Personal Ethics Research Articles

The Professional as Prophet: The social magic of professional knowledge

The concept of ‘profession’ is typically linked to the strength derived from its neutrality and the specialised knowledge and skills the professional is expected to possess, supported by a self-affirmative narrative of the group’s capabilities and merits. Professions have become powerful forces for conceptualisation both the world of their own, that of the general public and caring out solutions for a wide range of human challenges. This makes it obvious to examine the forms of social dominance that come with professionalisation. The inquiries are fundamentally preoccupied with the inherent contradiction between person and profession, and between the arbitrariness of subjectivity and the universalised concern of a profession. The presentation follows three steps. 1) The will of a profession comes with a false neutrality and by that with a social dominance, working explicitly as well as implicitly. 2) Goffman and Bourdieu then show how this dominance works, rooted in professional practice itself, as they point to a threshold separating the logic of theory from the logics of moral practices of professions. This all points to breaks in the knowledge-power-legitimacy chain of professions. 3) The concern of social dominance and that of the knowledge-power-legitimacy chain is now united in the symbolic order of prophecies. Evidence suggests that professions provide a surplus of meaning by virtue of some prophecies they carry with them. This symbolic resource creates an ambiguity between professional neutrality and determining the personal morale of prophecies, with consequences for both knowledge of and about professions.

Getting to know ChatGPT: How business students feel, what they think about personal morality, and how their academic outcomes affect Oman's higher education

The present study develops an integrative framework that investigates the relationship between the acceptability of ChatGPT among business students and their attitude, intention to adopt, and performance. This is achieved by examining the moderating role of business students' moral values and religious ethics. Using data collected from 312 university business students in Oman, we show that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived convenience (PC) have a positive effect on their attitudes toward ChatGPT. Business students' attitudes toward ChatGPT have a strong positive influence on their adoption intentions. Notably, university business students’ ChatGPT adoption intentions increased their academic performance. Remarkably, business students' Personal Morality and religion-related ethics trigger them to experience regret or a sense of responsibility for their actions that violate academic integrity or ethical standards in their studies. Establishing explicit ethical standards and procedures for the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT in educational settings is vital for higher educational institutions (HEIs). This research adds to the theoretical intervention of investigating how personal morality and religion-related ethics interact with AI tools such as ChatGPT, which can add to ethical decision-making theories. The current study has significant implications for theory as well as for practice.

Psychological basis of emotional and moral development of the personality. Part 1. Research problem of emotional and moral development of personality

Introduction. The relevance of the research problem lies in the fact that in psychological science some theorists involved in the study of emotions believe that the states of emotional experience are unchanged. Since the principles of immutability and constancy of emotional experience are crucial for understanding consciousness, an important type of which in humans are emotions, since they influence their perceptual and cognitive processes and behavior.Purpose setting. There are unique classes of emotional phenomena, such as mood, feelings, which manifest themselves in the general background of events and persist after their completion. It is precisely such background experiences that are the basis of the emotional assessments studied in this work. Moral and aesthetic experiences associated with art, human cognition through art, ensure his development as a subject of moral relations to other people and to himself, contribute to changes in his moral experience and personal (including emotional) characteristics.Methodology and methods of the study was carried out on the basis of the study of philosophical, sociological, psychological and pedagogical scientific and methodological literature, which made it possible to develop the concept of psychological foundations. Results. Our research is educational in the management of emotions and feelings. The dynamic development of the results of our study of the emotional states of a personality, its experiences according to the author’s methods in the form of keeping an emotional diary since 1997, contributing to the self-development of a personality as a component of personal maturity, is presented.Conclusion. The practical value of the research within the framework of general psychology lies not only in the fact that the main directions for optimizing the process of emotional and moral development of a personality are identified, recommendations are substantiated for improving the specialization of people working with children, improving their professional skills, but also in developing a program for the psychological study of emotional and moral personality development (EMPD), diagnostics of specific and nonspecific emotional phenomena, which ensures timely correction of the EMPD process. The data obtained can be taken into account in schools and universities in the process of forecasting the moral atmosphere among adolescents and students, as well as the moral atmosphere of society in general.

