Moral Development Theory PDF

## Moral Development Theory - Lawrence Kohlberg formulated a theory asserting that individuals progress through six distinct stages of moral reasoning from infancy to adulthood. - He grouped these stages into three broad categories of moral reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conven...

## Moral Development Theory - Lawrence Kohlberg formulated a theory asserting that individuals progress through six distinct stages of moral reasoning from infancy to adulthood. - He grouped these stages into three broad categories of moral reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Each level is associated with increasingly complex stages of moral development. - Kohlberg suggested that people move through these stages in a fixed order and that moral understanding is linked to cognitive development. - Kohlberg's levels of moral development are as follows: - **The Pre conventional level:** children accept the authority (and moral code) of others. If an action leads to punishment, it must be bad. If it leads to a reward, it must be good. There is also a sense in which decisions concerning what is good are defined in terms of what is good for us. - **The Conventional level:** children believe that social rules and the expectations of others determine what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior. A social system that stresses the responsibilities of relationships and social order is seen as desirable and must, therefore, influence our views of right and wrong. - **The Post conventional level:** here what is right is based on an individual's understanding of universal ethical principles. What is considered morally acceptable in any given situation is determined by what is the response most in keeping with these principles. ### Level 1 - Pre conventional Morality - Pre conventional morality is the first level of moral development, lasting until approximately age 8. - During this level, children accept the authority (and moral code) of others. - **Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment Orientation.** The child/individual is good to avoid being punished. If a person is punished, they must have done wrong. - **Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange.** At this stage, children recognize that there is not just one right view handed down by the authorities. Different individuals have different viewpoints. ### Level 2 - Conventional Morality - Conventional morality is the adolescent phase of moral development focused on societal norms and external expectations to discern right from wrong, often grounded in tradition, cultural practices, or established codes of conduct. - We internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models at the conventional level (most adolescents and adults). - **Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships.** The child/individual is good to be seen as being a good person by others. Therefore, answers relate to the approval of others. - **Stage 4. Law and Order Morality.** The child/individual becomes aware of the wider rules of society, so judgments concern obeying the rules to uphold the law and avoid guilt. ### Level 3 - Post conventional Morality - Post conventional morality is the third level of moral development and is characterized by an individual's understanding of universal ethical principles. - Post conventional morality is when people decide based on what they think is right rather than just following the rules of society. This means that people at this level of morality have their own ethical principles and values and don't just do what society tells them to do. - At this level, people think about what is fair, what is just, and what values are important. - **Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual Rights.** The child/individual becomes aware that while rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest number, there are times when they will work against the interest of particular individuals. The issues are not always clear-cut. For example, in Heinz's dilemma, the protection of life is more important than breaking the law against stealing. ## Piaget's Theory of Moral Development - Kohlberg's theory is an expansion of Piaget's theory of moral development. - Piaget described a three-stage process of moral development: - **Stage 1:** The child is more concerned with developing and mastering their motor and social skills, with no general concern about morality. - **Stage 2:** The child develops unconditional respect both for authority figures and the rules in existence. - **Stage 3:** The child starts to see rules as being arbitrary, also considering an actor's intentions when judging whether an act or behavior is moral or immoral. - Kohlberg expanded on this theory to include more stages in the process. - Additionally, Kohlberg believed that the final stage is rarely achieved by individuals whereas Piaget's stages of moral development are common to all. ## Moral Foundations Theory - Proposed by Jonathan Haidt, Craig Joseph, and Jesse Graham, the moral foundations theory is based on three morality principles: - **Intuition develops before strategic reasoning.** Put another way, our reaction comes first, which is then followed by rationalization. - **Morality involves more than harm and fairness.** Contained within this second principle are a variety of considerations related to morality. It includes: care vs. harm, liberty vs. oppression, fairness vs. cheating, loyalty. vs. betrayal, authority vs. subversion, and sanctity vs. degradation. - **Morality can both bind groups and blind individuals.** When people are part of a group, they will tend to adopt that group's same value systems. They may also sacrifice their own morals for the group's benefit. ## Normative Theories of Moral Behavior - Several other theories exist that attempt to explain the development of morality, specifically in relation to social justice. - Some fall into the category of transcendental institutionalist, which involves trying to create "perfect justice." - Others are realization-focused, concentrating more on removing injustices. - One theory falling into the second category is social choice theory. - Social choice theory is a collection of models that seek to explain how individuals can use their input (their preferences) to impact society as a whole. - An example of this is voting, which allows the majority to decide what is "right" and "wrong." ## Criticisms for Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development - Kohlberg's theory played an important role in the development of moral psychology. - While the theory has been highly influential, aspects of the theory have been critiqued for a number of reasons: - **Moral reasoning does not equal moral behavior:** Kohlberg's theory is concerned with moral thinking, but there is a big difference between knowing what we ought to do versus our actual actions. Moral reasoning, therefore, may not lead to moral behavior. - **Overemphasizes justice:** Critics have pointed out that Kohlberg's theory of moral development overemphasizes the concept of justice when making moral choices. Factors such as compassion, caring, and other interpersonal feelings may play an important part in moral reasoning. ## Applications for Kohlberg's Theory - Understanding Kohlberg's theory of moral development is important in that it can help parents guide their children as they develop their moral character. - Parents with younger children might work on rule obeyance, for instance, whereas they might teach older children about social expectations. - Teachers and other educators can also apply Kohlberg's theory in the classroom, providing additional moral guidance. - A kindergarten teacher could help enhance moral development by setting clear rules for the classroom, and the consequences for violating them. This helps kids at stage one of moral development.