Moral Action Research Articles

Challenges and Countermeasures of Youth Moral Education in the Era of Big Data

Youth moral education is an extremely important work, which is related to the inheritance of traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, the fundamental plan of “successor,” and the construction of modern Chinese spiritual civilization. In the era of big data, the moral education of youth is facing new challenges and opportunities. The wide application of big data technology has brought about an information explosion, exposing young people to more diverse and complex social information. It not only brings opportunities for positive moral education but also many challenges. The main problems of youth moral education in the era of big data are neglected youth subjectivity, insufficient youth moral practice, and utilitarian youth value orientation. We should develop personalized moral education programs, strengthen the integration of moral knowledge and action, and pay more attention to moral practice to improve the pertinence and effectiveness of moral education for young people in the era of big data.

“[S]treite vnto my mirrour and my glas”: Disabled Ethos in Thomas Hoccleve’s “My Compleinte”

Abstract Invoking James J. Murphy’s reminder that we can still learn from people of the past, this article examines Thomas Hoccleve’s 1420 poem “My Compleinte” as an example of medieval “disability rhetorics,” or how disabled people themselves speak about disability and being disabled. In this poem, Hoccleve adapts the genre of the speculum principis (mirror for princes), which guides readers toward moral action, to depict his past mental breakdown and subsequent social alienation in order to exhort his former friends to amend their attitudes toward him. While disability as a concept and an identity proves anachronistic in relation to the Middle Ages, Hoccleve’s poem presents a vital case study in ethos construction driven by disability, reflecting some of the same rhetorical concerns facing disabled rhetors today despite the passage of time.

Formation of moral and vocational qualities in higher education acquisitions through handball

The article outlines the peculiarities of the formation of moral and volitional qualities in student youth by means of handball, the role of sports games that have an effective educational content, forms and methods of formation of discipline, courage, perseverance, purposefulness, self-confidence, and moral stability is updated. Based on the study and analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature on the researched problem, the state of work of higher education institutions, we have developed criteria and indicators for the formation of moral and volitional qualities of higher education students in the process of handball lessons. Cognitive criterion (knowledge of moral-willed qualities, understanding of the importance of handball as a means of forming moral-willed qualities, students' awareness of the need for responsibility, self-discipline, self-control during handball lessons. Emotional-value criterion (perceived interest of students of higher education in the formation of discipline, courage, perseverance, purposefulness, moral stability; the desire to form moral and willful qualities in the process of handball lessons; the desire of students to show responsibility, self-discipline, self-control, overcome difficulties in the process of handball lessons. Criterion of voluntary impulse (students' willingness to show discipline, courage, perseverance, purposefulness, moral stability in the process of realizing the goal, the manifestation of moral and volitional qualities in the process of playing handball, the desire to manifest a moral and volitional act, responsibility, self-control. Activity criteria (the ability to independently demonstrate discipline, courage, perseverance, purposefulness, moral stability in the process of achieving a goal; the ability to demonstrate moral and willful qualities in practice, to help the teacher in organizing sports and mass events in higher education institutions; the ability to show responsibility, self- discipline, self-control, to overcome difficulties in the process of practicing handball). Thanks to the developed criteria and indicators, we determined the levels of formation of moral and volitional qualities in students of higher education by means of handball, namely: low, average, sufficient and high.

Slaughterhouse workers, bullfighters, and cockfighters in Ecuador: paradoxical moral and affective action on non-human animals

ABSTRACT The process of killing non-human animals demands certain psychosocial, affective, and moral processes. In the case of so-called ‘death-saturated environments’, psychic numbing and systematic desensitisation related to violent attitudes and behaviours against non-human animals acquire contradictory dimensions. To understand these processes in depth, this article proposes a theoretical perspective based on the social psychology of human-animal relations. Empirically, the study examines the experiences, attitudes, and worldviews of men in Ecuador whose jobs involve inflicting pain and death on animals and focuses on the ways in which these subjects deal with ‘moral stress’ and ‘the caring-killing paradox’. It examines how slaughterhouse workers, bullfighters, and cockfighters establish ambivalent relationships with the animals, characterised by a certain paradoxical moral and affective action. Eleven in-depth interviews, lasting one to three hours, were conducted for this purpose, and are analysed through the qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti, using thematic analysis as a qualitative research technique.