God of Promise and Voucher: Alienation, Reconciliation, and Resurrection

Abstract A Christian approach to suffering, sin, and evil cannot offer now a full theodicy. We now ‘know in part’ only regarding divine purposes in allowing suffering, sin, and evil. We can clarify instead how God interacts in righteousness with people as their God of promise and voucher in the midst of suffering, sin, and evil. To that end, this article illuminates a divine effort toward human reconciliation with God in righteousness and resurrection, despite our gaps in explaining suffering, sin, and evil. It identifies current reconciliation with God and resurrection by God that do not fully explain suffering, sin, and evil, but can be a voucher now in human experience and life for eventual eschatological reparations promised by God. If the Spirit of God can be such a voucher, so also can the reconciliation and resurrection now empowered by that Spirit. This article recognizes a special role for the divine ‘fruit of the Spirit’ identified by Paul. It also explains how this role figures in spiritual resurrection with Christ now, in advance of any resurrection of the body. The article contends that the spiritual resurrection in question emerges through reconciliation with God now in volitional cooperation with God’s unique moral personality traits.

A Confucian Algorithm for Autonomous Vehicles

Any moral algorithm for autonomous vehicles must provide a practical solution to moral problems of the trolley type, in which all possible courses of action will result in damage, injury, or death. This article discusses a hitherto neglected variety of this type of problem, based on a recent psychological study whose results are reported here. It argues that the most adequate solution to this problem will be achieved by a moral algorithm that is based on Confucian ethics. In addition to this philosophical and psychological discussion, the article outlines the mathematics, engineering, and legal implementation of a possible Confucian algorithm. The proposed Confucian algorithm is based on the idea of making it possible to set an autonomous vehicle to allow an increased level of protection for selected people. It is shown that the proposed algorithm can be implemented alongside other moral algorithms, using either the framework of personal ethics settings or that of mandatory ethics settings.

A Rossian Method for Applying Principles in AI

In the past several years there has been a rapid development of new technologies, applications, organizations, and institutions in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, ethical reasoning about AI has not been able to keep up with the speed of these advances. As a result, developers are left to rely on existing rules, professional codes, policies and personal ethics which may not provide the appropriate guidance about ethical conduct and may require greater specificity (O'Leary). Many commentators have acknowledged the need for a clearer understanding of ethical values and principles to guide AI research. Drawing on insights from the formation of the field of biomedical ethics, we argue that AI ethics should make use of the method based on prima facie duties derived from W.D. Ross’ approach to ethics. A Rossian approach has proved influential in biomedical ethics. We further propose a modification to the list of principles proposed by Floridi and Cowls, arguing that the principles of explicability and accountability should be separated for ease of application. We argue that this method of applying principles is just what has been missing in AI ethics and is the crucial link between the now common lists of principles and putting them into practice in a way that can inform actual developments on the ground.

Transnational resilience: exploring international students’ agency in response to systemic racism in U.S. higher education

This phenomenological inquiry explored how 19 international students in U.S. higher education developed a sense of agency in response to systemic racism. The findings revealed three main factors associated with participants’ sense of agency: (1) transnational role models, (2) the community and social network established in the United States and (3) personal beliefs, values, and morality. By focusing on how international students draw on their transnational experiences and knowledge to develop agency in response to systemic racism, this study contributes to scholarships on learning outcomes associated with international student mobility and their experiences with race and racism. It also adds to the increasing body of research that challenges deficit paradigms toward international students prevalent in scholarly discourse by highlighting their agency and assets. Implications for future research and practice are also discussed.

