Personal Moral Worldview

Personal Moral Worldview An individual’s personal moral worldview is manipulated by the many unique encounters experienced throughout life. The foundation for morals begins to form at an early age and is shaped by the home environment and the people they are exposed to on a regular basis. In Moral Traditions: An Introduction to World Religious Ethics, Heidt states, “One’s conscience is not, then, static. It changes as we change and grows as we grow” (Heidt, 2010, p. 9). In other words, what they believe to be right today may not be what they believe to be right tomorrow. The foundation for Stephanie’s moral worldview began somewhere between the later stages as an infant and the beginning stages as a toddler. This is the time she first heard the word ‘No’. For instance, when she got excited, flailed about with her arms and hit the person who was caring for her, she heard them tell her, “Ouch! Don’t hit.” As the same scenario repeated itself, she began to understand that when she hit someone, it hurt and others did not like it; therefore, it was not an acceptable way to behave. As time progressed and Stephanie became older, there were many lessons continuously reinforced by her parents and teachers: do not lie, do not steal, do not
There were many moral lessons she had to learn the hard way, such as the time she stole an outfit from a high-end department store. Her mother discovered her misdeed, took her back to the store and forced her to tell the store manager what she had done. The store manager informed her that she was never allowed back in the store and other than that did not impose any further punishment. Stephanie’s mother was not satisfied with that outcome. Knowing that she had most likely not learned her lesson, her mother made her do chores around the house at minimum wage until she paid off her debt. Although it took several weeks, she learned a very valuable lesson. Stephanie never stole