Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral - · PDF fileKohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development...

Kohlberg’sTheoryofMoralDevelopment�  LawrenceKohlbergwasacognitivepsychologistwhoapplieddevelopmentalpsychologyspecificallytomoraldevelopment.Heidentifiedthreeprimarystagesofmoraldevelopmentandtwosubstageswithineach.Thethreeprimarystagesare:

� Pre-conventionalmoralthinking� Conventionalmoralthinking� Post-conventionalmoralthinking

Background

� Thetheoryconcernsitselfwiththereasonsbehindanaction,andnottheactionitself

� Sixpeoplecandothesamething,buteachofthemmaydoitfordifferentreasons

� Peopleareattractedtohigherstages� Encounteringmoraldilemmasallowsforgrowth

StagesofMoralReasoningLEVEL1(Pre-Conventional)–FOCUSONTHESELF�  Stage1:PunishmentandObedience�  Stage2:PersonalUsefulnessLEVEL2(Conventional)–FOCUSONOTHERS�  Stage3:ConformingtotheWilloftheGroup�  Stage4:AuthorityandSocialOrder(LawandOrder)LEVEL3(Post-Conventional)–FOCUSONPRINCIPLES�  Stage5:SocialContractandHumanRights�  Stage6:UniversalEthicalPrinciples(PersonalConscience)

Stage1–PunishmentandObedience� Thisstagegenerallyoccursfromtheagesof2-6� Atthisstage,childrenseerulesasfixedandabsolute� Physicalconsequencesdeterminethegoodnessorbadnessofanact.

� Avoidanceofpunishmentisthekeymotivation� Thepersonsubmitstopowerandauthoritytoavoidpunishment

Example� Youdoyourchoresbecauseyoudonotwanttogetgrounded.

Stage2–PersonalUsefulness� Thisstagegenerallyoccursfromtheagesof7-11� Whatisrightisthatwhichsatisfiesone’sownneedsandoccasionallytheneedsofothers.

� Humanrelationsandfairnessareinterpretedinaphysicalandpragmaticway–whatisusefultome?

�  “YouscratchmybackandI’llscratchyours”isthebasicmentalityandmotivation.

Example� Volunteeringataretirementhomeforcommunityservicehours

Stage3–ConformingtotheWilloftheGroup

� Thisstagegenerallyoccursfromtheagesof11-25� Goodbehaviouristhatwhichpleasesorhelpsothersandgetsapprovalfromthem

� Oneconformstostandardideasofappropriatebehaviour

� Oneearnsacceptancebybeing‘nice’� Peopleinthisstagehaveagreatdesiretobelongtoagroupevenifitmeanscompromisingtheirownindividualbeliefsystem

Example� Youallowyourfriendtocheatoffyourtestbecauseyouwanthim/hertoappreciateyouandgiveyoucomplimentsfordoingso.

Stage4–LawandOrder� Thisstagegenerallybeginsaroundage15until25� Oneseesobediencetorulesfortheirownsakeasanecessarytomaintainorder

� Rightbehaviourconsistsofdoingone’sdutyandrespectingauthority

�  Flawsinthesystemareduetofailureoftheindividualstoobeythesystem

Example� YoudecidenottoJ-walkbecauseitisagainstthelaw.

Stage5–SocialContractandHumanRights

� Thisstagecanbereachedaroundages21-25� Therightactionisdescribedintermsofgeneralvaluesthathavebeenagreeduponbythewholesociety

�  Lawsarejustifiedbecausetheymaintainsocialorder� Onemayworkwithinthesystemiftheydesiretochangethelawforthebettermentofsociety

� Rightactionisseenasamatterofrespectingthedemocraticallyacceptedvaluesofsociety

�  Largelybasedontheprinciplesofethicalrelativism

Example� Becausewomenwereresortingtoback-alleyabortionsyoudecidetoencouragethegovernmenttolegalizeabortion.Youworkwithexistingsocialstructurestoimproveasituation.