Accepting or criticizing religion in the process of globalization

Religion, a belief system closely linked to social life, is the subject of research analyzing religious tolerance and criticism in the struggle for human rights. The issue of religious tolerance and criticism will be clarified based on human rights and religious rights. In addition, the relationship between personal ethics and religious ethics is also different, in which the method of combining humanistic philosophy and social philosophy is used to clarify the complex relationships between religion, people, and society, especially the power and role of individuals in religious communities. Research shows that religion influences behavior and shapes people's value systems and rules of life. However, these value systems sometimes lead to discrimination and conflict. From there, the article concludes that religion is a product of human beings, and its existence can be both a positive and an opposing force in society, depending on specific historical conditions. Studying religious tolerance or criticism is essential to building a harmonious society. People must respect the diversity of beliefs and seek common values in reclaiming human rights in globalization.

The Anthropocene, Self-Cultivation, and Courage: The Jesuit François Noël as a Witness of Inter-Religious Dialogue between Aristotelian and Confucian Ethics

This article explores the specific role of courage in the context of the Anthropocene’s moment; it first examines Aristotle’s conception of virtues, focusing on courage, before comparing it to Confucian thought and analyzing the historical dialogue between Western and Chinese traditions on ethics through the works of François Noël (1651–1729). Aristotle views moral cultivation as a social process wherein habits shape inner dispositions; in his view, courage is linked to other virtues, such as temperance and justice. For Aristotle, courage implies the appropriate balance between extremes and must be directed toward a worthy end, such as promoting positive change within a community. This Aristotelian perspective was later incorporated into a biblical framework by Aquinas and Suarez, emphasizing dichotomies between body and soul, as well as between humans and other living beings. These dichotomies must be challenged in the face of the Anthropocene’s emergencies. The second part of this contribution proceeds to a detour examining Confucian ethics, which rests on a different anthropology, emphasizing continuities rather than discontinuities. Like Aristotelian thought, Confucian thought also underscores moral education within a community; it prioritizes humanity, embodied through empathy and loyalty. In the Analects, courage is balanced by a sense of rituals and righteousness. Mencius further distinguishes several types of courage, stressing self-cultivation and the ruler’s responsibility to make empathetic, appropriate decisions for the community’s sake. From this perspective, courage is understood as the continuous perseverance in self-cultivation, coupled with a firm intention oriented toward the good of the community. Zhu Xi’s comments on Zilu’s courage in the Analects extend this Confucian tradition. Finally, this article highlights how a dialogue between Aristotelian and Confucian ethics began four centuries ago, particularly through Noël’s Philosophia Sinica, which combined these traditions. This inter-religious approach to ethics, enriched by figures such as Aquinas, Suarez, Zhu Xi, and neo-Confucian thinkers, requires re-evaluation because the understanding of personal ethics and nature has evolved. The modern naturalistic approach, with its emphasis on dichotomies, has contributed to a mechanistic view of nature, fostering its exploitation, and a devaluation of the body. This contrast highlights the urgent need for renewed dialogue between Western and Chinese ethical traditions to address contemporary challenges, with François Noël serving as a historical witness of these exchanges.

Student Pharmacists’ Reflections on Personal and Professional Development Following a Series of Longitudinal Faith-Based Courses

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore how integrating Judeo-Christian religious education into the pharmacy curriculum influences students’ spiritual and moral development, professional values, and mindset, preparing them for future holistic health care practice. MethodsA series of Judeo-Christian faith-based courses were integrated into the required Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum with the aim of developing student pharmacists’ moral foundation for future health care roles. Student reflections from these courses were compiled and analyzed using WordStat, combining natural language processing and statistical analysis. Content analysis included word cloud visualization, word co-occurrence, phrase extraction, and topic modeling. Thematic analysis with a deductive coding approach was applied. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze coding frequencies. ResultsWord cluster analysis revealed frequently cited and co-occurring words, including God, patient, care, life, love, ethics, personal, professional, health, and people. The frequently occurring phrases included patient care, professional ethics, personal ethics, and professional developments. The topics with high coherence values included love and compassion, empathetic care, caring health professionals, patient care, and leadership based on biblical principles. The major themes that emerged included spiritual growth and connection with God, the cultivation of virtues and ethical principles in personal development, and integration of faith into professional commitments for these aspiring professionals. ConclusionThe findings suggest that integrating spiritual and religious education into the pharmacy curriculum helps students develop a strong moral foundation, guiding their future practice with compassion and integrity.