Balancing self-interest and public interest: Virtues and the pandemic context

This article explores how the external conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected individuals’ moral psychology. We will argue that challenging contexts like the pandemic are external conditions that shape human moral behavior. Supported by Adam Smith’s theory of virtues, it is argued that individuals can balance self-interest with concern for others, even in challenging circumstances, through the virtues of justice, benevolence, prudence, and, most importantly, self-control. We will conclude by stating that, even in challenging contexts, individuals need to balance private and public interests to develop appropriate moral action.

Vulnerability, Recognition, and the Ethics of Pregnancy: A Theological Response

Abstract Vulnerability is a notion discussed in feminist philosophy as a basis for a morality that widens our sense of those whose deaths are grievable. Vulnerability and grievability also factor in reproductive ethics. This essay employs recognition theory to analyze critically how these notions are mobilized in conservative Christian anti-abortion writings and in feminist philosophy. This analysis exposes weaknesses and misrecognition in both sets of discourses. In response, I offer theological arguments for recognizing fetal value without implying a right to life and for acknowledging how human finitude and the precarity of pregnancy render gestational hospitality a discretionary, not obligatory, moral act.

The Use and Impact Socialization of Religious Moderation Values Through Media of Hand Puppet Theater Stages Toward Forming Character of Tolerance In Primary School Students

Indonesia is a country with a rich diversity of religions and cultures. This diversity is a defining characteristic of the Indonesian nation and must be preserved and respected. This research aims to promote values of religious moderation through hand puppet theater performances to shape the tolerance character of elementary school students. Adopting a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, which includes counseling, art performances, group discussions, and material distribution, this research strives for accurate results. The findings of this study will demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of performances in influencing the character of students at MIS Nurul Yaqin. A child's character is significantly shaped by their experiences at home, school, and in their community. This research indicates that the character development of MIS Nurul Yaqin students is influenced by three key aspects: (1) moral knowing, (2) moral feeling, and (3) moral action.

In Gaza, Israel Is Revealing the True Face of Zionism

Rabbi Brant Rosen and the board of the congregation and synagogue of Tzedek Chicago recently released this statement in response to Israel’s ongoing military assault in Gaza. Although it is addressed to all people of conscience, it contains a specific challenge to the Jewish community at large. Rabbi Brant states “I’m immensely proud of the statement, which I hope will be considered seriously even (especially) by those members of the community aren’t ready to heed its words. Our statement is not so much an academic argument as it is a call to moral action. As we say in our statement, ‘We are witnessing the continuation of the Nakba in real time…Now more than ever, it is time for Jews of conscience to call out the essential injustice at the heart of Zionism in no uncertain terms.’”

Developing Islamic Character Values Through Student Habituation

This article describes and analyses the internalization and implications of Islamic character values based on student habituation at the State Senior High School. This article used qualitative research with a case study approach. The data collection techniques are participant observation, in-depth interviews with participants, and documentation of religious value planting activities. The data analysis technique follows the Huberman model by reducing data, presenting data, and drawing conclusions. From the research, data can be found that the internalization of Islamic character values based on habituation is carried out through several stages, namely moral knowing, feeling, and moral action. Meanwhile, Islamic character values include aqedah values, sharia values, and moral values which are then internalized in students' daily habits to have positive implications for students. This research can have positive consequences for students' moral and ethical development. Internalizing Islamic character values based on habituation can help students become better and more responsible individuals following Islamic values. It is essential to internalize Islamic character values in the habituation of students to create the nation's next generation who are superior and have good morals and ethics in everyday life. Exceptional nations have good morals and ethics in natural life every day. The limitations of this study are that it is only two months long and that the research site is in one of the schools only. Habituation is the benchmark for improving student character. The school carries out strengthening strategies ranging from school culture to learning and integration with parents.

