From Lawyer to Leader: An Analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s Moral Self

Abstract

Moral exemplars provide us with important case studies of optimal moral flourishing. Although most historians rate Abraham Lincoln as the most moral American president, their analyses do not utilize the perspective of moral development theory or research. This project asked whether such a perspective could contribute to a better understanding of Lincoln’s abundantly well-examined self and actions. This study examined the moral self of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln through close textual analysis of his brief autobiographical writings and his ethical turning point, his 1854 Peoria Speech attacking the morality of slavery. Even the limited sample of one major speech and three brief writings about life events provided evidence for the usefulness of McAdams’ method of examining life narratives for central themes and textual elements and for Colby and Damon’s (1992) method of interviewing exemplars and identifying common traits. Our methods allowed for no carefully constructed interview or clarification questions but rather relied on historical texts constructed for political goals. Major figures in the exploration of moral selves suggest that the centrality of morality to people’s sense of self lies at the heart of moral motivation and action. Studies of historical moral exemplars provide individuals and organizations with powerful role models for optimal ethical functioning and highlight the importance of fostering the centrality of morality in organizational leaders.

Citation

Vozzola, E.C., Cimbala, P.A. and Palmunen, K. (2015), "From Lawyer to Leader: An Analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s Moral Self", The Ethical Contribution of Organizations to Society (Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations, Vol. 14), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 177-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1529-209620150000014008