Knowledge of the self
OHT
5
- At the very core of human behaviour
- Vital to making appropriate decisions and also to
changing
one’s behaviour
- May inhibit personal improvement rather than
facilitate it:
implication is
that personal growth is avoided for fear of finding out that one is not
all that one would like to be
How increased
self-knowledge and personal growth can occur
- Information that is verifiable, predictable and
controllable is less likely to cause offence
- Through other people and interacting with
them
Four major areas of
self-awareness OHT 6
- Personal values: define an individual’s
basic
standards about what is good and bad, worthwhile and worthless,
desirable and undesirable, moral and immoral
- Cognitive style: the manner in which individuals
gather and
process information and which determines individual thought processes
and perceptions
- Orientation towards change: the methods one uses to
cope
with change in one’s environment and one’s
adaptability to change
- Interpersonal orientation: tendency to interact in
certain
ways with people and one’s behaviour patterns in these
interactions
Values
- Among the most stable and enduring characteristics of
individuals
- The basis upon which attitudes and personal
preferences are
formed
- The basis for crucial decisions, life directions and
personal tastes
- Individuals whose values are congruent with their
organisation’s values are more productive and
satisfied
Two general types of
values OHT
7
- Instrumental values: means-oriented relate to
morality and
competence
- Terminal values: ends-oriented prescribe desirable
ends or
goals for the individual
|
Values Maturity
Reasoning used to
reach a
decision about an issue that has value or moral connotations is
dependent on the values maturity of the individual
- The first level of maturity is the self-centred level:
moral reasoning and instrumental values are based on personal needs or
wants and on the consequences of an act
- The second level is the conformity
level: moral reasoning is based on conforming to and
upholding the conventions and expectations of society. This is
sometimes referred to as the “law and order”
level.
- The third level is the principled
level: it represents the most mature level of moral
reasoning. Right and wrong are judged on the internalised principles of
the individual: it is consistent, comprehensive and universal.
Ethical decision-making and values
Awareness of
one’s level of values maturity: important practical
implications for ethical decision-making
A decision can be considered right and proper if: OHT 8
- Everyone under the same circumstances would be
expected to
act in the same way: Universalism
- The individual making the decision would be willing
to be
treated in the same way: Reversibility
- It preserves the basic humanity of
individuals
and provided opportunities for them to have greater freedom: Dignity and Liberty
- It generated the greatest amount of good for the most
people while producing no harm: Utilitarianism
- The least advantaged individuals are benefitted: Distributive Justice
- It is consistent with a set of guidelines (eg
religious,
family, professional):
Personal
Morality
All of the above are
bases
for decision-making by magistrates in South Africa in the course of
their personal and professional lives. They will be seen in the case
studies, scenarios and exercises that are presented in this training
course on Judicial Ethics.
|