From the vantage point of a philosopher, various schools of thought can perhaps offer a variety of explanations concerning these two concepts: virtue and morality. An average adult also might be able to provide his/her explanation such as that the value of virtue is necessary for a person to live an upright and ethical existence among other human beings. Copeland did an excellent treatise on virtue based on a thorough understanding of what the Scriptures have to say on this concept.
Like faith which is an important ingredient in the Christian life, virtue is something that cannot be taken for granted.
At the outset, virtue then, when cultivated is an essential for any person to live a moral and exemplary life. With this premise, virtue is a lot similar to morality and a requirement of what we understand to be morality as expected by society at large. However, morality can be explained as a general description of one’s internal and external behavior, whether this may refer to a general disposition and manifestation to corrupt practices or otherwise.
Copeland then went on to elucidate the idea that it virtually covers all aspects of a person’s existence such as what A.
T. Robertson illustrated as militarily, intellectually and morally. This picture then best posits that morality and virtue can be interchangeable so to speak (Copeland, 2006). In other words, in every area of an individual’s existence, virtue is not just one personal characteristic. Today, it is usually assumed as one of the qualities that a person possesses that makes him/her attractive and worth emulating.
But in the Apostles’ days, it is assumed that virtue is comprehensive and thus presents the corresponding picture of what morality is in a person’s life.
This paper attempts to describe and elucidate values and ethical issues that are confronted by an individual and this is in my own personal context in consideration. In the workplace, various situations and dilemmas are inevitable that call for an individual response. These reactions or actions come from a and the corresponding behavior such as my own is basically based upon who I am and the values I possess. Discussion I. A theoretical framework: Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory It would be perhaps fitting to look into the development of personal values through the lens of a great developmentalist.
Vygotsky’s theory is more known by his concept of zone of proximal development. Whereas the three common viewpoints focus at the unique facet of an individual’s growth and development, i. e. Freud, mainly on the psychosexual aspect, Erikson, on the psychosocial one, and Piaget, on the cognitive feature on the other hand; Vygotsky had made his mark on the study of human development by looking into how children assimilate the traditions, customs and mores of society and blend these with their interpretation and way of thinking, public or communal dealings and /or interfaces, and insights or degree of awareness in themselves (Thomson, 2005).
According to Ross Thomson on Child Development, Vygotsky’s “Sociocultural theory . . . explains why children growing up in different societies are likely to have significantly different skills. ” (Thomson, 2005). Vygotsky believes differently from other developmental psychologists mainly in the sense that he is not persuaded that children go through stages as others do. Children achieve certain skills and abilities because of the accrued values basically coming from their surroundings; these are from the influences and guidance of adults and others around them or those that comprise their immediate environment (Thomson, 2005).
II. Understanding the Critical Thinking Process Critical thinking is an indispensable element in learning and cognition. If a person possesses this to a considerable degree, he/she is said to have reached one of the ultimate goals of a thinking person. Although definitions of critical thinking vary nowadays, the understanding of it, and the meaning that each definition has expressed, retains the fundamentals of it and therefore all definitions remains essentially the same. They share common elements of critical thinking which are: 1. ) Grasping the deeper meaning of problems, 2.
) Keeping an open mind about different approaches and perspectives, and 3. ) Deciding for oneself what to believe or do. Grasping the deeper meaning of problems. Problems, usually, when looked at the surface do not give its true nature. Hence, the need to dig deep to sense the implications and grasp therefore, the essence of a particular dilemma. Robert J. Sternberg further added these four facilities as the “obtaining of information, using informal knowledge, thinking in groups, and developing long-term approaches to long-term problems” (Halonen & Santrock, p.
256). However, these four were indicated as lacking theoretical support. Keeping an open mind about different approaches and perspectives. A part of critical thinking that prepares a person for learning is the maintenance of a state of readiness for absorption of new material or new way of thinking. It enhances a student’s capacity to embrace more than two ways of looking into solutions applicable for any difficulty he/she may encounter in academics or in day-to-day affairs. Deciding for oneself what to believe or do.