The Self-Control Ability Scale: Measuring a Key Construct of Situational Action Theory

Situational Action Theory (SAT) has emerged as a prominent theory of crime and delinquency. It includes a new conceptualization of self-control, which emphasizes its role in enabling individuals to adhere to their morality when deliberating about deviant and non-deviant action alternatives. However, existing self-control scales do not directly capture this role of self-control as a guardian of personal morality when externally challenged. To close this gap, we developed and validated the Self-Control Ability Scale (SCAS) to measure an individual’s self-perceived ability to withstand temptation, provocation, or social pressure when they conflict with their personal morality. We present the results of four studies that provide evidence for the three-dimensional structure of the SCAS, the reliability of its measures, its validity, and its measurement invariance across age, gender, and language. The SCAS promises more informative tests of SAT and new insights into individuals’ ability to adhere to their morality when challenged.

Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Pendidikan Agama Katolik Melalui Model PBL pada Siswa SD Negeri Jagalan Surakarta

This research aims to determine the increase in cognitive and affective learning outcomes in the dimensions of personal and creative morals through the PBL model for students at Jagalan State Elementary School, Surakarta. This type of research is classroom action research with research steps namely planning, implementation, observation and reflection in each cycle. This research consists of two cycles. The research location was at Jagalan Surakarta State Elementary School for class IV students with material on the Ten Commandments of God as a Guide to Life. The research was carried out in September 2024. Data collection techniques used learning outcomes tests and affective observation rubrics. The data analysis technique uses quantitative descriptive techniques. From the research results, there was an increase in cognitive learning outcomes of 27.5% in the Proficient criteria and 12.5% ​​in the Capable criteria. Affective learning outcomes using the PBL learning model have been proven to improve the affective learning outcomes of students at Jagalan Surakarta State Elementary School on the Ten Commandments of Allah as a Guide to Life. The results of the increase can be seen from the number of students in cycle I who were 100% in the Eligible criteria and in cycle II there was a significant change, namely 67.5% were in the proficient criteria and 37.5% were in the proficient criteria.

The business and moral image of the party officials of the "second echelon" of the Bashkir ASSR in the era of "Khrushchev's reformism"

The article examines the business and moral qualities of the party managers of the "second echelon" of the period of the "Khrushchev reforms" in the context of one of the major national republics of the RSFSR – the Bashkir ASSR. The authors reconstruct the appearance of middle-level party officials who adhered to double standards in their party management activities. The phenomenon of the formation of a "new-moral" communist party subject with a pronounced focus on wealth is also concretized, which contradicted the official discourse of a highly moral socialist personality, who is not only a party worker, but, above all, a disinterested communist. The new trend observed among the party officials of the "Khrushchev set" – industrial and moral emancipation, which did not entail the irreversibility of severe punishment, was one of the manifestations of the complex institutional process of the era of "Khrushchev reformism". We are talking about a change in the value paradigm in the form of the refusal of party officials from rigid stoicism and orientation towards satisfying their personal interests. The research methodology is based on the principles of critical research understanding of the activities of the BASSR party apparatus in 1953-1964. The structural and functional method made it possible to reconstruct the managerial and business portrait of the BASSR party members of the Khrushchev era.

