or Ethics)

People act on the basis of their conscience, that is, what they think is right with confidence and conviction.
Their conscience is indeed a decision-maker. They developed internal system or moral framework of
standards specifically the six stages.
Conscience is the real self that realizes human full potentials by using one’s experience and social
interactions. To minimize mistakes in moral decision-making, the conscience must make comparison with
other choices so one can choose the better or greater.
Kohlberg believed that the individual would have to follow his six stages in sequence through moral
development in social interactions. Educating and cultivating conscience so that it becomes true, verified
and corrected is then necessary because it can be erroneous, doubtful, lax and fearful. It is the only way to
get the highest level of conscience-based moral decision because it should always serve the moral truth.
Seventh Stage: Transcendental Morality or Cosmic Orientation
Kohlberg was challenged to develop the last or seventh stage of development, the Transcendental Morality
or Cosmic Orientation.
This stage links religion and moral reasoning. But this remained theoretical since he had difficulty finding
research participants even at stage six.
According to Kohlberg, moral principles are given religious significance. This stage begins with despair or
meaningless, especially when people begin to see their lives as finite from a more infinite perspective. From
the universe that is lawful, knowable, and evolving, they can know the ultimate principle of the universe
which is sometimes called nature and sometimes God.
III. 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