Ethics-Chapter 3- Conscience and Moral Development

E.O.Wilson (sociobiologist) speaks of

"Altruism gene"

Who were Lawrence Kohlberg influenced by

Jean Piaget, Socrates, Immanuel Kant, John Rawls. All philosophers whose works, he believed, exemplified a high stage or moral reasoning.

Morally mature person entails

accepting responsibility for our actions rather than simply reacting to our environment

Compassion

active form of sympathy, a combo of sympathy with praxis or social action.

Cognitive or Moral Reasoning conscience contains

almost always informed to some extent by our feelings.

Platos definition of conscience

and activity of the soul that directs us toward the good. A person without a conscience is not a person, and lacks moreal standing in the community and should be executed. their souls are incurably evil.

Freudian concept of conscience

as an internalized tyrant imposed on us by our parents and by society. No longer popular belief.

A person whose conscience is influenced primarily by conscious moral reasoning is known as

autonomous moral agent

According to Carol Gilligan, most women make moral decisions based on

care and relationships

which aspect of the conscience is emphasized most by Lawrence Kohlberg?

cognitive

conscience

comes from the Latin words com (with) and scire (to know). Provides us with knowledge about what is right and wrong. Not passive, involves reason, critical thinking and feelings. Motivates us, demands that we act in accord with it.

Rationalization

involves the use of rhetoric, fallacies and resistance rather than logical analysis. Suffer from weakness of the will or a weak conscience- place non-moral values such as popularity or economic success above moral values

According to studies of psychopaths and brain-damaged people like Phineas P Gage, which part of the brain plays a key role in moral reasoning?

the frontal lobes

To many moral philosophers, sympathy is

the greatest virtue and the cultivation of sympathy and compassion our primary moral duty.

Which of the following people would be most likely to excuse a woman's abusive behavior toward her children because of her past history of abuse as a child?

Sigmund Freud

Superego

Sigmund Freud term for conscience, necessary for life within society, it could become oppressive

Two elements of Conscience

1 Affective (moral sentiments/emotions) 2 Cognitive (moral reasoning) Division is artificial and is a tool for trying to better understand how our conscience works.

Carol Gilligan's 3 stages of moral reasoning in women

1 Preconventional- self centered, viewing ones own needs as all that matters. 2 Conventional- self sacrificing, viewing others needs as more important. 3 Postconventional- mature care ethics, able to balance ones own needs and the needs of others.

6 Moral Sentiments/Emotions

1 Sympathy 2 Helpers High 3 Moral outrage 4 moral indignation 5 resentment 6 guilt

3 Main forces that contribute to the shaping of our conscience

1 heredity or biological 2 learning or environment 3 conscious moral direction

4 components of moral behavior

1 moral sensitivity 2 moral reasoning or judgement 3 moral motivation 4 moral character

2 Forms of Moral outrage

1 resentment 2 moral indignation

According to Robert Katz, when does altruistic behavior become visible?

As early as ten months after birth wen a baby gets upset in response to another baby's distress

Part of the brain that deals with moral decision making

Frontal Lobes

What is a criticism of Kohlberg's theory on the stages of moral development

His research on the stages is misleading because his research was based only on studies with men.

Which of the following premises is shard by developmental theorists?

Humans have an innate desire to grow and strive toward the good.

Kohlberg's 6 Stages of Moral Development

Preconventional 1 Punishment and obedience 2 Egoist Conventional 3 Good boy/Nice girl 4 society maintaining Postconventional 5 social contract or legalistic 6 conscience and universal principals

"metta"- Buddhism "ahimsa"- Indian "agape"- Christianity

Terms for moral principle of universal compassion and love in moral teaching throughout the world.

"Helpers High"

The feeling that occurs when we help other people. When we help others, we generally come away from the experience feeling better about ourselves and energized by the experience.

moral reasoning

The thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong

"Natural Virtue"

What Aristotle refers to this aspect of our conscience

What would you most likely hear from someone, in both Kohlbergs and Gilligans Preconventional stage of moral reasoning, when they are confronted with a moral issue?

Whats in it for me?

