INFORMATION SHEET PR-1.1.

1
Introduction to Character Formation

Character formation
- is that deeply internalized pattern of values and attitudes and the consequent actions that are
often established in pre-cognitive times of life through the natural and normal educational
patterns that are appropriate for young children.

- Aristotle claims that character develops over time as one acquires habits from parents and
community, first through reward and punishment. One acquires a good character much as one
may learn to play a musical instrument: initially, one may be under some pressure to practice,
but eventually, one enjoys playing with skill and understanding. Aristotle claims that one is
partly responsible for one’s character, but he thereby raises the question whether one freely
chooses one’s character. A person of good character does choose freely, however, and is able to
frame complex situations accurately. The full development of character requires rational
reflection: Aristotle argues that dialectic, to which Rawls’s reflective equilibrium bears some
resemblance, generates principles that can guide us, though they do not serve as
unexceptionable rules. A business ethics course, and in particular the case study method, may
increase students’ understanding of ethical principles and of the ways in which environmental
influences may undermine ethical thought and language.

Introduction to Character Formation

Moral Character
This 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. Because human beings are
body/soul unities, actions of the body are actions of the self, that is, human beings are self-possessing,
self-governing, and self-determining. In order to be of good character, one must know the good, act in
morally good ways, and be disposed and inclined toward the good through the development of virtues.
Character and action are intertwined so intimately that one's professional duties, or even what is
perceived by others as one's duties, cannot override one's conscience without negatively affecting (and
changing) one's character. For the physician to be of good character, it is vital that he or she follow his
or her conscience in all things: in private life and also in his or her profession, i.e., in the treatment of
patients.

Character cannot be separated from the person. The more one does an immoral action or
recommends an immoral action for others, the more it becomes part of one’s character to be the type
of person who condones that immoral action. In order to be of good character one must not only know
and desire the good, one must also pursue it in both private and public actions. Virtue is an aid in this; it
is the act of good character. Growing in the virtues, especially prudence (knowing what to seek and
what to avoid) forms good character. What is at stake is the integrity of the person. The physician who
believes that use of contraception is immoral must also act in ways that display that belief and avoid
actions that promote contraception use by his or her patients.

HOW DOES CHARACTER FORMED?

➢ Character does not conform itself to our beliefs. It is deeper than that. It is formed through
 repeated actions, often beginning at a young age, until the behaviors become habits. And these
habits shape the very way in which we perceive ourselves and others.

➢ We tend to speak of “values” rather than “virtues” when talking about ethical traits. But the term
“value” was imported into ethics fairly recently from the field of economics. “Value” is a term
implying relative worth whereas “virtue” refers to a behavioral trait.

➢ Values language has become popular because it is fairly easy for most of us to say what we value.
It is what we believe to be important. The problem is, we often don’t act according to our
values. We act according to our virtues and vices

➢ The good news is good character knows no boundaries, too. Good character is exemplified every
day and too often goes unnoticed. Media attention gets attracted to the obvious places too
often.

➢ Character builds over time. Character is additive. We cannot waste our youth pursuing things that
neuter or subtract from our character. Equally true, we cannot spend our older years tearing
down the character we built. In both cases, we are wasting time and, most importantly,
damaging relationships. Legacy and trust carry a high lifetime value.

➢ Each choice and action we take adds or detracts from our character. Any given day, we should
have more positive character choices and actions than negative ones. Getting character right is
not a balance exercise. Not even close. We should build character through our good choices and
actions as often as we can. We are imperfect. How we respond in our imperfect choices and
actions can add to or subtract from our character. This is the choice of our character.

➢ No atter our age, we should never dig a big hole in our character in which we spend a lifetime
trying to recover. The younger we are, the longer the lifetime of recovering. And this is why
trying to make the best choices possible and take the most appropriate actions as often as
possible early in our lives can make a very big difference in the quality of our overall life.

