Ethical Criteria and the Development of Moral Conscience

Criteria for Evaluating Moral Action

We must consider several criteria when evaluating moral actions, recognizing that not all reasons are justifiable. These criteria, often discussed in ethical frameworks (such as those proposed by Mon, QS Tengu), include:

1. Intention: It is not sufficient that the intention is merely good.
2. Cohesion and Proportionality: There must be cohesion and proportionality, even among the means used.
3. Awareness of Outcome: Always be aware of the outcome. The fact that the desired result is achieved does not automatically justify the action.
4. Consequences: Consequences must be valued. We must strive to foresee them, though it is also true that consequences do not always have to be perfectly good.

The Unique Nature of Moral Action

The uniqueness of moral action means that everyday situations confront us with a problematic nature. We are equipped with knowledge of how to behave, but facing these situations always acquires certain features that cannot be resolved automatically. Against the casuistry of general rules, every moral action is unique; each case is unique.

Moral Conscience: Origin, Development, and Function

Moral conscience is a set of schemes and standards acquired through our education, family, and social environment. These standards are maintained and utilized at the moment of moral judgment.

Types of Moral Conscience

1. Moral Conscience as Faculty

   This forms part of human rationality. The faculty involves the awareness of moral values and standards necessary for responsible moral judgments. We must encourage the development of an adequate moral sensibility to cultivate it.

2. Contents of Moral Conscience

   The contents include:

   • Norms: The rules a person knows, which they may choose to accept or reject.
   • Personal Morality: Those rules that guide one's own conduct and are used to judge others.
   • Moral Feelings: The emotional side that emerges, where feelings related to the faculty's resources can be contained.

Characteristics of Moral Conscience

1. It is not innate; it is socially learned and framed within a historical and social horizon.
2. It is subject to change and evolution. Its development is conditioned both individually and socially.

3. It is forged through a dialectic between the individual and society:

   • Individual Formation: From a young age, the person is influenced by social ideas and ways, forging their moral standards. This results in an established morality that is sometimes followed instinctively.
   • Tradition vs. Choice: Despite the strong weight of traditions and social influence, the person always retains the capacity to choose.
   • Defense Against Pressure: The only defense against social pressure is to be aware of it and analyze it critically.

Autonomy and Heteronomy of Moral Conscience

1. Moral Autonomy

   The individual creates the rules that govern their actions, deriving them from their own right. We acquire personal autonomy when we reflect upon the standards transmitted to us and decide whether they are good or bad according to our own reason.

2. Moral Heteronomy

   Conversely, the individual learns the rules and adheres strictly to them without critical reflection.

Function and Role of Moral Conscience

The primary functions of moral conscience are the evaluation of rules and moral judgment.

1. Evaluation of Standards and Values

   This involves critically analyzing the values and standards we have received. We consider autonomously whether they are valid or not, and we reflect upon what our own values and standards should be.

2. Moral Judgment

   This function is essential for the understanding, appreciation, and application of moral principles.