According to the Buddhists and Hindus, conscience is

a basic law of consciousness

Carl Jung (psychologist), Buddhists and Hindus believed morality is

a basic law of consciousness. involves both our conscious and unconscious thought processes, including our dreams.

Affective or Emotional conscience contains

a cognitive aspect

Most Americans adults base their moral decisions on

cultural norms and laws

Moral sentiments

emotions that move us to feel moral approval or disapproval. Including among others, sympathy,helpers high, indignation or resentment and guilt.

Which of the following factors would a cultural relativist argue is most important in the formation of our consciences?

environment

Altrustic Behavior- Mencius (Confucian philosopher) believed

human nature is basically good.

Which of the following two moral sentiments appear early in childhood?

indignation and empathy

Basic structure of our conscience may be

innate, like language, the specifics are culturally shaped.

Our conscience is shaped through

interactions of our natural moral disposition with our early experiences and our environment (family, religion, nation). while culture is not the source of our most basic moral sense, it helps establish the boundaries and guidelines.

Guilt

is a moral sentiment that occurs when we violate a moral norm. Often regarded as a barrier to freedom and human liberation. Motivates us to avoid harming ourselves and others, pay attention, equalize power in relationship, restore a damaged relationship by making up for the harms we have done.

Shame

is heteronomous and associated with Freud's superego, is aroused as a result of a violation of social norms, leaving us feeling inadequate, embarrassed and humiliated before others.

moral sensitivity

is the awareness of how our actions affect others. empathy,emerges between 6-12 months

Moral Outrage

occurs when we witness a violation or transgression of the boundaries of moral decency. Oriented toward justice and motivates us to correct the situation by demanding that justice be done

Habitation

practicing virtuous behavior

moral motivation

putting moral vales above competing nonmoral values Conduct that is ethical is highly valued over other factors such as self-interest, status, financial incentives

Autonomous Moral Reasoning

realizing that rules are not irrevocably set by external authorities, that rules can be changed by negotiation, and that individuals intentions must be considered when judging whether a behavior is right or wrong.

Freidrich Nietzche

refers to this heteronomous "morality" that is shaped by and caters to ourside forces as "herd or slave morality"

moral character

related to integrity. intergrated moral sensitivity, reasoning and motivation into personality. predisposes us to act morally. Ego strenth, high self-esteem, courage, assertiveness, perseverance and strenth of conviction.

Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud identified the conscience with the

superego

Sigmud Freud regarded the conscience as

superego- a product of our environment.

"Altruism gene"

that genetically predisposes us to care for and help others

Determinists claim

that there is no such thing as conscious moral direction. we are nothing more than products of our environment or our genetic inheritance, therefore, we are no more to blame for our behavior than a computer would be.

Indignation

the anger we feel at the sight of others being harmed

Resentment

the anger we feel when we have been personally injured. A form of personal protest which expresses our respect for self, for others, and for morality. Serves to affirm our moral worth and to protect us from future abuse.

Robert Katz (psychologist)

the capacity for altruistic behavior or sympathy seems to be inborn.

Sympathy is

the capacity for and inclination to imagine the feelings of others. Expresses itself as both tenderness and joy at another's happiness and sadness or indignation at another's misfortune or mistreatment. Without it true intimacy and genuine sense of community would be impossible.

According to psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg what do people as the post-conventional stage of moral development base their moral decision on?

universal moral principles

Conscious moral direction requires

us to grow beyond our natural tendency to sympathize only with those who resemble us.

Who is Phineas P Gage?

was drilling homes and blasting rock, when one of the ezplosives accidentally went off. the impact sen a long metal rod through his skull just behind his left eye. After recovery his intellectual and motor skills were found to be unaffected, however, he no longer seemed to be capable of making moral decision, was untrustworthy, obscene, when before the accident he was well liked, responsible and hardworking

Kitty Genovese Syndrome

when people passively stand by and watch with indifference as another person is beaten, raped, or even killed is, at least in part, the product of years of learning to stifle our moral outrage.

Carol Gilligan: The Care Perspective

woman's moral judgement is characterized by a concern for themselves and others, accepting and maintaining responsibility within relationships, attachment, and self-sacrifice.