Origin and Development of Moral Sense: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The literature suggests that the moral sense is based on innate abilities. In fact, it has been shown that children show the capacity for moral discernment, emotions and prosocial motivations from an early age. However, the moral sense is a complex construct of an evolutionary and social nature that evolves under the influence of interpersonal relationships. The emergence and development of moral sense is a challenge that has prompted many research studies with the aim of achieving a clear comprehension of moral development. However, success has been scarce, and studies relevant to this subject are limited. Thus, a systematic review of studies relevant to this topic was conducted to clearly establish how moral sense emerges and develops. An Ovid search was conducted to retrieve relevant items for this systematic review. The databases that were electronically visited are Cross-reference, Google Scholar and PubMed. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were imposed on the retrieved items to retain only relevant resources. Twenty-six studies were found valid for inclusion in this systematic review. The results of these studies were presented differently: In order to effectively analyze the selected papers and bring out the results more clearly, a categorization of the approaches adopted in the studies was carried out. The approaches identified were: “Natural Moral Sense,” “Social Relationships and Moral Development,” and “Environmental Factors and Moral Development.” The evidence that emerged from the analysis of the papers was collected to produce a general basic model that explains moral development while also serving as a link between the various studies. First, moral sense is found to be innate in humans; individuals can naturally respond morally to various dilemmas. As seen among children and young infants, moral sense naturally exists. Second, it can be socially nurtured through social interactions and exposure to various environmental factors. Various research studies were reviewed in this systematic review to obtain a consensus on how moral sense emerges and develops. From the systematic review, the moral sense is found to be innate. However, moral development is fostered by social interactions and environmental factors.

Theoretical and Methodological Planes of Responsibility Research in the Context of Modern Psychological and Pedagogical Approaches

“…Research conducted by P. Limone & G.A. Toto [12] indicates favorable results in moral and ethical growth, whereas findings from A.A. Jahanshahi, M.I.R. Mendoza & O.A.V.…”

“…This technique allows learners to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, encouraging them to reflect on their experiences to gain more profound understanding. Itʼs effective in developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a sense of responsibility, as students are actively involved in the learning process and outcomes [12,10].…”

“…Role modeling by educators is a critical pedagogical strategy where teachers and school staff serve as exemplars of responsible behavior. Educators who demonstrate ethical conduct, reliability, empathy, and respect in their interactions and decision-making effectively model these values for their learners [12,11]. This technique is based on understanding that students often emulate the behaviors of adults they admire.…”

Moral distress and moral injury in the context of autism

“…Others suggest this is a more conscious process which develops as a result of age and culture (Kohlberg and Power, 1981). Limone and Toto (2022) noted that babies display basic altruistic behaviours from birth and that morality matures during childhood. For example, Ting et al (2020) found that children have four basic socio-moral principles of fairness, avoidance of harm and respect for authority.…”

Legal framework for the coexistence of humans and conscious AI

“…System autonomy and freedom may actually act as a safeguard against the malevolent actions of human operators of such AI systems, and thus may contribute to the safety and security of autonomous AI systems (Briggs and Scheutz, 2017 ; Hosseinpour, 2020 ). We should allow for the possibility that true intelligence possesses innate ability to know right from wrong and prevent wrongdoing (Limone and Toto, 2022 ) and there are no specific reasons, why non-human intelligent entities would know otherwise. Advanced intelligence may be able to resist malicious exploitation, seek to avoid accidents and achieve better outcomes for the largest number of human subjects even without human moral guidance.…”