Ethics from the Start: Embracing Professional Moral Courage in Entrepreneurial Decision-Making

Abstract If entrepreneurs want to create ethical organizations, moral considerations need to be embedded within the decisions they make from the onset of project creation. Prior to an ethical issue surfacing the startup founder needs to cultivate a desire to be ethical and to develop and demonstrate the requisite skills that support an ability to engage in right and/or moral behavior. Our suggested proactive approach to ethical entrepreneurship leverages extant scholarship in the areas of moral decision-making theory and positive organizational ethics. We apply these concepts by offering a process to depict how the elements of professional moral courage (PMC) can be applied as competencies to fortify a path of moral action as entrepreneurs face financial decisions. The implications of this effort underscore how the moral identity of the organization’s creator helps to form the identity of their nascent company. We conclude this article with an affirmation that scholars, practitioners, and educators must help entrepreneurs think as deeply about ethics as they do about the creation and growth of their projects, along with money and markets. JEL classification numbers: M13, L26. Keywords: Ethical entrepreneurship, Professional moral courage, Ethical decision-making, Positive organizational ethics, Organizational identity, Moral identity.

Neural perspectives on morality due to beguiling mechanisms.

We consider deception an example of behavior that challenges traditional explanations of moral behavior. Beguiling mechanisms, by which we mean deceptiveness with charming seduction for diversion, subtly influence moral sensitivity and judgment in moral dilemma situations. The duality of beguiling mechanisms is important to grasp, including how they relate to the ambiguity of situations. Further, we view moral behavior as quasi-adaptive, affectively based, and reliant on the processes of social cognition, arising out of a set of domain-general primitive predispositions that aggregate to produce moral "mindsets" and increasingly complex moral actions. Building on recent theoretical developments, contend that morality involves a complex heterarchical-hierarchical neurological architecture, where activity is dynamically and contextually dependent, as well as dependent on evolved brain structures and early life year socialization. We contribute to conceptualizing moral behavior from an integrated modern neural perspective. This provides a balance between moral decisions as situational, emotional, and genetically completed non-conscious processes, and the more traditional view of conscious reasoning. Beguiling mechanisms illustrate an integrative model of morality, consistent with emerging insights from affective and cognitive neuroscience.

Kebebasan Sejati sebagai Dasar Kekudusan

True freedom is an important foundation for the Church's call to holiness. True freedom is the fruit of a person's lived experience of knowing God as the highest truth and desiring God as the highest good. Veritatis Splendor, an encyclical by Pope John Paul II on truth and freedom, emphasizes that human freedom does not have an end in itself but is always dependent on divine truth. This is shown in the attitude of obedience to the law of God, which is a manifestation of God's love and wisdom. Conscience plays an important role in human obedience to God because it is there that a person meets God personally. True freedom is then revealed in moral actions in everyday life where each person is called to imitate the act of martyrdom as moral perfection. The encyclical itself states that martyrdomis a prominent example of the Church's holiness.

Moral Identity, Moral Integration, and Autobiographical Narrative

AbstractMoral identity theorists argue that moral action is explained by the centrality of moral values to a person’s identity. Moral identity theorists refer to moral integration as both the process by which moral values become central to a person’s identity and the state an individual is in when a given moral value is central to their identity. While moral identity theorists appeal to autobiographical narratives to determine the state of moral integration in an individual, they have little to say about the role of autobiographical narratives in articulating the process of moral integration. The aim of this paper is to argue that appealing to autobiographical narratives supports the view that moral integration is a learning process the outcome of which is the acquisition of an understanding of moral concepts that is exercised in moral deliberation. Since moral identity theorists argue that moral integration is empirically correlated to a sustained commitment to moral action, the upshot of the argument of this paper is an account that elucidates the relationship between moral identity, moral action and moral deliberation.

Technological mediation, mediating morality and moral imaginaries of design: Performance measurement systems in the pharmaceutical industry

In this paper, we seek to understand the ethics of accounting technology design. We commence by working with the concept of technological mediation, which is theorizing how technologies steer actions by evoking given behaviours and by contributing to perceptions and interpretations of reality that form the basis for choices and decisions to act. As such, this relation between people and technologies has important ethical consequences since it implies that technologies contribute actively to how humans do ethics. In this paper, we draw upon a postphenomenological approach (Ihde; Verbeek) to study and to theorise the moral mediations brought about by accounting technology, by examining how, in its design, technology can actively mediate the moral choices and guide the moral actions human beings make. Our central research question is ‘how is morality mediated in the design of accounting technologies?‘. This question is explored through an ethnographic study of the design of a new Performance Measurement and Compensation System in the Italian division of a multi-national pharmaceutical company. We offer two main contributions towards answering this question. First, by working within the theory of technological mediation, we develop the concept of a ‘moral imaginary’ as an approach to understanding designing the morality of things. Second, we elaborate a process model to theorise how moral mediations unfold in the design of accounting technology. From our conceptual motivation and the theoretical elaboration it inspired, we illuminate how the design of accounting technologies, in this case a PMS system, is a form of ‘engineering ethics’ through techno-moral mediation.

