A Study On The Driving Force For The Internalization Of Morality

The emergence, development and mode of operation of human morality determine that moral education is a transition from the external norms to internal consciousness, and then to reproduction of behaviors, which is what is called moral internalization. In fact, the ultimate purpose of ethics is supposed to transform or assimilate the external moral standards or norms to inherent moral entity of individuals, i.e. to internalize morality. In the field of moral education of our times, it is often felt that the power of individuals' moral requirement is insufficient, which then have become an important and pressing issues of ethics.In this paper analyzed and discussed was the external power or force and internal driving force for the internalization of morality and its suggestion of moral education at present, on the base of which, further policy for strengthening individuals' inner driving force of morality was explored.Firstly, involved is a few basic concepts concerned, and then moral internalization (including external and internal driving forces) was dealt with. The internal driving force is inner motives that exist in individuals or the educated as they are morally-educated and then internalized, which depends upon their moral requirement and degree concerned with dynamic external conditions, i.e. political, economic, cultural, social pressure, public opinions, the moral atmosphere and the morality of a family where an individual lives and works, and moral educating methods. In view of this the importance of research in this area was mentioned.Secondly, the inner driving force of moral internalization was anatomized. It is pointed out that the moral requirement is the original motive force that promotes an individual to internalize morality, and the necessity, possibility and the so-called pyramid of moral requirements were also analyzed, and then discussed were the suggestion of the internal driving force and internalization with regard to today's moral education. That is, to achieve the moral internalization we must study the psychological needs of individuals and motivate their moral needs, make great efforts for individuals to be more morally self-conscious, and tried hard to study internal contradictions of individuals.Thirdly, the external force for the internalization was expounded by discussing their performance and necessity. In day-to-day life, behaving morally or not depends both on the size of its inner moral driving force and the external moral force that exists in the community where an individual lives. According to factors concerning different driving forces, the forces can be divided into external promotion and external punishment, and then Mentioned was the suggestions that the external force for the internalization had made for today's moral education, that is, a good moral environment and continuously self-cultivation of educators were very important to facilitate the internalization.Finally, methods and prescriptions to improve moral internalizational force was explored. It is stressed that external and internal forces must be combined to encourage individuals to be morally-educated and morally self cultivated. The traditional courses of moral education should be reformed and integrated to form a relatively new morally-educated system in this knowledge-based economy, so it is urgent to establish new mode or patterns of moral education which is suitable and effective to the practical conditions in China...