Evaluation of the Claim that Conscience is a Realiable Guide in Ethical Decision Making In order to decide whether or not our consciences can be relied upon, we must first examine what we mean by conscience. In order for conscience to be consistently and absolutely reliable, infallible, it must stem from an infallible source - God. Alternatively, conscience might have a potential of ultimate reliability, if the faculty of conscience was dynamic and capable of solving problems i.e. if it was an innate part of human nature. Conscience could even be totally fallible - an arbitrary by-product of experience and biology. This idea - propagated by such scientist-thinkers as Sigmund Freud and Piaget - does not dismiss the idea of conscience, but rather seeks to define it in psychoanalytical terms. Freud had a different word for the conscience - Super-Ego. In order to understand this concept, we must delve briefly into Freud's general psychological theories. According to Freud, every child is born with the 'Id'. The Id is that part of us which is based solely on the pleasure principle - ignoring all reality it seeks food, shelter or other physical gratification. As a child develops he or she will begin to realise that the needs of the Id cannot always be met, whether because of the restraints of physical reality or the emotional impact that the demands of the Id will have on others. This part of the psyche is called the Ego. The Super-Ego, Freud believed, was a collection of beliefs and values enforced on a child's psyche by his parents and the prevailing consensus in the society which surrounded him or her. The super-ego remain... ... middle of paper ... ...es which consider conscience arbitrary or habitual tend to not believe in moral absolutes - which absolves the question of ethical decision of the weight otherwise ascribed to it. In other words, a relative view of conscience correlates with a relative view of ethics. Conscience is the most reliable, and mst useful, tool we have for making ethical decisions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- © Jonathan May-Bowles - All work should be this colorful. Sponsored by the Campaign For Interesting Looking Work™ (02-10-02) © Jonathan May-Bowles - All work should be this colorful. Sponsored by the Campaign For Interesting Looking Work™ (02-10-02) © Jonathan May-Bowles - All work should be this colorful. Sponsored by the Campaign For Interesting Looking Work™ (02-10-02)
The child has not been perceived like an individual until the work of eighteen century philosophers Locke and Rousseau, who expressed their thoughts on paper about the child's ability to interact with the surrounding world (Cunningham, 1993). The research on child development has commenced followed by the observational work of changing behaviours in organisms by Charles Darwin.
A child’s development and learning commences from the earliest days of their lives. The unique identity of each individual stems from the relationships with people who provide love, care and emotional support. These relationships can be within the home environment, school playground or with extended family members and friends. Children respond to stimuli which in turn form the ‘internal working model’ (K101, Unit 5). This can be described as how we view ourselves and others within society; it influences what we expect and how we respond to situations.
...as an individual, still finding a sense of closeness with their caregiver. The perceptions that are formed as an infant are progressively construed to structure who we are, what we do, and why we do the things we do. These long-term effects appear to grow and are constructive as internal working models which shape our behavior, self perception, sense of self, and our expectations of other people.
A young child craves and requires structure, guidance and nurturing in order develop mentally and emotionally, which goes along with their physical maturing process. From day one they're looking to the parents or parental figures to meet their needs and to help define their curiosities.
Since the beginning of time parents have been trying to figure out the most efficient way to parent (Sears, 2003, p. 3). Just as parents have tried to figure out the best method, so have scientist (Santrock, 2011, p.20); scientist use theories to help guide their understanding of things such as how parenting and child development go hand in hand. Erik Erikson proposed the theory that children develop in psychosocial stages (Santrock, 2011, p.21). Erikson’s theory contained 8 stages in which he believed we are faced with a dilemma that must be dealt with. The focus of this paper is the very first psychosocial stage, which he proposed that we experience in the first year of life (Santrock, 2011, p.21). Erikson’s first psychosocial stage is the dilemma that we face between trust and mistrust (Santrock, 2011, p. 21). This stage is very important because it occurs in the infant’s first 12 months of life and plays a part in shaping the rest of their life (Santrock, 2011, p. 21). According to Santrock (2011), Erikson’s theory proposed that this stage is when the infant determines whether or not the world is a place in which they will enjoy residing (p.22).
