The question central to this research is how people maintain equilibrium between their moral ideals and recollected discrepant behaviour. This common phenomenon is considered from the perspective of moral psychology. It is carried out in the context of a faith community, and at points draws on concepts and findings from the field of psychology of religion. It forms part of a longer standing practical theology project on the part of the author, and takes place in the context of wider research into moral dissonance. This is real world research. The principal data come from the transcriptions of semi-structured interviews with 56 people of good standing in Anglican churches in South West England. The central research question was approached obliquely, in the context of the articulation of each participant's own moral ideals. The data-set was analysed using Thematic Analysis. The work is informed by a preparatory exercise in self reflection undertaken through a seminar with colleagues. It draws upon the author's earlier research with chaotic heroin addicts in Pakistan. Recently moral psychology has explored actual choices as well as hypothetical dilemmas, and common behaviour such as lying and cheating as well as serious events such as violent crime. The thesis adds to knowledge by focusing on the issue of recollection of behaviour of light moral gravity, and the construction of a framework for moral psychology which has received some preliminary road testing by application to the analysis of moral choices as remembered by real people. This is particularly relevant to faith communities, where the morality of behaviour is an aspect of shared identity. The study suggests three ways in which people maintain moral equilibrium, which are labelled, Change & Commitment, Engagement & Environment, and Self-Identity & Emotional Disposition, linked to the moral perspectives of Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Character-Ethics, and highlighting internal divisions within the person. These divisions were, respectively, past/present/future, internality/externality, and actual/ideal.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:678741 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Primrose, David Edward Snodgrass |
| Publisher | University of the West of England, Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25496/ |
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