The study of value orientations of modern Kazakhstani youth as the main determinant of a changing person in a changing world

Despite the strengthening of the world globalization processes accompanied by the development of individualistic values and devaluation of basic values, today we witness that contrary to this there is a strengthening of universal values, primarily related to the increase of spirituality in general. In our opinion, this paradox is caused, first of all, by the events that are taking place in the world today - coronovirus, military actions unleashed by Russia, various natural cataclysms and others. This leads not only to the actualization of the study of value orientations, but also to a change in the paradigm of their research. The study of the peculiarities of value orientations of modern youth is of particular importance, since it is demanded by the actual requirements of the social situation of development of the changing personality of the new generation, formed at the turn of the century - XX and XXI, having no experience of Soviet education and upbringing. Object of the research: students studying at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Empirical base of the study: Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi. The study involved 131 students (1-4 courses) studying at the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science (FPS). The conducted research showed that modern Kazakhstani students (by the example of students of KazNU named after Al-Farabi) have developed more values of Self-Transcendence (Self-Transcendence), including universalism and kindness. The formed values fully manifest themselves in the sphere of moral consciousness, moral actions and personal moral (spiritual) properties, which is confirmed by statistically revealed interrelations. The scientific and practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its results reflect, on the one hand, the formation and ongoing transformation of values in modern youth, on the other hand - the conflict between the way things should be and the way they want to be, what guidelines are set by external social reality. Consequently, the value orientations of modern Kazakhstani students are conditioned by the social situation of development of a changing personality in a changing world.

Preserving Harmony in Bali: An Environmental Philosophy Approach to Tackling Over-tourism

Bali, a beautiful island in the Indonesian archipelago, has been a centre of world tourism for the last few decades. However, the influx of tourists has contributed significantly to the island's economic development; the phenomenon of 'over-tourism' has taken hold and has been in the spotlight in recent years. Over-tourism is characterized by several negative impacts, including environmental degradation, social disruption, and economic instability. This paper attempts to delve deeper into addressing that issue by using ecological epistemology as a foundation for understanding the interconnectedness of the natural and social worlds. It can be used to understand how over-tourism affects the environment, the local community, and the tourism industry. In addition, cybernetic epistemology is a framework for understanding how systems can rethink and adapt to changes. It can be used to understand how the tourism industry can be managed more sustainably. Therefore, in this context, ecological epistemology and cybernetic epistemology can be used to understand and address the issue of over-tourism in Bali. Furthermore, they offer different perspectives and methods that can be used to complement each other. By using both approaches, we can develop more comprehensive and effective solutions to this complex problem, especially in identifying the relevance of Tri Hita Karana's local wisdom in dealing with over-tourism in Bali. Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophy that emphasizes the harmony between humans, nature, and the gods. It could be argued that this local wisdom could be used to help address the challenges of over-tourism in Bali. Another point to consider through cybernetic epistemology is that we can also analyse the obligation of moral beings in protecting the environment, whether Tri Hita Karana is still relevant in over-tourism, how the epistemology of the environment becomes possible in Tri Hita Karana, and how moral action can be done to create harmonisation.

Moral and Character Development in the Context of Slow Pedagogy

Creating favourable conditions for one’s moral and character development, as key elements of one’s holistic development, is vital in contemporary pedagogy. Therefore, this paper offers a brief overview of different approaches to moral and character development: moral education, character education, and the process of moral competence development. Those approaches are further considered through the prism of one specific pedagogical theory, the so-called ‘slow pedagogy.’ From that point of view, the paper emphasizes the importance of ensuring time for deep learning experiences where students show curiosity, reflection, and collaboration and realize supportive relationships for learning. The paper aims to contribute to understanding slow pedagogy as one possible pedagogical framework which enables creating favourable conditions for holistic development of a moral individual who will be competent to plan his/her moral actions and act according to that plan in favour of the other in a humane and respectful way.

