Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development Kohlbergs Moral Dilemma

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s Moral 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 $400 for the radium and charged $4, 000 for a small dose of the drug. 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, 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, having tried every legal means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife. • Should Heinz steal the drug? Why or why not?

Who was Lawrence Kohlberg? 1927 - 1983 • Born in New York City in 1927. • Graduated from the University of Chicago in one year. • Attended Yale and earned a Ph. D in psychology. • Became fascinated by moral development in children. • Theorized six stages of human moral development.

Stage #1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation • Morality is based upon the physical punishment that follows an action, rather than right or wrong. • The concern is for self - "Will I get into trouble for doing (or not doing) it? " • Good behavior is associated with avoiding punishment. EX: The child won’t grab the candy at the supermarket for fear of being spanked.

Stage #2: Relativist Orientation • The concern is "What's in it for me? " Action is judged right if it helps in satisfying one's needs or involves a fair exchange. EX: A mother tells her child: “If you are quiet at the mall, I will buy you an ice cream. ”

Stage #3: Good Boy/Nice Girl Orientation • People should live up to the expectations of the family and community and behave in "good" ways. • Good behavior means having good motives and interpersonal feelings such as love & empathy. EX: Volunteering at a nursing home is the right thing to do.

Stage #4: Law and Order Orientation • While stage three actions are more concerned with pleasing your family, stage four is associated with following society as a whole. • Emphasis is spent on obeying laws to maintain social order. EX: If you drink and drive your endangering the lives of others on the road, not just yourself.

Stage #5: Social Contract Orientation • At stage 4, people want to keep society functioning. However, a smoothly functioning society is not necessarily a good one. Nazi Germany was a well organized society, but nine million were murdered in the process. • At stage 5, people begin to ask, "What makes for a good society? " – They begin to think about society considering the rights and values that a society ought to uphold. EX: It is important for the world to stop the killing in Darfur because we are morally obligated to stop genocide.

Stage #6: Universal Ethical Principal Orientation • As human beings we are obligated to live by the principal that “all men are created equal” regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or political belief. • Justice is universal, so unjust laws must be broken. • EX: Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of the bus because it was an unjust law discriminating against African Americans.

Other Dilemmas to Consider