Evaluating My Moral Foundations & Ethical Dilemma

Evaluating My Moral Foundations and Ethical Dilemma

Student’s Name

Institution

Origin of moral foundations

Moral foundations are pillars of morality. Being morally upright defines a person capability of care, understanding fairness, respectful, loyalty and purity. These factors constitute the behaviour of a person with morals. However, we need to find the underlying cause of moral foundations theory. The theory depicts the reasons binding the behaviour of a person towards the goodwill impression and character. Explaining the origin of the morality the tracks the idea of where morality began. Incorporating the ideas of moral foundation theory, a person’s character reveals the identity of the person.

The origin of my moral foundations has a vast beginning. However, defining the documentation takes us back to moral foundation theory that elucidates a number of moral foundations constituting characters of an upright person. From the perspective of moral foundation theory, morality level varies between individuals depending on the five key foundations. Supporting the origin of morality, I will have to consider the current behaviour compared to the past. Parents and learning institutions have since contributed to an individual’s moral shape. The first contact with morality is at the time of birth and growth stages at early years. As a kid, the parent has an obligation of ensuring that you have what it takes to be the kind of person the world can expect. This is the start point of character moulding that encompasses the issue of moral character.

Nevertheless, a brought up child realizes mistakes by the virtues provided by the parent and the teachers at school. Besides, home and school, children interact with different people whenever they go, they play, and they watch and interact. This defines who the child grows up to become. Therefore, as a moral theory supported with the key moral foundations, morality depends on the pillars of goodwill and upright behaviour. Therefore, at a young age, parents played a major role in shaping my character. They taught me to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. This defined the role of a parent in a society. As I grew, and my mind began to grasp the reality in the world, I realized that whatever I was taught by my parents aimed at preparing me for the outside world. At this point left alone to make decisions, automatically the decisions will depend on how you understand the world and all its occupants. Besides, morality encompasses, fairness, honesty, sanctity, loyalty, and understanding depict the origin of my character.

Example of a difficult ethical situation I have faced

Behaving in a way that tends to taint your reputation compromises ethics as a measure of behaviour. Deciding to choose bad or good is a person’s opinion. However, when growing and in the adult age, temptations arise from different directions. The most stressing issue I have ever encountered in life relates to Christianity and the way we live. As a young boy, my parents used to give me tithe and offering to take to church when the Sabbath was due. I was responsible before but one day I was tempted to keep the money and use it as entrance fee to the movie show. Being brought up in a Christian family where morality was the order of the day, this was least expected. However, due to peer pressure, I did not give tithe and offering on that particular day.

Furthermore, the incident keeps ringing in my mind since that time and I keep lamenting. However, as a grown up person, I keep consoling myself about my childhood acts and peer pressure during that period. This act made me walk away from morality and behave in unethical manner.

Reference

http://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/series/concepts-unwrapped