Kohlberg's Stages Of Moral Development example essay topic

Lawrence Kohlberg conducted research on the moral development of children. He wanted to understand how they develop a sense of right or wrong and how justice is served. Kohlberg used surveys in which he included moral dilemmas where he asked the subjects to evaluate a moral conflict. Through his studies, Kohlberg observed that moral growth and development precedes through stages such as those of Piaget's stages of cognitive development.

He theorized that moral growth begins at the beginning of life and continues until the day one dies. He believed that people proceed through each stage of moral development consecutively without skipping or going back to a previous stage. The stages of thought processing, implying qualitatively different modes of thinking and of problem solving are included in the three levels of pre-conventional, conventional and post conventional development. (2) At the pre-conventional level, behavior is motivated by anticipation of pleasure or pain. The child is aware of cultural rules and labels of good or bad and right or wrong.

(1) The subject interprets the labels in terms of the physical consequence, such as punishment or reward. (3) The child has an extreme self-interest. The first level of moral thinking is generally found at the elementary school level, before the age of 9. This level is divided into the following two stages. (2) The first stage is the punishment and obedience orientation. This is observed in children ages 1-5.

The subject is in avoidance of physical punishment and deference to power. The child behaves according to the socially acceptable norms, due to the fear of punishment by an authority figure. (4) The physical consequences of an action determine its goodness or badness. "What is right is to avoid breaking rules, to obey for obedience's sake, and to avoid doing physical damage to people and property". An example of stage one is evident in the soldiers of the holocaust who were asked to simply "carry out orders" under the threat of being punished. This illustrates that adults, as well as children may possibly be functioning at stage one.

(2) An individual at this stage doesn't consider the thoughts or feelings of others, nor are they able to relate two points of view. As in Piaget's framework, ego-centrism and the inability to consider the perspectives of others characterize the reasoning of stage one. (8) Stage two is the individual instrumental purpose and exchange orientation. Subjects usually between the ages of 5 to 10 are observed maintaining the attributes of being "self-serving".

(4) This stage is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one's own best interest and occasionally taking into consideration the needs of others. There is an early emergence of moral reciprocity. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". The individual will do what is necessary to satisfy his own needs not concentrating on loyalty or gratitude. Justice becomes "Do unto others as they do unto you". What is right is the immediate interest in the form of an equal exchange, deal or agreement.

A subject at this stage of moral development has a basic understanding that norms and conventions are necessary to uphold society. (2) The motto of this stage is "What's in it for me?" Elements of sharing are present but are interpreted in a physical pragmatic way. (4) The second level of moral development is the conventional level. At this level, the adolescent begins to accept the rules and standards of one's family or group. This level of moral thinking is generally found in society.

The attitude of the individual is to maintain, support, and justify social order and identify with the persons or group involved. This level is divided into the stages of interpersonal conformity and law and order orientation, with a transition stage before the post conventional level. (3) An individual at the interpersonal conformity or "good boy / girl " stage define what is right in terms of what is expected by people close to one's self. The characteristics of this stage are observed in subjects, ages 8 to 16. (2) Good behavior is what pleases or helps others and is approved by them. "What is right is living up to what is expected by people close to one or what people generally expect of people in one's role as son, sister, friend and so on".

Being good means keeping mutual friendships / relationships that include trust, loyalty, respect and gratitude. Sin is an infringement of the expectations at this social level, retribution, however, may be collective. (4) Forgiveness is preferred to revenge, for individual vengeance is not allowed. Failure to punish is viewed as "unfair".

If he can get away with it why can't I?" The third stage of moral development is where the subject begins to truly regard other individual's personal thoughts. The individual relates points of view and begin to put oneself in the other person's shoes. (2) They are aware of other people's feeling and are sensitive to how his / her choices effect others. (4) Stage four of Lawrence Kohlbergs theory is that of a law and order orientation. The majority or people 16 years old and older have accustomed to societies rules and expectations. (2) This stage is where the subject abides by the rules and laws established by the larger social system.

"Right" behavior consists of doing one's duty. These duties include showing respect for authority, and maintaining local norms. "The reason for doing what is believed to be right is to keep the institution going as a whole... ". Justice demands that a wrongdoer be punished, that he "pay his debt to society", and that the law abides be awarded. "A good day's pay for a good day's work".

Injustice is failing to reward hard work or punish demerit. "Laws are to be upheld except in extreme cases where they conflict with other fixed social duties and rights". (4) The subject at this stage maintains the perspective that obeying the law is necessary in order to maintain the system of laws that protect everyone. (3) In between stages four and five there is a belief that there is a transitional stage.

This stage is considered to be post conventional but it is not yet principled. Many college students tend to show evidence of this transitional stage. (2) Choices become emotional and conscience is relative and random. The individual is able to make decisions without a contract with society. One can pick their obligations, defined by society but one has no principles for such choice. A "do your own thing" mentality is app arent in this stage.