ECOLOGICALLY-ORIENTED TEACHING OF ENGLISH TO STUDENTS OF PEDAGOGICAL SPECIALITIES

The relevance of the study in this paper is due to the problems of ecology in the modern world and the formation of ecological culture among the younger generation within the framework of the educational process to introduce them the ecological values in their future professional activities to preserve and restore the ecosystem of the planet. The purpose of the study is to form a model for the didactic foundations of ecologically-oriented teaching of English to students of pedagogical specialities. The leading method for the study of this issue is the a survey using the M. Rokich test for diagnosing personal value orientations, which makes it possible to determine social values, psychological aspirations by identifying the existing self-tasks of the person under survey, features of his or her self-determination and self-regulation of behaviour within the framework of ecological culture. The study presents didactic foundations of ecologically-oriented teaching of English to students of pedagogical specialities with formation of value orientations including value-motivational, cognitive-informational and modeling of creative ecological-cognitive professional activity on the basis of which the level of ecological culture of students can be created. The formed didactic foundations model of ecologically-oriented teaching of English to students of pedagogical specialties enables to create ecological culture with value standards of careful attitude to the environment and all levels of nature, which will allow them to introduce it in the educational process in their future professional activity to educate students about high ecological culture and creative behavior concerning natural objects and the whole ecosystem of life in general, which has practical significance for the education system and well-being of society.

How personal values influence earnings management ethics: the mediation role of moral disengagement

ABSTRACT Earnings management (EM) is a critical ethical issue for the accounting profession. However, it remains unclear why accountants differ in their ethical judgements of EM, with some evaluating it as ethically acceptable while others do not. From the perspective of personal values, we explore how personal values influence accountants’ ethical judgement of EM through the mediation role of moral disengagement. A survey of 554 Chinese practicing accountants found that accountants with higher resultant conservation values were less likely to morally disengage, thus less tolerant of accounting manipulation, while accountants with higher resultant self-enhancement values were more likely to morally disengage, leading to greater tolerance for accounting manipulation. The results showed that moral disengagement fully mediated the relationship between personal values and ethics in accounting manipulation. Moreover, moral disengagement had no significant effect on ethics in operating manipulation. Our study has practical implications for educators, regulators, and companies combating EM.

‘It’s just my personality.' How employees make sense of their long work hours in a supportive workplace

ABSTRACT This paper examines how employees make sense of their long work hours. We use a case study of an administrative unit at a public university in the United States, where expectations of working long hours are relatively low and employees have organizational resources to achieve work-life balance. Even so, we find that many employees still work more than expected and feel the need to work over the weekends. These employees overwhelmingly attribute their long hours to their personalities. Because many employees view their work as central to their existence, they invest their emotional energy and drive themselves to work longer hours than is expected from their supervisors and the institution. This individualized understanding that uses personality as a cultural frame persists and operates as a justification for long work hours even when other causes, such as staff shortage, were present. These findings imply that removing organizational expectations and rewards for long work hours alone is not enough for employees to achieve work-life balance because personal work ethics can still drive working long hours in the cultural context that puts high moral values on long work hours. In the conclusion, we discuss policies and cultural shifts needed to address these problems.

Burnout and moral injuries after foreign deployment among medical personnel of the German armed forces: a pre-post study.

Given a high amount of workplace stressors, burnout syndrome, as a depression-related syndrome, is highly relevant for medical service soldiers. This study aims to examine their effects with regard to moral injuries and personal values following foreign deployment. This longitudinal study included 91 soldiers of the German Armed Forces Medical Service. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Portrait-Value-Questionnaire (PVQ) before and after a foreign deployment as well as the Moral Injury Scale (SMBE) after deployment. Analysis has been conducted using t-tests to assess potential changes in MBI and PVQ scales between pre-test - t1 (2-4 weeks before deployment) and post-test - t2 (up to 6 months after deployment). In addition, correlations were examined between moral injuries (MI) after deployment and MBI scores at t1 and t2 as well as between personal values (PVQ t1) and MBI scores at t1 and t2. The MBI subscales showed mild to moderate burnout symptoms at both pre- and post-tests, with a slight deterioration during the study period, albeit not significant. There were no significant mean differences in PVQ between measurement points. Nevertheless, PVQ self-direction and tradition at t1 correlated negatively with MBI INV at t2 (PVQ SD r = -.21, p = .043) and MBI PA at t2 (PVQ TR r = -.23, p = .027). Furthermore, the subscale PVQ power at t1 correlated positively with MBI PA at t2 (PVQ PO r = .28, p = .006), meanwhile PVQ universalism at t1 correlated positively with MBI INV at t1 (PVQ UN r = .25, p = .018). Furthermore, positive correlations were found between moral injuries at t2 (SMBE total score, SMBE_Sub1, SMBE_Sub2) and MBI subscales Emotional Exhaustion (EE; r = -.54, p = .001), Depersonalization (DP; r = .38, p = .001), and Involvement (INV; r = .30, p = .004) before and after the deployment period. No correlation was found between MI and MBI subscale Personal Accomplishment (PA). The results indicate that medical service soldiers exhibit mild to moderate burnout symptoms even before deployment. Significant associations between moral injuries and burnout were found in 3 out of 4 MBI subscales (EE, DP, INV). There was a significant association with a stronger moral injury and higher burnout levels, persisting both before and after the study period. Furthermore, our results suggest that personal value orientations might be meaningful predictors of burnout. Hence, causal questions regarding general work stress among medical service soldiers should be further explored in more detailed studies. Further research could lay the foundation for future approaches in psychotherapy as well as primary and secondary prevention in this field.

