IV Moral Development learning of behaviors that are

IV. Moral Development learning of behaviors that are considered right or wrong.

u Have you ever cheated on quizzes and tests? Is it morally acceptable to cheat? u Most of you don’t rob banks, why? u Is it ok to speed? u Is it ok to steal from a store? u Is that different than stealing from a person?

u Lawrence Kholberg-- Theory of moral reasoning u Moral reasoning changes over time u Used moral dilemmas --a difficult moral question or scenario – Testing how moral reasoning changes

u Used the Heinz Moral Dilemma to show moral reasoning u Believed moral reasoning occurred in a certain sequence u Theory included 3 levels and two stages in each level – Total of 6 stages

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). "

Level I Preconventional Level Moral values reside in external events, or bad acts u The child is responsive to rules and evaluative labels (that’s bad, trouble, good) u Pleasant or unpleasant consequences of actions teach morality u Physical power of those who impose rules teach morality u By the age of 9, most kids are done with this level u

Stage 1 Obedience and Punishment Orientation u Simple name “avoiding punishment” u Egocentric deference to superior power or prestige u What is good is what helps one avoid punishment u Heinz is wrong to steal the drug-punishment

Stage 2 Naively Egoistic Orientation u Simple name “satisfying needs” u The right actions will satisfy a person’s needs u Heinz is right to steal the drug because having his wife satisfies his needs

Level II--Conventional Level u Moral values reside in performing the right role u Conventional means accepted standards u Moral acts conform to conventional standards of right and wrong (laws)

Stage 3 Good Boy/Good Girl Orientation u Simple name “winning approval” u What is good gains approval from others u Behavior is now evaluated by intention u Heinz would steal the drug in order to gain the approval of society and wife

Stage 4 Authority and Social Order Maintaining Orientation u Simple name “law and order” u Showing respect of law and order u Obey law and respect authority u Obligated to follow rules u Heinz would not steal the drug out of respect for the law--everyone must respect law

Level III –Post-Conventional Level u Moral standards are internal u Judgments made on standards of right and wrong u Also based on social order

stage 5 Contractual/Legalistic Orientation Simple name “social order” u Laws have value and should not be violated u Contract between the law and an individual u If the contract breaks down, the law can be broken u Only violate laws with good, moral reasons u Heinz would steal the drug, the contract was broken u

Stage 6 The Morality of Universal Ethics Simple name “universal ethics” u Morality that values life, justice, dignity u Individual conscience does not need laws u Make the highest moral judgments u Altruism- self sacrifice u Would violate laws if laws contradicted the highest moral decision u Heinz would steal the drug u