Moral Development

Chapter 12: Moral Development

Overview of Moral Development

Moral development can be studied at various levels, including individuals, families, communities, and society.

What is Morality?

  • G.K. Chesterton defines morality as an art, suggesting that it consists of establishing boundaries in behavior and ethics.

Components of Moral Development

Moral development is shaped by various factors including:

  • Rules - societal norms govern behavior.

  • Self - individual conscience and personal ethics.

  • Relationships - impact of personal connections on moral reasoning.

  • Others - considerations of how actions affect other people.

  • Tasks - responsibilities that involve moral decision-making.

Theoretical Perspectives on Moral Development

  1. Utilitarianism - Seeks to maximize the greatest good for the greatest number.

  2. Ethical Relativism - Suggests right and wrong is relative to individuals and cultures.

  3. Enlightened Hedonism - Actions taken for others that benefit oneself in the long run.

Influential Philosophical Theories

  1. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative - Advocates for universal moral laws derived from actions.

  2. Religious Texts -

    • Old Testament: The Ten Commandments.

    • New Testament: The two greatest commandments of love towards God and neighbors.

  3. Bhagavad-gita - Emphasizes duty and selfless giving as modes of goodness.

  4. Albert Schweitzer - Proposes that morality is based on reverence for life.

  5. Ernest Hemingway - Defines moral actions by the feelings they evoke in an individual.

Perspectives on Moral Development

Biological Perspective

  • Focuses on evolutionary genetics and brain structure.

Psychoanalytic Perspective

  • Freud's concept of the superego and guilt; modern emphasis on induction and empathy-based guilt.

Social Learning Perspective

  • Emphasizes modeling moral behavior.

Behaviorist Perspective

  • Highlights the role of rewards and punishments in moral behavior.

Cognitive-Developmental Perspective

  • Children as active thinkers about the social rules regarding morality.

Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Heteronomous Morality (Morality of Constraint)

  • This stage shows children view rules as fixed and sacred norms.

Autonomous Morality (Morality of Cooperation)

  • Children begin to see rules as flexible agreements benefiting group dynamics.

Ideal Reciprocity

  • A fairness standard reflecting mutual expectations, often expressed through the Golden Rule.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Understanding

  • Preconventional level: Focuses on punishment and reward.

    • Stage 1: Punishment and obedience orientation.

    • Stage 2: Instrumental purpose orientation.

  • Conventional level: Adherence to social rules for approval.

    • Stage 3: “Good boy – good girl” orientation.

    • Stage 4: Social-order-maintaining orientation.

  • Postconventional level: Autonomous decision-making based on universal moral principles.

    • Stage 5: Social-contract orientation.

    • Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation.

Gender Differences in Moral Reasoning

  • Kohlberg emphasizes rights and justice.

  • Gilligan introduces the ethic of care, highlighting differences in male and female moral reasoning styles:

    • Care Orientation: Emphasizes relationships and compassion.

    • Justice Orientation: Focuses on abstract fairness principles.

Domain Theory by Elliot Turiel

  1. Moral Imperatives: Standards protecting rights and welfare (e.g. hitting, stealing).

  2. Social Conventions: Customs agreed upon through consensus—e.g., table manners, dress styles.

  3. Matters of Personal Choice: Personal decisions that do not infringe on the rights of others.

Moral Foundations Theory

Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Intuitions

  1. Care/harm: Natural response to empathy and attachment.

  2. Fairness/cheating: Emerges from reciprocal altruism and justice notions.

  3. Loyalty/betrayal: Reflects tribal social behaviors and group solidarity.

  4. Authority/subversion: Derived from hierarchical social interactions.

  5. Sanctity/degradation: Links moral behavior to notions of purity and respect for life.

Young Children's Moral Reasoning

  • Distributive Justice: Concepts around fair sharing of material goods.

  • Self-Control: Strategies to resist temptations violating moral standards.

Development of Self-Control

  1. Compliance: Begins at 12-18 months—following requests and commands.

  2. Delay of Gratification: Waiting appropriately to fulfill temptations.

  3. Moral Self-Regulation: Monitoring and adjusting behavior to adhere to ethical standards.

Strategies for Enhancing Self-Control

  • Parents can use inductive discipline to help children understand others' feelings and the impacts of their behavior.

  • Characteristics of Positive Models:

    • Warmth and responsiveness

    • Competence and power

    • Consistency between values and behavior

Child Factors Affecting Inductive Discipline

  • Empathy: Empathetic children exhibit better moral behavioral compliance.

  • Temperament: Varies how disciplinary strategies are perceived and followed.

Conclusion

Understanding moral development encompasses various theories, perspectives, and strategies, emphasizing the importance of social context and individual differences in shaping moral reasoning in children.