Core Concepts: Personality, Ethics, Rights & Governance

Components of Personality

Personality involves the acceptance of several aspects:

• Our bodies
• Our temperament
• Our sexuality
• The environment around us
• The education we receive
• Our character
• Our goals in life

Socialization Process

Socialization is the training and maturation phase through which a child becomes a competent person within society.

Understanding Ethics and Morality

Ethics is the discipline that aims to reflect on the various moral forms human beings can adopt, as well as assessing the validity of each.

Reason as a Moral Criterion

The criteria that should morally guide our conduct are not pleasure-seeking and utility, but respect for what reason dictates.

Kantian Ethics and Duty

Kant argued that what makes an action morally good is that it is an action taken out of duty.

Human Dignity and the Sense of Duty

Human dignity rests on this principle: everyone deserves to be treated as an end in itself.

The sense of duty is the feeling of obligation accompanying the awareness of duty.

Human Rights Fundamentals

Human rights are fundamental rights that protect our dignity as persons. They are recognized by political power and enshrined in laws, providing a policy framework that guarantees respect for human dignity.

Types of Human Rights

• Civil rights: Used for defense to prevent political power from unduly intruding on people's lives.
• Political rights: Allow citizens to participate in public affairs; they are positive rights forming the foundation of any democratic system.
• Social rights: Guarantee decent living conditions for the entire population.

Branches of Government

The government typically comprises three branches:

• Executive Branch: The government responsible for policy decisions, acting according to laws.
• Legislative Branch: Makes laws and oversees the executive branch (the government).
• Judicial Branch: Composed of judges and magistrates, adjudicates crimes and disputes according to the law.

Universal Ethics and the Constitution

Universal Ethics asserts principles valid for all humankind, positing that human beings possess basic rights, including the right to life. Human rights are fundamental entitlements every human being possesses by virtue of being human.

The Constitution is the fundamental law that establishes the configuration of the political power of a State.