TIME-TESTED CHARACTER
Our character is developed through time. More accurately, our character is developed through our
experiences and what we choose to learn and do from them. Trials and tribulations are tough.
We all have them in some way. We can mask them, pretending they are not really there. We can
tackle them, risking relationships and results.
Character in many ways is a combination of our mind, soul, and backbone. We need to work through
our thoughts and pick the ones that matter. We need to understand how the trials are impacting
our soul and take the necessary steps to protect and grow. We need to know when to stand up,
move on, or protect. Character is tested. How we respond and learn will determine the legacy of
our character.
In times of success and prosperity, our character is at risk as well. Just because everything seems to
be going very well and we are rich in what we have in our abilities and worth, too often
character falters in these good times. Laziness creeps in. Thinking we are above what is normal
and right invades our actions. Character loses our attention because we think we have it all.
The only time we have it all is when our character remains intact and grows in strength. In good
times, we need to continue to add to our character by what we say and do. We need to pass on our
lessons learned and share our wealth of experience along with whatever else we give. People will
remember your stories of character, and these stories deliver much more meaning than a name on a
building. Legacy of character carries forward like folklore.

WHAT BUILDS CHARACTER?

- Resolution-making. Instead of making resolutions, maybe we should do things to build our
character every day. Imagine what a year’s worth of character-building could produce.
- We should never ignore our habits, though. Habits effect character. Eating right. Exercising
frequently. Reading often. All these elements provide the nutrients for a clear mind, activating
spirit, and strong backbone. Good habits feed our inner goodness.

1. Work hard to build, create, survive, and excel (in purpose) -Laziness achieves nothing. Work for
work’s sake creates little. Whatever our responsibilities, we need to do the work. Whatever our
purpose, we need to do our important work. Getting our tempo right will take time. Through
doing the work, our time will rise up, and our character will show its strength in purpose. Keep
focused on your purpose horizon and do the work.

2. Engage in tough conversations with empathy and action (don’t put them off). - The easy thing is
to sidestep the tough conversations. We need to take deep breaths and determine how to
engage in meaningful conversations that make a difference in what we say and what happens
next. We cannot control what may happen next, but our character will be stronger if we interact
with empathy.

3. Nurture relationships that matter through good and challenging times (staying power, the Be
nice when everything tempts you not to be nice. -Being nice is not permission to be run over
either. A quiet strength of character exists in being humble and nice. Build this character
strength. One of the best professors I had was one of the nicest, kindest guys, but you did not
want to skip the work. Being nice doesn’t mean low expectations. Too often, we want to play to
the crowd and say outrageous things to incite or fit into one. Instead, we need to stand out by
saying and doing things that are helpful.
4. power of love). -Too often, the first thing to go when times get challenging are our relationships.
They have become almost disposable. Relationships that are damaging physically or
psychologically are different. In those, safely leaving is the first step, and these times take strong
character as well. Absent the damaging relationships, we need to try hard to make them work,
no matter the place. Whether in our homes, neighborhoods, or workplaces, we need to nurture
our relationships and find better paths forward.

5. Exhibit humility in achievement and success (giving credit, giving back). -Be humble in all you do
and say. Humility is not permission to be run over. Quite the opposite. See number 2. Humility is
knowing we are stronger together than apart. Humility is giving all we have and doing it again.

6. Always get up, no matter what, to create something better than the day before. - We will get
knocked down and stepped on. Two things to remember. First, there is an old political adage
that says “what goes around, comes around.” If someone is stepping on us, holding us back, or
ignoring us, nature has a way of dealing with this, so focus on what you can do and do so with a
 strong sense of character. Second, keep getting up and creating what you are meant to do. After
all, this is the only way your purpose will take root and begin to bloom.

7. No task is too small and no person is too ordinary or extraordinary to extend a hand and help. -
Never think or do things that make others feel small. Always pitch in no matter the task. Our
hands are meant to be extended in a helpful way; it is why we have arms and elbows! We are
designed to do the work, hug each other, and extend a helpful hand.
INFORMATION SHEET PR-2.1.1
Moral Development

Moral development
This refers to the ways we distinguish right from wrong as we grow and mature. Very young
children generally do not have the same level of moral development as adults.
Think about your behavior as a young child. How did you decide if something was right or
wrong, or good or bad? Did you follow what your parents did? Did you copy the behavior of your
friends? At one time or another, you probably did both. When were you able to decide for yourself what
was right and what was wrong? Do you currently base your decisions on societal or cultural laws? For
example, is it wrong to steal because the law says it is wrong? Do you ever feel that the morally correct
decision conflicts with the law?
Let's say that your mother is dying and needs a specific medicine to be cured. That medicine
costs thousands of dollars that you and your mother do not have. Would it be okay to steal the medicine
to save her life? These are the types of questions that Lawrence Kohlberg asked while studying moral
development in human beings.
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Kohlberg's theory proposes that there are three levels of moral development, with each level
split into two stages. Kohlberg suggested that people move through these stages in a fixed order, and
that moral understanding is linked to cognitive development. The three levels of moral reasoning
include preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.
By using children's responses to a series of moral dilemmas, Kohlberg established that the
reasoning behind the decision was a greater indication of moral development than the actual.
Lawrence Kohlberg (1958) agreed with Piaget's (1932) theory of moral development in principle
but wanted to develop his ideas further.
He used Piaget’s storytelling technique to tell people stories involving moral dilemmas. In each
case, he presented a choice to be considered, for example, between the rights of some authority and
the needs of some deserving individual who is being unfairly treated.One of the best known of
Kohlberg’s (1958) stories concerns a man called Heinz who lived somewhere in Europe.

Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her.
The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the
chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the
Heinz could afford.
Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained to
the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the
money later.
Kohlberg asked a series of questions such as:
1. Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
2. Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?
3. What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make any difference?
4. Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the woman died?

By studying the answers from children of different ages to these questions, Kohlberg hoped to
 discover how moral reasoning changed as people grew older. The sample comprised 72 Chicago boys
aged 10–16 years, 58 of whom were followed up at three-yearly intervals for 20 years (Kohlberg, 1984).
Each boy was given a 2-hour interview based on the ten dilemmas. What Kohlberg was mainly
interested in was not whether the boys judged the action right or wrong, but the reasons given for the
decision. He found that these reasons tended to change as the children got older.
`Kohlberg identified three distinct levels of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and
postconventional. Each level has two sub-stages.
People can only pass through these levels in the order listed. Each new stage replaces the
reasoning typical of the earlier stage. Not everyone achieves all the stages. The 3 levels of moral
reasoning include:
Stages of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg, building upon Jean Piaget's cognitive theory of development, developed
three levels with six stages to reflect our progression through moral development. These levels and
stages describe how our ideas of right and wrong change as we grow. However, Kohlberg did admit that
not all people progress through these changes at the same age due to differences in cognitive
functioning. In fact, he stated that some people never reach full moral development.

Level 1: Pre-conventional Moral Development

Preconventional morality is the first stage of moral development, and lasts until approximately
age 9. At the preconventional level children don’t have a personal code of morality, and instead moral
decisions are shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or breaking their
rules. Preconventional morality is the first stage of moral development, and lasts until approximately
age 9. At the preconventional level children don’t have a personal code of morality, and instead moral
decisions are shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or breaking their
rules.
For example, if an action leads to punishment is must be bad, and if it leads to a reward is must
be good.
Authority is outside the individual and children often make moral decisions based on the
physical consequences of actions.

Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment Orientation. The child/individual is good in order to avoid
being punished. If a person is punished, they must have done wrong.

Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange. At this stage, children recognize that there is not just one
right view that is handed down by the authorities. Different individuals have different
viewpoints.

Level 2: Conventional Morality

Conventional morality is the second stage of moral development, and is characterized by an
acceptance of social rules concerning right and wrong. At the conventional level (most adolescents and
adults), we begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models.
Authority is internalized but not questioned, and reasoning is based on the norms of the group
to which the person belongs.
A social system that stresses the responsibilities of relationships as well as social order is seen as
desirable and must, therefore, influence our view of what is right and wrong.

Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships. The child/individual is good in order to be seen as

being a good person by others. Therefore, answers relate to the approval of others.
Stage 4. Maintaining the Social Order. The child/individual becomes aware of the wider rules of
society, so judgments concern obeying the rules in order to uphold the law and to avoid guil
Level 3 - Postconventional morality
Postconventional morality is the third stage of moral development, and is characterized by an
individuals’ understanding of universal ethical principles. These are abstract and ill-defined, but might
include: the preservation of life at all costs, and the importance of human dignity.
Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and moral reasoning is based on
individual rights and justice. According to Kohlberg this level of moral reasoning is as far as most people
get.
Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post
conventional morality). That is to say, most people take their moral views from those around them and
only a minority think through ethical principles for themselves.
Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual Rights. The child/individual becomes aware that while
rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest number, there are times when they will work
against the interest of particular individuals.
The issues are not always clear-cut. For example, in Heinz’s dilemma, the protection of life is
more important than breaking the law against stealing.
Stage 6. Universal Principles. People at this stage have developed their own set of moral
guidelines which may or may not fit the law. The principles apply to everyone.
E.g., human rights, justice, and equality. The person will be prepared to act to defend these
principles even if it means going against the rest of society in the process and having to pay the
consequences of disapproval and or imprisonment. Kohlberg doubted few people reached this
stage.
Problems with Kohlberg's Methods

1. The dilemmas are artificial (i.e., they lack ecological validity)

Most of the dilemmas are unfamiliar to most people (Rosen, 1980). For example, it is all very
well in the Heinz dilemma asking subjects whether Heinz should steal the drug to save his wife. However,
Kohlberg’s subjects were aged between 10 and 16. They have never been married, and never been
placed in a situation remotely like the one in the story. How should they know whether Heinz should
steal the drug?

