James Rest

James Rest was a prominent figure in moral psychology, known for his work on moral development and the processes underlying moral reasoning. He proposed a model consisting of four components: moral sensitivity (recognizing ethical issues), moral judgment (deciding what is right), moral motivation (committing to act), and moral character (having the strength to act). Rest emphasized that moral behavior results from the interplay of these components, and he developed tools like the Defining Issues Test to measure moral reasoning. His work has significantly influenced how we understand ethical decision-making in individuals and organizations.