This refers to the autonomy an individual exercises over the choices he/she makes on what to adopt in application of his/her learnings. It implies that the decision he/she has opted to take has been thoroughly thought of and has gone through a process. III. My View on Interpersonal relationships What do we derive as we relate ourselves with others? In the home despite some of the times that parents are offended by the responsibilities that their children display over the tasks assigned to them, parents do not easily give up on their kids.
The need to monitor and take time that the average parents spend with their teens are always times that they will be looking back with nostalgia as the children grow older (Halonen et al. , 1996). Interpersonal relationships, however, usually refer to people we know outside our immediate families and the dynamics that explain and make us understand ourselves better, stretches us to reveal and accept our limitations (Levit, 2007). They are there because we are interested in them in the first place, and for most of the time, they are there because they just happen to be a part of our work or acquaintances in our other preoccupations.
What do these interpersonal relationships render us? Considered as one of the most important contributions they provide to anybody is that they boost an individual’s morale. The need for morale in almost every area of life cannot be underestimated. Effectiveness in work depends largely on one’s ability and capacity to perform and execute the job. And when a person feels, and is confident of his or her effectiveness, the morale of that person is significantly high. In today’s work atmosphere where technology is quickly transforming, updating is the one thing that every working person must do.
Since efficiency at work is directly related to one’s skills, the constant honing of those skills (updating) must become part of working environment, or else, workers will lag behind their work and in the end lose the morale needed to sustain one’s self at work, and this eventually will reflect in the total outcome of the work in general (Berry, 1993). However much is said about one’s own work, when the boss or team leader begins to pull down the best of one’s efforts towards the particular assignments given him/her, that is when many of the troubles at work begin to reveal.
When all the potential skills of the person are utilized to a high degree and which result to significant outcomes, a vital part of the consciousness is dealt accurately. Moreover, in work environment where an employee is given the necessary leeway to apply prudence and being held accountable (Autonomy), a meaningful work experience is felt, and thus another critical psychological state is addressed correctly. This is a picture of the variedness of interpersonal relationships. IV. Narrowing the lenses: Contemplating about Ethical Issues
~Analyzing Abortion In an increasing and escalating rate, the abortion statistics have run unabated for years since the Roe versus Wade decision decades ago. The repercussions when truly accepted and not ignored, revealed and not euphemized, is astounding to any normal person. How can a great Christian country like America keep on killing its very young that are the most innocent and harmless. Fetuses and babies have nothing and no one to defend themselves, not even their own mother.
An interesting study by McCormick and Connors show a no-nonsense approach on the issue of abortion and the ethical issues surrounding it in their book Facing Ethical Issues: Dimensions of Character, Choices and Community. The choices we have are not always a blur but when fully examined even in people’s variety of backdrop, these choices actually are clear cut and would leave us without a doubt, responsible and accountable to everyone of them. As the authors succinctly put it, “…in the sanctity of life…all of these choices call for keen moral judgment and genuine wisdom (p.
297). The abortion laws of the United States are actually very broad: the constitution has left for the different states to review or contest the application of abortion laws (Original matter Copyright © 1996). The abortion crisis today reveals something about the present-day American principles. It is symptomatic of a bigger crisis in our day. The abortion debate echoes conflicts felt extensively in marriage, the family, role identities, and human sexuality in general. To deal with the ethics of abortion means focusing on the very importance and value of human life.
Have those people (pro-choice) ever thought of the D&C (Dilatation and Curettage) procedure for instance, where a child is sliced piece by piece inside the womb of its mother? Conclusion Like in social life, thoughtfulness, good nature, and regard for the interest and rights of others are fundamental in the working life. However, business life presents a great many situations that have no counterpart in social life, such as selling, dealing with customers, writing business letters, looking for a job, discussing salary with the employer, and hiring and training employees (Laird, 1961).
We like to have friends. Our friends are right in demanding that we conform to their standards, but we are expecting them to conform to our own. Living with people is a complicated business in which we should give in at times and expect the other person to yield occasionally as well. The important thing is to maintain balance (Laird, 1961). In the workplace, personnel people or would-be employee should know well enough what the recruiter or employer would expect from an applicant and this means the right person for the right job.
