Kohlberg

I. Introduce and do Heinz Dilemma

II. Morals v. Values

Morals: societal view of right and wrong- ethics

Values: individual view of right and wrong

III. Does moral development happen based on age? What influences moral development?

IV. Basis of Kohlberg Theory

1. In the 1950s, he gave young white boys the Heinz dilemma

2. He looked at how they justified the action, not the result

3. The theory is not based on age, rather our cognitive and psychosocial development

4. There’s no requirement to get all the stages… you might just stay where you are cognitively and psychosocially able to be

5. it is very rare to regress in stages

6. can’t skip stages

7. his theory is based on and solely relies on justice

V. Where theory comes from

VI. 3 levels and 6 stages-info. In chart

KHOLDBERG TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF EMOTIONS, only justice

1. Preconventional Morality

   1. Punishment and Obedience

      1. He shouldn’t steal the drug because he might get caught and be punished

   2. Individualism v. Exchange of Favors

      1. It won’t do him any good to steal the drug because his wife will be dead by the time he gets out of jail

2. Conventional Morality

   1. Good Boy/Good Girl

      1. Get the approval of people that matter to you

      2. Most middle school kids, some high school kids

      3. Actions that will please others, especially those who you think have status

      4. Maintaining relationships with people who have status through doing what you think they want you to do

      5. You may even put your own wants aside

      6. EMPHASIS ON CONFORMITY (like some of Erikson’s stages)

         1. Heinz dilemma- if the majority of their peers says steal it then they steal it

            1. He shouldn’t steal the drug because others will think he is a theif

   2. Law and Order

      1. The rules are the rules and you follow the rules

      2. Typically at high school

      3. It’s for society as a whole

      4. The focus is to follow rules & respect authority

      5. View on rules is inflexible

         1. Although his wife needs the drug, he should not break the law to get it. His wife’s condition doesn’t justify stealing it

3. Post-Conventional Morality

   1. Social Contract

      1. Created by a French philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau

      2. Stage 5 is very rarely seen before college

      3. People begin to account for different values, opinions, & belief of others

      4. Recognize that rules are merely  agreements on behavior, which can change

      5. Protecting individual rights- not absolute

      6. Rules that don’t serve society can change

         1. He shouldn’t steal the drug, the druggist response is unfair but mutual respect for the rights of others must be maintained

   2. Universal Ethical Principle

      1. Almost nobody gets here, so it’s considered a hypothetical ideal stage

      2. Follow a few abstract, universal principles that transcend the law

      3. Disobey laws that violate own ethical principles

      4. Someone violating a law because of their own intrinsic value that they have

         1. He should steal the drug but alert authorities he has done it. He will have to face a penalty, but he will save a human life

VII. Criticisms of Kohlberg

-moral thinking vs. moral doing/acting (we can say all we want but it’s not the same as what we’d actually do in the moment

-overemphasizes justice, ignores caring, compassion, and emotion

-gender bias- idea of different set of moral thinking

-western cultural bias- different and diverse cultures were not looked at for that- lack of regard for other societies

VIII. 2 key questions for Kohlberg

-discontinuous

-nurture