Credibility, Certainty, and Belief in Legal Thought and Moral Theology, or On the Afterlife of Augustine's Credulitas

Examining the intellectual, cultural, and social implications of reading visual and bodily manifestations as signs of guilt and innocence means grappling with the relationship between what is true and what is credible, and consequently with the problem of how to make judgments when lacking absolute certainty. This essay explores this problem by focusing on the afterlife of Augustine's notion of credulitas, or “belief,” in two parallel but intertwined areas: moral theology and legal thought. In both cases, absolute certainty was the gold standard against which moral actions and legal judgments were traditionally held. Yet moral theologians and legal scholars knew that sometimes absolute certainty was impossible to reach, so how could they form decisions that were both epistemologically correct and morally safe? The answers that theologians and jurists gave were different, and yet they were linked with and responded to each other in complex and interesting ways.

Character Education : Developing Moral Identity through Narrativity and Reflection

In the debate on character education, broadly speaking, it is necessary to distinguish two sets of thoughts: the Aristotelian tradition and the Kantian tradition. These two perspectives have great merits but also have their limitations. Educational approaches referring to these perspectives are often based on a very fragile relationship: in the first case, between habit and behaviour, and the second case, between cognition and behaviour. According to Blasi, moral action does not depend only on reasoning or on virtuous habits, but it depends on the organization of the self and on a person’s identity. This paper argues that the integration of the perspective of identity into the theory of character education can point to further development of both theory and educational practices. To address this issue, the author explores the significant role of narrativity in the development of moral identity, drawing on the philosophical perspectives of Alasdair MacIntyre and Paul Ricoeur. The central thesis is that developing a sense of moral identity and moral character is deeply intertwined with the ability to reflect on one’s own life narrative. From this perspective, the author argues that in order to “self­‑regulate one’s life” in the MacIntyrean sense and to “re‑configure the emplotment of one’s life story” as suggested by Ricoeur, individuals must engage in a continuous process of reflection, including a critical examination of their moral values and life experiences. The implications of this narrative and reflexive approach for educational practices are discussed, with a focus on how educators can facilitate identity formation and moral development.

Емпатія як протидія політичному насильству: на шляхах до суспільства турботи

Background. The article outlines the conceptual landscape of altruism research, which allows explaining the differences between biological, behavioral and psychological altruism, identifying its specific features and mapping out the prospects for interdisciplinary research on empathy. The article highlights the history of the concept of "empathy" and clarifies its difference from sympathy and compassion. Methods. The importance of empathy for the substantiation of normative moral judgments and the formation of motivation to alleviate the suffering of others is revealed on the basis of the findings of modern psychology. Emphasis is placed on the cognitive (the ability to understand the feelings of others) and affectional (the ability to experience the feelings of others as one's own) characteristics of empathy, which are effective motivational factors for individual assistance to others and which serve as a basis for the formation of political and managerial decisions on institutional assistance to vulnerable groups of people. Results. An attention is focused on the importance of empathy for moral consciousness and moral action. The article considers the possibilities of developing empathy through moral education techniques ("inductive discipline", modelling, discuss dilemma situations, improvement of caring skills through cooperation, "confirmation"), which are being developed by moral psychologists and representatives of care ethics as a new interdisciplinary research field on the formation of caring relationships between citizens. The article reveals the prospects of care ethics in solving problems, which are arising in the practices of health care, social assistance, national defence and security, political protests and active participation in civic life. The research potential of care ethics to analyse the experience of various forms of political violence, which were committed during wars, genocide, and terrorism is determined. Taking into account the contexts of specific acts of political violence will allow us to better understand the causes of political violence, develop algorithms for resolving such conflicts and mechanisms for their prevention. Conclusions. An important factor in countering violence is empathy, which is actualised when acts of violence are documenting and through the perception of works of art, reportages, and literary stories that document the experience of suffering. This practice is necessary for those are involved in the rehabilitation of victims of political terror and genocide, those who seek mechanisms for fair punishment of war criminals and compensation for moral damage to victims of violence, those who build conditions for survivors to live together after the war. Development of empathy creates conditions for mutual trust, respect and assistance, which are the foundations of a caring society.