PART 3 - Growing in Morality

PART 3 - Growing in Morality

Character Building Our character describes the kind of person we are good points & bad points together Good habits virtues Bad habits vices A habit is a certain pa@ern of behaviour When we repeat a par8cular behaviour/ac8on it eventually becomes habit It shapes the way a person s character develops

How character is formed: MORAL ACTIONS Habits Good (Virtues) Bad (Vices) CHARACTER

Moral Growth Moral growth is the way a person develops the ability to dis8nguish between right and wrong doing what is right. People s behaviour has consequences for: Themselves Others in their community The world

Stages of Moral Growth Moral growth takes place gradually We are not born with the ability to know the difference between right & wrong it is learned over a period of 8me Learned from experience & guidance of others MORAL IMMATURITY à MORAL MATURITY

Three stages: Stages of Moral Growth 1. Childhood reward & punishment 2. Adolescence peer influence 3. Moral maturity

Moral Immaturity Reward & punishment influence moral choice in childhood Children learn quickly good behaviour leads to rewards & bad behaviour leads to punishment. Children naturally seek reward and avoid punishment this influences their behaviour The moqve for moral behaviour lies outside themselves rules are set down by people in authority & are obeyed because they said to obey them Good children simply follow the rules

Moral Immaturity Comes from external influences Moral choices are influenced by: Reward: wan8ng to please Punishment: wan8ng to avoid punishment Refuse to think about consequence of ac8ons for others Behaviour is selfish What s in it for me?

Moral Immaturity Adolescence Stage: Greater awareness of posi8ve & nega8ve consequences of moral choices Decisions tend to be influenced by the desire to seek approval from others, especially peers Belonging to the group offers security & a sense of iden8ty May adopt the outlook of peers and the group without closely examining it may also be influenecd by media & celebri8es

Moral Maturity A person who has reached moral maturity is aware of the consequences of their ac8ons. They are influenced by their own inner convicqons and religious belief influenced less by reward & punishment Have the ability to use reason when dealing with moral issues they analyse the consequences Moral maturity is evident when you are taking other people into consideraqon

Mo8ve for moral behaviour comes from themselves: Do good: not to please anyone else but because it s the right thing to do Avoid bad: not because they want to avoid punishment but because they see the sense in doing the right thing Morally mature people will not steal. Not because they are afraid of gewng caught. It is because it is against state law and against God s law. The know the effects thex can have on other people & the hurt it causes

Moral Maturity Comes from internal influences Moral choices are influenced by: Deep personal opinions Religious belief about right & wrong Aware of the consequences of ac8ons on others Behaviour is unselfish How will it affect everyone else?

Case Study While walking down the street, a person finds a wallet with 100, some cards etc What would a morally immature person do? Why? What would a morally mature person do? Why?

Between Morality Immaturity & Moral Maturity People grow from moral immaturity to moral maturity gradually Usually takes place during adolescence Children value approval of those close to them, especially adults. Behaviour is influenced by praise & encouragment Teenagers value approval of those close to them, especially friends & peers. Behaviour is influenced a lot by a desire to fit in

Between Morality Immaturity & Moral Maturity Natural for teens to want to be accepted & well liked by their peers Belonging to a group offers security & a sense of iden8ty Membership of a group can also have an influence on morality decisions may be influenced by others Behaviour maybe influenced by what everyone else is doing

The change Going from. - Making decisions based on the opinions of others - Making choices that are designed to please their friends and get approval from them to Making choices based on their judgement making choices that come from within themselves, choices that are based on their own judgement and their own convic8ons

As they grow older Young people become more confident and begin to trust their own judgement Rely less and less on the opinions and outlook of their peers Discover moral coverage within themselves Enables them to stand apart from group do what they know is right Morally mature: want to do what is right & is able to do what is right

Conscience Conscience is the ability to know and judge what is right and wrong in a parqcular situaqon Conscience comes from la8n for to know It is inbuilt we all possess it It involves using our knowledge to judge a situa8on it is our moral sense

Conscience Our conscience helps us: To judge what is right & wrong To act on that judgement and do what is right Some people describe their conscience as a li@le voice inside their head which tells them what is right/wrong Others relate it to feelings of guilt if they do something wrong

Religious View of Conscience More than just a lible voice or feelings of guilt It is the very core of our being an essen8al part of who we are It is a deep part of us directed towards goodness & truth It is a gix from God urging us to do good and avoid evil

Developing a Conscience We all have the basic ability to tell right from wrong but it needs to be developed Process begins in childhood parents teach children about moral behaviour Gradually young people begin to understand WHY something is right/wrong Home, school & church have an important part to play in this process

An Informed Conscience Chris8ans believe people should follow their conscience & do what is right Some8mes it is not clear what is right & so people must inform their conscience This involves gathering all the facts and informa8on about the issue They will be beber able to make a good decision

Catholic Informed Conscience To help them inform their conscience, Catholics are guided by: The Teaching of Jesus (in the Bible) The Teaching of the Church Prayer Trustworthy people & good advice