(4) Individual reasoning and principles rather than the social perspective characterizes the post conventional or principled morality level. (1) The subject makes an effort to develop an individual identification apart from the group. Moral values and ethic principles are concentrated in this level. Kohlberg felt that the majority of adults never actually reach this level of moral development. (8) Some don't get past everything being about "number 1" or "me".

Others are always concerned about what their social group labels to be good or bad. Stage five is the prior rights and social contract orientation. Moral action is no longer defined by a checklist of rules, but from upholding rights, values or principles that could or could not be agreeable to all individuals in society. (3) What is "right" is being aware of the fact that people hold a variety of values and opinions and that most values and rules are relative to one's group.

These relative rules should be upheld, but the subject has natural rights and values, such as life and liberty, that must be upheld by society. Reasons for doing so may be a feeling of being obligated to obey the law because one has a social contract to abide by the laws for the good of all and to protect their own rights and the rights of others. (4) "The greatest food for the greatest number" This stage takes a prior-to-society perspective. The subject considers the moral / legal point of view, recognizes the conflict, and may find it difficult to integrate them. The "official" morality of the American government and Constitution comes into play at this stage, for society has agreed upon the standards of both.

The freedom of the individual should be limited by society only when it infringes on someone else's freedom. (2) This can only be realized when one is aware that the world does not revolve around one's self and that their freedoms are similar in value or others in one's group. (4) The final stage of moral development is the universal ethical principle orientation. Stage six may be rarely reached by the human race, or at least in Kohlberg's experience.

He could find very few nominees to define or observe the movement in this stage. (1) A subject that reaches this stage acts out of universal principles based on the equality and worth of all human beings. Having rights means more than just individual liberties. It means that every individual is due to be considered and each interest is of equal importance. A list of rules is no longer necessary. The reason for doing "right" is that, one has seen the validity of principles and has become committed to them.

These are universal principles of justice, of the equality of human rights, and of respect for the dignity of human beings as individual persons. (4) Kohlberg believed that individuals progress through one stage at a time. A subject was not capable of "jumping" stages. There only is the ability to come to a comprehension of moral rationale one stage above one's own existing level. (3) According to Kohlberg it was important to subject the individual to more challenging moral dilemmas that would encourage development into a "higher stage". Kohlberg as well as Piaget believed that most moral development occurs with the aging process and through social interaction.

(8) There is some controversy that Kohlberg's theory of moral development is sexist towards women. His six stages that describe the development of moral judgment from childhood to adulthood are based on a study of eighty-four males. Kohlberg believed that the female race could only reach the third stage of his six-stage sequence. At this stage, morality is expressed in interpersonal terms and goodness is associated with helping or pleasing others. Kohlberg generally believed that women were too emotional and this affected their ability to mature to higher stages. If women were to engage in male activities they may realize the inadequacy of their fellow women moral perspective, and only in this way will they progress, like men, toward higher stages where relationships are subordinate to rules and rules to universal principles of justice.

(5) Another criticism of Kohlberg's stages of moral development is that his theory is based on thinking and logic, neglecting the feelings of others. Children of 3 or 4 are able empathize with others and try to help. (4) Caring does not require middle age reasoning but requires feelings. Kohlberg tends to focus on the individual instead of what makes up the moral community. Thus, he doesn't necessarily balance self / group orientation. (5) A look at the growth and development of Lawrence Kohlberg helps one to acknowledge his findings for moral development.

He was born into wealth on October 25, 1927 in Bronxville, New York. He enjoyed the rich lifestyle and attended the finest college prep schools. He was not overly concerned with his lifestyle and became a sailor in WWI. He played an instrumental role in smuggling Jews though the British blockade of Palestine. Upon his return to America he began his undergraduate career as a psychology major at University of Chicago. He completed his B.A. in one year.

In 1958, Kohlberg completed his PhD. His thesis dealt with moral decision-making and was based on the earlier work of Jean Piaget. He studied difference in children's reasoning about moral dilemmas. He hypothesized that moral difficulties motivated development through a group of flexible kinds of moral reasoning.

From his own ideas of moral reasoning he developed a series of stages describing moral development. In 1973, while in Central America, Kohlberg developed a rare and unknown tropical disease. This disease ruined his health and brought about severe depression. On January 18, 1987 Kohlberg was reported missing. His body was later discovered in a swamp area where it is believed that he took his own life. (6) Kohlberg's theory of the stages of moral development has gained some popularity despite being controversial.

The claim that the levels form a "ladder", the bottom being the immature child with a pre-conventional level and the top being a post conventional ethical individual. The sequence is unvarying and the subject must begin at the bottom with aspirations to reach the top, possibly doing so. (7) Research confirms that individuals from different cultures actually progress according to Kohlbergs theory, at least to the conventional level. Kohlberg's stages of moral development continue to provide a foundation for psychology studies of moral reasoning. (6) Word count: 2,167.