2. The sample is biased

According to Gilligan (1977), because Kohlberg’s theory was based on an all-male sample, the
stages reflect a male definition of morality (it’s androcentric). Mens' morality is based on abstract
principles of law and justice, while womens' is based on principles of compassion and care.
Further, the gender bias issue raised by Gilligan is a reminded of the significant gender debate
still present in psychology, which when ignored, can have a large impact on the results obtained through
psychological research.

3. The dilemmas are hypothetical (i.e., they are not real)

In a real situation, what course of action a person takes will have real consequences – and
sometimes very unpleasant ones for themselves. Would subjects reason in the same way if they were
placed in a real situation? We just don’t know.
The fact that Kohlberg’s theory is heavily dependent on an individual’s response to an artificial
dilemma brings a question to the validity of the results obtained through this research. People may
respond very differently to real life situations that they find themselves in than they do with an artificial
dilemma presented to them in the comfort of a research environment.

4. Poor research design

The way in which Kohlberg carried out his research when constructing this theory may not have
been the best way to test whether all children follow the same sequence of stage progression. His
research was cross-sectional, meaning that he interviewed children of different ages to see what level of
moral development they were at.
A better way to see if all children follow the same order through the stages would have been to
carry out longitudinal research on the same children.
However, longitudinal research on Kohlberg’s theory has since been carried out by Colby et al.
(1983) who tested 58 male participants of Kohlberg’s original study. She tested them six times in the
span of 27 years and found support for Kohlberg’s original conclusion, which we all pass through the
stages of moral development in the same order.

INFORMATION SHEET PR-3.1.1

Contributing Factors For Character Formation

1. Parental Influence
Parental influence is the most important of all the factors of responsible for personality
development . The way parents behave with the child, how much he is allowed to socialize, the kind of
culture he is subjected to by them, and the emotional make-up of his parents, all these have a great
bearing on the child’s mental growth. In early stage of their human existence, children adapt their
parent’s mannerisms. Thus, parents should be careful in their ways for they establish a great influence
to their children’s character.

2. Home Environment
Home as cradle of human character and personality largely contribute to the character
formation of a child. It is said that the parents are the first educators of the children. It is their parental
guidance and discipline that creates the kind of character, personality and attitude the child has.
Parents should make sure that the child incorporates the positive emotions in his personality
and stays away from the negative ones. A child needs both his parents to develop his personality. An
absentee father can be a negative influence on the child. To make a child a confident, positive person,
parents should avoid being too authoritative, trying to discipline excessively, criticizing the child,
discouraging him, comparing him with others, and being partial.

3. School Environment
To perfect the total development of a child’s character and attitude, besides the home
environment, a child’s school environment too plays a major role n shaping a child’s personality. Once a
child starts going to school, he learns how to interact and deal with his peers. He comes to know how to
engage in playing according to the rules and regulations He gets educated, learns how to read, write and
communicate effectively. A child’s personality is greatly influenced by the way he is treated at school
both by his teachers as well s his peers. The school reinforce the education that the child needs that
home fails to provide.

4. Culture
Everyone has different character and values because of the different cultures where everyone is
 exposed. Sociologists found out that different cultures have different values and a child grows up with
them, sub-consciously absorbing the same. Influence of culture in personality and social development
cannot be ignored. Those who were born and grown up in western countries are influenced to be
individualistic and competitive, while those children are in Asian, African and South American countries
are taught to be cooperative.

Infancy, toddler-hood, preschool and school age are the various phases that a child passes through and
each of these sates has its own share of problems and challenges, which a child has to overcome, with his
parent’s assistance, to turn out to be a well-developed personality.