Stage6–PersonalConscience� Thisstagegenerallybeginsaroundage15until25� Rightisadecisionofpersonalconscienceinagreementwithabstractethicalprinciplesthatapplytoallpersonseverywhere.

� Decisionsarebaseduponuniversalprinciplesofjustice,thereciprocityandequalityofhumanrights,andrespectforthedignityofhumanbeingsasindividualpersons

� Choicesaregroundedingenuinemoralinterestinthewell-beingofothers,regardlessofwhoorwheretheyare.

�  Largelybasedontheprinciplesofethicalabsolutism

Example� Becauseyoubelievetheprinciplethatallhumanlifeshouldberespectedequallyregardlessofthecircumstanceyoutrytochangetheexistingsocialstructures(cultural,media,religious)thatmakepregnantwomanbelievethattheironlyrealalternativeisabortion.Inthiscaseyouwillmostlikelybeworkingagainstexistingsocialinstitutions.

TheReality� Thesearenaturalsteps� Thereisnostage-skipping,butsometimesweslipbackwhenwearestressed

�  Someonecanbeatdifferentlevelsinvariousaspectsoflife� Onecanreasononewayandactanotherway�  Someindividualsbecomestuckinonestage–noteveryonereachesmaturemorality

�  15-20%ofAmericanadultscontinuetothinkatthepre-conventionallevel–½%reachStage6

Biases

� Menbasemoraljudgementonprinciplesofimpartialjustice,fairness,andequity

� Womenbasemoraljudgementonprinciplesofcaring,nurturingandresponsibility

� Womenexperienceintimacy,careandconcernatanearlieragethanmen

Kohlberg’sDilemmaExampleAwomanwasneardeathfromaspecialkindofcancer.Therewasonedrugthatthedoctorsthoughtmightsaveher.Itwasaformofradiumthatadruggistinthesametownhadrecentlydiscovered.Thedrugwasexpensivetomake,butthedruggistwaschargingtentimeswhatthedrugcosthimtoproduce.Hepaid$200fortheradiumandcharged$2,000forasmalldoseofthedrug.Thesickwoman'shusband,Heinz,wenttoeveryoneheknewtoborrowthemoney,buthecouldonlygettogetherabout$1,000,whichishalfofwhatitcost.Hetoldthedruggistthathiswifewasdyingandaskedhimtosellitcheaperorlethimpaylater.Butthedruggistsaid,"No,IdiscoveredthedrugandI'mgoingtomakemoneyfromit.”ShouldHeinzhavebrakeintothelaboratorytostealthedrugforhiswife?

Readthefollowingmoraldilemmaandelaborateonwhatthefather(you)woulddousingeachofKohlberg’ssixstagesofmoraldevelopment.ForeachofthesixcoursesofacUonexplainthereasonforchoosingthisacUonusingKohlberg’sdescripUonofthatstage.You are on holiday in Bali with your 18 year old son and wife. You have been there for a week and are ready to head home. All three of you are at the airport getting ready to board your plane, when an armed officer comes around with a sniffer dog. You have all your bags on a trolley, and the dog sniffs at both your wife and your bag, and passes over it, however when he gets to your sons bag, he begins to get a bit more active. You look over at your son and he’s looking a little nervous. You know he’s smoked a little marijuana in his time, but generally, he’s a good kid, and you certainly didn’t think he’d actually be stupid enough to bring it back on the plane with him. At first you feel angry that he would do such a thing and start planning your responsibility lecture, but then you realize that you are in Bali, and they have a zero tolerance policy on drugs, meaning your son could be jailed for life, or worse, executed, if he does have some illicit materials in his bag. You look at your wife and realize she has come to the same conclusion and has gone pale with fear. The armed officer accompanying the dog is beginning to look more stern with every sniff the dog takes and looks directly at you and asks you to open to the bag. You do, and as the officer begins to take things out of the bag, you see to your horror that there is a small quantity of marijuana stashed in with your sons belongings. The officer looks at you and asks “Who’s bag is this?” You realize you have to answer, but the answer won’t be easy. You see your wife in the corner of your eye, and she is about to step forward and claim it as her own; what do you say?

