Download 6. kohlberg believed that only about 25% of persons ever grow to

Indiv./Soc.
LMHS
2010
Montaigne
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development - Explained & Illustrated
Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) was a well-known theorist in the field of moral development. He posed moral dilemmas
(e.g., Heinz Dilemma) to his subjects then asked questions to probe their reasons for recommending a specific course of
action
The Heinz Dilemma
1. Scenario
1
A woman was near death from a unique kind of cancer. There is a drug that might save her. The drug costs
$4,000 per dosage. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried
every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000. He asked the doctor scientist who discovered
the
drug
for
a
discount
or
let
him
pay
later.
But
the
doctor
scientist
refused.
Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?
2. Scenario
2
Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the drug. The next day, the newspapers reported the break-in and
theft. Brown, a police officer and a friend of Heinz remembered seeing Heinz last evening, behaving suspiciously
near the laboratory. Later that night, he saw Heinz running away from the laboratory.
Should Brown report what he saw? Why or why not?
3. Scenario
3
Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If convicted, he faces up to two
years'
jail.
Heinz
was
found
guilty.
Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison? Why or why not?
Stages of Moral Reasoning
From his research, he identified six stages of reasoning at three levels.
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Level One:
Pre-conventional Morality
Level Two:
Conventional Morality
Level Three:
Post-Conventional Morality
Stage 1: Punishment-Obedience Orientation
Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation
Stage 3: Good Boy-Nice Girl Orientation
Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation
Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation
Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation
Movement through the Stages
Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning is a stage theory. In other words, everyone goes through the stages sequentially
without skipping any stage. However, movements through these stages are not natural, that is people do not automatically
move from one stage to the next as they mature. In stage development, movement is effected when cognitive dissonance
occurs ... that is when a person notices inadequacies in his or her present way of coping with a given moral dilemma.
But according to stage theory, people cannot understand moral reasoning more than one stage ahead of their own. For
example, a person in Stage 1 can understand Stage 2 reasoning but nothing beyond that. Therefore, we should present
moral arguments that are only one stage ahead of a person's present level of reasoning to stimulate movement to higher
stages.
THE FOLLOWING ARE OBSERVATIONS THAT WERE MADE BY
KOHLBERG
FURTHER EXPLAINING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN STAGES.
1. STAGE DEVELOPMENT IS INVARIANT.
One must progress through the stages in order, and one cannot get to a higher stage
without passing through the stage immediately preceding it. A belief that such a leap into
moral maturity is possible is in sharp contrast to the facts of developmental research.
Moral development is growth, and like all growth, takes place according to a predetermined sequence. To expect someone to grow into high moral maturity overnight
would be like expecting someone to walk before he crawls.
2. IN STAGE DEVELOPMENT, SUBJECTS CANNOT
COMPREHEND MORAL REASONING AT A STAGE MORE THAN
ONE STAGE BEYOND THEIR OWN.
If Johnny is oriented to see good almost exclusively as that which brings him satisfaction,
how will he understand a concept of good in which the "good" may bring him no tangible
pleasure at all. The moral maxim "It is better to give than to receive" reflects a high level
of development. The child who honestly asks you why it is better to give than to receive
does so because he does not and cannot understand such thinking. To him, "better" means
better for him. And how can it be better for him to give, than to get.
3. IN STAGE DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUALS ARE COGNITIVELY
ATTRACTED TO REASONING ONE LEVEL ABOVE THEIR
PRESENT PREDOMINANT LEVEL.
The person has questions and problems the solutions for which are less satisfying at his
present level. Since reasoning at one stage higher is intelligible and since it makes more
sense and resolves more difficulties, it is more attractive.
For example, two brothers both want the last piece of pie. The bigger, stronger brother
will probably get it. The little brother suggests they share it. He is thinking at level two,
rather than at level one. The solution for him is more attractive: getting some rather than
none. An adult who functions at level one consistently will end up in prison or dead.
4. IN STAGE DEVELOPMENT, MOVEMENT THROUGH THE
STAGES IS EFFECTED WHEN COGNITIVE DISEQUILIBRIUM IS
CREATED, THAT IS, WHEN A PERSON'S COGNITIVE OUTLOOK
IS NOT ADEQUATE TO COPE WITH A GIVEN MORAL
DILEMMA.
The person who is growing, will look for more and more adequate ways of solving
problems. If he has no problems, no dilemmas, he is not likely to look for solutions. He
will not grow morally. In the apple pie example, the big brother, who can just take the pie
and get away with it, is less likely to look for a better solution than the younger brother
who will get none and probably a beating in the struggle.
5. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR A HUMAN BEING TO BE
PHYSICALLY MATURE BUT NOT MORALLY MATURE.
If a child is spoiled, never having to accommodate for others needs, if he is raised in an
environment where level two thinking by others gets the job done, he may never generate
enough questions to propel him to a higher level of moral reasoning.
6. KOHLBERG BELIEVED THAT ONLY ABOUT 25% OF
PERSONS EVER GROW TO LEVEL SIX, THE MAJORITY
REMAINING AT LEVEL FOUR.
However, when asked to identify a single person who exhibited level six behavior the only one
he could come up with was…himself! For the academic ‘sin’ of presenting non-science as
social science, he temporarily lost his university position.
7. THE IDEA THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REMAIN AT
LEVEL FOUR IS TROUBLING FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN
DEMOCRACY.
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS SUCH AS OUR FOUNDING FATHERS FIGURED
VOTERS WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT THE NEEDS OF SOCIETY AHEAD OF
THEIR OWN PERSONAL NEEDS. That’s what stage five, the Social Contract stage, is
all about. In Cooley/Mead terms, citizens should be able to create a ‘generalized other’.
But Kohlberg suggests this isn’t the case. If it’s not, then democracy is nothing but voting
your own best interests. Forget ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’…