CHARACTER DEFINITIONS
CHARACTER
Character is the mental and ethical qualities that define a person. These mental and ethical qualities determine the kind of life a person leads, the type of relationships they sustain, the kind of citizen and worker they become, and their future success.
Good character is a pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings based on virtues such as integrity, self-control, respect, empathy, perseverance, positive attitude, humility, wisdom, and citizenship. It is evidenced by virtuous actions in both the moral and performance areas of one’s life. Experts have divided character education into two parts – “performance character” (maximizing one’s performance in every area of his or her life) and “moral character” (always choosing to do the right, honest and ethical thing).
PRINCIPLES
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Universally accepted standards of conduct
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Universally accepted rules of doing right and avoiding wrong
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EXAMPLES:
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“Treat others as you would want them treat you” The Golden Rule
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“All men are created equal” The Declaration of Independence
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“Thou shalt not lie, cheat, or steal” The Ten Commandments
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“Do no harm” Hippocratic Oath
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“In all things, charity” Richard Baxter
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MORALITY
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Morality (morals) comes form the Latin word "mos," meaning "custom."
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A means for evaluating human conduct.
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A person's decision to choose right and avoid wrong.
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EXAMPLE: “I choose not to cheat on the exam.”
ETHICS
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Ethics comes from the Greek word "ethos," meaning "character."
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The study of a person's moral choices of right and wrong.
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Note: The ethics of a group may sometimes conflict with an individual’s moral choice.
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EXAMPLE: John is a lawyer who is ethically required to defend his client (legal ethics are group choices among lawyers) even though he knows his client is guilty (individual moral dilemma).
MORALITY VS ETHICS
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Very similar, yet morals usually refer to individuals, while ethics usually refer to a group.
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Morals involve an individual's decisions, whereas ethics is a study of right and wrong.
INTEGRITY
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Adhering to a moral code of honesty, courage, strength, responsibility and uprightness in everything you do.
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Being true to your word.
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EXAMPLE: “A person lives a life of integrity by having the courage to be honest, truthful, and to keep his promises.”
Although closely related:
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Principles = standards of conduct
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Morality = conforming to those standards of conduct
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Integrity = the quality of always living those standards
VIRTUES AND VALUES
VIRTUES
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The admirable trait or quality of doing good and avoiding wrong that has become a habit
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Qualities of moral and performance excellence considered to be good
VALUES
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A quality or standard deemed desirable by an individual, group, or a society
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Values, unlike virtues, are not habits or always acts of moral good
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Virtues are values but many values are not virtues
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EXAMPLE: “John Doe values having many material possessions, having many girlfriends, and being the toughest man on his block.”
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
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The development of fundamental skills for life, including how to relate with oneself, others and relationships, and work effectively.
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An approach to learning that helps a student become a socially and emotionally skilled person.
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Comprehensive character development programs include SEL.
HISTORY OF CHARACTER
Provides a review of important developments in character education in schools over thousands of years, with an emphasis on the U.S. education system from the 1960's through today.