Moral intelligence is the capacity to understand right from wrong and to behave based on the value that is believed to be right[1] (similar to the notion of moral competence[2]).
Moral intelligence was first developed as a concept in 2005 by Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel, Ph.D.
Much of the research involved with moral intelligence agrees that this characteristic is ability-based, rather than trait-based.
Therefore, moral intelligence is seen as a skill that can be further developed with practice.
Beheshtifar, Esmaeli, and Moghadam (2011) claim that moral intelligence is the “’central intelligence’ for all humans.”[3]
It is considered a distinct form of intelligence, independent to both emotional and cognitive intelligence.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_intelligence
This is a critical point with Moral Intelligence which I had always proposed:
According to their research, moral intelligence is the driving force of our other forms of intelligences.
Rahimi (2011) claims that humans are born with a natural moral instinct and that moral decisions are made rapidly and subconsciously.
Beheshtifar and colleagues believe that within this moral instinct lies “inaccessible moral knowledge.”
-Ibid: