Within the framework of the International Conference on Ethics and Civilization, organized by Southeast University of China, Felipe Correa—professor at the Latin American School of Development Studies (ELADES) of ECLAC—presented the paper "An Aristotelian Theory of Moral Development," in which he proposed a contemporary reinterpretation of Aristotle's thought from the perspective of ethics and developmental psychology.

The conference, held in Nanjing, China, brought together experts from various disciplines to discuss the ethical foundations of contemporary civilization. In his address, Correa highlighted how a theory of moral development according to Aristotelian philosophy offers a cumulative and functionalist approach, based on the individual's potential and its progressive realization.

A Living Structure of Moral Development

In his presentation, Correa emphasized that ethical development is a necessary condition for integral human development, understood as the well-being of individuals and societies. And that, from this perspective, addressing the challenges of development necessarily requires addressing the challenges of the ethical development of the population.

He then pointed out that ethical development does not occur automatically or linearly. Thus, ethical virtue is not a spontaneous or innate state, but rather a capacity that people cultivate over time. This is achieved through socio-emotional education, laws, experience, and positive socialization.

According to this theory, mental architecture develops throughout four life stages: gestation, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each life stage has its own challenges, and it is the task of public policies to address ethical development at each stage according to its specificities.

The presentation concluded with a reflection on the catalysts of moral development, some of which are internal (such as love for what is noble or the passage of time) and others external (education, legislation, love, and family). Some of these elements have been recognized today in proposals for character education and socio-emotional education, where the concepts of ethical virtue, practical wisdom, and deliberation are of central importance.

International Conference on Ethics and Civilization

Prominent philosophers from various countries attended the event. Among them were Peter Singer of Princeton University, Jeff McMahan of Oxford University, Larry Temkin of Rutgers University, Christopher Shields of the University of California San Diego, Chris Fraser of the University of Hong Kong, Peter Tsu of National Chung Cheng University, and Elizabeth Ashford of the University of St. Andrews, among others.

The event served as a meeting point to put into perspective the greatest ethical challenges facing humanity and the possible paths to take to strengthen ethical reflection at a global level.