Factors that Influence Filipino Character Formation (by: Sen. Leticia Ramos Shanani)
1. Home environment
2. Social Environment
3. Culture and languages
4. History
5. Educational system
6. Religion
7. Economic Environment
8. Political Environment
9. Mass Media
10. Leadership and Role Model

Determining Characters of Personality Types

Five (5) Factors that Determine Character of Personality Traits
1. Openness - appreciation for a variety of experiences.
2. Conscientiousness – planning ahead rather than being spontaneous.
3. Extraversion – being sociable, energetic and talkative.
4. Agreeableness – being kind, sympathetic and happy to help.
5. Neuroticism – inclined to worry or be vulnerable or temperamental.

General Types of Characters

1. Positive Character / Good Character / Positive Trait
These are attributes such as integrity, honesty, courage, loyalty, fortitude, and other important
virtues that promote good behavior and habits. Further, it is said that:
A. Being honest and taking responsibility for your actions are admirable qualities.
B. Adaptability and compatibility are great traits that can help you get along with others.
C. Drive and determination will help you keep going no matter what.
D. Compassion and understanding mean you relate well to others.
E. Patience is a virtue and also a good personality trait.
F. Courage will help you do what’s right in tough situations.
G. Loyalty is a good quality to possess, making other trust you.
2. Negative Character / Negative Trait
A person’s participation to commit evil acts.
A. A propensity for lying, in order to avoid responsibility for our actions, is a deplorable quality.
 B. Being rigid and selfish, unyielding to the needs of others are not endearing qualities. C. Being
full of laziness and excuses is sure to drive others away, too.
D. A hot temper and an inability to emphasize with others will also alienate us from others.
E. Being quick to anger will turn people away.
F. Being disloyal, quicks to talk about others behind their backs or, worse, stab them in the back for
personal gain also falls high on the scale of negative personality traits,
3. Neutral Character/ Neutral Trait
Commonly used to describe a person who always doesn’t pick sides in dispute, neutral also pegs
anything that refuses to be sold.
A. Judges, for example, must remain totally neutral when hearing a case.
B. Manners mavens say that it’s best to remain neutral when topics like politics and religion
come up during a party.
C. Boxers can look to the neutral corners in the ring to escape a punch.

Types of Characters
1. Self-realized Character
A person with this type of character is ever enthusiastic for he know his potentialities and
limitations. This sort of a character is an asset not only to the family but also to the society in
which person lives.

2. Covetous Character – This refers to a jealous or acquisitive character. It is held that, persons with
greed will endeavor to go all out in collecting worldly possessions and fulfilling his personal petty
ambitions by adopting any means open to him even crossing all the limits of moral and ethical
limits.
In effect the person will become most arrogant, repulsive. slanderer and fully bereft of any
normal feelings for the humans. He is burden not only on the family but also the society in
which he lives.

3. Superstitious Character
In a way all are superstitious but when we’re over superstitious then problem starts. It is not
merely bad for the individual concerned but also for those who come in contact with this
unpredictable person, who may change his tag any moments thus leaving everybody around in
the lurch. Too much reliance on superstitious also robs us of scientific temper and forward
looking approach in our life. But we should t compare superstitious and traditionalists.

4. Egoistic/ Overbearing/ Bossy/ Tall-talker

The person who thinks that world runs due to him and everything and everybody should respect
him as such. His overbearing and bossy disposition puts him in the category of hard-to=please
(fastidious). This person learns his lesson after sometimes. This fellow with “I-DAMN-CARE
ATTITUDE” hardly cares for others. This sort of egocentric character is the bane of any society,
irrespective of their status in the society.

5. Anti- Social Character

A person who neither cares for the norms set by the society nor cares for the moral or ethical
values as an anti-social character. This character s both a sinner and criminal. He could also be
termed as an offensive character. This like character resorts to offense besides being abusive on
even a pettiest pretext. This anti-social behavior cuts him off from the community in which he is
living and has to fend for himself ultimately for his acts of omissions and commissions.
6. Insincere Character
When a person does something good for us, we express our sincere thanks and go extra mile in
being sincere to that person in whatever way it is possible for us. Contrarily, a person who thinks
others is there for serving him and is without any warmth in the feeling for others. This like
person is not only a an insincere to his own family , society and even to the Creator who had
created him.

7. Complacent Character
We all should have confidence on ourselves. It is good for day to day functioning of our society.
It is good for day to day functioning of our society. But when we cross the threshold of
confidence and step into the realm of complacency then problem starts. A person who imbibes
this trial finally faces ignoble defeat for being so and learn a lesson.