Download MORAL DEVELOPMENT and Kohlberg`s Theory of Moral

LEV VYGOTSKY
Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky also put forth a theory of cognitive development.
Vygotsky’s key differences with Piaget include:
-Vygotsky placed more emphasis on socio-cultural factors that he felt shape cognitive development while
Piaget, probably due to his background in biology, stressed biological aspects to a greater degree.
-Vygotsky disagreed with Piaget’s ideas regarding universal stages of cognitive development that all children
experience.
Vygotsky most famous concept is the Zone of Proximal Development. This is an important concept that relates to the
difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and
encouragement from a skilled partner or teacher.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT and Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning
Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg developed a theory that explained the development of moral reasoning. Kohlberg
outlined six stages within three different levels. You will be responsible for knowing the three levels as they are
described in your Baron’s review book.
Kohlberg based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of subjects. A series of moral dilemmas were
presented to children, who were then interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each
scenario. The following is one example of the dilemmas Kohlberg presented.
"The Heinz Dilemma"
In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It
was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist
was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the
drug.
The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000
which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But
the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the
man's store to steal the drug-for his wife. Should the husband have done that? (Kohlberg, 1963)."
As the name of Kohlberg’s theory suggests, he was not interested so much in the answer to the question of whether
Heinz was wrong or right, but in the reasoning for the participant’s decision. The responses were then classified into
three levels of moral reasoning.
Level 1. Preconventional Reasoning-Moral reasoning at this level involves making judgments based on personal needs.
Example: Take the drug because he would be sad if his wife dies or don’t take it because he might go to jail if caught.
Each of these reveals Preconventional Moral Reasoning.
Level 2. Conventional Reasoning- Moral reasoning at this level is based on the approval and expectations of others as
well as the laws and values of their society. Example: Take the drug because if your friends find out that your wife
died and you did not do all you could to save her they will think poorly of you. Or, don’t steal it because stealing is
against the law. Each of these reveals Conventional Moral Reasoning.
Level 3. Postconventional Reasoning- At this level moral reasoning involves close inspection of the rights and values
involved in the choice. Example: Steal the drug because your wife’s right to live outweighs the druggist’s right to make
money. This example reveals Postconventional Moral Reasoning.
Criticisms of Kohlberg
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Does Kohlberg's theory overemphasize Western philosophy? Individualistic cultures emphasize personal rights while
collectivist cultures stress the importance of society and community. Eastern cultures may have different moral
outlooks that Kohlberg's theory does not account for.
Does moral reasoning necessarily lead to 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.
Is justice the only aspect of moral reasoning we should consider? Critics such as Carol Gilligan have pointed out that
Kohlberg's theory of moral development overemphasizes the concept as justice when making moral choices. Factors
such as compassion, caring and other interpersonal feelings may play an important part in moral reasoning.
Gilligan
Kohlberg’s student Carol Gilligan pointed out that by using Kohlberg’s criteria that males are more likely to reason at
higher levels than females. She believes that there are gender differences in how moral thinking develops. According to
Gilligan’s research, boys have a more absolute view of morality that applies in all cases (she called this a “Morality of
Justice”). Girls, she believes, pay more attention to situational factors and will want to know more about factors such as
the relationships of those involved before making a moral decision (she called this a “Morality of Care”)