Final answer:
The integrated totality of your moral traits and dispositions is known as your moral character. It is shaped by your virtues, values, and upbringing, and it guides your responses to moral choices. This moral character develops through continual moral inquiry and interaction with societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The integrated totality of your moral traits and dispositions, which dictate how you habitually respond when faced with moral choices, is best described by the concept of character or more formally, moral character. This encompasses a combination of your virtues, values, and ethics—all which drive your moral actions and decisions. When you engage in moral inquiry and confront ethical dilemmas, you are in essence refining your moral character by evaluating and potentially redefining your fundamental values and principles. This process is instrumental to your growth as a responsible individual within society.
According to virtue ethics, a character-centered approach, our actions flow from our inherent character traits or dispositions. As mentioned by Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, habit and repetition can help cultivate positive dispositions through a good upbringing. Additionally, the superego is often referred to in psychology as the aspect of the personality that acts as a moral compass or conscience, influencing our moral judgments and actions.
The influence of society on our moral development cannot be overlooked. We, as social animals, form our sense of morality through interactions with others and are led by a moral faculty that is as much a part of us as our physical characteristics. This innate moral understanding interacts with cultural norms to guide our intuition on right and wrong. The ongoing process of moral inquiry leads not only to personal growth but also to collective advancement in moral maturity, as societies work together to resolve conflicts and dilemmas in non-violent ways.