Values Based Decision Making
Every student possesses potential and the capacity to learn and be successful. The challenge for educators is to foster a sense of purpose within students to guide them towards unearthing their talents and the actualization of their potentialities. Thoughtful and measured decision making that establishes a culture of thinking would be a critical factor in this development.
How do we as educators and parents awaken the ‘sense of purpose’ or ‘path to purpose’ in our students? Some students seem to develop a natural passion and motivation for learning and work to achieve with a real sense of direction while some can be task orientated and participate because they have to and do not think much beyond their day-to-day existence. Other students will have moments of purpose but have not quite yet established a sustained commitment to any particular aspiration.
Obviously, a sense of purpose or aspirations within students do not appear over night and in most cases develop over time based upon home, educational and life experiences. It is not easy to communicate and reveal the link that knowledge and skills we expect students to learn in school are important for their future lives and ambitions. Having a sense of purpose provides greater meaning and depth to short and long term goals and motivates them to apply their efforts with focus and imagination.
Before parents or educators could even consider discussing a ‘sense of purpose’ or a ‘what’s it all about?’ conversation with children and students, certain foundations need to be laid and seeds sown to till the and fertilize the soil. In society today, more than ever, our children and youth face a barrage of media and social influences that significantly and powerfully shape the development of young minds. Much of this content is geared towards self interests and instant gratification, which can be a distraction and hindrance to the positive outcomes of their future. Therefore, homes and schools face increased challenges to cultivate the characteristics and dispositions required to counter the social and cultural pressures in our modern society.
There is one area where parents and educators could work in partnership in the hope of igniting a spark or passion within students for them to expand their horizons and create opportunities to realise their sense of purpose. We need to focus on the common core needs of every individual and build a solid foundation upon this corner stone of human development.
Every human being desires two things in life: success and happiness.
The desire for happiness is a natural aspiration for all humans. However, it is what constitutes happiness that can vary between individuals. Individuals believe that acquiring great wealth, power or fame would deliver a happy life. Others feel that entertainment and participating in the various pleasures of life will make them happy.
There is one common factor in every individual’s success and happiness – other people and how we interact and communicate with them.
“Various scientific studies have proven that if you learn how to deal with other people, you will have gone 85% of the way down the road to success in any business, occupation, or profession, and about 99% of the way to personal happiness.” p. 1 ‘The Art of Dealing With People’ by Les Giblin
One of the critical factors to the achievement of success and happiness in life lies in an individual’s decision making ability and how they respond to the various circumstances of life. Right decision making is dependent upon an individual’s disposition. What are the values or virtues that need to be fostered within students to develop the disposition needed for good conduct and decision making?
Prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance are known as the chief moral virtues and they are also called cardinal virtues. These virtues are called cardinal virtues because they are like hinges on which hang all the other moral virtues and values that make up our whole moral life. The word ‘cardinal’ is derived from the Latin word ‘cardio’ meaning hinge.
Aristotle saw virtues as habits of acting or dispositions that could be developed to conduct oneself in appropriate ways in response to situations. He believed there is a distinctive mode of thinking or deliberative reasoning that provides for moral and ethical decision making. Aristotle called prudence, practical intelligence. Therefore, good conduct develops from habits that in turn can only be acquired by repeated action and correction, making moral values or virtues an intensely practical discipline.
Thomas Aquinas believed the powers of the intellect were the origins or principles of human action and that they could be used affectively or inadequately. Like Aristotle he understood that using the powers of the intellect repeatedly well, enabled individuals to establish virtuous decision making as a habit over time.
Both Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas in their writings described the intellectual virtue of practical reasoning as a means to discern and make effective choices that enable individuals to lead a happy life. The Roman philosopher Cicero saw the four cardinal virtues as civic virtues that were personal habits necessary for social harmony.
On the Decision Making page of this blog is an outline of the four cardinal virtues that could be used as a guide for values based decision making or as a tool to reflect and evaluate decisions made.