Pre-ConvenUonalExamplesSTAGEDESCRIPTION

ExamplesofMoralReasoningFavouringHeinz’sTheft

ExamplesofMoralReasoningOpposingHeinz’sTheft

PunishmentandObedience

- Heshouldstealthedrug,becauseheofferedtopayforitandbecauseitisonlyworth$200,notthe$2000thedruggistwascharging-Heshouldstealitbecauseifhelet’shiswifedie,hewouldfallintoadepressivestate

-Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becausehemightgetcaughtandsenttojail-hislaw-breakingwouldcausehimtofeelguilty

PersonalUsefulness

- Itisalrighttostealthedrug,becausehiswifeneedsittoliveandheneedshercompanionship- Heshouldstealthedrug,becausehiswifeneedsitandheisn’tdoinganyharmtothedruggistbecausehecanpayhimbacklater

- Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becausehemightgetcaughtandhiswifewouldprobablydiebeforehegetsoutofjail–itwouldn’tdomuchgood- Heshouldn’tsteal,becausethedruggistwasnotdoingabadthingbywantingtomakeaprofit

Pre-ConvenUonalExamplesSTAGEDESCRIPTION

ExamplesofMoralReasoningFavouringHeinz’sTheft

ExamplesofMoralReasoningOpposingHeinz’sTheft

ConformingtotheWilloftheGroup

- Heshouldstealthedrug,becausesocietyexpectsalovinghusbandtohelphiswiferegardlessoftheconsequences- Heshouldstealthedrug,becauseifhedidn’thisfamilywouldthinkhewasanuncaringhuman

- Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becausehewillbringdishonouronhisfamilyandtheywillbeashamedofhim- Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becausenoonewouldblamehimfordoingallhecouldlegally(Thedruggistwouldbetheheartlessone)

LawandOrder - Heshouldstealthedrug,becauseifhedidnothing,hewouldberesponsibleforhiswife’sdeath.Heshouldtakeitwiththeideaofpayingthedruggistback- Heshouldstealthedrug,becauseifpeoplelikethedruggistareallowedtogetawaywithbeinggreedyandselfish,societywouldeventuallybreakdown

- Heshouldnotstealthedrug,becauseifpeopleareallowedtotakethelawintotheirownhands,regardlessofhowtheyjustifyit,socialorderwouldbreakdown- Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becauseit’sstillalwayswrongtosteal

Post-ConvenUonalExamplesSTAGEDESCRIPTION

ExamplesofMoralReasoningFavouringHeinz’sTheft

ExamplesofMoralReasoningOpposingHeinz’sTheft

SocialContractandHumanRights

- Thetheftisjustified,becausethelawisnotsetuptodealwiththecircumstancesinwhichobeyingitwouldcostahumanlife.- Itisnotreasonabletosaythatstealingiswrong,becausethelawshouldnotallowthedruggisttodenysomeoneaccesstoalifesavingtreatment

- Youcan’treallyblamehimforstealingthedrug,butevensuchextremecircumstancesdonotjustifyapersontakingthelawintotheirownhands- Heshouldn’tstealthedrug,becauseeventuallyhewouldpaythepriceoflossofself-respectfordisregardingtherulesofsociety

UniversalEthicalPrinciples

- Hemuststealthedrug,becausewhenachoicemustbemadebetweendisobeyingalawandsavingalife,onemustactinaccordancewiththehigherprincipleofpreservingandrespectinglife- Heisjustifiedinstealingthedrug,becauseifhehadfailedinthisactiontosavehiswife,hewouldnothaveliveduptohisownstandardsofconscience

- Heinzmustconsidertheotherprinciplewhoneedthedrugjustasmuchashiswife.Bystealingthedrughewouldbeactinginaccordancewithhisownparticularfeelingswithutterdisregardforthevalueofallthelivesinvolved- Heshouldnotstealthedrug,becausethoughhewouldprobablynotbeblamedbyothers,hewouldhavetodealwithhisownself-condemnation,becausehedidnotliveuptohisownconscienceandstandardsofhonesty.