This thesis explores the integration of insights from moral psychology and moral character research into Official Development Aid (ODA) allocation criteria, arguing for its potential to enhance the moral foundations of development cooperation and improve aid effectiveness. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of geopolitical interests and the evolution of aid modalities, the discussion on aid allocation has largely overlooked moral considerations. By assuming a shift towards non-political allocation mechanisms and a genuine interest in aid effectiveness among donor governments, the thesis aims to substantiate the proposition that incorporating moral psychology and character research can strengthen the ethical basis of development cooperation. Through theoretical and practical research, the subsequent chapters endeavor to provide support for this proposition. Official Development Aid (ODA) allocation of bi- and multilateral donors should take into account insights from research in moral psychology and moral character. It is argued that among the reasons for doing so are strengthened moral foundations of development cooperation and increased aid effectiveness. Reflections on this topic are relevant, given that the link between aid recipient's moral outlooks and aid allocation criteria has received practically no attention in theorizing development cooperation, while voices critical towards this field of work have, if anything, increased considerably in recent years.
At a glance
- Examines German development aid allocation and its stated criteria
- 37 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Central Part
2.1. Official Development Aid, German Efforts and Criteria
2.2. Moral Psychology and Moral Character – what is it about
2.3. The case against Moral Psychology and Character in ODA Allocation
2.4. The case for Moral Psychology and Character in ODA Allocation
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This dissertation asks whether insights from moral psychology and moral character research should inform official development aid allocation. It examines the ethical and practical arguments for incorporating such insights, with particular attention to aid effectiveness and the moral foundations of development cooperation.
- Official development aid and German allocation criteria
- Moral psychology and conceptions of moral character
- Empirical approaches to personality and character
- Practical and ethical objections to incorporating moral research
- Governance, institutional conditions and aid effectiveness
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. Moral Psychology and Moral Character – what is it about
According to Doris and Stich (2014, p. 1), moral psychology “investigates human functioning in moral contexts, and asks how these results may impact debate in ethical theory. [It] is interdisciplinary, drawing on both the empirical resources of the human sciences and the conceptual resources of philosophical ethics”. For our purposes, this is straightforward – it means nothing else than empirically investigating how people (re)act in moral situations, and then channeling the results into theory building.
The notion of “moral character”, on the other hand, is not as straightforward, as its contents vary according to philosophical currents throughout the centuries. In the context of this paper, however, it is not overly important whether what we understand under “moral character” is linked to the idea of virtue in the ancient Greek’s sense (virtue being difficult to pin-point in its own right), or closer to natural law theorists such as Grotius or Kant who considered a person with good moral character to be one with high self-mastery or continence (Doris and Stich 2014). What is worth retaining is merely the following mélange, based on the author’s own interpretation of the notion of moral character: a) for any given situation, individuals possibly act differently, b) some courses of action can be considered more ethical than others, c) a person’s character, that is the combination of physical, biological, educational and societal influences that constitute it’s being at any moment, determines it’s actions. This understanding embraces the alleged “threats” of situationism, however interpreting it as the suggestion that character traits are not a single all-overwriting algorism that is carved in stone, but function rather like a regression analysis, in the sense that they may change with the introduction of additional variables.
When deciding about who is at the ODA receiving end, taking into account the limited resources and multiple (worthwhile) topics and regions that it could go to, considering “how people tick” in moral situations seems to be a good idea. For the recipient, handling large sums of money in the light of allsorts of local pressures and dubious incentives is an inherently moral situation. The moral compass of individuals matters, and I would even go as far as arguing that it matters more than well-functioning governance structures. In the majority of ODA projects and programs, partner institutions (e.g. ministries and other public entities) do not, for various reasons, function properly – the improvement of which oftenis the objective of donor financed projects and programs. However, development practitioners would surely sign the claim that it is preferable to be working with a “good guy” in a damaged institution than with a “crook” in a perfect set-up.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: The author introduces the proposed connection between moral psychology and aid allocation, situating it in debates about donor interests, poverty reduction and aid effectiveness. The chapter also sets out the assumptions underlying the argument.
2. Central Part: The central discussion examines German development aid criteria and introduces moral psychology and character research. It then considers objections to incorporating these insights into allocation decisions alongside arguments in their favor.
3. Conclusion: The final chapter returns to the dissertation’s central argument and considers how moral research might also inform institutional and organizational development. It identifies justice sensitivity as a possible direction for further inquiry.
Keywords
official development aid, aid allocation, development cooperation, moral psychology, moral character, aid effectiveness, Germany, governance, ethical theory, personality, character research, justice sensitivity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this dissertation about?
It examines whether research on moral psychology and moral character should inform decisions about allocating official development aid.
What are its central themes?
The principal themes include development aid allocation, moral behavior, character, governance, institutional conditions and aid effectiveness.
What is the primary research question?
The dissertation asks whether insights into moral psychology and character can provide a useful and ethically defensible contribution to aid allocation criteria.
What scholarly method does the author use?
The author develops a philosophical argument using published theoretical and empirical research, presenting objections and arguments in favor of the proposal.
What does the main discussion cover?
It considers German development aid criteria, introduces moral psychology and character research, and weighs practical and ethical arguments against and for their use in allocation decisions.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include official development aid, moral psychology, moral character, aid allocation, governance and aid effectiveness.
Why does the author discuss Germany?
Germany provides a concrete context for examining the principles, international commitments and thematic and regional considerations associated with development aid allocation.
Which approaches to character does the dissertation introduce?
It introduces the Cognitive-Affective Personality System, the Big 5 model and the Values in Action model as approaches to understanding or assessing aspects of character and personality.
What objections to the proposal are considered?
The author discusses practical difficulties, the risk of disadvantaging innocent beneficiaries, and the argument that governance and institutional conditions should receive priority.
- Quote paper
- Jan Prothmann (Author), 2019, How Insights from Moral Psychology and Character Research can aid Development Cooperation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1466029