Some of the deficiencies in the way cultural relativism addresses moral problems, according to Holmes; are that they remain impractical, they are subject to change depending on where you live, and that people tolerate the different cultures. As a professional business person, I agree with Holmes analysis. Allowing others perceptions or beliefs to get away with our own personal beliefs would be contradicting ourselves. It is important to stand up for our beliefs, and help educate others on ethical issues. Over time we can make a difference in the world by modeling moral beliefs and ethics.
children learn the most important aspects of life young and if they’re not aware of what is
According to Erik Erickson, in the first year of a child’s life, the main challenge is to establish trust. After birth, an infant must depend completely on others to fulfill their needs. To create a safe environment for the baby, a caregiver must provide things like food, love, and safety. Overall, if the child’s needs are met, the child should develop a positive and trusting attitude toward the world. This security will allow them to build trust with others in the future. For infants that are mistreated or neglected, the world would seem like a scary place. Sadly, they create a barrier and learn to mistrust others. Also, if the child’s needs are not completely fulfilled, the child may develop an insecure attitude (Romero).
Many philosophers believe that all human action stems from desire or motive or urge or some such thing. On this view, if men ever do the good or the right it is because in some sense they desire to. Perhaps the desire to do the right is sometimes nothing more than the pressures of past societal or parental training, or conceivably it might stem from some sort of social instinct planted deep within us, or more likely it stems from the realization that it is in the long-term interest of the agent. But in any case it is supposed that men do not act independently of some kind of desire. Consider the stark expression of this view from an important ethical theorist, Richard Brandt:
It discusses how children are born with that needs to connect with individuals around them. Teachers and providers create positive relationship with children from birth through the early years. The foundation for that healthy social and emotional development because it affects her children see the world, express themselves, manages their emotions, in establishing a positive relationship with others. There were several areas of development that included social interactions that focus on the relationship that we share and include relationship with adults and peers. Emotional awareness recognized and understands your feelings and actions of other people, and self-regulation where you have that ability to express your thoughts, feelings, and behavior in a socially appropriate way. There were many tips that were listed when working with infants from talking and reading, having that warm, responsive, and consistent care, maintaining predictable routines, and getting to know each child while following their lead. The importance of supporting children and developing social skills is critical for learning, happiness, and long-term. This development begins during infancy and can be supported through simple social games, emotional role model, and imitating an infant's facial expression and sounds. The importance of social-emotional development and toddlers makes an impact in a child life when these skills are developed starting in infancy. Encouraging positive behaviors and using positive discipline practices that helped to develop the ability to make good choices as well as recognizing the confidence that is built when these behaviors are repeated. This is a process for young children to learn these behaviors always remembering that a patient response will help especially when the behaviors are
There are different ways in which people believe that children will succeed in life. In this book, the author shares his own ideas and motivation for the success of child development. Before they were having “two year olds filling out worksheets and completing drills on letter and number recognition (Tough, 2013, p.xiii). Now they believe child development should be different and not how they used to do it before. When they just wanted children to memorize everything and put so many things in their little brains.
From birth, a child owns not much knowledge in his brain for the lacking of experiences. As time goes by, he would gradually learn to produce sound, to talk, to play, and to do certain things from his parents and the surrounding people. Also, his personality is influenced by the environment until he reaches his mature age. This is the time when he develops his own conscience and full awareness of the impact of the negativity and the goodness on his life. People say that a child is a product of the parents’ guidance for those reasons.
The first stage, which happens between birth and 18 months, is trust vs. mistrust. During this stage, an infant is confused about the world being a safe place and wonders if his or her needs will be met. As a result, the infant looks to the primary caretaker for consistent care and hope that his or her needs can be met. Erikson explains that those that receive constant care during this stage will develop a sense of trust. The basic virtue in this stage is hope. The second stage of this theory is autonomy vs. shame and doubt, which happens between 18 months and 3 years. During this stage, there is an increase in mobility and independence. Erikson explains that it is critical to allow the child to explore their limits and allow failure. The basic virtue in this stage is will. Initiative vs. Guilt that happens between 3 and 5 years is the stage that follows. During this stage, children take more initiative to engage with peers. Erikson explains that during this stage if children are given the opportunity to take initiative, they will develop a sense of security in their ability to lead. The basic virtue in this stage is purpose. Industry vs. Inferiority, which happens between 5 and 12 years, emphasizes school and friendships. Erikson believes that during this stage, children will seek approval from others by displaying skills that are valued by others. Additionally, he believes that if
the child to adjust to the change. The child may not nor ever understand why they are
In the study of child development, nature and nurture are two essential concepts that immensely influence future abilities and characteristics of developing children. Nature refers to the genetically obtained characteristics and abilities that influence development while nurture refers to the surrounding environmental conditions that influence development. Without one or the other, a child may not develop some important skills, such as communication and walking. The roles of physiological and psychological needs in a person’s life are also crucial for developing children. Humanistic psychologist, Abraham Maslow, suggested that humans don’t only aim towards survival, but also aim towards self-actualization (Rathus, P. 94).