Value-Semantic Approach in Training Future Teachers to Implement the Main Directions of the Federal Work Program of Education

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of using a value-semantic approach in the process of preparing future teachers for the implementation of the main directions of the Federal Work program of education. The purpose of the study is to analyze the degree of understanding by future primary school teachers of the essence of education as a process of value-semantic interaction with children, to identify their knowledge about the methods and forms of such interaction and to determine the necessary adjustments to the content of pedagogical education. Methodology. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following methods were chosen: ranking, questioning, the method of unfinished sentences, which allowed us to assess the readiness of students of the Faculty of primary school teacher training to implement the main directions of the Federal Work program of education. Results. The personal value orientations of future teachers are family and family traditions, care and help, life and the meaning of life; the value orientations for students are care and help, patriotism, family values. Future teachers see the essence of the education process in creating conditions for personal development, and not in organizing value-semantic interaction with students. Most future teachers are aware of the goals and objectives of the Federal Educational Work Program, but do not know how to organize the educational process at school. Conclusions. The article concludes that it is necessary to prepare future teachers for the implementation of the main directions of the Federal Work program of education based on a value-semantic approach and provides recommendations for its implementation in the educational practice of the university.

Academic Dishonesty and Its Impact on Students’ Moral and Personality Development

Academic dishonesty is an illegal activity in which students are involved in different ways for the temporary benefit of ignoring other aspects of this illegal activity. One aspect of this activity enchants students to get temporary success in exams through unlawful activity. On the other hand, the second aspect is very terrible, which spoils all students' abilities. This study aims to highlight the effect of academic dishonesty on students' moral development and personality. This study was conducted at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Out of a total seven faculties faculty of social sciences was chosen purposively. A total of 105 students were selected randomly from the chosen faculty. The researcher collected data through a validated and pre-tested questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of this study indicate that lack of confidence, Failure to explore ideas, and lack of hard work have adverse effects on students' personalities. Lack of discipline among students and low acceptance of students' opinions lowered students' moral development. This study suggested that academic dishonesty is minimized by using institutions' ethical, professional standards and building student confidence.

More Consumption, More Benefits: How Does Consumerism Affect the World Through Advertising

Currently, there are followers and defenders of consumerism all over the globe. During the worldwide spread of consumerism, it is doubtless that commercial advertising plays an inevitable role. This article, in order to clarify the principle of the spread of consumerism and demonstrate measures to avoid being affected by the negative side of consumerism, will analyze the approaches, harm, and solutions of ads that promote consumerism. The nature of consumerism is to prefer symbolic value to practical value, to correspond consumption with a perfect life, and to form an illusion for consumers. Consumerism can get a growing number of people stuck in a financial crisis, and it can also make society lack personal styles, diversity, and morality. This paper concludes that solutions include strengthening the construction of regulations and their execution, enhancing media literacy education, and persuading the public to pay attention to self-awareness, self-recognition, and self-improvement, to name but a few.