Assessing that kind of person obviously begins from the very start of the recruitment stage which is the initial appraisal of the individual. It is therefore every applicant’s desire to make a good impression. Appearance must be carefully attended to. The applicant should make sure that he is well-groomed. He should make certain that his look is clean or that for a lady, her cosmetics should be sparing and artistic. Colors should harmonize and accessories appropriate. Good manners are almost always easily detected.
One who is dignified, courteous, and controlled comes from years of developing the quality traits. Developing attitudes that reflect good training do not come to the person immediately when he decides to apply. These traits come handy when the real work starts and the employee meets various degrees of difficulties realistically present in the workplace. Therefore, it is noteworthy that the individual has increasingly enhanced qualities that employers find important in their employees and this has something to do with overall efficiency (Laird, 1961). Efficiency is affected by many factors.
When one is personally efficient, production will be at its best. Personal efficiency can be attained through better utilization of time and energy and should therefore be a matter of concern to everyone who intends to get ahead in the world of business. There are several factors related to efficiency, which includes: 1) adequacy of one’s training for the job at hand; 2) the characteristics of the machines and other devices with which one works; 3) one’s motivation and related conditions of work; 4) and the degree to which one’s performance is free from fatigue (Munn, 1961).
People at work or who are employed should be efficiently minded: and to become efficiency minded, as the Lairds (1967) have put it. “One must keep three aspects in view as general objectives. These are self-efficiency or self-development, group efficiency or social efficiency, and things-efficiency which refers to work methods that save effort and time. ” It takes all three aspects to balance one’s efficiency although when a person is training for a new job, things-efficiency may be more important for the time being.
When one is starting work on an actual job, group efficiency becomes more important, and when one has already acquired ability to get along with others in the new job, more emphasis should be given to self-efficiency, to qualify for a higher position or to be able to climb up the ladder (Laird, 1961). In Philippians 2:3, Paul is indeed treating pride directly and gave a potent dose of antidote to the Philippians.
He was not actually discussing an “effective leadership” to them, though the passage or context might be geared towards that, especially when one considers “selfless service” as an effective leadership trait. In the Roman world, servile attitude was never a virtue (Demchuk, 1999). Today it is rare among people to take servanthood as the way to become effective or successful; but indeed, if only people would learn the way of Christ, they would realize its powerful effect on their leadership. Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, has powerfully described what he has called as “level 5 leadership.
” Taking his principles from Paul in Philippians 2:1-11, and applying to leadership, he said that a level 5 leader, when things go well under his management, makes it his habit to “look out the window” to distribute credit to factors outside of himself (Collins, 2001). Level 5 leader does equally the same when things go poorly. He looks to the mirror and instead of blaming only others for the misfortune, he shares the blame (Collins, 2001). This same approach according to Collins, might be applied to ourselves especially when asked about which accomplishment we are most proud of.
This is the same law behind Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians and we can do the same to our colleagues at work. We can always give the credit to people who compose our team (Collins, 2001). The good fortune that we are enjoying has become possible only because of the people who work with us. Rather than become narcissistic about the success we presumably attained, let us distribute the honor to others who have given their contribution to the success of our endeavors. Reference: 1. Baron, R. (1983).
Behavior in Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work, Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 2. Berry, Lilly M. (1993). Psychology at Work: An introduction to Industrial & Organizational psychology. 2nd ed. Ch. 14. New York: McGraw Hill. 3. Bergel, Gary (1983) “Abortion: A Biblical Issue That Must Be Resolved,” Intercessors for America, February 1, p. 1. 4. Bulfin, Matthew J (1983). Letter to the editor, New York Times, July 1, 1983, p. A22. 5. Clarke, Adam (2001). Commentary to the Philippians. Power Bible CD: 6. Collins, Jim (2001).
Good to Great. 7. Copeland, Mark, A. 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2009 at http://www. ccel. org/contrib/exec_outlines/know/know_03. htm 8. Davis, John Jefferson (1984). Abortion & the Christian-What Every Christian Should Know, (Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company), , p. 2. 9. Demchuk, David (1999). Full Life Bible Commentary to the New Testament. Zondervan Corporation. 10. Halonen, Jane S. John W. Santrock. (1996). Psychology. Contents of Behavior. Brown and Benchmark Publishers. Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Inc. pp. 256.
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