Moral character

When we talk about decisions as being “moral,” we refer to our own guiding values which define our beliefs about good and just behavior. When we talk about “ethics,” we talk about how we as a society believe that morals should be applied in different situations. Both of these are important in creating effective Principled Innovations.

Thinking about whether our practices are moral is important because it helps us to go well beyond whether or not something is simply required by law. Indeed, throughout human history, law has at times sided with injustice. And while codes of ethics are helpful, changing environments often outpace the development of ethical codes, and educators must be prepared to anticipate and resolve moral dilemmas that are not addressed within existing ethics rules. This is why individual educators and their learning communities need to start by taking time to understand what is important to each person in that community.

Building on the foundation of understanding a community’s values, Practice M2 calls for practical wisdom in decision-making that draws from a wide range of character assets. The framework emphasizes the need to engage empathy and inclusive perspective-taking in understanding how decisions will impact others. It emphasizes the importance of fairness — of determining what is equitable and just for all members of the community. It emphasizes engaging our critical thinking, reflection and truth-seeking to evaluate quality evidence and make sure we have the right information to make our decisions, and an honesty and humility to admit when we’ve been wrong. And it emphasizes the importance of seeking creative solutions by working inclusively across multiple perspectives. Finally, making decisions often demands courage and resilience, particularly when the solutions address problems our learning communities have yet to acknowledge.